which saucepans to buy?

sunflower76

I bought a £50 set of Tefal non-stick ones about 15 years. the middle sized one had really had it recently so I replaced it with a pan which:

1. Is made from stainless steel,
2. Is thick bottomed
3. Has a glass lid.
4. Was a nice weight
5. Cost around £20.

I figured that this was the one that had the most use as the tiny milk pan is still perfect and the large one has a few more years life in it yet.

I think what I'm trying to say is think about what you use them for rather than buying an entire set as you may not use the odd sized ones as much as you think. You can then spend a little bit more on a good pan

rev229

I have some analon professional pans they are really good. have had them about 6 years and they are still as good as new. I do use them all the time! I was advised by John lewis that these where the most hard- wearing. The only problem is the glass lid had no vent holes so boil over if on to high a heat. But the heat distrubution is very even so the hob only needs to be on a simmer once the contents are heated.

Gangstabird

cathy wrote: »

stainless steel every time. YOu cant beat them

I got a set of viners with a 25 year guarantee

they wash up great, nothing sticks unless you let it burn then any pan will do the same

Ive had non stick waste of money, le cruset gave them to my unsuspecting son

enamel,. for get it

meyers frying pans last me about 6 months

best frying pan ive had was a tower non stick lasted me 16 years!!

Quote ended here and it was from 2004!!! but I posted within it.

I agree with this post. I bought a set of Viners which were only guaranteed for 10 years with wedding money. 9 years later, they are still going strong look fab and you can clean them with a wire wool scrubby and they come up fantastic

Viners are the way to go for saucepans.

However, I am undecided on which is the best frying pan, the viners is good, but is not non stick.

greenbee

I'm not keen on non-stick... I just get the feeling that you probably end up eating a certain amount of it over time!

I use stainless steel, and pick up pans when I find the thing I'm looking for (it can take me years to get something!), so I have various kinds. I also have some inherited le creuset, which I love. I do make sure that all my pans have metal handles so they can go in the oven if needed.

I did find that locating a frying-pan without non-stick took a long time. The one I ended up with is a Stellar one (James Martin branded), which I think I probably found in the Debenhams sale a couple of years ago.

purplepardalis

Some great advice guys - thanks from me.

Also, do any of you le Creuset owners know if you can put the ovenware directly on the gas?

We have a casserole dish with lid and some deep tray tip dishes - are thye safe on the gas?!

greenbee

All the cast iron le creuset can go on the gas, but I'm pretty sure the earthenware won't take direct heat.

caroline1973lefty

i love my le creuset casserole, i use it pretty much every time i cook. I had cheapo thin bottomed pans for years and the difference is amazing, i used to constantly burn onions and garlic but now i hardly ever (!) burn anything. Plus it retains heat really well so i find i can turn the gas down or even off at the end, and save a bit of energy, too.

I reckon the government ought to stop spending money on adverts lecturing people to eat well, and just buy everyone a le creuset pan to inspire them instead! (maybe they could even do a deal with the french government...?):rotfl:

rach

This has been added to a thread i started way back in 2004! I ended up with a set of meyer stainless steel pans with a 25 year guarantee, i love them and they're fantastic. i got satin because they were cheaper.

I got a really good deal on amazon, 7 pans (the 3 usual saucepans, small & large frying pans and a big stir fry pan which is fantastic for big spag bols etc plus a stockpot which comes with a steaming thing). think I paid £60. similar to this
but more pans and steel handles.

i'd say buy the best you can (it may not necessarily be the most expensive - mine weren't).

Valli

some of my prestige lifetime guaranteed pans are still going strong after 25 years, are easy to clean and look brilliant. Prestige went out of business though!
Le Creuset look good but you have to have muscles like a Russian shotpuutter to shift 'em! :rotfl:

greenbee

Valli wrote: »

Le Creuset look good but you have to have muscles like a Russian shotputter to shift 'em! :rotfl:

Are you implying something?