Consumer Reports on Cookware

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm not worried about letting a pot boil dry, but I do wonder whether
Consumer Reports is considering this as cooks or as engineers. All
but two of the above got a 'B' (very good) for "evenness", with
KitchenAid and Emerilware getting an 'A' (excellent).

..

Quoted message said:

I read previous posts regarding All-Clad, but am wondering whether
someone has actually compared the performance of any two of the above
cookware sets and found a discernible difference.

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good cookware.
Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted by CR and many
people here, other cookware can perform just as well. When it comes to
boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

Edwin Pawlowski said...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm not worried about letting a pot boil dry, but I do wonder whether
Consumer Reports is considering this as cooks or as engineers. All
but two of the above got a 'B' (very good) for "evenness", with
KitchenAid and Emerilware getting an 'A' (excellent).

.

Quoted message said:

I read previous posts regarding All-Clad, but am wondering whether
someone has actually compared the performance of any two of the above
cookware sets and found a discernible difference.

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good cookware.
Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted by CR and many
people here, other cookware can perform just as well. When it comes to
boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

I have two saucepans by the same company, the rest is a mix of aluminum,
cast iron, non-sticks, steel and some matching cheap-o glass and silicon
bakeware.

I've only had to replace the cheap-o non-stick pans a few times in about 10
years.

It's hard to put a price on the collection since they weren't purchased all
at once, with a large orange/blue enamel Dutch oven, inherited.

Last purchase: blueish silicon popover pan (last week).

Andy

Edwin Pawlowski said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm not worried about letting a pot boil dry, but I do wonder whether
Consumer Reports is considering this as cooks or as engineers. All
but two of the above got a 'B' (very good) for "evenness", with
KitchenAid and Emerilware getting an 'A' (excellent).

.

Quoted message said:

I read previous posts regarding All-Clad, but am wondering whether
someone has actually compared the performance of any two of the above
cookware sets and found a discernible difference.

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good
cookware. Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted
by CR and many people here, other cookware can perform just as well.
When it comes to boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform
just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

Yep. I don't think it matters if your cookware has a name. In fact, I
don't think your average dog or cat or bird cares what its name is as long
as you feed it. Just buy something sturdy that suits your cooking needs and
forget about what the brand is. Oh, and feed it well 😉

Jill

email hidden said:

I nearly purchased All-Clad cookware, but thought the better of it and
checked out the December 2005 Consumer Reports. The top ten in
overall performance rating for uncoated cookware sets (with prices)
is:
KitchenAid Gourmet Essentials 150
Calphalon Contemporary 400
Emerilware Stainless 200
Magnalite Classic 130
Member's (Sam's Club) 130
J.A. Henckels Classic Clad 200
T-Fal Jamie Oliver 150
All-Clad Master Chef 2 700393 320
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 100
All-Clad Copper Core 6000-7SS 700

Notably, two sets melted when allowed to boil dry: "the bottoms of two
pots, the Calphalon Simply Calphalon and the Emerilware Stainless,
completely detached, allowing molten metal to ooze across the
stovetop."

I'm not worried about letting a pot boil dry, but I do wonder whether
Consumer Reports is considering this as cooks or as engineers. All
but two of the above got a 'B' (very good) for "evenness", with
KitchenAid and Emerilware getting an 'A' (excellent).

This seems to be the primary criteria, as "sturdiness" can be overcome
with a lifetime waranty, while "comfort" is largely in the eye of the
beholder.

I read previous posts regarding All-Clad, but am wondering whether
someone has actually compared the performance of any two of the above
cookware sets and found a discernible difference.

When it comes to cookware, recommendations usually are to buy pieces
separately according to your usage and needs. Prior to inheriting my
great-aunt's
kitchen goods, I had a large and small cast iron pan, 1 and a 3 quart
Revere
pots, and a big cheap aluminum pot for boiling pasta.

With her stuff, I got another cast iron pan, a bunch of cheap pots in
various sizes,
and a griddle.

In the last 15 years, I've added a couple of large heavy-duty
commercial-grade
aluminum pots (12 & 20 qt) which make stock-making much easier, since
I
can brown the bones and saute veggies prior to adding the liquids if I
so choose.

If you want something you can hang on your wall and make your kitchen
look
pretty, buy a set. If you want to cook, buy what you need, not what
someone
else thinks you need.

maxine in ri

"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email hidden]> dropped this turd
news:[email hidden]: in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm not worried about letting a pot boil dry, but I do wonder whether
Consumer Reports is considering this as cooks or as engineers. All
but two of the above got a 'B' (very good) for "evenness", with
KitchenAid and Emerilware getting an 'A' (excellent).

.

Quoted message said:

I read previous posts regarding All-Clad, but am wondering whether
someone has actually compared the performance of any two of the above
cookware sets and found a discernible difference.

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good
cookware. Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted
by CR and many people here, other cookware can perform just as well.
When it comes to boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform
just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

I was somewhat surprised that Sam's Club tied with 4th spot with
Magnalite Classic. Cost wise both are very reasonable. Next time I'm at
Sam's Club I'll check it out.

Michael

--
Due to recent cutbacks - The light at the end of the tunnel has been
turned off.
~unknow author

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> dropped this turd
news:[email hidden]: in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Edwin Pawlowski said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm not worried about letting a pot boil dry, but I do wonder
whether Consumer Reports is considering this as cooks or as
engineers. All but two of the above got a 'B' (very good) for
"evenness", with KitchenAid and Emerilware getting an 'A'
(excellent).

.

Quoted message said:

I read previous posts regarding All-Clad, but am wondering whether
someone has actually compared the performance of any two of the
above cookware sets and found a discernible difference.

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good
cookware. Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted
by CR and many people here, other cookware can perform just as well.
When it comes to boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform
just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

Yep. I don't think it matters if your cookware has a name. In fact,
I don't think your average dog or cat or bird cares what its name is
as long as you feed it. Just buy something sturdy that suits your
cooking needs and forget about what the brand is. Oh, and feed it
well 😉

Jill

I agree. I have Calphalon and then a mix of <insert name here> stuff
collected over the years. I paid good money for the Calphalon and don't
see much difference between it and other lines I've used. I guess maybe
a more experienced and accomplished cook than I am might be able to tell
a difference. I just recently had to replace some cookie sheets and round
biscuit/pizza type pans. I found exactly what I was looking for at "Olde
Tyme Pottery" here in St. Louis. The prices were all discounted and I
got what I needed for a song. All the baking pans have been put to use
several times and I have absolutely no complaints. There is a Duncan
Hines stamp on the bottom of all the baking pans. I didn't even know
they put out a line of baking pans.

Michael

--
Due to recent cutbacks - The light at the end of the tunnel has been
turned off.
~unknow author

Edwin Pawlowski said:

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

Cookware is just like marriage. After the wedding, you're back to
reality ...and without the makeup. 😉

nb

notbob said...

Quoted message said:

Edwin Pawlowski said:

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

Cookware is just like marriage. After the wedding, you're back to
reality ...and without the makeup. 😉

nb

HEY OHHH! You are correct, SIR!!! [rim shot]

maxine in ri said:

pretty, buy a set. If you want to cook, buy what you need, not what
someone
else thinks you need.

You should never buy what "someone else thinks you need", be it a set
or a single pan. IMO, if you are going to buy for yourself, buy
smart. If it's something you need, buy it now, but if it's something
you want, buy when it's a good deal. I have a great set of copper/SS
cookware. I'd have never bought it at W-S's retail price. Just so
happened they were closing out this particular French line and I got
it for 50% off. Bingo! It's a great set and will last forever and is
worth every 1/2 cent. 😉

nb

maxine in ri said:

If you want something you can hang on your wall and make your kitchen
look
pretty, buy a set. If you want to cook, buy what you need, not what
someone
else thinks you need.

I actually did both, sorta. Before we got married, I bought my then girl
friend whatever set was on sale at Costco or Sam's - can't remember which.
It was about $110, had nice heavy bottoms and glass lids, and everything
matched, of course. Now, we're married, and it hangs on the wall on an
inexpensive stainless flat pot holder, lids and all, and looks great. I even
pull one down now and again and cook with it. In fact, somebody for our
wedding bought us the All Clad roaster. It's mounted on the wall like a
trophy, all gleaming and pretty.

But the stuff I cook with every day are the pieces I've gathered over the
years. And she likes her old copper-bottomed Revere Ware, including a dutch
oven that lost its handles many years ago. Recently I was in Macy's and they
had a 50% off sale on their real cheap stainless steel cookware. I bought
two medium-sized pots 'cause I didn't have any that size, and they now hang
with the other set, and come in very handy when I'm doing rice in one and
veggies in another.

I probably have way more pots and pans than I actually need, but sooner or
later, I end up using them all. 'Course, I also have six pieces of outdoor
cooking equipment, so I suppose I'm a cooking equipment junkie!

--
EZ
Traeger BBQ075 "Texas"
CharGriller Smokin Pro
Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain Wide Body
CharmGlow 3-burner All-Stainless Gas Grill
Weber Kettle One-Touch Silver 22-1/2"
Weber Kettle Smoky Joe Silver 14-1/2"

On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:25:24 -0400, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm not worried about letting a pot boil dry, but I do wonder whether
Consumer Reports is considering this as cooks or as engineers. All
but two of the above got a 'B' (very good) for "evenness", with
KitchenAid and Emerilware getting an 'A' (excellent).

.

Quoted message said:

I read previous posts regarding All-Clad, but am wondering whether
someone has actually compared the performance of any two of the above
cookware sets and found a discernible difference.

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good cookware.
Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted by CR and many
people here, other cookware can perform just as well. When it comes to
boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

I'll keep my Revereware pots, thanks.

TammyM

TammyM said:

Quoted message said:

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good cookware.
Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted by CR and many
people here, other cookware can perform just as well. When it comes to
boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

I'll keep my Revereware pots, thanks.

I too have a lot of assorted cookware, but for some tasks I always seem
to pull out the Revere. There is something "comfortable" about them in
their classic simplicity. My mother owned some too.
I think I bought mine as a starter set right before I married, from The
Hecht Company. I seem to recall the price of $50 for two small saucepans
with lids, a large and small frying pan and a Dutch oven with lid that
also fit the larger frying pan. Not a bad deal considering how long I've
had them, huh!?

(TammyM) said:

I'll keep my Revereware pots, thanks.

TammyM- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I am still using my Mother's Revereware. She died in 1978 so it is
old, well used, and still great to use. I have 2 Calphalon pans I got
on Amazon's Friday Sale. The 9" Stir-fry pan was $10 and the 12" saute
pan was $12. I like them because you can put them in the oven. I also
have some TFal that I have had for almost 10 yrs. Since I have never
used things like Pam in them nor had them over Medium heat (Unless
they had liquid in them) they are still as non stick as the day I got
them. I also have some other posts and pans I have gotten at Yard
Sales. I never buy sets because they do not meet my needs.
Vickie

On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:37:06 -0700, Vickie in Utah <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

(TammyM) said:

I'll keep my Revereware pots, thanks.

TammyM- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I am still using my Mother's Revereware. She died in 1978 so it is
old, well used, and still great to use. I have 2 Calphalon pans I got
on Amazon's Friday Sale. The 9" Stir-fry pan was $10 and the 12" saute
pan was $12. I like them because you can put them in the oven. I also
have some TFal that I have had for almost 10 yrs. Since I have never
used things like Pam in them nor had them over Medium heat (Unless
they had liquid in them) they are still as non stick as the day I got
them. I also have some other posts and pans I have gotten at Yard
Sales. I never buy sets because they do not meet my needs.

I have one of my Grandmother's Revereware pots, and she's in her
mid-90s (gram, not the pot). The first cookware pieces I bought for
myself when I was still in my teens were Revereware. They cost a song
and wear like iron. I'll never understand why anyone would pay big
bucks for a simple pot. Having said that, some of my other pieces are
kind of fancy-schmancy :-)

TammyM

(TammyM) said:

On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:25:24 -0400, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This comes up all the time. Certainly, All Clad is very good cookware.
Pretty, performs well, but at a very high price. As noted by CR and many
people here, other cookware can perform just as well. When it comes to
boiling potatoes in a pot, cheap stuff can perform just as well also.

Comes down to the looks versus money thing.

I'll keep my Revereware pots, thanks.

TammyM

Oh.........
Guess you will have to slum with my All-Clad pots and pans at the NM
cook-in, Tammy. 😉

Christine

Christine Dabney said:

Guess you will have to slum with my All-Clad pots and pans at the NM
cook-in, Tammy. 😉

There's so many, Chris, which do you have? Is it the SS w/ big copper
plate on bottom?

nb

notbob said:

Christine Dabney said:

Guess you will have to slum with my All-Clad pots and pans at the NM
cook-in, Tammy. 😉

There's so many, Chris, which do you have? Is it the SS w/ big copper
plate on bottom?

nb

I have MasterChef..the lowest rung of their products. Brushed aluminum
on the outside. Most of my pots are this. I started getting them
back in 1988 or 1989 before they became popular. I heard Narsai David
raving about them on his program on the radio there, and I got one
from the old Whole Earth Access. They had fantastic prices on them
and had almost the whole gamut of what they sold at that time.

I loved the pot then, and have been getting a piece here and there
since then.

Here is a pic of many of them on my pot rack.

http://i16.tinypic.com/4gdm9uc.jpg

Christine

Christine Dabney said:

Here is a pic of many of them on my pot rack.

http://i16.tinypic.com/4gdm9uc.jpg

Geez, that's more than a rack - that's a whole pot pole! Where'd you get
that thing? I want one! My odds-and-ends are taking up a whole double
cabinet underneath my cooktop.

EZ

EZ said:

Christine Dabney said:

Here is a pic of many of them on my pot rack.

http://i16.tinypic.com/4gdm9uc.jpg

Geez, that's more than a rack - that's a whole pot pole! Where'd you get
that thing? I want one! My odds-and-ends are taking up a whole double
cabinet underneath my cooktop.

EZ

An ex-love got it for me years and years ago, from some catalog. I
have nurtured it over the years, as it is the one pot rack that I
really like. It is mainly just a hollow pole, that has hooks on it.
It has a metal screw inside, so you can adjust the height.

About 16 years ago, I had a few more hooks welded on it...

Wish I could find another one...but I haven't seen them since. And I
don't remember which catalog he saw it in. I wish I knew....

Christine