Consumer Reports on Cookware

Melba's Jammin said:

Understood. Still. . . . s e v e n t e e n? Or e i g h t e e n? Or
t w e n t y - f o u r? Sweet Jesus! We all have our vices, I guess.
That's gotta be heavy to schlep everywhere you go.

Oh heavens no... I don't take most of them with me. Just a few
pieces..ones that I find absolutely essential. Most of them are still
at home.

I do take a stockpot with me, and I take a brazier.. Plus a smaller
pot..and the non-stick pan. Sometimes the littlest pan, and sometimes
the smaller of the saucier...And a saute pan.

You should be glad I didn't show you my Le Crueset 😉

And for folks that think I am bragging, maybe I am. I like this
cookware. I got it before it became fashionable,and for a reason. It
works well. We all have things we like to brag about... Some folks
brag on their vintage clothing, some brag on this and that... I doubt
any of us are exempt.

Yes, I like good cookware. I have a worse vice, in that I am totally
addicted to cookbooks..and I go nuts if I can't buy one for a
bit...The cookware is a minor vice..😉

Christine

hahabogus said:

Find some big link chain...and some S hooks. mount to ceiling.

That's a fantastic idea, ha! Mount horizontally or hanging down. I
love it.

nb

In article <[email hidden]>,

Christine Dabney said:

You should be glad I didn't show you my Le Crueset 😉
Christine

Thanks be to Alex! <g>
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com
http:/http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor/

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

aren't there any slobs like me who keep their pots in the oven?

your pal,
blake

blake murphy said:

aren't there any slobs like me who keep their pots in the oven?

Nah..... too full of bakeware.

nb

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.

My fairly new Emerilware is made by All-Clad.

N.

Quoted message 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.

I prefer Cooks Illustrated's reviews over Consumer Reports. Priority is
on cooking with the product and not just received value. -G

Giusi said:

OR this one:

http://www.judithgreenwood.com/thinkonit/a-pot-rack-anyone-can-have/

This looks good and is certainly much cheaper to contrive. If I had
room for either in my kitchen, I think I'd prefer the pot pole, though.
As it were, there is a space by the side of the refrigerator which would
be perfect, but it is taken up by the shelves with my vodka collection
(ca. 70 bottles, all full :-)).

Victor

Victor Sack said:

Giusi said:

OR this one:

http://www.judithgreenwood.com/thinkonit/a-pot-rack-anyone-can-have/

This looks good and is certainly much cheaper to contrive. If I had
room for either in my kitchen, I think I'd prefer the pot pole, though.
As it were, there is a space by the side of the refrigerator which would
be perfect, but it is taken up by the shelves with my vodka collection
(ca. 70 bottles, all full :-)).

Victor

If I had the pole I would not be able to open the fridge door enough to
remove the shelves to clean it. To the right of the pot chain, there is
the opening for the stairs to the floor below. There is a reason for
everything even though it doesn't always show clearly. Where in Italy
would you buy the pole if you wanted it, anyway? LOL I couldn't even
find a Pyrex liner for a silver casserole, nor pie pans, nor layer cake
pans, or a symphony of things I thought I would never need again and
then I did.

It was amazing how after a couple of years I just wanted American
birthday cake... no birthday, I just wanted the cake. A wonderful
friend sent me cake tins from West Virginia.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

notbob said:

blake murphy said:

aren't there any slobs like me who keep their pots in the oven?

Nah..... too full of bakeware.

nb

Cast iron frying pans.

notbob said:

blake murphy said:

aren't there any slobs like me who keep their pots in the oven?

Nah..... too full of bakeware.

nb

ah, that explains it.

your pal,
blake

Tracy said:

Quoted message said:

Quit that <grin>. I'd like to . . . . . uh, I'd better stop before this
gets outta . . . uh . . . OK, I meant I'd like to have a pan/pot
storage system just like Chris's! I don't know what to call that neat
contraption. There ;>

Sky

Sky,
I think you could probably make one if you are slightly handy and if
you have the right tools. I would like one myself. It looks likek a
giant tension rod with holes drilled in it and S hooks to hold the
pans in place. You would just need to find a long enough tension rod -
maybe like a shower rod, although I don't think it would be quite tall
enough - it would depend on your ceiling.
You could even do it, I bet with a 2 by 4...topped of with rubber end
thingys....to protect the ceiling.

-Tracy (just thinking out loud)

Tracy, I agree 😉 But, a "regular" tension rod probably wouldn't work
well due to weight issues, and I'm no engineer. All those pots and pans
would weigh a heck of a lot!

I do like the idea of hanging a heavy-duty SS chain from the ceiling or
a bracket off the wall - that's not a bad idea at all. The only
requirement would be the chain has to hang from a joist or some
structural member to support the weight. I might just do this -- and it
wouldn't cost very much either 😉

Sky, who's rather handy at rigging stuff up

Skyhooks said:

I do like the idea of hanging a heavy-duty SS chain from the ceiling or
a bracket off the wall - that's not a bad idea at all. The only
requirement would be the chain has to hang from a joist or some
structural member to support the weight. I might just do this -- and it
wouldn't cost very much either 😉

Sky, who's rather handy at rigging stuff up

If you like the idea of lumber and chain.... I'll take a picture of my
kitchen pot rack and send it to you. I bought mine, but if I ever
increase the length, I will make it myself the next time.

--
See return address to reply by email

sf said:

Skyhooks said:

I do like the idea of hanging a heavy-duty SS chain from the ceiling or
a bracket off the wall - that's not a bad idea at all. The only
requirement would be the chain has to hang from a joist or some
structural member to support the weight. I might just do this -- and it
wouldn't cost very much either 😉

Sky, who's rather handy at rigging stuff up

If you like the idea of lumber and chain.... I'll take a picture of my
kitchen pot rack and send it to you. I bought mine, but if I ever
increase the length, I will make it myself the next time.

That'd be great! Please do. Thanks so much.

Sky