Favorite pots and pans?

CPARKTX

I've fallen in live with my one Lodge cast iron Dutch oven and want to invest in a few more nice pots and pans. I'm curious what others here consider their favorites, including sizes....

hapster

Like my Calphalon SS, and the few pieces of enameled cast iron I have.

RRP

This may sound silly, but my favorite pan that gets the most use on my eggs is a small 8 x 8 stainless steel pan. I always cover it inside and out with HD foil for ease of cleanup. Then I have a small wire grate that is 10 x 8 which rests on top. I use this for pork roasts, pork loins, tenderloins, prime rib and beef roasts. The advantage is it prevents burning from direct heat underneath, but permits surround heat close by as well as smoke to surround the meat.

yzzi

I always reach for my CI ware: skillets, griddle, dutch oven. I also love my le crueset dutch ovens as well. They cleanup really easily especially after a good soak.

CPARKTX

@yzzi‌ is Le Cruesset enameled? What are your most used sizes?

yzzi

The small rounded bottom is 4 quarts. I have a larger one (8 quarts) that is a flat bottom.

Beavercreek_Smoker

I have 2 pieces of go to CI, Lodge 10" chicken fryer and a 10" Chef pan. 90% of cooks use one of those pans. I have a collection of All Clad but those don't go on the Egg. I also just invested in a couple of Lodge's Steel pans. Used a few times and I think I like them as they heat quick and season really easy as you use them. 

I havd a gas burner built in on my egg table so I have the flexibility to use the egg or gas for sides.

 

blind99

@cparktx For egging, or in general?  I've got Lodge 12" and 8" pans for the egg, and I use the 12" inside a lot as well.  Watch out for handle length.  My old Lodge 12" wouldn't fit because the handle was too long.  I'm looking forward to getting a dutch oven for the egg.

MaC122

Lodge is ok for cast iron pots and pans. The best is to go antique hunting and find cast iron that was made in the 1930's and before. Look on the bottom of the pan. If you see WAGNER or GRISWOLD you have got a good pan. Lodge does not smooth mill the cast iron at the end like they did in the past. Antiques are easy to restore if you need too and they are much smoother than Lodge

Eggcelsior

All Clad D5 and copper core and Le Creuset for me. Wagner and Griswold CI.

texaswig

Cuisinart enamel cast iron Dutch ovens. 3 and 5.5 quart my favorites. Large SS Cuisinart pot and pan set I've had for about 5 years. a few loved iron skillets. Good cookware is a must.

Botch

la Creuset for enameled cast-iron pots and one frypan, All-Clad copper saute pans, and a cheep T-Fal coated frypan for eggs and fish.  

DieselkW

I cook 100% on iron outside. Even my drip pan is a 9" square iron pan from Ikea. I use the iron grate & a collection of old round fryers picked up at yard sales over the years. Even my bread baking loaf pan is iron, as well as my burger press. 

Wipe 'em clean, hose 'em down, dry and store in the garage. Seasoned by use. 

Zmokin

I have never put a pan in my BGE, probably never will.
If your question is of a generic nature, I really like my revereware for almost anything on the stove, with the exception being for breakfast.  I have a square teflon pan I love to use for 6 slices of bacon and then eggs, & it also is my omelette pan.  If I'm making hash, then it's my CI skillet.  I also use my CI skillet in the oven for a German pancake.

njl

RRP said:

This may sound silly, but my favorite pan that gets the most use on my eggs is a small 8 x 8 stainless steel pan. I always cover it inside and out with HD foil for ease of cleanup. Then I have a small wire grate that is 10 x 8 which rests on top. I use this for pork roasts, pork loins, tenderloins, prime rib and beef roasts. The advantage is it prevents burning from direct heat underneath, but permits surround heat close by as well as smoke to surround the meat.

You cook eggs in a pan lined with HDAF?  Fried?  Scrambled?  Omelettes?

PNWFoodie

Anything cast iron. Nekkid or enameled. Plus SS in 8" and 14".

Mickey

Botch said:

la Creuset for enameled cast-iron pots and one frypan, All-Clad copper saute pans, and a cheep T-Fal coated frypan for eggs and fish.  

Sounds like we could switch kitchens and never miss a beat.

logchief

@Botch @Mickey La Creuset too.  I've had my blue #24 for over 30 yrs. and it's still going strong, was a present from my Mom who worked in a cooking store part time so she got a good discount.

Eggcelsior

logchief said:

@Botch @Mickey La Creuset too.  I've had my blue #24 for over 30 yrs. and it's still going strong, was a present from my Mom who worked in a cooking store part time so she got a good discount.

I love my LCs. I basically bought my cookware so I would never have to replace it short of theft or house fire, along with the generations after me.

yzzi

By the way, sorry for the really bad pics I posted. The one wasn't even cleaned as I just pulled it out of the sink. I bought both mine at the Le Crueset outlets, and they were both either second hand or clearance ones and carry the same warranty (so I was told), and you get to save a couple few bucks because of a "scratch" of some sort that you're going to get with normal use anyways. Plus you can sometimes use a 20-30% off coupon too.

Griffin

You talking inside or outside cooking? We have three sets of pots and pans. The wife has some Caphalon, I have some that I think are Circulon and then a hodge podge of different size CI pans and DOs. I go for the CI most often. Can't stand the Caphalon. Most of them need to be trashed IMHO.

blind99

Griffin said:

You talking inside or outside cooking? We have three sets of pots and pans. The wife has some Caphalon, I have some that I think are Circulon and then a hodge podge of different size CI pans and DOs. I go for the CI most often. Can't stand the Caphalon. Most of them need to be trashed IMHO.

@griffin I used to think the same thing about Calphalon, but last year I got two new ones from williams sonoma and they're great.  They heat evenly, can brown and sear, and are really nonstick.  I think it's called calphalon elite. 

Griffin

 

fishlessman

lecrusette dutch, braiser, and casserole caste iron enamelled. camp ci dutch ci fryer, ci fry pans. set of vintage wear ever aluminum pans with wooden handles
, a copper tin lined ruffoni stock pot for chowdahs and a couple portuguese cataplanas. i do have a couple big ss stock pots but dont really see the fascination with all the high tech laminated s/s pots and pans, the ones ive had were just built wrong, especially the laminated ones... the lamination needs to cross the bottom and go up the sides, the ones with the flat bottom lamination just burn stuff in the corners and almost all seem to be built this way. ive also been given 2 second hand enamelled dutch lodges from people that didnt know what they had, ie....too heavey
) most used pan for the egg is a cs paella

MeTed

Lodge cast iron for the Eggs (19 pcs. and use them all). And Allclad copperchef  for inside ( 16 pcs. and use them all)! I really like the Lodge pans!

SeahawksEGGHead

Tramontina for indoor kitchen use.  Made in the USA, and we've had ours for several years with no real signs of wear.  As long as you take care of them reasonaby well, they'll last.  Fairly inexpensive as well.

nolan8v

SGH

I use the Lodge cast iron for outdoor cooking. I find that the cheap old black iron pans will more than hold their on with anything out there. The old black iron just works and works exceedingly well. It produces consistent results again and again. Hard to beat in my opinion for general cookery. I also have a very large and heavy walled aluminum pot that I made out of a piece of 48" diameter pipe. I use this when boiling shrimp, crab and crawfish. Again this is a homemade pot.

Focker

Permanent spots on the gas cooktop are  a Viking 7 ply 3.5qt saucier.  A 4-in-1 12qt stockpot, great for stocks, brines, steaming, soups, pasta......think it's Cuisinart?  A Lodge 12" Carbon Steel skillet, and my favorite being a rare Wagner 12" chef's skillet.  The sides of the skillet are rounded and not as acute as the standard, and it has a sturdy/stable handle for tossing.  

4 Lodge DOs, 2 Le Creuset DOs, and a few Le Creuset sauce pans.  Favorite there is a vintage 2 3/4 qt Le Creuset sauce pan with pour spout and wood handle I found still in the box, new.  Nice, even heat and easy to transfer.  Many different sizes of vintage CI skillets.  If I had to pick one, it would be my mama's 7 qt Le Creuset DO.  

For the egg, my favorite vessel is a Griswold Large slant logo #16 griddle, and a #12 Large slant logo griddle for the small.  12" hand hammered carbon steel pao wok with wood handle from the Wok Shop is up there too. 

RRP

Focker said:

Permanent spots on the gas cooktop are  a Viking 7 ply 3.5qt saucier.  A 4-in-1 12qt stockpot, great for stocks, brines, steaming, pasta......think it's Cuisinart?  A Lodge 12" Carbon Steel skillet, and my favorite being a rare Wagner 12" chef's skillet.  The sides of the skillet are rounded and not as acute as the standard.  

Numerous Lodge and Le Creuset DOs, and a couple of Le Creuset sauce pans.  Many different sizes of vintage CI skillets.  If I had to pick one, it would be my mama's 7 qt Le Creuset DO

For the egg, my favorite vessel is a Griswold Large slant logo #16 griddle, and a #12 Large slant logo griddle for the small.  12" hand hammered carbon steel pao wok with wood handle from the Wok Shop is up there too. 

ATT: readers here...trust me when you read something about antique cast iron cookware that Brandon has posted. He knows his stuff and has even been known to swap his garage finds for other products! Want to guess how I know that? LOL

Focker

@RRP, 

You putting that ol' Wagner through it's paces?