Recommended cookware.

Let’s chat about cookware for a bit. People are always wondering what to buy, especially young folks going out on their own for the first time or newlyweds. Even folks who are just looking for new stuff.Well I sure do have an opinion. Of course I can also be influenced. I am a member of the America’s test kitchen web site and they do product and tool/implement testing. They recommend All Clad and I would certainly get that and as a matter of fact I do intend to buy a couple of skillets of theirs in the future. But a 10 inch skillet is $105. A full set of that stuff runs close to $2000. So ya see I am not a Rockerfeller. So I will need to get a piece at a time.

I hear a lot about Calphalon, and they were tested along with all clad and it passed the test but never performed the best in cookware but did test the best in bake ware. All clad was the pick every time. They had very little good to say about the noted “Chef’s cookware” such as Rachel Ray, Emeril and Mario Batali. Only one was ever recommended with reservations and that was Mario Batali’s big pot. I am proud to say that my cookware usually received the nod as the best cookware for the money as the best buy.

My cookware is Farberware. It is 25 years old, I had thought it was about 30 years old but when I got to thinking about when I actually got it, it was exactly 25 years ago this year. It is wonderful except for the skillets. They were immediately relegated to the camping cookware. For skillets, I do have my beloved cast iron, all over about 40-50 years old and well seasoned. I also have some all around non stick skillets that are oven safe also. I have some general bake ware with some professional pans, muffin tins, and cookie sheets. I have a ton of Wilton cake pans of all different shapes and sizes. I have the black and white speckled roasters in 4 sizes that are also probably 40-50 years old. I have a cast iron ducth oven that is the same age as the skillets.

So I highly recommend Farberware. My daughter has Revere ware that is almost 13 years old. Ilike it too but still prefer the Farberware. I am going to include some pictures of my 25 year old Farberware and my daughter’s Revere ware. I will even gladly show you the bottoms.

The most important thing about good pots and pans is how you take care of them. I have a couple of products that I highly recommend, and have been using them for as long as I can remember. The first is Bar Keeper’s Friend and the second is Never Dull. Every once in a while stainless steel will get that cloudy look in the bottom or a rainbow lookin sheen. Bar keeper’s Friend gets rid of that easily and it will also take off any of that cooked on junk that gets on the bottom. The Never Dull takes care of any of the water spots and dull areas. Now I automatically use both of these on my pots quarterly come rain come shine. The first Saturday in Feb, May, August, and November I drag out every piece of equipment and dish especially those I use rarely, I also get the Silver out, and they all get washed, polished, buffed etc.

I use the bar Keeper’s Friend as they need it. But the bottoms still get a bit grungy since the grand daughter does them so they need the scrubbing quarterly to get all that gunk off. You will be able to see it in the pictures. Next month is scrub time. There was even a pan that needed some extra care and I took some pictures of it as well as one of my mother’s pots that is 51 years old.

For cast iron, well it needs special care. I never , NEVER use soap on my cast iron, it screws up the season. I wash it in hot water. If you work on your skillets before they get cold, things don’t get stuck on. However, if on occasion, things stick, then put it on the stove ,then put in water, bring it to a boil and just use a spatula as if you were deglazing and it comes right off. Then make sure it is good and dry and use a little paper towel to rub just a few drops of oil in. Twice a year you should re season. I actually scrub it with soap and water. Then rub it with oil. Make sure you don’t get too much on, you want just enough to get it rubbed in. If you get too much then it will get sticky in there. Then put it in a 300 degree oven for about an hour. The more you cook in them the better the seasoning stays.

Farberware insides

Farberware insides

Farberware sides

Farberware sides

Inside of Farberware

Inside of Farberware

The bottoms of the Farberware

The inside of my daughter’s Revereware

The sides of my daughter’s Revereware

The bottom of my daughter’s Revereware

Closeup of the inside of the Farberware

The inside of the 51 year old pan

The inside of the 51 year old skillet after Bar Keeper’s Friend

The bottom of the 51 year old pan

Excellent products

My future skillets

Now there are three pictures are of a pot that was my mothers, she got it before I was born and I am 50. I was happy to see that it had that rainbow, cloudy haze on the inside that I have been talking about. The first picture is of that haze on the inside of this Sears and Roebuck Stainless Steel pot, the second one is the inside of the pot after I have used the Bar Keeper’s Friend and the third is the bottom of the same pan. It looks almost brand new. Course in person, when you look at the handles, (one is broken) you can see the wear on them.

No matter what you get, you should have these two products on hand to care for your cook ware, to keep it looking good,and prolong it’s use. But with these pictures, it might help to see what they look like after 25 years of wear and tear.

So there ya go, these are the things I recommend because they work. Remember a goodset of cook ware should last a lifetime. So make your choices with that in mind. Then buy the stuff to take care of it properly and you will be happy. There may be a bit of brown on the bottom of a couple of ,my pots but it won’t be there next month and I will match my oldpots to anyone’s.  My cast iron is in excellent shape. I have never had to replace either one in the past 25 years. The only new cook ware I have ever had to buy is the non stick skillets and I have to replace them every couple of years.

So until we meet again, Happy cookin, Happy Smackin!!!