Just put in the new induction cooktop and my old pots wouldn't work. Just bought a new set of Calphalon Stainless. So far I like them a lot. My old ones were stainless, just not induction-friendly.

My mom bought a few "green pans" and got frustrated with them. After a coue uses they didn't behave well and she did follow their instructions.

Personally, I think you need some of each. My main cookware is stainless steel with copper core. It's from Costco, Kirkland brand, and it's really amazing. You've got to have at least one non-stick pan for cooking really sticky things like scrambled eggs. And you have to have a cast iron skillet, there are just some things that cook and taste better in the cast iron skillet. So that doesn't help your poll of only selecting one, sorry, but I think you need some of everything.

I prefer the light weight aluminum type. They don't hurt as much when the wife connects to the head on a full swing. (I had to hide the cast iron skillet. ouch!)

We have a little of each, even some old vission ware. My favorite is the Farberware set. Nice heavy bottoms.

Have a complete set of cast iron too. Like someone said above yo need little of everything.

Depending on what I am making will dictate what I pull out to use.

Like frying eggs, love my little 6 inch non stick.

When making corn bread, i want my cast iron.

I've found that as long as I don't order the 1/4 pounder with cheese, nothing sticks to the container!

We had a collection of coated, non-coated and everything in between. We recently got the Cuisinart stainless set and there is a difference.

Disadvantage, they are not non-stick, but we've been using a light olive oil or coconut oil to cook with (canola leaves a residue). The advantage is that they conduct the heat great (and are heavy - not what BigDog would like his wife to get a hold of). We have not had any burnt spots on one side of the pan.

whatever I can get from Craigslist

Would that be from the Miscuit line?

I don't have a stove top that big.

::backs out of thread::

an STD if you answer the right Craigslist personal ad

I was thinking the kind I don't have to use

Post of the week (as it is my Wednesday).

I am with SB! The kitchen is more of a wine cellar than a place to use cookware.

and a place for the women folk

I still have some of everything. Can't quite part with the little non-stick pan cuz I'd be afraid to cook crepes in anything else.

But when it comes to anything else that cooks in a pan, I go for my cast iron versus the stainless.

I've been collecting vintage Wagner Ware and discovered the two pieces I have are from 1920's or earlier based on the bottom markings. Not that I collect them for money, but it's kinda cool to knwo the pans I spent $5 and $10 on are actually worth something. When I bought the first one, it was just cuz I wanted a cast iron pan to try, btu the person who saw me grab it at the estate sale said it's worth money. Took me until yesterday to actually look into it online. I found that the old cast iron is a lot smoother cast the the new stuff and the articles I read said the same thing. Older stuff was nicer and smoother, and not just because its been worn down from years of use...it woudl have started off smoother new too.

Le Creuset is awesome. The heavy cast-iron bottoms distribute heat evenly across the entire surface, the enamel coating doesn't guarantee non-stick, but it sure cleaans up well. They last like nobody's business (we've had a couple of pieces for more than 20 years and they are as good as on day 1).

They are guaranteed for 100 years and the company makes good on the guarantee. We bought a non-stick surface Le Creuset frying pan and the non-stick "stuff" started to flake off. We sent it back and they shipped us a new one, no questions asked. Same thing happened with the replacement and we asked for a different kind, and they shipped it to us - again, no questions asked.

100 years? can Pale verify this?

How do you like the induction cooktop? Which brand did you get?

My wife and I are building a new house and we're putting in a gourmet kitchen with an induction cooktop. I really wanted the new Thermador, but my wife wasn't thrilled with the $4,000 price tag Oh and that's not a brand that the builder deals with, so we had to go with the Kitchen-Aid.

Can that thing really boil water in a minute?

With what Le Creuset costs, it better last that long, at a minimum!

No it can't.


It takes 90 seconds

D'OH!

Le Crueset won't be 100 years old until 2025. Started by some cheese-eating monkeys in the hills of France. For pans guaranteed for 100 years, they sure have to replace a lot of them. But no doubt it is built into the price you pay.