you have an empty kitchen and $250.

[topaz]

You have an empty kitchen and $250.  What cookware set do you get and why?

As reported in keyne's LJ, most of our cookware has still not turned up after a couple of weeks of unpacking.  There are still some boxes where some of it might be hidden, but their numbers are dwindling.  A cast-iron skillet and Dutch oven are versatile things but we are getting to the point where we are ready to buy a new cookware set.

Whatever we get needs to be easy to store, as our new kitchen is a lot shorter on storage space than the last one.  So options which stack well will get bonus points.

But forget all of htat.  You have an empty kitchen and $250.  What do you buy to cook with?

Comments

[jacflash.livejournal.com]

Cook's Illustrated just tested "cookware sets", and their second place selection (behind a $700 All-Clad set, surprise surprise) was a brand called "Tramontina" It's apparently only available at Wal-Mart, and this set -- called "Tramontina 18/10 Stainless Steel TriPly-Clad Cookware Set, 8-piece" -- includes "8- and 10-inch fry pans, 1-qt. and 2-qt. saucepans with lids, 5-qt. Dutch Oven with lid", and costs $150, which seems like a steal.

Failing that... go to the Wrentham outlets. Get a few Revere Ware saucepans (at the Revere Ware outlet) and one All-Clad 12" fry pan (at the Williams-Sonoma outlet).

Either way, I'd also hunt up a Forschner Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife, which CI rates very highly and which costs a whopping $22, a couple of Pyrex or Corningware cake pans or casseroles (or whatever you think you're most likely to use), and a few cheap utensils -- a Chinese-style bamboo paddle, a strainer, a slotted spoon, spatula, etc.

[jacflash.livejournal.com]

fj's Ikea solution is worth exploring, too.

[ayse.livejournal.com]

We've got quite a lot of IKEA cookware, and it is very good stuff. They do tend to lean a bit more heavily towards non-stick cookware than I prefer, but that's avoidable.

[nitouche.livejournal.com]

I've used Tramontina for years, and recommend it -- I didn't get it at Wal-Mart though, but at a kitchenware store on 53rd in Chicago.

[jacflash.livejournal.com]

The article said it was Wal-Mart only, but they might have been referring to this specific set, maybe not the brand.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

The casserole and cake pans survived. I need to make a list of essential utensils to replace, because I'm really getting tired of saying "have you seen the X...?"

[harimad.livejournal.com]

Write down the X every time you ask, and add a hash mark for every re-ask. In two weeks you'll have a good idea of what you (want to) use daily. I'd be happy to share my list, if you think that will help.

What a pain!