What is your favorite pan?

[buckytom]

i voted for my 5 quart ss tramontina deep saute. it's not fully clad, but it was a great deal at costco for around 30 semolians.

a close second was a 50 year old 8 quart ss stock pot that my mom gave me when i got my first apartment. it was her first pot as well, so it holds more than just good food for me.

 

[Robo410]

I have more pots and pans than I can use in a week! Copper, enameled cast iron, French carbon steel, tri ply clad, cast iron raw, etc. My fave pan is a hand spun copper saute, tin lined from Tasmania. A German smith set up shop there years ago and his wife got him to making cookware for her and then everyone else. It's just a great pan, instantly responsive and well balanced. And nothing sounds so fine as food sauteing in a tin lined pan. Check out Lara copper if interested.

 

[Wart]

My 8" Griswold iron pan.

Everything else is so far behind I can't think of a number 2, unless its the Griswold fried chicken pan.

 

[LPBeier]

I have one of these, too. 24 cm French steel. For $1, in a thrift store. It was obviously used for searing, too...carboned up to the point it could only be used for searing. I cleaned it up, and am starting it over. Sweet little pan.

Oh, mine is well carboned up. The key is NOT to scrub it much with soap and water (and NEVER soak it).

Once a month I heat it up with some kosher salt until the salt goes a bit grey then rub it all over the inner surface. Cleans off a lot of the burned on food without taking away ALL the flavours and seasoning effect.

 

[AuntieV]

I have an old cast iron 2 pc dutch oven set that ranks as my favorite. Each piece can be used as a skillet or put together it is a great dutch oven.

I think I use the deep section just a little more than the shallow one.

My most cherrished pan is my fish fry pan that my Dad made for our fishing trips. This is about 9X11. I don't know what the material is but it is the weight and feel of cast iron. He was a welder so no telling what he made it from. There is nothing better than a bunch of brookies for breakfast cooked up in this pan.
RHIP Dad!

 

[deelady]

My favorite is a square panini/ omelete pan I bought from QVC. Nothing sticks to this pan and I love using the press to cook nice flat bacon.

 

[toni1948]

My favorite is my 3 quart sauteuse. Wonderful for braises.

 

[Ardge]

I voted for my 8 quart stockpot. (saucepan on the above ballot) I have two. All Clad Stainless Steel.

Amazon.com: All-Clad Stainless 8-Quart Stockpot: Home & Garden

I swear to God, if I didn't have that pot, I'd be lost. That and my favorite wooden spoon.

I make EVERYTHING in that pot. Soup, chowder, sauce, rice pudding, chicken braises, potatoes, pasta, risotto, chili... EVERYTHING! I love it.

RJ

 

[BBQ Mikey]

I am not sure if its a pan, but my answer is Wok. Use it for so much.

 

[Constance]

The reason I chose the Dutch oven is because you can do anything in it, from frying bacon to making soup. If I could only have one pot, that would be it.
I'm also very fond of my electric skillet.

 

[LPBeier]

I agree Constance. I picked my French Steel searing pan, but I also love my 15 litre stock pot. It has a heavy bottom and I can make mega pots of stews, soups, chili, etc. from browning the meat all the way to simmering it. I have a smaller dutch oven as well that comes in handy when I am not big-batching it!

 

[Michael in FtW]

I'm one of those crazy folks that grab for what I need depending on what I'm cooking. I wouldn't grab a skillet if I wanted to make a pot roast - and I wouldn't grab a "dutch oven" to scramble up a couple of eggs or make pancakes.

Ok - I have turned a cast iron dutch oven upside down and used it as a small griddle when camping ...

 

[radhuni]

My favourite cooking pan is a non stick 'Kadai' with lid.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm one of those crazy folks that grab for what I need depending on what I'm cooking. I wouldn't grab a skillet if I wanted to make a pot roast - and I wouldn't grab a "dutch oven" to scramble up a couple of eggs or make pancakes.

Ok - I have turned a cast iron dutch oven upside down and used it as a small griddle when camping ...

Well, the question wasn't, do you use the right pan for the job or not, the question was, what is your favorite pan? I have a cast-iron Dutch oven that I used for years for stews, etc. (I recently replaced it with a Le Creuset), but it's not my favorite.

 

[Bigjim68]

My farovite pans and the ones that I use most are totally different. My favorites are my big bubba copper pots. They are a joy to use, but are way too big to be used often. They range from 10 to 13 inches diameter, and weigh from 9 to 15 pounds. The largest is over 100 years old, hand made and has hammer marks. The ones I use most are cast iron skillets and small saucepans. I have around 30 or so pots and pans, and, like Michael, reach for the one that does the current job. 90% of my cookware lives within 3 feet of the oven and range.

 

[mr_misanthropy]

My favorite is definitely my trusty 12" cast iron skillet. It can cook breakfast, the best steak I've ever had, and it can bake in the oven! I wouldn't backpack across the country without it (not that I plan to).

 

[Lefty7887]

How long before the next poll?