Which stock pot should I keep?

[babs]

Hello, I was @ T.J. Maxx & got an All-Clad stock pot for $70, regular $130, & a Caphalon 8 QT. for $80 regular $160. I think the Caph. is "Caph. One" & the AC is black/dark grey outside stainless & slightly (maybe 6 QT.s) smaller then the Caph. Any suggestions on which oneI should keep? ...The Caph. doesn't appear to be non-stick.

 

[GB]

You said the Calphalon is 8 quarts, but how big is the AC?

For a stockpot I would not want non stick. I would go with whichever one is bigger as well as whichever is the narrower and taller one. Both brands are great.

 

[Katie H]

I second everything GB said. Congratulations on your bargain success.

 

[Charleysaunt]

Neither sound like they are non-stick (or is Calphalon One NS?). I would not get a stockpot less than 8qt. I have an 8qt pot that has rarely left my stovetop I use it SO much for everything. I also have 12 and 14 qt. pots for really big jobs.

 

[babs]

Stock Pots

Thanks for the input. The all-Clad is not marked, but when put up against the Caph. it is slightly smaller........now which one,...I know they are both good brands..........Thanks Again for everyones advice!

 

[StirBlue]

I see no reason why a stockpot should be nonstick. I think the nonstick coating would wear quickly over time. Why nonstick a water pot?

My old pot is 20 qts. It's basically good for keeping things from running over when you have more than enough. If my ingredients are simmering and cooking in different pots, the grand finale is putting them together in the large pot. This would be soups, stews and pastas.

Keep the pot that you like best as to color and design. You describe them both as looking very nice. It's better to have some nice pieces of cookware than to have a bunch of odd ball pots and pans and an old 20 qt. pot.

 

[babs]

Stock Pots

After looking @ both pots again, I see the AC is a LTD edition, & Originally went for $265 or so(some crazy price like that)......I think I'll stick w/ this one......cooked 6 ears of corn broken in half & worked well.........Caph is nice but I think it's going back............LOVE this forum.....THANKS again!!

 

[Katie H]

I don't know. Whether the pot is a limited edition or not, would not influence my decision to keep it. In my nearly 50 years of cooking, I learned long ago that when I have a choice between two pots, one of which is a bit larger, I always choose the largest one.

If you have any doubt about the sizes of the two, fill the smallest-appearing one with water and pour the water into the larger pot. It could turn out they are close to the same size by volume.

 

[foodstorm]

Neither sound like they are non-stick (or is Calphalon One NS?)...

The Calphalon One line does offer a NS finish. The Calphalon One Infused Anodized is stick resistant. Calphalon One Nonstick is NS.

 

[evenstranger]

The All-Clad is their LTD series, meaning simply it's gray anodized on the exterior, and stainless on the interior. LTD is just the name for that particular style of their cookware, not that its a limited edition model. I have a couple of LTD pieces, and they are good, heavy duty pieces. Calphalon One is a fairly recent (maybe two years) newcomer to the Calphalon line - supposedly it's made with a stick-resistant outer coating, although the pan I tested still stuck pretty well. Enjoy the new stock pot!

 

[RPCookin]

I guess it depends on what you want to use it for, but I see no reason for a non stick stockpot. Mine is an off brand (Invitations Professional for anyone interested), 16 qt. stainless with disc bottom and it works wonderfully for what it's designed for, which is simmering meats and veggies for a long time. This weekend I made chicken stock one day, then cooked a large corned beef today (too big for my slow cooker) for corned beef and cabbage. A disk bottom pot is fine for stock because all it demands is that it continue to simmer consistently for as long as you need to. The heavy disk bottom does that quite well, and I know this pot didn't cost more than $35.

I'm quite particular about my cookware, and this pot does all I ask of it.

 

[Robo410]

for those prices, I'd keep em both

 

[Claire]

I also don't care about non-stick in a stock pot. I have two; big and really big. Mine are plain stainless steel with very heavy bottoms. I wouldn't give up either I'd guess one is 6 qts, one about twice that. I make a lot of soups and stews, and bring them to shut-in friends. I do occaisionally sautee the meat in the bottom of the pot. But nonstick isn't an issue.

 

[Katie H]

None of my stockpots are non-stick. They are all stainless steel. My largest one is 20 quarts and I use it regularly to make soups, stews and stocks. I've never had any problem with the ingredients sticking.

 

[ChefJune]

None of my stockpots are non-stick. They are all stainless steel. My largest one is 20 quarts and I use it regularly to make soups, stews and stocks. I've never had any problem with the ingredients sticking.

Mine, neither. not even when I make red beans and rice in them -- as long as I stir occasionally!

Mine are 8- 12- and 20-quart, and I also vote for "bigger is better" when it comes to stock pots!