Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
For a long time I have intended to treat myself to top end gear when I retired and moved into what I consider my final home (moved in last June). I got the Wolf electric convection oven and gas cooktop, and they are simply amazing! (Should be considering the price. Well worth it. Particularly since I plan to live here the rest of my life.)
But I'm still cooking on the same mish-mash of pots and pans I've collected over the years. Good ones, bad ones, so-so ones, lots of different brands. I like a few of them a lot, others I want to give an express ride to the local Good Will store.
The last few years as I was planning the final move I got the idea that the biggest top end brands were Calphalon and All-Clad. Note that I generally do my cookware shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
I figured it would be simple. When I was ready I went over to BBB ready to pick one or the other. Much to my dismay I discovered that each brand has multiple product lines. It's not just choice A or choice B. And maybe I should be considering another choice C or something. (My mind isn't made up between these two brands. I just want good stuff that will last me my next 20 years.)
Then there's another problem: Buy a set or open stock? Get them in a set and you save money over buying individually. But I noticed most of the sets have a matching stock pot. Stock pot??? I have a couple stainless steel stock pots that have served me well for years. I can't see any reason to get a Calphalon or All-Clad or other premium stock pot. Why would they be any better than my trusty old stainless?
After walking around the cookware department dumbstruck, I decided to regroup and ask my DC friends for advice.
Calphalon? All-Clad? Cuisinart? Another brand? Which product lines? Mix and match?
But I'm still cooking on the same mish-mash of pots and pans I've collected over the years. Good ones, bad ones, so-so ones, lots of different brands. I like a few of them a lot, others I want to give an express ride to the local Good Will store.
The last few years as I was planning the final move I got the idea that the biggest top end brands were Calphalon and All-Clad. Note that I generally do my cookware shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
I figured it would be simple. When I was ready I went over to BBB ready to pick one or the other. Much to my dismay I discovered that each brand has multiple product lines. It's not just choice A or choice B. And maybe I should be considering another choice C or something. (My mind isn't made up between these two brands. I just want good stuff that will last me my next 20 years.)
Then there's another problem: Buy a set or open stock? Get them in a set and you save money over buying individually. But I noticed most of the sets have a matching stock pot. Stock pot??? I have a couple stainless steel stock pots that have served me well for years. I can't see any reason to get a Calphalon or All-Clad or other premium stock pot. Why would they be any better than my trusty old stainless?
After walking around the cookware department dumbstruck, I decided to regroup and ask my DC friends for advice.
Calphalon? All-Clad? Cuisinart? Another brand? Which product lines? Mix and match?