Seeks cookware for friendship, romance?

[lutefisky]

Hello everybody,

I've been reading these posts for several months now - what a wealth of information (and diverse opinions!). I really appreciate the time that many of you spend here, sharing your knowledge, so relative newbies like me can learn from your collective experiences.

Since switching to a gas hob (largest burner is ~16000 BTU), I've realized the utter uselessness of my cheap, college day, thin caliber, SS cookware. Burnt rings of food, at the bottom of my pots, suck. Excitingly, I can now afford to buy better cookware. I'm looking at purchasing:

Paderno Grand Gourmet - 18qt stock pot and pasta strainer and sauce pans (2 or 3 of them)

Falk Copper Sauciére - 4.5 qt. and the "Try-me" Sauciére - 1.5 qt.

Based on my reading these seem to be great choices.

(I own frequently used cast iron - a large skillet and a large Dutch oven)

Knowing that some responses will include "that depends on the type of cooking you do", please answer the following questions as if you were buying for yourself or assuming that I am (or will become) a very good cook.

With the large copper sauciére, is a true sauté pan (looking at a Sitram Profiserie 11", as per recommendations) necessary, and why? (Eight lbs of does copper seem a lot to shake.) Are there other, better, alternatives? Black steel?

Fry pans.?.? Straight gauge is good. Is a Falk copper fry pan (11") going a bit overboard on price versus, say, an all-clad MC2 versus black steel fry pans? I could buy a lot of black steel for the price of one copper. For those who have tried these different options, is there a convincing reason to go copper?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

k

[andiesenji]

I recommend that you take the time (unless you have already done so) to read through the extensive information slkinsey has posted here:

Understanding Stovetop Cookware

I can't imagine that any question you may have has not been covered in this thread.

[lutefisky]

I recommend that you take the time (unless you have already done so) to read through the extensive information slkinsey has posted here:

Understanding Stovetop Cookware

I can't imagine that any question you may have has not been covered in this thread.

←

Thank you for the reply, andiesenji. I have poured through that thread and others on this and other sites, through books and magazines. slkinsey's extremely informative thread, and the resulting Q&A thread have been of the utmost help in educating me in the theoretical value of good cookware (it will be of practical value when I have it!). These questions I asked (along with others not yet asked) remain of value for me because of a lack of understanding, on my part, on what was explained, comments or explanations that I feel are contradictory, differ in opinion or provide little reasoning, and things that I believe have not been fully explained.

I apologize if I am asking redundant or stupid questions.

k

[andiesenji]

No question is ever stupid. A desire for information or enlightenment is an indication of intelligence.

[DerekW]

A couple of thoughts....

Falk Copper Sauciére - 4.5 qt. and the "Try-me" Sauciére - 1.5 qt.....With the large copper sauciére, is a true sauté pan (looking at a  Sitram Profiserie 11", as per recommendations) necessary, and why?

The 'bombe' shape of the sauciére pans gives them a much smaller flat area on the bottom than a straight sided saute pan of comparable diameter.

As to weight, I suggest that you load up one of your existing pans with bags of sugar or w.h.y. to feel what shaking 8 lbs plus requires of your wrists.

Fry pans.?...is there a convincing reason to go copper?

My wife would tell you that I'm not averse to buying cookware, but so far I've managed fine without a Falk [or similar] fry pan. I imagine it depends on your cooking habits. What would you do with it which could not be easily accomplished in one of your other pans? I sear, and deglaze and reduce in one or other sauciére*; for me, frying is usually eggs and other breakfast food which can be done in the solid aluminum non-stick fry pan.

*Or the dutch oven, or a shallow saucepan - depends what's happening next.