In Search of a Large, Versatile Pot

[DesertTinker]

45 minutes ago, weinoo said:

… As did what I think I recall buying at Macy's; a brand called Tools of the Trade.

 

Tools of the Trade is definitely Macy’s.  Just depends on when you got yours whether they were good or complete 💩!

 

[weinoo]

49 minutes ago, DesertTinker said:

Tools of the Trade is definitely Macy’s.  Just depends on when you got yours whether they were good or complete 💩!

 

Like at least 40 years ago.  I still have one or two pieces from a full range of pots and pans.  

[DesertTinker]

Just now, weinoo said:

Like at least 40 years ago.  I still have one or two pieces from a full range of pots and pans.  

Ah! The good stuff!

[orbisvicis]

4 hours ago, CentralMA said:

Why the need for the glass top? I'm not a fan of them.

 

I've cooked on them so long any other way seems outdated. I like seeing through the glass. How else would I make sure my food is still there? And apparently glass is a better insulator.

 

I just found this little WTF tidbit in the Cuisinart manual. Steel melts at 2750F. What cheap metals could lead to a Cuisinart pot melting? Anyone ever encounter anything like this?

 

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Cookware that overheats or boils dry may begin to decompose and melt, resulting in damage to your stovetop or cookware and/or creating a risk of personal injury.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

8 hours ago, orbisvicis said:

The Q&A also recommends casseroles for cooking stews. A casserole is just a wider & shorter stock pot. The author (@slkinsey) prefers cooking stews in an enameled cast-iron casserole. I don't understand why. Stews are cooked "low & slow". Cast iron is a poor thermal conductor with high specific heat. No reason not to use a disc-clad pot. Plus a cast-iron pot has too many limitations: excessive weight, limited size, limited thermal conductivity. I'm looking for a versatile pot. So I'll be looking for a wide and short "stock pot", around 11" diameter and 7" height.

 

 

Through cruel circumstance sometimes one has to make do, however I wouldn't reach for a stockpot for preparing stew.  Enameled cast iron would be my choice by far.  Le Creuset and the enameled cast iron knockoffs are practically non-stick.  My 30cm/12inch Le Creuset is large enough for leftovers.  If that means your extended family would be starving order the 34cm Le Creuset.  You could feed an orphanage.

 

On the other hand if I were making stock I'd select a proper stockpot.

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

27 minutes ago, orbisvicis said:

 

I've cooked on them so long any other way seems outdated. I like seeing through the glass. How else would I make sure my food is still there? And apparently glass is a better insulator.

 

I just found this little WTF tidbit in the Cuisinart manual. Steel melts at 2750F. What cheap metals could lead to a Cuisinart pot melting? Anyone ever encounter anything like this?

 

 

Choose titanium.  Titanium combusts before it melts.  I own a lot of Cuisinart cookware.  The Cuisinart welds are not so good (which is to say they fail) and the Cuisinart disc bottoms are thin.

 

I forgot to explain, I do not prefer glass lids.  I only mentioned that the Fissler glass lids are pretty.  And indeed they are.  Unless you are braising Schrodinger's cat, stainless steel lids would be preferable in almost every situation.

 

[orbisvicis]

17 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Choose titanium.  Titanium combusts before it melts

Hmm I was not aware my gas stovetop could reach 3600+F. Aluminum melts at 1170F and steel at 2600F. Which begs the question, has anyone ever seen a glowing pot.

 

17 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I forgot to explain, I do not prefer glass lids.

 

Yeah, but why. Glass can even go in an oven (less than 350F no more than 300F).

Edited July 31, 2021 by orbisvicis (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Just now, orbisvicis said:

Hmm I was not aware my gas stovetop could reach 3600+F. Aluminum melts at 1170F and steel at 2600F. Which begs the question, has anyone ever seen a glowing pot.

 

 

Yeah, but why. Glass can even go in an oven (less than 350F).

 

I've never seen a glowing pot but can you really see through a glass lid when it is in the oven?  I don't dislike glass lids, I have several.

 

[orbisvicis]

5 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I don't dislike glass lids, I have several.

 

Ah.

 

5 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

but can you really see through a glass lid when it is in the oven? 

 

On the stovetop you can see enough to control the amount of boiling, even with condensation. Maybe professional cooks have enough of a routine to not need to check. When cooking rice you're never supposed to remove the lid, so I tilt the pot to check the water level and that's how I know how much time to add.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 minutes ago, orbisvicis said:

 

Ah.

 

 

On the stovetop you can see enough to control the amount of boiling, even with condensation. Maybe professional cooks have enough of a routine to not need to check. When cooking rice you're never supposed to remove the lid, so I tilt the pot to check the water level and that's how I know how much time to add.

 

What you need is a Zojirushi!

 

[chromedome]

7 hours ago, orbisvicis said:

 

I've cooked on them so long any other way seems outdated. I like seeing through the glass. How else would I make sure my food is still there? And apparently glass is a better insulator.

 

I just found this little WTF tidbit in the Cuisinart manual. Steel melts at 2750F. What cheap metals could lead to a Cuisinart pot melting? Anyone ever encounter anything like this?

 

I can't answer for the materials involved, but know people who have melted inexpensive pots on their respective electric-coil stoves. I can think of at least two instances, one of them being a stepdaughter. I've seen the visual evidence ("You're a chef...how tf does this even happen?") followed by plaintive inquiries about how to remove the resulting drops of re-hardened metal from one's stovetop (me: "No freakin' clue.").

[CentralMA]

6 hours ago, orbisvicis said:

 Which begs the question, has anyone ever seen a glowing pot.

 

 

Does melting an aluminum flame tamer count? Happened on an electric coil stovetop, sandwiched between the coil and an enameled CI pot.

[AlaMoi]

oh, pots can be overheated....

 

[Jon Savage]

Ikea has some excellent pots w/clad bottoms & lids. Those might suffice; I know we love ours.

[weinoo]

By now, I think the soup has overcooked, the stew is dry, and the less said about the chili, the better.

[gfweb]

For stock/chili you don't need a high performance pot. Just a pot. Go to a restaurant store and get a cheap one. Maybe $30.

 

There is dignity in a humble pot that is suited to the job.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

57 minutes ago, gfweb said:

For stock/chili you don't need a high performance pot. Just a pot. Go to a restaurant store and get a cheap one. Maybe $30.

 

There is dignity in a humble pot that is suited to the job.

 

For stock, I would agree.  I'm not so sure chili would be favored by a thin steel pot.  I foresee a future of burnt bottoms and much Bar Keepers Friend.

 

[weinoo]

Here's what Wirecutter has to say...about everything!

 

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Rather than buying a pots-and-pans set, we recommend putting together your cookware set one piece at a time. Here’s our favorite cookware, the result of many hours of research and testing. We’re confident that these pieces—from skillets to nonstick pans to dutch ovens to pressure cookers—will last a lifetime (and beyond).

 

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/kitchen-dining/cookware/

 

I'll cut to the chase since might be paywalled (though maybe they give a few free articles a month; who knows, everyone charges for everything these days).

 

 

 

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The best stockpot

Tramontina Gourmet 8-Quart Tri-Ply Stock Pot

Unlike many cheaper pots, this deep stock pot is fully clad, so it distributes heat evenly. We also like its wide, easy-to-grab side handles.

 

And...

 

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A Dutch oven  2 picks, $62–$360  An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven maintains heat well, which is why it’s best for braises, deep-frying, and cooking soups and stews. It’s also the perfect vessel for baking crusty bread at home.

 

 

The best Dutch oven

Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven This inexpensive Dutch oven aced every test, and its design rivals that of pricier models.

 

[weinoo]

Lookkee here...one can get an 8 qt. and 12 qt. Tramontina set for $60...

 

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Tramontina's 4-Piece Stock Pot Set can handle your favorite soups, stews, chili, pasta, boiled veggies, and seafood?you?ll pull out these pots for something delicious year-round. The set features one 8-quart and one 12-quart aluminum stockpot with lids because every cook needs two reliable stockpots. The pots' heavy-gauge construction and silicone handles give you long-lasting durability and ease of use, especially when the pots are full. Heat-resistant and shatter-resistant glass lids let you keep a watchful eye on what's cooking. You can also boil and simmer.

.

 

With glass lids to boot!!!!!!!!  https://www.tramontina.com/4-piece-nonstick-stock-pot-set--8-quart-and-12-quart-_80124127/p

 

 

[weinoo]

More:

 

https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/stock-pots

 

 

[CentralMA]

On 7/30/2021 at 11:08 PM, orbisvicis said:

 

I've cooked on them so long any other way seems outdated. I like seeing through the glass. How else would I make sure my food is still there? 

 

 

 

Ahhh. I see. The mysterious disappearing food conundrum. We've all been there I guess.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, CentralMA said:

 

Ahhh. I see. The mysterious disappearing food conundrum. We've all been there I guess.

 
We have, but I was able to solve the humdrum conundrum simply by lifting the lid.

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, weinoo said:

 
We have, but I was able to solve the humdrum conundrum simply by lifting the lid.

Rebel. 

[orbisvicis]

On 7/30/2021 at 11:32 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Through cruel circumstance sometimes one has to make do, however I wouldn't reach for a stockpot for preparing stew. 

 

CenturyLife makes the argument that a fully-clad stock pot can be used as a dutch oven. The idea, I think, is that clad sidewalls act as a heat barrier, retaining the heat just as a dutch oven would - as long as heat is applied. Though I'd argue you could put a thin pot in the oven for much the same effect. Notice that All-Clad and Demeyere dutch ovens are clad stainless steel, not [enameled] cast iron.