School me on frying pans

[VKK3450]

There have been some threads on seasoning pans and the merits of copper, but I'm looking for basic recommendations / criteria when purchasing a normal non-"nonstick" 10-12 inch frying pan. Something which will get the fond and that I can take off the stovetop and throw directly into the oven (metal handle).

I know some will recommend AllClad, but for some reason its priced at an offensive premium in this country. Maybe some brand independant recommendations on what characteristics to look for in a really good home pan (tri ply, X thick, yadda, yadda)? Nice solid, good quality but not 100+ pounds a piece...

Thanks in advance

K

 

[skunkworks]

Get a 12" fry pan from the All-Clad MasterChef 2 line (MC2). Try hitting up Cookware & More online for a decent price.

 

[VKK3450]

Ok, thanks for the All Clad reccos, but as I said in the UK they seem to go at close to double the price of the US, and (quite possibly irrationally) I refuse to pay that sort of premium on principle. Maybe I'll pick some up next time I'm stateside, but thats another story.

I've run across some cookware stores here, so even reccommendations on criteria to look for would be helpful

Thanks

K

 

[Manton]

Is it possible that French copper is cheaper where you are?

 

[Renault78law]

Check out Demeyere and Fissler.

 

[VKK3450]

Originally Posted by Manton

Is it possible that French copper is cheaper where you are?

Googling around has led me to a wide range of prices for copper, but I dont really understand what to look for.

I sort of gathered that some were a thin layer of copper for show on what was otherwise a normal sort of nonstick. Others were priced at around 200 pounds, but I didnt know the difference.

K

 

[DocHolliday]

Tri-ply is nice because it gives you the nimble responsiveness of aluminum without the reactivity. I know here many stores, including Target, now offer affordable tri-ply, and it's not a bad way to try it out, especially if you're on a budget. If you go that route, I would suggest trying to find a pan that has the aluminum all the way up the sides -- it heats more evenly than the pans with aluminum bottoms. More importantly, I much prefer how it feels.

Have you tried TK Maxx? I don't know if this is the case there, but here TJ Maxx often carries All-Clad seconds at greatly reduced prices.

 

[Piobaire]

I don't look at brand. I just go to the local restaurant supply store and buy the heaviest duty SS sautee pan there. They last forever, and because they are so cheap to buy, relative to brand chasing consumer prices, you can buy several. This is very nice when cooking multi-pan items.

 

[dkzzzz]

What is the benfit of alluminum pans without non-stick treatment? Does food taste better from those pans?

 

[DNW]

How about a cast iron skillet? It'll do what you asked for, and cheap.

 

[VKK3450]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

Have you tried TK Maxx? I don't know if this is the case there, but here TJ Maxx often carries All-Clad seconds at greatly reduced prices.

Yea, Prob is that All-Clad is a US brand and relatively new in the UK. Pretty much only in high end culinary stores from what I can gather, not yet TK Maxx material.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

I don't look at brand. I just go to the local restaurant supply store and buy the heaviest duty SS sautee pan there. They last forever, and because they are so cheap to buy, relative to brand chasing consumer prices, you can buy several. This is very nice when cooking multi-pan items.

I may go that route. I mean hell, if they can charge me that much for something cooked in a restaurant supply store pan its gotta be good enough for me right?

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

What is the benfit of alluminum pans without non-stick treatment? Does food taste better from those pans?

I'm looking for fond and the ability to whisk for sauce making.

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

How about a cast iron skillet? It'll do what you asked for, and cheap.

Yea, I want something a bit more responsive to temperature changes than heavy cast iron (which is also on my list).

K

 

[Thomas]

Agree with Pio - A heavy stainless frypan would give you the fond you're looking for. I use Vollrath from my local restaurant supply store, but I'm thinking nearly anything heavy, stainless, and sturdy would do the trick.

 

[Tarmac]

Just get any cheap stainless pan with an aluminum disc on the bottom. Makes I can think of are Cuisinart and Sitram. But if I were on a budget I would not care about the brand. Inspect the pan before you buy it. The handle should be securely attached, the surface should be stainless and the thicker and wider the disc on the bottom, the better.

Really, you don't need cladding all up the sides. Yes it's a plus and my pans have this (old Kitchenaid 5-ply discontinued line) but as long as the cooking surface is stainless and you have a aluminum or copper disc on the bottom, you are fine.

What to avoid in cheap pans:

pure aluminum with no steel cooking surface - these will slowly warp, and the aluminum will also pit from sauces. Should last at least a few years though.

cast iron: it has it's uses but not for fonding, you can't even tell if it is the pan, good fond, or black burned char. Also very slow in response, like you mentioned.

All-clad: too expensive. MC2 is the best value in their line, however. The aluminum is massively thick.

 

[GQgeek]

aluminum disc sucks. It's too thick/heavy and so it doesn't respond to changes in heat as quickly. They also don't take heat up the sides, which sucks for reducing.

If you're not gonna go high-end, do as piobaire suggested and go to a restaurant supply store. You'll find plenty of options there for a reasonable price. You want aluminum that is 4-5mm thick throughout and clad with a SS cooking surface.

 

[the.chikor]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

What is the benfit of alluminum pans without non-stick treatment? Does food taste better from those pans?

NO, it just contributes to alzheimers.