Tin lined, heavy gauge hammered French copper pans are as good as it gets for gas but with the downside of being very costly, difficult to clean and maintain. Cannot be put in dishwasher. However, no material provides more control or responsiveness.

The best quality cookware I've found as an alternative is the Demeyere Atlantis range. It is also expensive but with most of the upside and little of the downside. It cooks evenly, heats responsively, has no hot spots (at least none I found), slightly less difficult to handle and is also dishwasher safe.

Rococogurl gives great advice as usual but one small quibble. If you go the copper route, I like stainless steel lined copper better than lined with tin. You'll never have to reline the pot as you do with tin.

I have not noticed any difference in the thermal qualities of either style.

Retining is expensive - I like to buy once and be done.

Best wishes,
Doc

Here is a link that might be useful: Copper Pans

In link is a discussion on Demeyere, Fissler and All Clad

Here is a link that might be useful: LINK

I would have to ask some questions. What are your priorities?

I prefer different types of pans for different jobs. Performance is relative to what you are cooking.
Some prefer a matched set. Do you have a preference?

Do you mind acquiring over time or just want to get it done?

Would you consider vintage cookware? A vintage cast iron pan is very often machined smooth while many newer ones are not.

Do you want them to go in the dw or do you mind washing by hand?

Nonstick?

Do you have a budget?

Would the weight of a pan bother you?

Do you have any health concerns about what the cookware is made of?

What kind of handles would you prefer?

This forum is to cookware what this forum is to appliances.
Cookware forum

In order to understand cookware, you have to understand what it is made of.
Common Materials for Cookware

Types of Cookware

Copper is interesting as cookware. Some prefer the stainless lining as above but there are others that argue the tin is more nonstick and is a better conductor of heat. The stainless, being a poorer conductor of heat would diminish the performance of the copper, although by just a small amount but you can see how there are many opinions and what suits one person may not suit another.

(edit) One of the problems with any of the "ply" cookware is that the amount of copper or aluminum for the heat conductive layer is proprietary so it is difficult to determine which is the best. It is very subjective.
Another consideration is do you hate/like rivets through the pan to hold the handles on?

This post was edited by wekick on Tue, Aug 6, 13 at 17:05

I have the Falk Copper stuff in my kitchen. I bought them for life, presuming I'd hand them down. They are also SS lined. My only quibble is the SS on these is not quite as easy to clean as you will find on all clad, and seems a little more prone to pitting and other blemishes. Not sure why that is. Performance wise copper is amazing for heating even-ness. I wouldn't say its night and day different in most cooking tasks compared to aluminum, but in some delicate items its obvious. It is less obvious with a good burner as the flame is more even on my Capital than on my worthless Jenn-aire before it. I also like its heft which keeps it from shifting when scraping loose a fish filet or vigorously whipping in an egg yolk. If you are not strong in the wrist, make sure anything big has two handles. My 14 inch fry pan is too heavy to pour out with one hand. And if you worry about what your pots look like, don't get copper. Beautiful if unused, but too expensive to be just for show. Mine look like an 1964 penny found under the porch....

Here is a link that might be useful: Falk copper

Wow, thanks so much...you are all so helpful! I will sheck out all the posted links. I never thought of copper! My front porch roof is copper, so my pots could fit in with the theme!

To answer a few questions-
I have had non-stick over the past 18 years and I have to say I am not crazy about it...it always wore off and that makes me nervous thinking that is in our food!

I don't mind mix and match and I don't mind building up a set...I never put cookware in the dishwasher.

I use 2 different size sauté pans all the time as well as 3 mixed size pots. So far my favorite is my Caphalon stainless steel.

I use a variety of different pieces on my Bluestar. As wekick says, different jobs, different tools. I use my old Revere Ware copper bottoms that work fine for sauces, steaming, boiling, and soups. I have a couple vintage Griswold cast iron skillets that can't be beat for frying and searing, a Staub grill pan, along with a vintage cast iron dutch oven that rivals any slow cooker made:). The only non stick I own is a Scanpan, that I use only for omelettes, it is the best non stick pan I've used, and accepts metal utensils! I also have an All Clad stainless skillet that I sautee in, and an All Clad stainless wok, but honestly the old carbon steel wok I had at about one tenth the price worked equally as well...

FWIW, I researched Fissler vs. Demeyere 4 years ago (for induction) and decided that Fissler was not worth the $$$ - unless one could find a great deal, of course. At that time, their pans were not all-clad but had layered bottom discs and - surprisingly were close in price to Demeyere (which were all-clad). So I went with Demeyere Atlantis. IDK if anything has changed.

All Clad (as in brand name) stainless pans were great on gas (very even) but not on induction. For gas, I wouldn't pay more than All Clad prices when it comes to stainless cookware. Copper may be a different story though. Unfortunately, I have not tried b/c I was getting induction.

Just my 2 cents...

Cast iron. It is without a doubt my favorite type of frying pan, griddle, grill and pizza stone. It's very inexpensive, non stick and will outlive your grand kids.

I know it's heavy, and not the best choice for certain acidic foods, and the handles do get hot, but day in and day out, it is the what I use the most. And I do have lots of All-Clad, Calphalon and several other non-stick pieces. It also works on induction!

The fact that it can go from cook top to oven to grill is also a real plus. As cheap as it is, I would suggest adding a few pieces to your cookware arsenal. PS....I like Lodge and you can find it on Amazon.

This post was edited by bowyer123 on Tue, Aug 6, 13 at 22:00

Everyone has their favorites for various tasks. My SIL bought Mauviel copper which has a stainless lining and seems to work very well. It's extremely durable and as practical as copper pans get. The sacrifice in responsiveness is not anything most would notice.

About ten years ago I purchased a "starter set" of All Clad for our new kitchen. I got rid of it as it bowed on the bottom and the performance was lacking vs the hype. I feel it is highly overrated. I never liked Calphalon especially and DH had a set of that which lost the coating over time. Better to go to a restaurant supply and buy aluminum than pay for that IMO.

I took a flyer on a Demeyere pan and found it to be an excellent performer -- underrated perhaps due to the price point. I added another purchased on ebay at a good price (it's not Atlantis but also an excellent performer). If I were pushed to choose one brand to replace all I would go with Demeyere.

Cast iron has its place. It's slow to heat and cool, not especially responsive but wonderfully steady when you get it heated up or cooled down -- hence the emphasis on brasiers in lines like Le Creuset or Staub. Uncoated cast iron is reactive with certain foods but it browns like a champ; the enamled stuff isn't the greatest for browning IMO but nothing works better for a stew and I have an ancient large oval Le Creuset that I use for the Sullivan St Bakery Bread recipe.

I've only got one nonstick pan, a cheapo 10-inch omelet pan that I use for eggs and not much else. When it starts to wear I'll throw it out. I don't want to be eating the non-stick coating.

Choices about cookware depend a good deal on the type of food someone cooks. I agree with the poster who said to mix and match but that's easier if you understand your needs and that can take time.

I don't see any reason not to put cookware in the dishwasher unless it has wooden handles -- that's one aspect of the value of a brand like Demeyere, or Sitram. (My French copper doesn't go in because the rivets are cast iron and they rust). It's also why I paid for a really good dishwasher.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mauviel copper

If you want to read about cookware, and how and why it works, I'd recommend the article 'Understanding Stovetop Cookware' by Samuel Lloyd Kinsey and I'll give the link below. Here's my summary:

Pans can either be one layer, or several layers. The layers can be only on the bottom, or can extend up the sides.

Thickness is important. Pans that have straight sides, especially like a big pot - a 'stock pot'- it's more important to have the bottom thick . When a pan is that big, the flames can't reach around and lick the lower sides of the pan much- which might burn if the side is too thin.

Most other pans benefit from having the layers (or cladding) go up the sides of the pan.. or in the case of a single layer pan, like aluminum you would look for thickness all the way up.

My opinion is that everyone should have:

1) One cast iron skillet - medium to large - uncoated- but seasoned well with cooked on oil or fat. It's good for various cooking and can take very high heat.
2) One French (Dutch) cast iron oven and lid- coated with porcelain
3) One non-stick pan for milk, cheese sauces, or eggs because they are easier to clean up and used only on low heat (although seasoned cast iron works well for eggs, I don't like using it to make white sauces)
---------------------------------------------------------------

The other pans should be good quality and whatever you enjoy- and find easy to use. Some people love all aluminum (usually coated with non-stick,sometimes coated with a type of enamel or porcelain), some love cast-iron and some love stainless that is layered with aluminum- (these seem to provide the best heat and durability).
---------------------------------------------------------------
About Copper
I have Mauviel copper pans, and for somethings they are better- faster to heat and faster to cool. Falk and Matfer Bourgeat are the other famous brands for thick copper-usually with a thin lining of stainless.. DeBuyer makes a copper pan, lined with stainless and with an extra layer of magnetic stainless on the bottom, the "Prima Matera" it is very expensive even compared to the others.

I would not necessarily recommend any copper pans- the thin ones are no good, and the thick ones are heavy, expensive and difficult to maintain.

Here is a link that might be useful: Undertanding Stovetop Cookware link

alexr...
Many thanks....I already have a few of the pots you recommended....so, that is a cost savings! I will take a look at the link you posted.

Pam

I agree with previous comments.There is no single perfect type of pan. It all depends upon what you are doing. For sauteing, pan frying, and pan roasting, I prefer All Clad. For braises, stews, and casseroles, I have Le Creuset and Staub. For searing I like Lodge cast iron. For omlettes, a non stick skillet works best. Of course, you didn't say anything about price :) I haven't used them, but it looks like there are All Clad equivalents by Calphalon and Cuisinart. Also, you can save a lot by buying factory seconds or checking out TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Everything I have was bought open stock through those 2 paths, except for a few things we got as wedding presents 25 years ago that are still going strong!

There are some pots/pans designed specifically for gas burners.
Turbo Pots
I wouldn't want to have to clean them though.
This design increases the efficiency of a gas burner. I have doufeu from the 40s that has ridges on the bottom for the same reason. It was also made with a flat bottom for electric stoves.

If you have some pans you like keep them unless/until you find something better.

skillets/frying pans-
There are two considerations for me.
If I need high heat, I use cast iron. It conducts heat poorly and is prone to hot spots but it also holds a lot of heat. Great for searing steaks and stir fries. Your choice is machined smooth surface vs sand cast surface of newer ones like Lodge. It will become nonstick with use but requires a little care. The smooth surface seasons a little quicker in my experience. I like the short handles and the ability to use it in the oven as well. Some of the vintage pieces seem a little lighter to me. My favorite is a Piqua "favorite" in 12 inch that I got at a roadside sale. I also fry chicken in it and cook bacon and eggs. Great for cornbread when preheated in the oven.
When I need a very even heat, I like something in a heavy aluminum. I have a couple of commercial 14 inch non stick cast aluminum pans my son got somewhere but my favorite pan is Calphalon anodized aluminum pan with two loop handles. It is called a braiser and is 13 inches across I think. It pops in the oven too. It seasons to become nonstick as well although it requires a little more patience than cast iron..

My favorite saucepans
I have a couple of wide 2 qt old Revere Ware pans that I use all the time. These have the full amount of copper on the bottoms. In the 60s the copper was cut in half and the new ones are just flashed with copper. I also have a 4 qt like this. The handles are comfortable and don't get hot. I have used these for candy making. which requires even heat.
Last year I also bought some Baumalu copper from TJX stores for about 15 cents on the dollar. One of my best buys ever from those stores. They have cast iron handles that don't heat up as quickly and are 2mm which is the minimum thickness for cookware. A couple are the splayed sauce pans. 3mm would be better but also heavier. They are tin lined.

dutch oven/soup pot - I have a 6 and 8 qt all clad that I have had for years and years. They have never warped and I could not be without them. I also have an 8qt Revere Ware pot with a bail handle and helper handle.

One thing I don't use since I have my Wolf range is a double boiler. The burners go so low, you don't need it.

Some other random cookware I like-
AC 16 qt stockpot
great big Le Creuset blue enamel pot, maybe 7 qts but a little wider than most
a set of 3 light blue white speckled enameled cast iron skillets, mostly used for casseroles but you can start on the burner and move to the oven
big cast aluminum roaster, like magnalite but made by "Forever"

I am a cookware junky and have many other pieces that get used too.
The only pans I have now that I am not enamored with are my Debuyer carbon steel skillets. They have seasoned nicely and cook ok but the handles are just too long.

None of mine goes in the dishwasher. Even the AC is the LTD so a dishwasher will ruin the finish. My sister does put everything in the dishwasher but she doesn't care if finishes are ruined or oxidized. We are both happy so that is all that matters.

I have had a couple of larger pans warp so they were rounded on the bottom. I wacked them with a rubber mallet a few times and they popped probably the other way but it isn't noticeable. They seem flat now from the cooking surface perspective. I had a pan one time that was higher in the middle and it was actually good for some things- fat cooked off and drained away. I'm not really looking for that anymore though!

here are what i use:

Cast Iron: for sauteing, frying, searing..
- this is the one i use the most
- very cheap and easy to maintain, they last forever.
- they take a little longer to heat up
- i have lodge logic 8", 10", 12", and 5qt dutch oven with lid that can use as a pan. and a double burner grill/griddle
- only material you want to use for chinese wok cooking, get one from chinatown, they are very thin.

Enamel Cast Iron: for brasing
- cost can varies from ok to expensive depends on brand
- use for long period brasing in the oven (and on stove)
- i uses le creuset oval dutch oven

Tri ply Stainless steel: for stockpot
- you dont' need expensive ones. but they are good for boiling things for long period of time
- i have a 12qt and 21 qt tremontina from walmart, that people recommend, also have a 4 qt calphalon that works very well for small task.

Copper: for delicate things like sauce making,
- when you want very even heat, and good control
- cost is from expensive to very expensive.
- i got a set of Mauviel 2.5mm on sale at around $630. http://amzn.to/rvySJa they are pretty awesome.

Non-stick: for frying eggs without oil
- if you insist on getting non-stick, dont' spend too much money on one cuz no matter which one you get, it will need to be replace after 2-3 yrs of use. All brands are roughly equal (unless you go for bargain 9.99 at supermarkets once) You can fry eggs on cast iron too, you just can't do it without oil, easily.

Allclad:
- i don't know.. only if you have a LOT of money? I like their look but I can't justify their prices. i'll either go with cheap cast iron and more expensive cooper.. there is really not much reason why you need to pay so much for them.

hope that helps

This post was edited by noopd on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 21:31