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Pots and pans set question, and has anyone used emeals?


Joanne
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I am pre-planning for my schedule change. I have not been home in the evenings in years. I ran poker for 3 years, and then was in school and staff at school. This past year has been my current job (3 more weeks!).

 

So, I am looking forward to some schedule normalcy and cooking. The pots I have remaining are losing coating and from my (first) wedding. They were OK. Circulon.

 

I'd like to start planning for a new set. I use the big/pasta pot often, the next size down and a frying pan. A grill pan would also be used.

 

Another question, anyone use emeals to save money,planning and time? What do you think?

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Personally, I prefer stainless steel that I can put in the dishwasher. I have an Emerilware set that I really like. But, they were nice and made by AllClad at the time. More recent reviews sounds like they are lower quality now?

 

There are lots of threads on emeals and similar plans. You might search over on the "general education" board since it used to be the general board.

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I like stainless steel too, but can't remember the brand name of the ones I have. They have copper bottoms.

 

ETA:

Belgique

 

I like them, but don't know a whole lot about cookware. My MIL gave them to me for Xmas one year, and they have held up well, cook evenly, and they're easy to clean.

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I have a WearEver stainless steel set that I got for Christmas and have really been enjoying. It was inexpensive, $70 for the set I think, but I have no complaints. All of the lids have strainers in them, which is really convenient. I also use a cast iron Lodge brand frying pan. We've had that pan since we got married, and I'm pretty sure it'll outlast me, lol.

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I like stainless *except* for an 8" and 10" skillet. I like to have a good non-stick in each of those sizes for a newbie cook to be able to make eggs or a grilled cheese sandwich etc. Saves us all a lot of headache.

 

I would not buy a set. Maybe a very small one if I knew I'd use every piece. Just get the type of each size most suited for what you do with it.

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Ah see that is something else I like about Relish! They don't use a lot of convenience foods. I think the only convenience foods I've see are things like frozen vegetables (which is convenient, but certainly not in the same category I don't think).

 

 

Checking out Relish right now.........

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I think emeals was a waste of my money. Too many convenience foods and repetition (they'll change one ingredient and call it something new).

How long ago did you try it? I haven't found this to be true more recently with the Portion Control Plan. An occasional repeat maybe. And they seem to have limited many of the convenience foods. It has been easy enough to alter when there is a food to purchase that doesn't fit how we eat. For example prepared mashed potatoes, really? Expensive and cheaper to make on my own. But I have not seen much of that lately.They have a clean eating plan too and I think some of the portion control recipes come from that.

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How long ago did you try it? I haven't found this to be true more recently with the Portion Control Plan. An occasional repeat maybe. And they seem to have limited many of the convenience foods. It has been easy enough to alter when there is a food to purchase that doesn't fit how we eat. For example prepared mashed potatoes, really? Expensive and cheaper to make on my own. But I have not seen much of that lately.They have a clean eating plan too and I think some of the portion control recipes come from that.

 

My subscription is current. I have switched which plans I get a couple of times. Right now, I'm getting the Crockpot Clean Eating and the Low Cal plans. Repetition or near repetition was a bigger issue than the convenience foods though.

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Yes, give it a try. I wouldn't sign up for long-term, but I used it several years ago when I over-the-top with life outside of homeschooling. I figured that using jarred spaghetti sauce and frozen vegetables was better than frozen pizza and boxed mac-n-cheese :willy_nilly: .

 

Over time I made a binder of easy recipes from that and other sources that I use on an ongoing basis. Tonight we're having a crock pot soup made with canned tomatoes, hamburger, frozen soup vegetables, and barley.

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I prefer choosing individual pans to sets. For example, cast iron is great for sautéing chops, chicken, etc. The pan can be heated up to a high temperature without warping, etc. You can even cook fatty meats like lamb chops with no oil or butter at all. And cast iron is non-stick when seasoned. Cast iron is one of the best heat conductors (after solid copper). The cast iron pans with ridges give grilled food -- vegetables as well as meat -- a great look

 

But I wouldn't want a giant cast iron pot for boiling water for pasta -- it would weigh a ton. For boiling, I want something lighter, but still a decent heat conductor. My material of choice is aluminum -- it could be coated with calphalon or stainless steel. (I like plain aluminum, heavy grade commercial, but I am in the minority, I think.) But get a a good solid pot, not a lightweight one, or water will take forever to boil.

 

For super giant pots, like for cooking lobsters, I go with coated steel, just because it is the cheapest option and OK for a pot that I do not use often.

 

Moving up the price scale, Le Creuset is utterly fabulous. I collected mine a piece at a time, on sale. Le Creuset is cast iron, with an enamel coating, so you have the heat conducting benefits of cast iron, but a more versatile pot. (Cast iron can react with some foods.)

 

Besides the usual $$ cooking speciality stores, Target, Costco and Ikea have some great products at reasonable prices. Amazon has loads of cooking equipment too.

 

You mentioned a grill pan -- a griddle can be useful, as they can hold more food than the usual frying pan. Griddles can be small (round or square) or larger sio as to cover two burners -- I like large griddles, so I don't have to cook in batches.

 

My favorite new pan is a pizza pan (for frozen pizza) from Target. The bottom is full of little holes, so the crust heats up crisply.

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I'd get a cast iron skillet and a nonstick (for acidic sautees).

 

If I could only get one piece of nice cookware, it would be this 7qt braiser and either its lid or one from Goodwill that fits:

http://www.wasserstr.../Product_175146

http://www.wasserstr.../Product_175149

 

vollrath-3315-centurion-15-qt-brazier-pan.jpg

I use mine for almost everything: extra saute pan, a dutch oven (put an inverse tinfoil dome almost touching the top of the mean to reduce the interior volume as needed), a soup pot, stews/chili, braiser, roasting pan, you name it. Even a pasta pot in a pinch (though something taller with less water surface area is preferable). A local restaurant supply store might have a good deal. [ETA: This was Julia Child's workhorse pot... I'm not so clever in the kitchen as to have come up with it on my own.]

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I have individual pieces, All Clad- 2 quarts, 1 qrt and 4 qrt saute, Cuisanart - 12 qrt and some other odds and ends- carbon steel Wok. I really like buying odds and ends pieces. I'm listening about the meal plans because my brain needs a vacation. I prefer paleo-ish although I cook non-gf grains for the rest of the family at times.

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