Kitchen

[Chi-town girl]

Which do you prefer and why? Is there a reason/purpose to have both types in your kitchen? What is your recommended brand (s)?

[gardensla]

I'm not a huge home cook but I have a full set of stainless steel pans and they perform very well. They're just stainless--they're not coated with anything.

[Chi-town girl]

On 2/6/2015 gardensla said:

I'm not a huge home cook but I have a full set of stainless steel pans and they perform very well. They're just stainless--they're not coated with anything.

I also have a set of stainless-Wolfgang's, and love the cooking results, plus easy clean up. Have a set of Calphalon hard anodized. Find that we are using the stainless more. Just wondering if there is a big benefit of one over the other type or is it good to have both?

[millieshops]

I don't have a full set of anything any longer - just pots and pans I like to use. Some of my pieces are leftover from my Farberware stainless set, circa 1970 (I think). In addition I have a few cheapy pans from Marshalls that work just fine and two large hard anodized, both Cooks Essential.

One problem with the hard anodized for me is that they're heavy and my right hand isn't good at dealing with their weight even when they're empty let alone filled with food. Several of mine are very large and I do use them, but my preference is for my stainless steel unless I'm making something really ugly to clean up.

[DoneTryin]

I have hard anodized but the older I get, the more I struggle with their weight. If I had the extra money right now, I think I'd go back to plain stainless, without non-stick coating.

[Chi-town girl]

On 2/6/2015 millieshops said:

I don't have a full set of anything any longer - just pots and pans I like to use. Some of my pieces are leftover from my Farberware stainless set, circa 1970 (I think). In addition I have a few cheapy pans from Marshalls that work just fine and two large hard anodized, both Cooks Essential.

One problem with the hard anodized for me is that they're heavy and my right hand isn't good at dealing with their weight even when they're empty let alone filled with food. Several of mine are very large and I do use them, but my preference is for my stainless steel unless I'm making something really ugly to clean up.

It seems like food tends to stick more to hard anodized than stainless & harder to clean. Rachael Ray states the anodized is her preferred on set & at home. Yet it seems stainless is touted as the "best" for cooking results.

[Chi-town girl]

On 2/6/2015 VCamp2748 said:

I have hard anodized but the older I get, the more I struggle with their weight. If I had the extra money right now, I think I'd go back to plain stainless, without non-stick coating.

I'm finding the weight factor to be an issue with cast iron/Le Creuset. Nothing better for cooking big pots of chili, soups, etc and braised meats like delicious short ribs. But lifting the Le Creuset when it is filled is very difficult.

[chickenbutt]

There's room for both. Of course, unless it has nonstick surfaces, your stainless steel will stick more than your hard anodized if you're not a very experienced cook.

I have some of practically everything except the really low end stuff like hardcoat (porcelain) enamel on aluminum. Hard anodized aluminum is great, though, as is stainless steel, cast iron, clad, or enameled cast iron.

[Q4u]

I have had a lot of different pans and have always preferred stainless steel, especially a good heavier weight stainless. Nothing really sticks to it, it cooks very well and even. The only thing to watch out for is having your flame too high as it can discolor the interior. I have a very large anodized chicken fryer and it looks awful after ten years of cooking with it. I always add Pam to my pans before cooking as well....

[Chi-town girl]

On 2/6/2015 chickenbutt said:

There's room for both. Of course, unless it has nonstick surfaces, your stainless steel will stick more than your hard anodized if you're not a very experienced cook.

I have some of practically everything except the really low end stuff like hardcoat (porcelain) enamel on aluminum. Hard anodized aluminum is great, though, as is stainless steel, cast iron, clad, or enameled cast iron.

I thought about selling or gifting my Calphalon anodized, but we still use it along with the stainless. Need a bigger kitchen ;-)