I found Chef Jean-Pierre entertaining and hope you will as well. He covers what he considers the “ultimate wish list” for kitchen cookware and gives some general cooking tips as he describes each piece.
If you are interested in the brands he is using, I believe that the enameled cast iron dutch ovens are made by Staub, the stainless steel cookware set is Viking Professional and the nonstick is probably Viking but could also be All Clad.
5 bonded layers consisting of 18/10 Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Aluminum, 18/10 Stainless Steel. Stainless Steel provides durability, ease of cleaning, non-reactive cooking surface and on the exterior it looks great! Copper is the ultimate conductor of heat, Aluminum is a great conductor of heat and reduces the overall weight.
Copper interior is revealed on the side and top edge of the cookware making quite the aesthetic statement.
Hand washing is recommended, but it is dishwasher safe. The copper will tarnish in the dishwasher but using a cleaner will restore the luster. Also avoid use of detergents that contain lemon or chlorine additives.
3 bonded layers consisting of 18/10 Stainless Steel, Aluminum and Magnetic Stainless Steel. Stainless Steel provides durability, ease of cleaning, non-reactive cooking surface. Aluminum to conduct heat quickly and evenly and magnetic stainless steel for both induction and traditional cooktops.
All Clad’s best selling cookware.
Hand washing is recommended, but it is dishwasher safe. Also avoid use of detergents that contain lemon or chlorine additives.
3 bonded layers consisting of 18/10 Stainless Steel, Aluminum and Copper. Stainless Steel provides durability, ease of cleaning, non-reactive cooking surface. Aluminum to conduct heat quickly and evenly and copper for beauty and the ultimate in heat conduction.
Copper can be polished to maintain the great luster or allowed to patina over time.
Hand washing is highly recommended. Washing in the dishwasher will darken the copper.
3 bonded layers consisting of 18/10 Stainless Steel, Pure Aluminum and Brushed Aluminum Alloy. Stainless Steel provides durability, ease of cleaning, non-reactive cooking surface. Pure Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy combine to reduce weight and conduct heat quickly and evenly.
Hand washing only. Not recommended for dishwasher cleaning.
3 bonded layers consisting of 18/10 Stainless Steel, Pure Aluminum core and Black Hard-Anodized Aluminum. Stainless Steel provides durability, ease of cleaning, non-reactive cooking surface. Pure Aluminum and Black Hard-Anodized Aluminum combine to reduce weight and conduct heat quickly and evenly. The Black Hard-Anodized Aluminum will not scratch, chip or peel and the color is the result of the anodizing process.
Due to the great ability to conduct heat, settings of low to medium heat is recommended for most cooking.
Additional information that applies to all the All Clad Stainless Steel Cookware:
Due to the great ability to conduct heat, settings of low to medium heat is recommended for most cooking.
Salt Damage - Avoid pitting or small white spots by bringing water to a boil before adding salt and stir well afterwards. Or wait until food has started cooking. Pitting does not affect the cooking performance but does affect the appearance.
Overheating can cause brown or blue spots.
Do NOT use steel wool or scouring pads to clean, however, nylon pads are OK to use.
Lifetime warranty for defects NOT for misuse and abuse.
There are 3 major brands to consider when purchasing cast iron cookware and unfortunately the top two have gone out of business.
The top two are the Griswold and the Wagner brands which can be found on eBay or if you are lucky at a local garage sale. If you plan on looking for these brands do some research and ask for advice. A good forum to explore is on the Wagner & Griswold Society website. Most likely these pans will need to be cleaned up and re-seasoned but will be well worth the effort.
The third brand to consider is Lodge which is still making high quality cast iron pots and pans. New pots and pans from Lodge can be bought seasoned from the factory. It would still be a good idea to season the cookware once it is received.
Now if you are really into looks Lodge has a very attractive Signature Series cast iron cookware that is trimmed out with stainless steel handles that have the added benefit of staying cool (stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat) on the stove top.
I spend hours each day in the kitchen preparing meals for the family. Most of our cookware is of poor quality so I thought that it was time to update the pots and pans we used. Being the methodical type, I thought I would start my cookware review looking at the different materials that are available.
Cast Iron
Non-toxic, according to Wikipedia small amounts of the iron leaches into the food being cooked. This could be harmful to people that have excess iron in their systems.
A well seasoned cast iron pan is nearly as stick resistant as manufactured nonstick surfaces.
The entire pan will heat up evenly without creating hot spots. Our current pans either boil or food sticks directly above the gas flame.
Ability to withstand high temperatures and can be moved from the stove top to the oven.
New pans need to be seasoned and old pans require minor maintenance.
Can react with highly acidic foods like tomatoes and wine.
Inexpensive compared to other high-quality pots and pans.
Clean-up, must be hand washed and cannot sit in a sink full of water.
Durable, imagine pans that have been multi-generational.
Heavy.
Stainless Steel
Stainless is made of iron, chromium and nickel. Some people do have allergic reactions to nickel. There are studies that indicate nickel intake from stainless steel cookware is minimal.
Poor heat conductor, requires a layer of copper or aluminum to diffuse the heat and eliminate hot spots.
Ability to handle high heat. Pans with oven safe handles can be moved from the stove top to the oven for one pot cooking.
Resists corrosion and does not react with alkaline or acidic foods.
Costs span the spectrum. Higher quality will cost more in the short term.
Clean-up, dishwasher safe for quick cleaning.
Durable, high quality cookware can be passed down.
Weight depends more on the quality of the pans.
Aluminum
In 1965 aluminum was circumstantially linked to Alzheimer’s disease, however to date no proof has been found.
Bare aluminum can burn food easily. Anodized aluminum and non-stick coatings are available to reduce burning and sticking that can occur.
It is a great heat conductor and heats up quickly.
Non-stick coatings cannot handle high heat and will give off toxic fumes when heated over 500 degrees.
Bare aluminum pans can react with highly acidic foods.
Anodized pots and pans are not dishwasher safe and must be hand washed. Non-stick pans can be washed in the dishwasher but increase the risk of damaging the surface.
Costs span the spectrum. Higher quality will cost more in the short term.
Aluminum is just not as durable as cast iron or stainless steel.
Aluminum is a light weight cookware material.
Copper
Copper pots and pans are lined with stainless steel or tin. This reduces the interaction of the copper with food. Copper is a necessary trace element, however excess amounts can cause an upset stomach.
Copper is the best conductor of heat for cooking. Twice the conductivity of aluminum and ten times of stainless steel.
Can react with highly acidic foods like tomatoes and wine.
Copper is expensive.
Clean-up, must be hand washed.
Heavy.
Based on the above material cookware review, the first thing to explore will be cast iron skillets. A clear benefit over some of the Teflon coated pans that we have will be the ability to stack them in the cabinet without worrying about scratches.
This is All-Clad's best selling cookware and for good reason. The cookware has great performance characteristics such as 18/10 stainless steel layers on the interior and exterior so that food does not react with the surface and it easy to clean. The aluminum interior that extends up the side of the pans allow for even heat distribution. Get your set today!
