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My favorite pot is the 4 gallon stainless steel stock pot I use when brewing beer.
My very favorite pan? A 10 inch cast iron skillet with an interior bottom that is machined flat. Why? First, it was my mother's skillet, and her mother's before that. So it's a family heirloom and that alone makes it dear to my heart. But skip all that and the reason that this old skillet with a thick and crinkly crust of carbon around the outside that has built up over at lest sixty years of use is because it cooks great! I can sear with it at the highest temps. I can fry an egg in it and have what amounts to non-stick performance. I can saute. I can put in an inch of oil and make the best fried chicken you ever ate.
My old cast iron skillet isn't elegant and it isn't fancy. But it has the history of prior generations dating back to the 1940's and my grandmother coming home from the mill to put it to use to feed her family. And now I use it to feed my family.
It's a great piece of cookware, and if I could have only a single piece of cookware in my kitchen, this would be it.
So that's my favorite. And that's why.
I have a form-versus-function dilemma when it comes to my favorite cooking pan. My very old Cousances enamelled cast iron braiser is so beautiful that it's permanently stored right on the stovetop, where I can constantly admire it. But in truth, the pot I reach for virtually every day is a 3-quart stainless steel chef's pan made by Cuisinart. Its balance in my hand is perfect, its shallow bottom and wide top facilitate reduction, and its gently sloped sides are ideal for quick meals of sauteed or stir-fried ingredients. And it cost about 1/10th of what the Cousances beauty queen did.
I have a large soup pot from Calphalon. It has thick walls and nice curves with sturdy handles. I love it because when I'm cooking, I can just about stick my whole head in it to get an emmersive smell of the food.
I love our soup pot; I used it most recently to make massive batches of fudge this weekend. Easy even cooking with lots of volume. Yay for soup pots!
My favorite is the stockpot. Either for a simple broth or something more comforting, like pozole.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I do love my cast iron pan, but the go-to pot in my kitchen is my round Le Creuset Dutch Oven. It's the 5 1/2 quart size, and perfect for braising, soups, and even browning and sauteeing when I want to stick to a single pot for my dish. It's easy to clean (even if the bottom is stained) and should last for many years to come.
My favorite has to be our enameled cast iron dutch oven. I most often use it to bake no-knead bread in.
My roasting pan. I can roast all types of vegetables all year long, chickens, turkey and almost anything else. I use it all the time.
My current favorite is the 10" Calphalon non-stick pan. Good, versatile pan that can be used for frying just about anything, can be used in the oven, and comes with a glass lid.
saute pan
I would be thrilled to win this wonderful set of cookware. 31 years ago my father gave me a set of Revere cookware with copper bottoms. He died from a heart attack a couple of years later. I still use this set of cookware and love it for more reasons than it's wonderful ability to cook evenly. It cleans really well, and is light weight. Also, since selling a house to Michael Chu I've learned through his website many many great recipes that I have shared with all my family members. Kuddos to Michael!
My favorite would be a giant sauce pot. Growing up I would help Mom make pasta sauce. The trick was conducting a few "taste tests" without being caught :)
This is a great pan for one-pot meals. It's also good for casseroles that need to be finished in the oven.
http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/product_3-3%2F4-qt.-Deep-Covered-Skillet_10151_-1_20002_55062_10061
Enameled cast iron dutch oven -- soups, meats, bread, everything
My favorite is my cast iron skillet. I got it a couple years ago to be able to cook steak well indoors, for when I'm out of propane or its a bad blizzard outside. I've since learned to use it for a variety of other things, though lately I've really only used it for bacon. Still, it is my go-to pan (followed closely by my favorite pie pan).
If I had to pick only one pot or pan to take with me it would be a 10-inch saute pan. It feels the most useful and is often what I use to whip something up quickly for dinner. Everything from a simple grilled cheese, to fried rice, sweet potato hash, eggs, steak... even pasta if you had to, although it would be in smaller portions.
it has to be my 10 inch saute skillet, it is deep enough for everything, and judging by the wear, it is also my most used pot
My favorite pot at home is our 8 quart stock pot. Because of its size, I end up using it for nearly every meal, for sauteing, braising, boiling, etc.
Out of this Anolon set, I'd probably like the large french skillet the best as it would allow me to move from sauteing large quantities of food in my stock pot to a more appropriate pan!
... they are rounded, without a "flat spot", so they tip over when you place them on a counter bottom-up spilling the condensate that may be inside the lid.
My vintage Calphalon cookware has flat handles, easily lifted with a cook spoon, that remain parallel to a countertop when placed upside-down.
Granted, the rounded handles look nicer, but for me function trumps form.
Also, I bought an after-market glass lid for my big sauté pan after using, and liking, the glass lid on my big cooking pot. I'm a big fan of glass lids now.
Whenever I go home in the summer, my parents and I use a stockpot to make spaghetti sauce with their homegrown tomatoes. Yum yum! It turns out to be pretty incredible.
Is my deep dish cast iron skillet. It is a two-hander because it is so heavy but it makes perfect cornbread and is deep enough to properly fry chicken,
My favorite pot is my huge 15 gallon brewpot because I make beer with it!
Without a doubt my ancient cast iron skillet. It is versatile, and performs with a consistency that makes me better.
Right now my favorite piece has to be my wok. Its a fairly new addition to my kitchen but i love making a good noodle stir fry.
My favorite pot is my Sitram 4.9-Quart Commercial Stainless Steel Saute Pan. It's essentially a frying pan that does double duty as a pot. It's perfect for creating one-pot meals like spaghetti or chili -- first I saute my meats and veggies, then add my sauce. I was married this year, and I did extensive research for my registry, and I found the Sitram to be a much more affordable alternative to the copper core All Clad -- and BOY am I ever glad I bought my Sitram. It heats up quickly due to the copper core, and it's just a nice sturdy pan. It's even dishwasher safe, although I still handwash it. I can't wait to add more to my collection.
I have a Kitchen Aid saute pan that I love because it is so versatile and can easily serve as the pot for a one pot meal. However, it is teflon, and I'm trying to get away from that.
Love my Le Creuset Dutch oven - wouldn't make stew without it!
I've got a cast-iron 10" skillet that's insanely useful... It's not very high quality, but still my most-used pan.
my pressure cooker. big enough to cook almost anything I want to cook, saves me time on grains/beans. makes stock making a breeze.
I love my cast iron pans! I cook, bake, roast, and fry just about everything in them. I would appreciate winning these stainless steel pans! Thanks for the opportunity :)
My favorite is a 10" skillet, because I use it the most, it is the most versatile, and I use to brown meat which makes every dish taste better.
I use my cast iron skillet the most.
My favorite is a relatively cheap pot with a pasta insert and steamer basket. It makes cooking pasta so easy, and just about anything can be steamed in the basket, including chicken wings.
My favorite pot is a cast iron dutch oven. I love it because my mother, who is deceased, gave it to me.
I have a 3qt saucepan, whose brand I do not know. I use it for way more than a normal saucepan is used for. It is the most regularly used pot in my kitchen
My favorite varies from task to task, but the Crockpot probably edges out the others with a Cajun red beans and rice recipe.
I really don't have a favorite pot since I just used some used pots donated to me. I hope to win this so that it can be favorite pot.
Hi Michael! Hope I am not posting multiple times. So sorry if I did! I joined the forum and didn't realize I just had to log in and tried messaging with entering the code multiple times. Anyway, my favorite is the 6.5 qrt stockpot, perfect size for soups and sauces. My pots are either small or way large.
Though I don't own one, my favorite pot to admire at Sur La Table is a 6 qt Le Creuset dutch oven. I hope to own one some day!
My favorite pan is a wide non-stick chicken fryer. It's big enough for everything, and super easy to clean!
definitely my Le Cruset dutch oven.
My Kuhn Rikon 5 quart pressure cooker. It came with both a pressure top and a clear glass lid and is by far the most versatile piece of cookware I own. Aside from pressure cooking, I can boil, steam, saute, and even deep-fry in it. It's smooth sides and depth make it perfect for candymaking. If I pop a steel mixing bowl on top it serves as a double-boiler. It is the coolest pan ever. B)
My favorite pan is a cast iron skillet. It's great for crisping up bacon.
My favorite pot is my 4 qt. Presto Pressure cooker which is 33 yrs old. I've used it hundreds of times!
My fave is a cast iron skillet that was given to me when I got married 8 yrs ago. I use it primarily for making eggs but am toying with the idea of putting it in the oven to make cornbread. It reminds me of the old iron pots my grandmother used when I was a child. They just don't make pots like they used to!
They're nothing special, but I always go back to my cheap department store pans because they work well enough and I've had them longer than anything else.
I have two favorites. The first is a 3 quart saucepan that I use at least 3-4 times a week. The second is my stock pot which I will use all winter long for making soups and stews.
Cast iron skillet that's satiny black with seasoning.
Thanks for reviewing this cookware set and offering a sweet giveaway!!
I love my cast iron pan. It's super well seasoned and I use it for almost everything. I tend to the savory so I don't use it to make sweets like toffee, it's not the best for making gravy (i've tried...) and lingering smell-imparting things like fish. I'd love a chance to play around with some new hardware!
My favorite pan is my great grandmother's cast iron dutch oven. I try to find excuses to use it, since it reminds me of her and my grandmother. It's easily my most treasured kitchen possession.
My current favorite is a Le Creuset I just acquired this fall. I've braised a variety of meats, added some root vegetables and wine and into the oven it goes. I know I could have been doing something similar with other pots, but the Le Creuset seems made for this, and since it's sitting on my stove due to lack of cabinet space it's getting lot's of cooking time. While I can't believe how much I paid for it, I also can't imagine not having it around.
My favorite pot is a Target-brand dutch oven that I got about six years ago. It was cheap, it's the right size for two people, and it works great for everything from stews to slow-cooking to baking bread.
I have a lot of pots and pans, but the one think of as my favorite is a no-name stainless one from a restaurant supply place. I was a bartender/sometimes-cook at a local hole-in-the-wall, and we had a stack of these killer-awesome stainless saute pans. I don't think they cost over 20 bucks, and they worked better than anything I've ever used.
The most used pan in my house would have to be my 8" ScanPan pro. It's expensive, but by far my favorite non-stick pan -- it still looks as good today as it did when I bought it two years ago.
My fave is a plain old skillet. I love being able to sear meat and then throw the whole pan in the oven!
My favorite pan has to be my 10 inch sauce pan. It's so versatile and the sides keep me from slopping all over the place.
My cast iron Dutch oven is my favorite cookware to use. It has been the gateway for me to learn many new dishes!
I just love that I can do almost anything in it. Plus anything that helps me make a great steak jumps up that list.
Definitely my cast iron skillet!
Does the slow cooker count as a pot and/or pan? If so, that's mine! I love putting ingredients in, walking away, and coming back to a meal without much more than a second thought.
If it doesn't count, then I gotta go with the stock pot. Home made vegetable stock makes everything I cook taste so much better.
My favorite pan is a simple oven friendly medium stainless steel skillet with a sturdy handle. Though I love collecting variety of tools, I try to minimize my collection by frequency of use and quality.
Since I generally cook for two, I find that a single skillet may lead to infinite possibilities
Many years back, I bought a fairly expensive set - Lagostina Academy 5-ply - which have been fantastic pots. they heat evenly and look gorgeous.
However, I have two complaints:
1. being 5-ply (SS/alum/copper/alum/SS) construction throughout, they efficiently pull heat up the sides, which means I often find liquids like sauces cooking dry against the sides as they reduce.
2. they end in a straight edge instead of a lip. This is a big problem when you want to pour anything out of the pots, liquids always run down the side of the pot. I never knew how important lips were on the edges of pots + containers until I ended up without them!
Despite their expensive price tag I can't say I consider any of them my favourite! My favourite would likely be a 3-way tie:
1. Carbon Steel crepe pan, for crepes of course
2. Cast-Iron pan, as a workhorse. It never even sees the inside of a drawer, it's constantly in use.
3. Thin northern-style cast-iron wok, stir fries and various chinese dishes. It was a real eye-opener to discover how delicate cast iron can be!
All three helped teach me how important proper pre-heating is to the non-stick properties of the metal.
An addendum, I have two favourite tools to work with these. In the case of the pans, I have a spatula that I will be devastated if I ever break, it's an older style of Calphalon spatula which is both strong and flexible, and very thin so it fits under foods as it flexes unlike most spatulas I run across. I keep trying to find a place to buy backups but calphalon has changed models and doesn't have any of the old ones left.
The other tool, for the wok, would be a cheap pig-iron rounded spatula. It's a rough little tool but somehow I love it
For me, the LeCreuset is about the best stuff around - it browns things well, is oven and stove top friendly & it keeps things warm after cooking if they have to stand. It's just about indestructable too and if you do have any problems, LeCreuset will replace it as it is guaranteed for life. Being married to a fireman who believes that everything you put on the stove top needs to cook on a rocket-hot, bright cherry red burner (I am working with him on this ... ), this cookware can take it. It also works with all kinds of cooktops. It heats evenly and is just all around, good, durable stuff. I don't put it in the dishwasher and I am not sure what the manufacturer recommends, but I do not. I am building my set, slow but sure as it is expensive, but I will also get to leave it to someone who will appreciate when my time here is done - that and my wonderful Kitchen-Aid.
That sounds interesting -- 'cept I imagine you need gas which I don't have. Sounds like a thinner version of the Indian 'karai'?
LOL, I've got a spatula like that and I'll be devastated if it ever breaks too!
My favorite bit of cookware, excluding my chef's knife, is an 8" stainless steel Farberware skillet. The old kind, with the heavy aluminium base. I scrub it after every use with an abrasive powder so it's as smooth as glass.
10" Calaphon nonstick. It is a very heavy pan that heats fast and evenly.
hands-down it's my 3 qt. All-Clad saucier.
Probably my cast iron skillet because it's the only one I have that's oven safe.
My favorite pot is farberware classic 51/2 quart saucepot. I had this pot for more than 9 years now and undoubtedly I can say that I have cooked some great meals using this pot. My family's favorite is the chicken curry that I make in this pot.
My favorite pan is a 10" cast iron. It's my goto pan for almost anything.
I love my 10" cast iron skillets. There's always one or more of these versatile pans on my stove. I use them to cook everything breakfast (bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, fried potatoes), most things meat (burgers, chops, steaks, pot roast) many things bread (cornbread, rolls, dill bread), and even some things dessert (fancy apple tarte).
Not only do my cast iron skillets and chicken fryer fill many purposes, they have been doing so for decades (one, I believe, for over a century), and are better than new.
Sure, there are a few things that cast iron is not good for (tomato and other acidic sauces, and soups). For those things, I'd think that a nice stainless steel set, with some thick bottoms and little copper would just do the trick. My own non-cast iron choice is Farberware, from back when I got married 30 years ago (Newer stuff doesn't look quite as sturdy).
I'd like to win the lovely stainless for my daughter -- I already found her a cast iron skillet.
I recently got a cast iron skillet, and I love it to itty bitty pieces. I'm used to cheap cookware; while this piece technically isn't any more expensive, it reacts more like I'd imagine quality pieces would. My home fries are delicious!
Years ago when I first wanted to learn about cooking, I lived in New York City and so took the advice of New York Times columnists and visited Bridge Kitchenware to purchase some basic pans. There I was told that if I could buy only one piece, then it should be a rondeau. I'd never heard of a rondeau and it seemed big to be the one go-to piece of cookware, but I decided to listen to the expert and bought the pan.
He was right.
The rondeau is the one because it's so versatile--on the stove or in the oven, for sauteeing, frying, simmering, braising, stewing, boiling, or pretty much anything a Dutch oven, casserole, large frying pan, or stock pot can do. Plus, with its size, cooking in batches is rarely required.
But mostly it makes me happy to cook with it.
Gotta be either my 10" cast iron pan or my stock pot. The cast iron probably wins just because I use it more often.
Definitely my cast iron skillet. There's no better way to make hash browns or corn bread.
My favorite is the stock pot. I like to take the bones leftover from cooked chicken or beef and make a good rich broth. It's so good for stews and has lots of nutrition, too.
My favorite right now is my 12" cast iron skillet. The flavors that stay in the skillet and season the new food are amazing. I've been cooking a lot of steaks on the stove-top, so it is perfect.
My favorite is my old 11 inch Farberware Millenium skillet. It has been a workhorse in my kitchen for over 20 years. Using metal utensils has not been a problem, and the nonstick coating hasn't given any sign of starting to flake off.
I have fairly cheap pots and pans. I finally used my big stockpot to make stock from the remains of the thanksgiving turkey though, which turned out really well, so it can be the one.
My favorite pot is a Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven. This time of year, I am making stews and soups, and I can simply put everything together an put it in the oven to cook away as I am doing other things during the weekend. I will have enough left over to freeze for dinners during the week.
My favorite pan by far is my old cast iron frying pan. I does pretty much anything.
My saute pan, I guess. It certainly gets the most work.
My current favorite pan is my 8-inch nonstick saute pan, in which I make the world's most perfect scrambled eggs every morning. My new favorite pan is any of the ones in this beautiful set that you are giving away : )
My 11" non-stick saute pan is certainly the one that gets the most use - there are a number of one-pan meals that I make in that pan. I think I'd starve without that pan! :)
12 inch skillet. It's so big and I use it when I really want to cook up a meal for lots of friends
i hope there will be an international giveaway some wonderful day in the future...
greetings from germany
My favorite pan is my 8" nonstick skillet. I use it nearly every day to make omelets and scrambled eggs.
My favorite cookware is my vintage Descoware pot roaster that belonged to my mother. Of course, I love that it was my Mom's, but I also love that it helps to keep my biceps and triceps in shape. :) I like to use it for cooking "rainbow noodles," which is my son's favorite go-to dinner.
Not sure I have a favorite. My mom had a square pan I loved because I could fit four pieces of French toast on at a time. :). Thanks for hosting the giveaway.
my favorite is my large 14" saute pan. i use it for everything from spaghetti sauce to sauteing pork chops
My current favorite is a 6 quart dutch oven since I home brew in one gallon batches its thermal mas makes mashing the grains easier to maintain at the proper temperature.
Porcelain interior, enamel exterior stock pot. Fast to boil, easy to clean. Took awhile of trial and error to figure out the timing but now it is my favorite pan. I think it is made by Chantal.
12" skillet useful for so many things. My current favorite meal is beef stroganoff from the site.
I love my roasting pan. With it I can cook from cookies to chicken!
More surface, faster and more even cooking. I cook big and love starting most dishes in a wide saute pan. I also love a Dutch Oven.
my new favorite recipe is brown butter with crispy sage, to go with butternut squash ravioli!
I have a large 14" hard-anodized skillet I can't get enough of. It has a long handle and is quite heavy, but it retains heat super well and cooks evenly. I'm also quite partial to my 10" cast iron skillet, as it is old and seasoned, and I can trust it to make the best roux for gumbo, or cornbread in the oven.
I have a 6 quart stock pot that is by far my favorite. It gets plenty of use making pastas, soups and of course my favorite, CHILI.
Although heavy, I like using my Lodge Dutch Oven. This pan heats well and keeps food moist while cooking. It is great for cooking roasts, hams, etc.
Again, although heavy, we have a Lodge Griddle. You can use one side to cook pancakes, the other for bacon or grilling sandwitches. The food seems to cook just right.
My favorite pan is my cast iron skillet. I use it daily for almost everything - eggs, grilled cheese, pork chops, even spaghetti sauce.
I love my very old, Griswold cast iron #9 pan. It feels like silk inside. Made in early 1900's, it is light, and heats wonderfully. I use it for everything from eggs, potatoes, meat, cornbread, roasts. To clean it originally, I placed it in an oven, started self clean cycle and let it cook. Then oiled it with lard and left it in the oven for a week. Black and shiny, good as new. This works for old grease build up, rust and "crud". So buy an old one and clean it up!
While it may be considered "servingware" versus a pan, I love my Wilton Armetale large bowl. It can be put in the freezer to keep salads cool but is also oven-proof and is wonderful for a great cheese dip I may for parties.
My favorite pan is an 8" cast iron skillet that I use for campfire cooking. Omelettes and bacon on a campfire can't be beat.
I love my Circulon Buffet. It seems to be my "go to" piece of cookware for everything from browning a roast to popping popcorn. I can get my roux going and finish a sauce in it. The surface is a quick easy clean and it can go from stovetop to oven. It's truly perfect in its versatility.
I have a copper embedded set from Costco that's really pretty decent.
However, for my fav. I have a larger 13" lodge cast iron skillet that is pretty much indestructible. Totally non-stick now and handles everything.
Really we just need a good popcorn pan for the induction stove, but a whole set would be cool too!
The most useful pan I own is a 12-in. diameter high-sided stainless. I've gotten to the point where it rarely even gets put away, just gets washed and placed back on the stove for the next time I need it. Cooking for only two people, there's very little that is too large to fit in it unless I'm planning for leftovers.
I use it for everything from pork tenderloin to veggie sautes, works pretty well as a one quiver pot in almost any situation.
I feel like a tool opportunist, this being my first post, to win a set of pots!
Pots rule!
I think my current favorite is a blue 8 or 9" Le Creuset skillet I picked up at a thrift store for three dollars.
It's perfect for any single serving one pot meal; reheating left-overs; grilled cheese; over medium eggs, omelets... okay, so maybe one might need a little skill too, cast iron and omelets being what they are.
I have mad skills.
and no, i am not a pot head pot head.
My second favorite pot is Bona Vita stove top kettle. I'm a bit of a coffee snob.
My favorite is an 4 quart stainless steel pot with small handles on each side. I don't know how many things I've made in that pot in the last 5+ years! It's the perfect size for the recipes I make on a regular basis. My stainless steel skillet is a close runner up though.
My favorite pan is a 14" wok that I got from walmart. They no longer sell them and the company name has worn off, so I'm not sure of the brand. I love using it to cook Asian food and and stir fry.
would have to be my enamel coated cast iron dutch oven..heavy but I love it!
I think the 12 inch "International Pan"s I have (Anolon & Circulon) are
my favorite all-purpose pans, but I'd love to have a new set to test out
to find a new favorite !
Favorite, has to be my 10 inch deBuyer. Saute fish/chicken.
I love my 12" cast iron skillet. I bought and seasoned with real lard. It works better than teflon.
Thanks everyone for entering the contest. It was a lot of fun reading how people use their pots and what makes them like them!
All entries above this comment will be counted as submissions. Only the first entry for people who commented multiple times will be counted. I'll post the winner shortly.
fisherman83!
I pulled all 117 comments, removed mine, duplicates, and those where I did not have email addresses (the few guest posts where the user provided identifying information were included but the couple guest/anonymous posts without any information were excluded). The final tally was 112 entrants. I used random.org to generate a random number and it gave me 109 which equated to fisherman83 (who was the 109th qualifying post [and the 112th comment overall]).
This set comes with six pots as well as four lids:
I'll run the giveaway similarly to the Thermapen giveaway from last week but change the comment from "your favorite article on CFE" to "what's your favorite pot and why?". Here are the rules for this contest: