apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have a small set of Wolfgang Puck - I got a deal on them when I was starting out in my first place, and they happened to be the best option in my price range. I was living in an area with very limited options at the time, but I don't recall where I got them. Perfectly happy with them, though.

For the majority of the years I was putting my kitchen together, there really wasn't much of anything in the way of celebrity cookware at all, so all my stuff is boring non-celebrity anonymous cookware and such. :)

Anonymous cookware ... LOL

Not cookware, but mixing bowls. We received Nigella Lawson's mixing bowls as a wedding gift. I love the way they nestle into my body as I stir batter or whip egg whites. I will admit that I'm glad they don't say "Nigella" on them.

I went to an All-Clad factory sale and bought an Emeril skillet for a fraction of the price of the All-Clad--it's manufactured by All-Clad....It is a really nice skillet that I enjoy using it, though it is not quite as well balanced as my All-Clad ones--the handle is a little bit heavy in comparison to the body.

I'm considering one of Rachael's oval pasta pots, though.

I have an Emeril cast iron dutch oven. It's pretty darn heavy and equally as awesome. Got it as a gift and it seems to do the job just fine (plus, his name isn't all over it or anything).

GreenPan (thermolon non-stick) by Todd English

I have a Wolfgang Puck set. I've been pleased with it. Solid performance for the price point.

Also, gotta love on my Naked Chef celeb cookbooks. He's the best.

My mom has several Wolfgang Puck pieces, which are amazing.

I really want a set of RR pans. Mostly because all of mine are old and gross and from garage sales.

Like Sara Kate, I have mixing bowls but not cookware, though mine are Mario's. I love that they have the measurements printed on the inside and that each bowl has 2: a full capacity and a line on the inside. It helps me develop an eye for amounts.

They're also a fantastic grassy green.

Oops, I do have cookware: a gray enameled cast iron dutch oven from Martha. It's great, and was half the price of le creuset.

I have the Mario Batali pesto green panini pan and press and it is one of my absolute favorite things among my kitchen pieces. I use it all the time. I actually resisted buying it because of the Batali imprimatur -- I don't like celeb labels -- but I bought it because it was bigger than the Le Creuset and it come with the press. It's fantastic.

I have a Füri Rachael Ray Coppertail knife (without the orange grip). I was kind of embarrassed that it was a RR branded knife, but I LOVE it.

Oops, I voted "no," but I forgot I have a Graham Kerr bench knife. Instead of a wooden (or other mat'l) handle, the stainless "rolls" into a handle so I can throw it in the dishwasher when I'm feeling really lazy.

Now, does anyone remember his shows?

A Nony Mous, I loved Graham Kerr. His old shows are still shown on the Food Network in the middle of the night. The 'healthy' versions of his shows aren't the same though, even though the recipes were good (if challenging).

Don't have any. Love some of the Nigella stuff tho! No celeb chef cook books either except from the lovely Nigella! Oh and Elizabeth David, does she count? I'm allergic to Jamie Oliver.

All of my cookware is either old Griswold cast iron or cookware purchased at my local restaurant supply store. What can I say? I'm cheap and I like quality.

I do, however, want Nigella's bread box. I LOVE that the top is also a bread board! I haven't gotten around to ordering it yet though.

Vive Le Creuset!

for those of us non-chefs, does it really make a difference between getting tri-ply vs. all-clad? there is a BIG price difference. I'm interested in getting 13-pc Calphalon tri-ply stainless set seen here:
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=137871&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

btw...Every place i've looked so far has the same price $399, except Amazon at $355. Are there any better deals going around I should be aware of?

thanks.

I was eying the Mario Batali risotto pan at TJ Maxx and my mom got it for me as a birthday present.

It's enameled cast iron, about I think it's 4 qts, which makes it perfect for braises for 2 ( leftovers for a lunch). I really like the finish on it, too (it's a pale ivory), and serendipitously, it matches my dinnerware.

I also have a Boulud boning knife that I found at TJ Maxx. I don't know if he still makes the same line. I wanted some of the pans, since they had the aluminum up through the sides but were much cheaper than All-Clad. However, by the time I wasn't piss-poor, they had been discontinued. Boo.

GZgoingMod aka Geraldine,

If you are a non-chef what in hell are you planning on doing with a 13 piece set? Save your money or buy better quality items for the same price. I would suggest you buy 2 saucepans (small and large) & a small & large non-stick frying pan. That should cover most bases for a person that doesn't really "cook".

joebelt,


I've gotten to a point where I want to buy a set that I know will last a long time, for whatever the occasion. In my kitchen, all I see are mostly second-hand, badly scratched non-stick pan from mom.

I've grown up, so should my cookware, hence wanting to just get a set and be done with it.

I've been cooking as a passionate foodie for years and I don't own--not because I can't afford but because I don't need--a 13 piece set (especially a stainless steel one at that).

Geraldine -I agree you don't need it. You must have enormous amounts of cabinet space to store that many pots and pans. Add a Dutch oven to joebelt's list and you're done.

Don't knock the old stuff - I have some of my mom's old Calphalon from the 80's. I love it and she's kind of my celebrity chef.

And if you want a set that WILL last a lifetime (actually several lifetimes) invest in cast iron cookware not stainless steel. A well seasoned cast iron pan cooks more evenly and is as non-stick as teflon or thermolon.

Le Creuset enamel over cast iron. That's celebrity enough for me.

ok...I'm going back to drawing board on this one, but i've soooo been lusting after that set it's ridiculous.

I am sick to death of celebrities. the last place I want them is in my kitchen.

o GZ, get the set already
especially if that lust will drive you to cook
since you'll be excited about the shiny new pans.
AND
sets are usually a better deal than open stock, pricewise

I have no celeb cookware.
But I do have a Martha Kmart mandoline that I'm disinclined to use since I like my good knives so much. I'd cook with a foil pan and a match, but good tools make cooking a pleasure.

Geraldine,

At first, when I saw "13 piece" I also gasped and thought "surely, no." But I checked your link, and I don't think it's so unreasonable. The only things I would find superfluous are the pasta insert (I prefer a colander because I can't seem to remove the insert without throwing water all over the stove) and the 2.5 qt pot.

However, I think it's important to consider the materials and sizes relative to how you plan to use the pans: that's where a set can become frustrating.

For instance, what do you think you would use the 8-inch omelette pan for? In my case, it's eggs, which means I want nonstick. For sauteing, I always use my 10-inch stainless for 2 servings, or 12-inch for 4, because it's not good to crowd the pan.

I got a set last Christmas with an 8-inch stainless omelette pan, and I'm honestly not sure I ever used it (though I cook at least one if not 2 meals a day).

Also, the stock pot, what would you use that for? If the answer is, boiling water for pasta, you don't need a fancy pot for that. A less expensive stainless with aluminum core only at the base will be just fine. Plus, I think 6 qts is too small (8 is better). But if you often make very large amounts of soup, this would be a good pot.

About the saucepans: 1.5, 2.5, and 4.5 qts are kind of weird sizes. Normally you find 1/3/5 qts. It may become an issue if you use recipes that are scaled for 3 or 5 quart pans (but then again, you can bump up in size and pull out the 6-qt).

I saw tri-ply cookware at Ikea today. Wonder if it's any good (averages less than $20 a piece).

Just my thoughts.

renata,

Last year I decided to forgo all the naysayers and decided to try Ikea kitchen ware. On one trip I bought two cookie sheets, 2 non-stick teflon pans, a wood cutting board and a salad spinner. Well, the cookie sheets pops and then warps in the oven as soon as they heat up, the handles on the non-stick pans get hotter than the pan itself (I don't know how this product hasn't yet been recalled!), the wood cutting board wasn't sanded correctly and pieces of the wood had large splinters (which after a few washes caused the board to split in pieces) and the plastic spinner broke within a month. On the plus side, everything was very cheap! I will NEVER try another Ikea kitchen ware product again and I'm convinced that cheap tri-ply cookware you saw today, will bring you as much joy as the pieces I purchased.

joebelt,

As with all things Ikea, there are some good ones and there are some bad ones to avoid. The pots have these magic handles that get heated too much when you cook releasing the scent of burning plastic, no matter what you do.

Things that do work: plastic cutting boards (they're cheap, they come in different colours), plastic storage bowls (cheap enough that I don't get too upset when I leave them at a potluck), this little pepper grinder with a blue top that I use for random spices (it has cardamom and cinnamon in it right now), glasses, plates, dish towels.

I guess it is a matter of getting lucky with what you choose at the Icky-a. I'd guess that about 40% of the kitchen products are functional. As someone who can't really afford anything better right now, I look at what my friends have in their kitchens and then use that as a guide for my shopping.

sciencegeek,

Frankly I have lost most faith in Ikea over the past few years. The kitchen trip was the last draw that broke the camel's back. We also bought a quilt cover, pillowcase and fitted sheet set in Queen size only to find out that despite the packaging that stated Queen, it was actually a Twin size set. :( Ikea being over an hour away from us, it was our total loss as a return was just too impractical. I am also quite worried about the health implications of their products at this point. Everything is so cheap that it makes me wonder how they cut the corners and at what price. So those plastic storage bowls might hold up for some time but if they are going to give me cancer along the way, I think I'll pass. It's too bad because Ikea really had a great business model when they started in Europe but their success has been at the expense of the products' quality imo.

I have the 6 quart enameled cast iron Mario Batali pot in whatever fancy name they're using for "orange". It is absolutely my favorite piece of cookware that I own. I didn't buy it for the name; I bought it because it was $70 compared to the $200 Le Creuset equivalent, and it has the braising spikes on the lid that are perfect for a regular braiser like me. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Now that we're venturing deeper in to Ikea cookware, I'll add my experience:

I've been very skeptical/picky about what to buy in the first place. I would normally never buy a knife or wooden board from them, tho I did succumb to a set of Asian knives. The handles cracked, but I learned to love the cleaver. Ikea gave me store credit (after 4 months) and I bought a proper cleaver elsewhere.

My mom's had their stainless skillet w/ aluminum base for 5 years or so and it's just fine. Sciencegeek: honestly, I'd recommend never buying any pan with a plastic handle, especially if it's not at least oven safe to a high temp.

I have the Stila clay pot: fine on the few occasions I've used it. I'm seriously curious about the tagine and their new enameled cast iron.

I love the colander, perfectly designed: long handle w/ helper, so it rests on the sides of the sink (not on the bottom). Plus it's covered in very small holes: easy draining, no lost pasta. Unlike a strainer/sieve, it's very easy to clean.

I also have a small set of 2 baking dishes (oval and rectangular) that are perfectly sized for 2.

So in sum, my Ikea cookware purchases have been good, but I'd agree that much of what they sell is not very good. It's the new stuff (Senior line) I'd like to see reviewed somewhere.

I'm going to wait for labor day weekend sales to see if prices drop somewhat. I just started getting my mini-box of fruits/veggies from urban organic, so I plan on cooking more.

Great Ikea kitchen products:
- Enameled colander - the perfect size, slightly smaller than large ones, and very pretty.
- long bread knife. I use it just for bread, and it works great (three years now, and doesn't show any wear at all, of course).
- bendable plastic chopping boards
- wooden chopping boards (though if you pick the one with glued-on legs to stand on, it will come apart over time if left in water. I keep mine dry and oiled and it's lasted 5 years so far).
- Stainless steel cooking pots (with all stainless steel handles). Cute and basic and do the job great.
- tea kettles. Here you will notice lower quality than the expensive ones. But they work just fine anyway, if you're on a limited budget. Whistle still dependable after 10 years, in this case....
- Plain ceramic bowls. They don't carry the colorful little ones I have anymore, but everyone compliments me on those, asking where did I find them.
- Juice glasses. Not one of mine has broken in maybe 15 years.

Generally, my rule of thumb at Ikea is to avoid their cheapest lines and go for the good materials. So far, their things have been holding up really well, and look good mixed in with some of my pricier, non-Ikea stuff. Oh, but there is one thing - their drinking straws are waaay too narrow. Avoid those.

Rachel Ray....BLECH!

I am So over her with her happy chirpy EVOO schtick!

Isn't she on the 16th minute of her 15 minutes of fame? Besides, her set looks like it would melt on the stove at anything over a simmer.

Give me good ol' All-Clad...

You know, this post and the comments have me thinking, maybe apartment therapy should have a budget section - they have different locations, kitchen, nursery, tech, and green, why not a section for those of us living small in both senses of the phrase? I really enjoy the site, and this isn't a criticism at all, but a lot of it is window shopping for me. I'd love to see a budget section or just a regular column for cheap-o's like me. Sometimes I just can't afford to be as green and stylish as I wanna be.

Sea and Renata, thanks for all the good Ikea kitchen product suggestions. It really is a bit of a crap shoot in the bowels of the Icky-a. Joebelt, I hear you on the cancer fear - that's why me and my science friends are all working hard in lab to create new cancer drugs, understand gene regulation and so on.

Sea

Most of the products you are talking about are older problems. Personally, as stated before, I believe Ikea's quality really went down the drain in very recent years.

sciencegeek,

as a scientist what is your feeling about this new thermolon non-stick coating that is supposed to be a lot greener than teflon?

I can ask my chemist friends what they think about it. As a scientist, I try not to put out an opinion unless I know the data behind it. I'm a biologist so I don't know much about the new PFTE replacement.

My general take on things is slightly coloured by being raised by a worrier. My mother was always ahead of the curve on things being dangerous: asbestos, lead paint, bicycle helmets, teflon, the list goes on. Someone once told me that the top ways to extend your healthy lifespan are: don't smoke, wear a seatbelt and get exercise. I focus on those and try to be sensible about the rest. Non-stick pans have allowed me to cook things with less fat and oil, and I try not to cook with non-stick at super high temperatures.

sciencegeek,

If you get a chance, maybe you can ask your chemist friends this: If you burn the sh** out of a nonstick pan (with, say, water that has boiled down to nothing, and with the non-stick surface now visibly and permanently scorched-stained), then is it safe to use later at normal temperatures? I've often wondered, and none of the scientific papers I've read on this address this question. All they say is that the dangerous non-stick chemicals are released at very high temperatures, and during production.

joebelt,
You may well be right. It's true that I haven't been checking out Ikea very much in the last two years (thank goodness!), so I can't speak to the current crop. Still, I believe that most of the things I have, they still carry. My bed, for example, which is three years old and really great (so comfy with Ikea's extra foam/wool top). Again, I got the priciest one they have. This is getting a little off-topic from kitchen goods, but let me just add that I am not in general an Ikea fan (don't get me started - I've posted my complaints and frustrations about them in a couple Ikea threads on AT within the last few months)!!

Not cookware, but some pieces from Nigella. They are lovely...

Oh! And I got a brass/copper Greek peppermill recommended by the Frugal Gourmet...

Just one Mario Batali wooden tasting spoon - has two spoon ends, one smaller than the other. Very very handy!

Generally I dislike celebrity branded products, if anything, their name on something might repulse me more than attract. But I do like a bunch of the celeb chefs out there like Bourdain, Chiarillo, Nigella, and Dave Leiberman but i dont think it would sway me to buy their stuff, since i suspect they dont have a hand in engineering it. I suspect they have some marketing guy choosing the one that will give the biggest return from their foreign vendors... but what do i know?

I accumulate items slowly and replace the ones that dont work all that well with what i think are quality peices, i guess after using them nightly, you can tell what seems sturdy and what doesnt. IKEA has some good and bad stuff, you have to sort thru and inspect. Ive used their grinders, 365 pots, Knives (Bread and 8"chefs), cutting boards, silverware and think they are great. I busted two of their can-openers in less than a year, as well as a fancy swiss one from Great Indoors, as well as an ergo one from target.

What you gotta look out for is buying a cheaper line of a good product. The Cheap Sale All clad is made in china, vs forged here in the USA, it will usually say on the box. Henkles International is also China Stamped Steel, vs Forged German Knives. That being said, it might perform to your liking, it might not.

Soooo back to celebrity Stuff, I think I do have a few Martha Stewart Items, she makes an excellent 12" Glass Pot Lid i use on my Fryer, as well as good stainless Utensils (spatulas, ladels). I browsed in the Napa Style store a few times and have come to the conclusion its more of a lifestyle store, rather than a serious cooks resource. But that being said i find stuff i like in there on occasion, and if i think its good enough, i would buy it. My 2 cents!

I think the only celebrity cookware I have is a set of those robins egg blue measuring cups from Nigella's line. My sister gave them to me and I love them; I often use them to drink tea. The weight is just right.

The Ikea stories are interesting. From an aesthetic point of view, Ikea has nice stuff. The build quality varies quite a bit though. In 1995 I decided I wouldn't buy anything that needs to bear weight from Ikea. This means bookcases, furniture, desks, etc. Since then, they've increased the wood-content of a number of their products.

I've never considered cookware because I long learned elsewhere that unless you find something on sale, seldom is there a bargain. Good cookware costs. The good thing is that we don't need that much. We may look at "sets" and decide that we need 9 pieces, but that's hardly ever the case.

Mark Bittman, The Minimalist, recently did a nice piece on outfitting a kitchen for less than $300 or $200.
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/05/15/the-minimalist-and-the-no-frills-kitchen/