Everything's high-end. Can't find a plain, cheap-o aluminum sauce pan!!1

[UTUSN]

A week or so ago, my stove exploded and had to be replaced. Actually, the crud from a never-before-used electric burner caught fire and burned the burner. O.K., another casualty was the old, cheap-o aluminum pan that was for FAST heat, fast boiling of water. A hole literally melted through it, leaking the water and leading to the arcing and sparking of the burner.

So, in looking for a replacement---nope, nup, nary a nuthin'. Everything is pseudo-high end---everything stainless steel, copper, or "professional" aluminum (heavy duty). This was at all the usual suspect outlets and a couple of restaurant supply ones.

Ended up at a second hand store ------UGH------ where THERE one was. It actually looks barely used, with only light staining, and with a shiny, dentfree cover. I gave it a good scrubbing and have already boiled water in it, probably doing more for its cleanliness than for my paranoia.

But this march towards HIGH ENDedness is just implacable and all encompassing!!1 It's like our hill o'beans lives just canNOT tolerate the teeniest bit of low end utility.

[applegrove]

1. That is because they are worried cooking stuf in aluminum causes alzheimers.

[UTUSN]

2. Oh, geez, NOW you've done it!!1 One more thing I'll obsess about!!1

But, oh well, I guess if I'm going to give myself Alzheimer's I won't worry about the aluminum!!1

Isn't there a thread in LBN about a cure?

[applegrove]

3. Yes there seems to be a thread about a cure. So shop away. LOL!

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. You don't want one, anyway - you want a quality sauce pan made of steel or copper

Aluminum is for the shits - it not only cooks like shit, it gives you alzheimer's, possibly.

Get a heavy steel pan, or a heavy copper pan.

Cookware is one area of life in which one should never be cheap.

[UTUSN]

5. O.K., o.k.!!1 (Not even for just boiling water? boiling eggs, potatoes?!1) n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Not even for those.

A cheap aluminum might get the water to boiling faster, yes, but it will also require more constant heat input from the burner to keep at a boil, since it leaks heat so fucking fast.

No, there's no reason ever (except for omelettes, in which case a cheap nostick pan works wonders, if one wants to go non-stick, which I don't like; or as the warm water portion of a bain-marie, but even then, it's difficult to keep the water at a regulated, even temperature) to use cheap, thin cookware.

[Mz Pip]

13. The best non-stick pan

I own is a well seasoned cast iron skillet. :-) It took a while to get it seasoned but once that happens it works as well as that Teflon stuff.

And as a bonus, I am no longer anemic.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[DarkTirade]

14. I didn't know how to properly use a cast iron skillet

when I first started cooking.

And I learned something pretty quickly. Leftover garlic doesn't taste good on vanilla french toast. :)

[Left Is Write]

11. Aluminum doesn't cook like shit. It heats very evenly.

For those worried about the possible effects of cooking in aluminum, there are coated pans with an aluminum core.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. True - it makes a bitchin' core! I didn't think to include that.

I don't like cooking on pure aluminum, though - I think it DOES cook like shit, at least cheap thin aluminum.

But add an aluminum core to heavy steel, and it's heaven.

[BlueJazz]

15. Sorry..Rabrrrrrr....but I have to disagree with you...

I've used aluminum for years and I've nev.....

[UTUSN]

16. Ha-HAH!! onset Alzheimers

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. Did I respond to you already?

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. Have I responded to you yet?

[BlueJazz]

19. I don't think so....wait...wait... Yes...ah what were we talking about?

[UTUSN]

7. Thanks, you two!!1 I learned a TON from you, as always at DU!!1 n/t

[Mz Pip]

8. Try Ross or Target

for decently priced new kitchen stuff. I've bought some good stuff there.

I did buy a good, heavy stainless steel pot at Ikea a few weeks ago for a very reasonable price.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[yellowdogintexas]

9. or Kohl's, when they are having a sale. I love love my

not professional but still damn good quality Caphalon that I found at Kohl's, and we picked up an extra 2 quart pan @ Target.

One simply must have good thick bottomed cookware.

[Shakespeare]

10. Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen just rated this very highly, and it's inexpensive:

It's a whopping $16.99. I'm going to order one this week.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000G7WDHA/ref=ord_cart_shr/002-7664057-5510401?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance



Might even get the whole set to go with the saucepan:

http://www.amazon.com/Pinzon-10-Piece-Stainless-Steel-Cookware-Set/dp/B000G7VI1W/ref=pd_bxgy_k_text_b/002-7664057-5510401