To ask for your advice on saucepans!

[snapdragongirl]

I’m looking to treat myself to a set of saucepans. Current pans are a mish mash and are really tatty, things I’ve inherited over the years or just cheap ones I’ve picked up as and when. Would love to have a nice matching set of decent quality.

What should I be looking for? I love the look of stainless steel, and have heard the non stick coated pans aren’t great as they start to wear out and the coating gets into your food? Pro cook seem to have some good offers on for pan sets, I’m looking to spend up to £150 ish on a set of 3 or 4 good pans.

What would your advice be on what to go for?

We have procook saucepans. They last well. I do find them quite heavy but still like them

Stellar. They'll last a lifetime.

Stellar are good but I only have one because our set are hand-me-downs from DH's grandparents. Swedish made, copper bottomed and bought in the 1950s. DS is already eyeing them up for his own kitchen!

I bought a set of 3 stainless steel saucepans with glass lids from a tv ad in 1999 There's no brand of any kind on them but they looked very much like the Sabichi ones which were popular at the time. I wasn't expecting them to last long as they only cost around £20 delivered, but I've still got them, use them every day and they look as good as they did when I bought first them.

Stellar are excellent, mine are now 15 years old and look like new. I got them on a deal, still often available on full sets.

I like the thinking of this website:

https://www.buymeonce.co.uk/collections/saucepans

Do you have an induction hob? If so, make sure whatever you get will work on that.

I have a mix of fissler brand and aga. The aga ones have a flat lid, so excellent for stacking them in the fridge or in the oven. I do have an aga though, but also use the pots in the oven when the aga is off in the summer. I bought nearly all my pots from ebay! Funnily, the fissler and aga lids all fit the pots I have.

Pro cook here. Pans are awesome so far with inductiion.

I was given a set of stellar pans as a gift and they are brilliant! I have the ones with the draining lids which is a handy extra feature. The high sided saute pan is so versatile and there's a really good range of sizes within the set so all bases are covered. They're currently in their 50% off sale on Stellar's own website. Can't recommend enough! (Should say I have a gas hob.)

I was bought Prestige ones for wedding presents over thirty years ago. Thirty year guarantee but they are indestructible and still pristine.

Have a look at Meyer. Mine are 30 years old and as good as new.

Another vote for stellar. My in-laws set are 40 years old, ours are 5 years old and you can't tell them apart!

My grandma bought me a set of these when I left home; 28 years later I am still using them and the large one in particular must have been through the dishwasher literally thousands of times as we use it almost daily. I later added a big stockpot and a sauté pan from the same range to my everyday set. They're great pans and I will probably buy the same for my daughter when she moves into her first proper home:
https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-classic-stainless-steel-lidded-saucepan-set-3-piece/
Do 100% agree about not buying non stick pans though - they just don't last in the same way as stainless steel.

Stainless steel with heavy base for me. Induction cooktop. Most of my cookware is 20cm diameter so lids are interchangeable.

I’m a fan of pressure cooking (2 handles, not the bulky single handle Prestige style). I have two Lagostina pressure cookers (7 and 5 litres) and use them as saucepans every day. I also have a steamer pan where the insert works as a colander, and a Staub cast iron casserole.
Frying pans come and go but I currently have a large Alessi Edo non stick frying pan and a Le Creuset omelette pan. I don’t have a milk pan, just use the microwave.

I cook twice a day for 3 people and just rotate them.

1 Lagostina make ordinary stainless steel pans, too.

I came to recommend Procook. Goes in dishwasher, lid doubles up as strainer, stacks up and has a lip to pour liquids. I also have a great frying pan from tk maxx!

My favourite saucepans aren’t expensive. I like the lid with drainage and they are substantial but not too heavy. Current,y with 1/3 off. https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-home-aluminium-saucepan-16cm-black

I like tefal excellence aluminium for frying pans.

Thanks for all the comments and recommendations. Stellar seem to come out well! Does anyone have their knives? Thinking of adding a knife block too as our knives are also old and rubbish!

You can't go wrong with Stellar. They wash and still shiny 20 years later. One of my best buys.

I don't have any Stellar knives, so can't comment. My knives are mostly Japanese or French. Anyone caught putting them through the dishwasher is dead!!

Are you prepared to wash up? We love these:
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/cat/finmat-series-62068/
Possibly couldn’t buy all for once with £150, but saucepans are investment pieces.

Highly recommend procook. But don’t buy a set unless you actually use all the sizes, I just buy the sizes I actually use

Things to look out for - handles that collect water upside down in dishwasher. Got dh to drill holes in mine... the handles obviously, not the pan 😁

Circulon. John Lewis sell them. Non stick. They are amazing.

I have the Stellar pans — the ones with two handles which I find easy to use and store. Really pleased with them. Got them from Harts of Stur which was also excellent.

Prestige copper bottomed pans. Theyre not non-stick but you can take a Brillo pad to the inside to ensure they’re totally spotless, and you don’t have to worry about ruining any non-stick surfaces. We’ve had them 28 years and they’re in perfect condition. We also use a non stick lidded saucepan for bolognaise etc, but this needs replacing way more often, every couple of years.