what type of pots/pans do you cook with

[vannah]

I'm forever wondering what to replace my toxic,now scratched cooking pans and am finding contradictory advice on the net re material safety. Some say only stainless steel (hard to find without coating these days!), others say copper.

I just dont want any harmful chemicals leeching into the food.
Recommendations please?
thanks

I would recommend my Prestige stainless steel pans with copper bottoms, but sadly, I don't think they make them any more. I've had them for 15 years and when I get the stainless and copper cleaners on them they still look as good as new. I use them almost every day.

I've just done a search and it looks like John Lewis have some pans which don't have linings to them.

Hope this helps.

thanks pigeonpie..will check their website

I have Prestige stainless steel (Insignia I think) and I like them. I find the steamer quite good (pan and two "colander" type things to stack up plus lid) - can cook more than one thing over the same ring although the thing in the top layer doesn't cook as quickly, I have to keep swapping em round!)

I have a cast-iron frying pan - not Prestige - a heavy beast but cooks brilliantly.

I don't use any "non-stick" cookware - never got on well with them. Just too annoying if they get scratched! Have a couple of le Creuset pans (gifts), they cook well and look good on the table, but I have to be very careful about not scrathcing them.

I was given Tesco Finest stainless steel pots as a gift when I moved into my house 5 years ago and they are still going strong.

I think it was about £30 for the 3 so not too over priced.

I also have an Asda stainless steel steamer which I love and it only cost a tenner.

I have Tefal frying pans which I don't recommend TBH.

vannah, I've just remembered that Ikea do stainless pans too - I got a fantastic big stock pot from them last year. I'm going this evening so if I have a chance I'll have a quick peek - although it is with my Pa, so I might not be able to without him getting grumpy!

I love Prestige - I'm still using 2 of the pan set my mum got for a wedding present in 1958, and my mum is using the rest of the set so won't let me have them!

I've decided stainless steel is the way to go in future - Polaris in Norway have closed but stainless steel tends to be cheap in Germany.

Actually Sainsburys were recently selling remarkably good steel saucepans - thin but dead cheap and being light is useful.

My non-stick pans just don't stay non-stick.