Buy me some saucepans - for £100

[PippiL]

Hello foodie experts.

I have £100 to splash on a new pan set, and its driving me nuts trying to find the best for my cash.

I have an anolon professional saute pan that I love, with rubbery handles, but for the life of me I can't find the matching pans online - or at least if I can they are about £200.

Amazon do some anolon pro ones for bout £80 but they don't have the rubbery handles.

And might I be better with circulon?

But I also ike the lids that you can drain with too...

...arrrgh. Help.

Stellar

I still have mine 23 years on.... they still look like new even though they get used every day.

Pipil, I'm not sure if they would be in your price range but the best pans in the world are without a doubt Le Creuset - they don't give you a lifetime guarantee for nothing. We got quite a few of their products as wedding gifts and I just can't believe how incredible they are and how they improve your cooking - everything heats evenly, gently and when you need it they can be scorching hot without burning anything. Phenomenal.

Stellar look good. I haven't ever heard of them though!

Rycie - which le Creuset ones? The new nom stick ones - they are mucho wonga but also look V nice.

I can vouch for them - and after 23 years they still look good....

John Lewis classic range. Mine are about 15 years old and still look shiny new - and I cook a lot.

Do have one Le Creuset oval casserole which is fab too - looks knackered but is fab for making bolognaise/stew/curry/casserole obviously

hmmph, I'm not convinced of the need for fab saucepans really. A good Le Creuset casserole, a good frying pan yes, a wok, but mostly saucepans seem to have boiled veg in them....

Someguy - Well yes I see your point. But on the other hand they get used every day.

I have a big anolon saute pan I use for most things, spag bol, curry etc.

Smallish le creuset for casseroles - could do with bigger but can't afford that just yet.

Circulon wok, for er wokking

My current sauce pans (1 left) were prestige copper bottom ones and only lasted about 7 years before the handles fell off.

Can you wait for the sales in January? You normally can get really good pans, but 30-40% off in Debenhams for instance.

I would forget about a "Set" as such - it's better to invest in individuals pans you are actually going to use, like:

• a small milk pan and a big pasta one (also good for boiling veg). IMO there is no need to spend a fortune on this, so go mid-way;
• A casserole dish; it's probably worth spending a bit more on this one. Le Creuset is good but you do pay for the marketing/colour/French name so you may get similar quality ones which are slightly cheaper. The good food magazine did a comparison last year I believe?
• A small and a large saute pan (small for eggs, crepes etc).

Wok is good but I a yet to find one which works well on a normal hob, so I do not bother with that any more - I just use a large saute pan.

I used to have a Prestige set - totally rubbish. I found Anolon good and a German brand called AMC.

Hmm, I love le creuset but actually they are not the best pans for many jobs.

They are incredibly heavy and take a long time to heat up and lose heat. Perfect for stews and casseroles, but rubbish for delicate frying, or things that need pinpoint heat precision like sauces etc.

Also the non-stick is NOT guaranteed and does not last anywhere near as long as the pan itself. Stick with the old enamel ones if you are going for le creuset.

I like le creuset for some jobs, but prefer stainless steel pans for most others.

John Lewis speciality brand are fab btw, but you won't get a whole set for £100. You might get a milk pan, a pasta saucepan and a frying pan for that amount.

I also agree that you shouldn't try to get a matching set. Getting the right pan for the right job is far more important than getting matching handles.

That means some need to be heavy copper based, some need to be cast iron ceramic, and some need to be stainless steel.

my entire set cost £10 from Wilko's plus one wok for £2.50. They do look old already though and I got them in July....food tastes the same though.

Liking the look of the patique Reality linked to. If you're going for investment pans (and it sounds like it) then they do look good for the money. And importantly (IMO) they're suitable for induction hobs. I'm thinking about induction hobs in the future, as they give you the controllability of gas, and gas will be getting more expensive in the future as stocks dwindle - something else to think about?

I like Prestige pans with the copper bottom. My mother has a set that has lasted her 30+ years and I've had mine 15 years. I have a couple of le creuset casserole dishes but I wouldn't use the pans for everyday cooking - they are too chuffing heavy and take too long to heat up.

I also have a couple of these which are fab for hob/oven stuff, and nice-looking enough to go straight to the table when friends over for supper

that was the best I could afford. (and tis nothing wrong with ASDA smartprice loo roll!)

I do agree though that if you buy better quality, they last longer and in the long run you spend less. I will one day., I just couldn't imagine spending £100! That's half what my car cost!

I would like a decent non stick frying pan.

Another vote form Stellar too - had a set as wedding pressie and added a couple of extra bits over the years - guranteed for 10 years I think - still almost as good as new 20 plus years on! Go in dishwasher no probs.

Found 2 good roundish shaped ones from IKEA too - one bigger for stock and one a porridge pans now!! Quite pricey but similar to the Stellar - can't recal the name but have dome shaped lids.

I have these and love them Circulon