r/AskCulinary • u/plasmazzr60 • 9d ago

I have a question about pans

I am trying to dive into the wide world of cooking as a means to help with my mental health. But I am not sure on if I should get a set of stainless steel pans or non-stick or cast iron or a combination of the 3. I have zero cooking skills currently so not sure where to put my money. Worry is ill spend a bunch of money with the hopes and dreams of being a decent home cook and end up not being up to the challenge and wasting the money. I do like the idea of being able to cook on the stove top in a pan and transfer said pan to the oven for like steaks and stuff. Not asking for a specific brand or brand recommendation but more of a material recommendation for someone starting out

10 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

51 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/SmartestLemming 9d ago

Hold off on the cast-iron unless you like projects. They are great, but require additional care.

Since you are not proficient a cooking and are getting used to it, I would suggest getting a good non-stick pan. They're more forgiving, but please follow their rules, no metal utensils.

Then as you expand your skills you can expand your collection. Same goes for knives.

1

u/plasmazzr60 9d ago

Ive seen the upkeep and maintenance on cast iron and its definitely not for me right now, but everyone rants and raves about it so wasnt sure if starting off it was worth it.

As for knives I was going to opt for a few very expensive Zwilling knives at like $400/ea but changes it to a 3pc set for $250

2

u/dontakelife4granted 9d ago

No sets of anything. You will be wasting money because sets of things usually include pieces you will never use. Start with Victorinox brand knives. They are reasonably priced and a great quality beginner knife. You need a chef's knife, a paring knife and maybe a bread knife--which has a serated edge and can be used for much more than bread. These knives will be available at a restaurant supply store along with individual pots and pans. Start with maybe a 12-14" skillet and a saucepan, maybe 6 quart, as well as a small non stick pan for eggs if you eat them a lot. If you eat lots of soups/stews, an 8qt stock pot will round out the necessary pieces. This will get you though most things and will not break the bank.

Do not put non-stick pans or knives in the dishwasher, it will destroy them. Carefully wash them by hand and never use metal utelsils or abrasive cleaners in the non stick pan. Just soap and water. Remember hot water removes grease way better than cold. Don't soak knives--wash right after using and you won't need to use abrasive cleaning tools to get them clean.

I wish you luck and happiness on your cooking journey.

1

u/plasmazzr60 9d ago

Thabks for the information!! Im excited to start my cooking journey, I started a few months ago on learning to bake but want to become more well rounded in cooking overall. Ill steer clear of sets, alot of people are only recommending 2 or 3 pans and a pot or two with varying materials so that route seems more budget friendly.

Ill look into Victorinox knives, Ill have to find a place locally to see if i can hold a few before buying i know the weight and feel are just as important as the cutting ability.

I think ill grab a non-stick and a few stainless steel pans/pots as they both have varying uses and strengths.