Petra - hopefully you will find Tramontina or another brand of stock pot while you are out shopping today. I have also purchased things from Amazon so I get their alerts. Today's alert is one for 25% or more off of kitchenwares and stockpots. Here is a sampling of what they have:
LeCrueset enamal 6 qt - $40, 8 qt - $75
Revere with copper bottom - 8 qt - $45
Calaphon commercial grade 12 qt - $70 (full retail is $170)

I'm thinking of getting the Calaphon for my Mom.

Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchenwares on sale at Amazon

Look carefully at the handles on the lid. The reason I was replacing my stock pot was because it had a horribly designed handle that caused me to burn my knuckles every single time I used it ~ for at least 20 years!! After I saw the pretty new one in the Tramontina set, I wanted one, but the larger size.

Definitely look at Tuesday Morning. I have purchased alot of odd pieces of brand name cookware at TM - love them!

Teresa~I'm not looking at the Amazon site....I'm not looking at the Amazon site....

Have you checked on ebay or walmart on line, they have a lot of things you can get free shipping to the store that they don't have in the store!

Another vote for Tramontina; maybe not as fancy as All Clad, but an exceptional value for the $$.

They make 4-piece 'multi-cooker' sets which consist of a stock pot, a steamer insert, a pasta insert and a lid. I have the 8 qt version of that, and I'm quite pleased.

I checked at TM, Walmart and JC Penney, didn't see anything I really wanted. TM did have some cook ware, but no stockpots at all except for a Le Creuset, which was enameled. So I checked JCP online when I got back, and here's what I ordered. The handful of reviews are good, and the price is very reasonable, it was reduced from $139.99 to $49.99.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stock Pot

Petra - was it the 8 qt size you were looking for? It looks like a nice pot!

Teresa, yes, it comes in 5, 6 and 8 quart, so I ordered the 8.
I have a bunch of grass fed bones in the freezer, so the pot will get a workout as soon as it arrives. :o)

Report back when you receive it!

I will!! Thanks for all the help and suggestions from everyone, I really appreciate it.

At the risk of hijacking this thread as it seems that
Theresa has lots and lots good ideas and I haven't bought a stock pot in perhaps 3 years...
I will say the best luck I have had is at the kitchen stores at the outlet malls. I have bought several for the church in the past 4 years, one for myself and one for each of my kids about 5 years ago ( the ultimate gift for a foodie kid, a stock pot!). I bought a huge one...stainless clad bottom, 15 qt? enormous! for the church at Kitchen Tools for about $40. A smaller one and another for me at another outlet mall for about the same price....but these were only 10 qt or so.
I really like seeing and holding it before I buy....
Petra....an 8 qt pot isn't very big....only 2 gallons....

I have to make a boat load of soup this weekend for a thing at church....Think I will use my pots, cook here and transport...if I am strong enough to carry the pot!!
Linda C

I have had very good luck on EBAY with vintage Farberware. Over the past 2 years I have purchased an 8 qt stock pot, 12 inch (I think) skillet and a huge electric skillet, all with lids. All are heavy, in great shape, and made in the good 'ol USA.

dcarch - that looks like a good pot - the shipping is a bit steep for me but some steel wool and elbow grease would make that old pot a beauty!

FOAS - thanks for that hint about Macy's - I'll keep it in mind if I ever get over my resentment of what they did to Jordan Marsh!
Pat

Totally agree with Lori - please don't put anything acidic in an aluminum pot.

When I've looked for stock pots, skillets and other pots I've searched Tuesday Morning, Home Goods, TJMaxx, Overstock.com, Smartbargains.com, Wal-Mart and Marshalls. I know some of these are not convenient to you, but the internet is.

Good luck,
Beverly

Macy's has 2 Martha Stewart stock pots on sale
16qt stainless steel 34.99 and 21qt speckled enamelware 19.99. Amazon outlet also has some good deals.

''drooling over your polished copper stock pot''

Don't be. The steel pot you get will be a lot more practical.

Shiny, heavy, old-school copper pots are beautiful but (1) they are heavy and require strong wrists, (2) need an extra 1-2 minutes cleanup with Twinkle ($4/can and I use 1-2 cans/month) to keep the shine, (3) don't cook appreciably better for most things, vs quality clad steel/thick aluminium, and (4) are now silly expensive (11-qt 2.5mm steel-lined copper pot from Dehillerin in Paris is >$520 USD at current exchange rate). Using them is a labor of love and an aesthetic choice, not a rational/functional decision.

Nothing acid in aluminum? ACK, I didn't know that. I have a big deep Magnalite skillet that I've been using for my spaghetti sauce...so that's BAD? I knew that cast iron you weren't supposed to use acidic but I didn't know about aluminum! What does it do to it?

lisacdm - I do not recommend the MS stockpots. First - check to see if the glass lid contains a tiny sticker (1/4" wide, clear with tiny black font) that reads "the lid is not oven safe). I purchase the 8.5 qt Casserole/Stock Pot less than a year ago. It is a beautiful pot with a tight fitting glass lid. I made turkey soup in it and it discolored horribly on the first use.

And who has ever heard of something called a casserole that does not have an oven safe lid????????? When I hear the word casserole - I think oven!

I wish I'd taken it back. Right now it's in the box about to be picked up with some other donations to the Goodwill.

DH bought my 8, 12 and 16 quart copper bottomed stainless steel RevereWare stockpots at estate auctions. They're the older, heavier gauge ones.

Lindac, I think the 8 quart pot will be just right. For the most part, I only cook for 2, only occasionally for 4 - 8.
Have fun making soup, and get some volunteers to hoist the pots for you. :o)
Bostonpat, I am not familiar with Farberware, have heard of it, of course, but don't actually own any. It sounds like it's good quality?
BeverlyAl and Lisa, the JC Penney one I ordered looks pretty nice, at least in the photos. I am looking forward to trying it out. I've never thought to buy cookware from JCP before, I am glad Lars mentioned it.
John, sounds like the idea of owning copper pots is better than the reality. But they sure are beautiful to look at, even if impractical.
Arkansas Girl, I've been told that aluminum can leach into the food and therefore it's not a good idea to use. I have no idea if that's true though, could be total nonsense.
Teresa, casserole & lid = oven safe is exactly what most cooks would expect. What good is a casserole if you can't cover it. Have you tried writing to MS's company to complain?
Ruthanna, that's a good idea to check for Revere Ware at estate sales. I have some old revere and some newer, and the difference in quality is obvious.

I did not complain to the MS company. I did complain to Macy's though. I had purchased one for my mom at the same time I purchased mine. When I got it home and saw the "not ovenproof" sticker I took my mom's back. It would be just like her to forget the lid restrictions and put it in the oven. When I returned the pot I pointed out the sticker to the 2 saleswomen that sold it to me. I also noted that the display model did not have the sticker and suggested they put one on it. One of the women suggested I use it only for the top of the stove. As I was looking around at the Le Creuset pots she remarked "you would never use those for soup." For some reason that remark put me right over the edge. I went to customer service and relayed my experience along with the fact that the attitudes of their employees is one of the reasons I don't shop their often.

I should've known....a $79 pot is on sale for $29 for a reason.

I could've contacted the MS company - but one of Martha's big selling points is that her attention to detail. She missed the boat on this one.

Oh yes, I've run into some haughty sales ladies myself at Macy's and Dillards. :o) Even if we had any close by, I don't think I'd shop there often.
Re. Martha, her attention to detail rep seems to be sort of undeserved. I've heard several times that quite a few of the recipes in her cookbooks have incorrect instructions, missing ingredients, or are just plain bad and obviously haven't been tested prior to being included in the books. I don't own any of her cookbooks, so I don't know if it's really true or not.

Her earlier books had numerous errors. I think the problem does not exist anymore. I get her magazine and pass it along to a niece who really loves it. Last winter I was looking for a recipe for Swedish Meatballs. The one I ended up making was a Martha Stewart recipe. It was fabulous.

That's good to know! I've saved several of her cake recipes, but was hesitant to try them. I am no baking expert, but they do look like they would turn out just fine.

Petra - I'm not a baker of sweets. If there is any doubt I'm sure you could run the recipe by some of the seasoned bakers here and they could tell you if there is a problem. Lindac, Annie1992, Caliloo and Ann T (an many others) come to mind as people who could debunk your recipe if there was anything missing or wrong with it.

Petra -

Farberware was known for high quality cookware - when it was made in the USA. The newer items can be pricey, and I understand that the quality of the foreign manufactured items leaves a lot to be desired.
My old pots and pans are stainless steel with an aluminum bottom. I treasure them - they are workhorses.
The vintage ones are quality - the new stuff - meh...

Check out your thrift stores,resale shops and yes, EBAY. The bottoms are marked with the city they were made in. You'll be surprised what you can find.

Pat

Here is a link that might be useful: Read about vintage Farberware.

Bare aluminium can react with acidic foods. Anodized aluminium will not.

However, I think even with bare aluminium it is only an issue if you are cooking or storing very acidic foods for an extended time - days not hours. Making a stock - which is not particularly acidic - or even making a tomato-based pasta sauce - I think is fine.

I recall an Alton Brown episode where he was cooking a beef stew with tomato paste for 4 hours in an aluminium foil pouch, and he talked about this.

About 5-7 years ago I bought a 12 qt stock pot from Wegmans (local grocery store). Thought it was too big to be used too often.

It seems to be my most used stock pot. I use it for soup, canning recipes (spaghetti sauce, chili sauce), etc.

I tried making 1 Martha Stewart recipe, a 16 layer cake with chocolate gnache frosting. What a workout.
Looked gorgeous, took pictures, tasted horrible, threw out.
I am selling my two Martha cookbooks in my garage sale this weekend.

Petra, that's nicer than the ones I got at JC Penney, but I bought a set of three more than 10 years ago for a very low price. I've found very good deals there, and that's where I bought my Kitchenaid mixer, more than two decades ago. I don't know what sizes my stock pots are, but one is so large that I haven't used it yet. Maybe I will if I ever have a huge party again.

I think you got a good deal, and I hope you will be happy with it. It looks very good to me.

Lars

Another vote for the Tramontina TriPly sold at Walmart! I think it's actually superior to All-Clad. All-Clad's bigger stockpots do not have the triply all the way up the sides, but just around the bottom. I know that the Tramontina 12-qt., and I think the 8 qt., have the triply all the way up the sides. BTW, I also have the Tramontina TriPly 5 qt. dutch oven ($60 at Walmart). It is awesome! The 5 qt. size is so versatile. Walmart didn't have it on the shelf when I was looking for it, so I just ordered via their free "Site to Store" option online, and had it within a week.

It is my understanding that the Tramontina sold at Marshall's and Tuesday Morning is not the Tramontina TriPly, but a different Tramontina stainless line which is not triply construction. I could be wrong about that, but if you see Tramontina in stores other than Walmart, make sure it's the Tramontina TriPly, and not just their plain stainless.

Teresa, after what MrsMoosepants wrote, I am even more scared to try any MS cake recipes. :o)
Bostonpat, thank you for that very interesting article. I am wondering how much of it I missed over the years while walking past the pots and pans at resale shops. I will keep my eyes peeled now.
MrsMoosepants, I would have a fit if I made a 16 layer cake and had to throw it out!! What do you suppose made it taste horrible, could you trace it back to any of the ingredients?
Lars, I can't wait to try the pot. Thanks for suggesting JC Penney.
Shannon and everyone else with Tramontina pots, have you tried the Tramontina Domus cookware? I came across it while searching for stockpots and love the way it looks. It got good reviews too.

Last week at TM, I did check their shipment of Tramontina; I specifically looked at the bottom to verify that it was TriPly.

Every time I see this thread I think of Pot Stickers so last night I had to make a batch! LOL

Petra, in response to your question, I have not tried Tramontina Domus. But I just looked it up online, and I myself would not get it. First, it seems expensive when compared to the Tramontina TriPly at Walmart. But more importantly, the Domus triply is only in the base, and does not go up the sides. And even more, at least with the Domus Stockpot I saw online (linked below), the sides of the pot are not straight, but flare out above the base. The only time I would use a pot with those kind of flared sides is a "Saucier" style pot in which you (a) want to encourage evaporation, or (b) are wisking inside the pot and it would be helpful to have flared sides to fit the wisk. Otherwise, the flared sides will mean that the sides of the pot will get much hotter than the base, and are thin cause they're not triply, so you will have uneven cooking in your pot, and likely burning around the sides. The Tramontina Triply at Walmart with triply construction all the way up the sides seems a much better bet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tramontina Domus 8 qt. Stock Pot

I have two stock pots (5 qt and 6.5 qt) from Italy that are shaped just like the Tramontina Domus. They are wonderful soup/stew pots. Their top opening is actually smaller than a normal stock pot. I use them because they are lovely, stylish, and they work very well.

I use induction so, as I was told, it doesn't make any difference that the triply is bottom only or up the sides of the pot. Heat from an electric stove only hits the bottom. If using gas, the wrapped sides might certainly be useful.

Shannon, thanks for the education, I didn't know any of that. The fact that the sides are rounded instead of straight is what I found so appealing about the cookware.

Beachlily, are your Italian pots stainless or another material?

My Italian stock pots are made by Lagostina. They are stainless and beautifully finished. They make me smile every time I use them. A friend in Canada purchased a Lagostina set for me when they came on sale up there. Lagostina isn't well known in this country.

I received a set of Farberware cookware as a wedding present over 33 years ago, and am still using much of it. The handles haven't held up as well as the pots, but I still love them and use them daily. The set included 2 different sizes of stock pots. The smaller one has been lost (but not the lid, for some reason.) I still use the big stock pot for making soup and such.

We've bought most of our cookware at estate sales. In fact, I don't remember ever buying any cookware retail. It's either been gifted, inherited, (Revere ware from my mother) or bought at estate sales or garage sales. DH recently brought home a stock pot/pasta pot with steamer basket (I guess - he thought it was a strainer basket, but it only fits on the top, which is impractical for straining) from an estate sale. I can't find a brand name on it anywhere, but it looks a lot like the picture of the Tramontina that's been linked. He doesn't remember how much he paid for it, but he said it was surely under $15.

That stock pot you ordered, Petra, looks really nice. I have to wonder, though, if the glass lid really lets you see in, or if steam would cloud the picture, so to speak.

Sally

Beachlily, I looked up Lagostina, that is really gorgeous cookware! I love the looks of it.

Sally, I have a couple pots with glass lids and you can sort of see what's going on while cooking, but they do fog a lot. I would have preferred a solid lid, but I liked the pot, so I compromised. ;o)

"Posted by johnliu ------I think even with bare aluminium it is only an issue if you are cooking or storing very acidic foods for an extended time - days not hours. Making a stock - which is not particularly acidic - or even making a tomato-based pasta sauce - I think is fine. ---------"

Metallic aluminium is very reactive with atmospheric oxygen, and a thin passivation layer of alumina (4 nm thickness) FORMS IN ABOUT 100 PICOSECONDS on any exposed aluminium surface. This layer protects the metal from further oxidation.

Aluminum oxide, alumina, is extremely hard, and is used commonly as abrasives.

Aluminum oxide is what is commonly used in sun screens and paints.

Rubbies and saphiers are mostly aluminum oxide.

Also:
"------------It appears that aluminum is not well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract which means that even when a person is exposed to aluminum through cookware and through other sources, a significant amount may not be absorbed into the bloodstream. Even if you chose to cook your food in uncoated aluminum pans, less than four milligrams of aluminum would be taken in on average which is less than the aluminum content of a single antacid tablet. It's been determined that an intake of 7 mg of aluminum per kilogram of body weight per day is safe which would correspond to around 60 milligrams a day for the average adult male.-----------"

Aluminum cookware is better than other materials because of very light weight and very good in conducting heat.

dcarch

Petra, thanks for posting the JCPenny pot. I am looking for a stock pot and/or dutch oven, but my budget is very constrained. I saw the Tramontina Triply pots at Walmart, and was so impressed with how great they look, and how heavy and sturdy they are. But even the Tramontina is too high for me right now. I've tried Tuesday Morning, Marshall's, etc., but don't have the time to haunt them frequently enough to snare a really good pot. All that I see there are junky ones or damaged ones, but I know people get lucky and find All-Clad or similar for great prices.

Sooo, I was very interested in the JCPenny pot you linked. It looks great, is tri-ply (yay!) and is priced right. But, does anyone know what is what appears to be a little hole in the lid? I want a tight sealing lid, not one that allows steam to escape. But the JCPenny description says the lid doesn't "let heat and moisture escape". So what is that little hole-like thing in its glass lid?

Here is a link that might be useful: Triply Pot at JCPenny's

Alwaysfixin, I hadn't noticed that hole in the lid. Maybe the part that sticks out can be loosened or tightened, depending on whether you want a sealing lid or not? The pot should arrive fairly soon, I will check the lid and the literature and let you know what I find out.

I was also wondering the function of the little hole looking spot on the lid? Anybody?

That little hole lets a little steam out so that it minimizes bubbling/boiling over spills.

It's the same when you boil soup with a cover, and it starts to boil over. You lift up the cover and the boiling over stops.

dcarch

^^ That's interesting, none of the other stock pots I looked at online and in person had a steam vent, if I recall correctly. None of my other pots do, I just tilt the cover a little bit if anything starts to boil over.

The pot has arrived!! It's kinda heavy and quite a bit bigger (wider) than I expected. The sides don't seem very thick, but the bottom is pretty hefty. It came with a sheet of care info and a tag. The care info says it's oven safe up to 500. I guess that would apply to the glass lid too? I examined the lid, and there aren't any stickers on it.

I would assume the lid was safe for oven use. It arrived fast!

Yes, very fast, especially considering I used a coupon code for free shipping. Whenever I use free super saver shipping from Amazon, the stuff takes forever to get here.

Petra - I've gone ahead and ordered the JCPenney pot (the 6 qt. size tho). I am glad to hear your pot is on the wide side, as one use I plan for my pot is to boil corn. As to the glass lid being oven safe to 500, I typically wouldn't use the pot in the oven at 500 anyway. If I am putting a stock pot/dutch oven in the oven, usually it's at 350-375 or so, and I think the lid would be fine at that temp. So, I went ahead and ordered it. I am still concerned about the little hole in the lid, but the price is great, and shipping cost wasn't bad either.

Alwaysfixin, I hope you'll like it. If I had known how large the pot is, I would have gone with the 6 quart as well. The hole in the lid is tiny, I don't think it will cause any problems. Re. the lid, I meant I hope it's oven-safe as well, since Teresa posted the glass lid on the MS casserole had a "not oven safe" sticker. I wouldn't use either the pot or the lid in a 500 oven.

Petra, if I need the lid to be super tight, and the lid's hole prevents that, I'll just put heavy-duty aluminum foil over the pot, and then press the lid down over the foil. I do that now with a pot I have with an ill-fitting lid, and it works great.

Alwaysfixin, I am simmering broth right now, and the pot seems to seal fine. It came to a boil quite fast as well considering the size, I think because it is so wide. The little hole really doesn't seem to be a problem. But that's a good idea to use foil, thanks for mentioning it. I'll keep it in mind in case it's needed.