I believe Sur La Table has a lifetime guarantee. I never put a hot pan in cold water and have not noticed any warping.

I did hit Walmart and buy a stack of the flat Lodge brand cast iron pans. Ours lives on the stove for making quesadillas or grilled sandwiches

jb1586, my son and his wife have the Tramontina pieces I linked to (plus a few more) and they cook on a smooth top electric range. No warping, even at high heat. I cooked on that stove with some other pans as well; nothing warped for me.

I'm an all clad convert, too, with som lodge cast iron mixed in. A big selling point for me, in addition to being quality products, is that they are American made with American steel. For something that touches my food so extensively I don't like to mess with stuff and coatings made in China. We're switching over to all glass instead of plastic where we can, too. Probably can't be perfect, but every little bit helps!

I cook on a glass-top electric cooktop. I've never had a pan warp. I seldom turn up the burners as they are too hot. I don't know why they're even there. I cook on level 2 or 3 almost exclusively. You need to let the pan preheat slowly, about 10 minutes. You shouldn't use high heat for any pan except maybe cast iron, though cast iron isn't recommended for glass. It can scratch if not moved very carefully. My old Farberware aluminum bottoms scratched my cooktop when new.

Those Sur La Table seem like a good pan and not a bank breaker. You've probably noticed that a lot of people in the HD forum have a very big bank. ;) I don't like Chinese products either but the larger companies often have their own factories in China and can control quality. I also don't like WalMart brands because I blame them for driving American companies out of business, leaving us with far fewer choices.

Again, thanks so much. A lot of great information. I've been using Farberware with the copper bottoms, that I got as a wedding gift almost 30 years ago, with no problems. It's the Calphalon, as I said, that we've purchased more recently, that is the problem child! I'll go with SS, just have to find the right one to try.

I think we might have the same pans... The old farberware

i decided it was time for new and picked up a crazy collection trying to decide wha I really really want. I have pieces from a variety of lines that fit different needs so it has been interesting trying 5 different brands (sur la table, cuisine art, calphalon, Kirkland-Costco and one other). The sur la table has been my favorite

Jb1586...lol, i have two 36" drawers full of All Clad plus this little baby that is 35 yrs old that I couldn't bear to part with even though the rest of the set is long gone. We must have all gotten Revere ware or Farberware. She is great for mashed potatoes ;-). Keep at least one of your oldies.

My mom's vintage 1940s Wearever. My dad popped corn in the 3 qt. saucepan and now I do the same. I probably use the skillet more often than any other in my collection. Good memories ... good pans!

Some of those old pans don't sit flat on a glass cooktop. I was sorry to part with my made in America Farberware but couldn't have the scratching.

The aluminum pans seem to be more prone to warping than stainless, if you take what the experts say. Some people also manage to warp their stainless pans. Warranty terms are important here.

I second the suggestion to try out handles and weights -- if you are used to anodized aluminum or Farberware, you'll find many of these items much heavier and some handles can be uncomfortable. If you do end up ordering from Sur La Table online, code PUMPKIN will get you 20% one item through 10/25 (certain brand/clearance exclusions apply).

I replaced my Revere Ware with All Clad. What I really love are my three ScanPan skillet/fry pans. I was introduced to them in a couple of cooking classes I took at Sur La Table.

Romy718, no issues with warpage (is that a word?) with your scanpans?

Still no price range? Watch old (and new) episodes of America's Test Kitchen. They put cookware through tests and tell you how each item performs well, and where they fail.

They consistently give good marks to All-Clad, but there are other brands that have 3-ply construction throughout the bottom and the sides.

I didn't have a lot of money, so the first time I bought cookware it was 25 years ago. It was Farberware. I still have them and my only complaint is the handles need tightening every so often.

About 10 years ago I needed a few larger pieces so I bought a set of Cuisinart Stainless. It's a very good set for the money and I have no complaints.

However, both the Farberware and the Cuisinart only have the 3-ply construction on the bottom. Had I the financial ability, I would have liked to get the All-Clad.

So please, if you are asking this type of advice, tell people your price range. It makes a big difference.

Funny, ILoveRed, I too have a couple of my old Revere Ware copper bottom pans, one like yours and another small one I use for a couple of boiled eggs and such. I just couldn't part with them and I still use them on occasion. They are not warped and still work just fine. I have replaced with Calphalon and All-Clad but am trying to phase out the Calphalon. And of course I have 3 Lodge skillets and a dutch oven I couldn't be without.

rgreen, in my original post, I did say that I was willing to spend more to get a better set than Calphalon, without breaking the bank. I don't really have a set price range. I am appreciative of all of the good advice I've gotten, from that initial request, without needing to set a price point.

Macy's has the 3 1/2 qt. sauce pan on sale for $140! I couldn't believe my eyes! That's the most useful size imo and I'd been looking for one for months that didn't cost over $200. The 3 qt. is $185.

All Clad 3 1/2 qt.

'Breaking the bank' can happen at $5 or $5000. It's a waste of time just typing in suggestions. If you can't afford All-Clad, then everyone who made that suggestion was just typing to the air. Sorry, but being unwilling to give a price point is a bit discourteous.

Romy, which of the ScanPans do you like the best? Are they the coated non stick?

rgreen, OTOH, suggesting top of the line pans when the OP didn't want to break the bank could also be considered a bit....something.

rgreen, I'm not sure why you are trying to pick a fight. I do not think that I have been discourteous, but of course, I apologize to anyone who has taken offense with my posts. I think I asked a simple question, and got really great, informative answers. I can afford the high end cookware if I desire (not that it is anyone's business), but, like most people on GW, I prefer getting value for my money, and if I can pay less for similar quality goods, that's great.

I'm going out now to look at Macy's, Homegoods, etc., to see and feel what's out there. I'll hopefully return with some new pans later! Thanks again, everyone.

Mayflowers, I agree... that's the point isn't it? Without giving at at least a price range, it is a bit 'something'.

jb, it becomes people's business when you ask for their insight. Imagine expecting someone to mind their own business after you asked them for their input. If you want people to mind their own business, you can't ask them for advice! This is why not being willing to offer a price range is discourteous.

I'm not the one picking the fight. Unfortunately, as unintentionally as it may be, if you won't help them by answering such an important question, your asking of people to spend time answering your question is rude!

Cookware can literally range from $5 - $500 per pan. There are hundreds of brands and the quality of each is extremely diverse.

The pans that warp are CHEAP! When you know your price range, and ask questions with that in mind, you can learn what is available, and what is a waste of money. Unless your price point is $5 per item, buying a cheap pan that warps IS a waste of money.

My wife's birthday present to me several years ago was a set of Tramontina tri-ply clad cookware (my request after much research) and I love them-she does not. She likes to cook on high and that doesn't work. You have to learn how to cook on them by heating the pan then a light oil or butter and then the food and never higher than medium hot. They are easy to clean and look great. Probably the best price is Walmart.com at $134.10 (Amazon=$155.48) for a 10 piece set. Read the reviews- you will be impressed. They are a little heavy but that holds the heat. These are recommended by Cook's Country TV.

Rgreen, she's gone shopping. You're beating a dead horse. Let it be.

Not to "beat that dead horse", but my personal budget is closer to thriftstore than Williams Sonoma. But that does not mean I do not appreciate quality and would like to know from others experience what they think of their pans no matter the price range. I have a variety of brands of new SS pans because I wait for that good sale and spend on what makes sense to me. I can't afford to buy a whole set at once, but I can buy the one pan I really want. Considering my case, I don't think it makes a difference if the set costs $150 or one pan does.

Dsg,

i'm talking about the black Calphalon, I think it's called anodized. I had it for years and hated it. Sadly the whole set was a wedding gift so I had to wait along time before I could donate it without guilt!

In re nonstick, only a week ago I was in Wms Sonoma buying some AllClad. I asked the saleswoman about their AllClad and if it's "safe". She said yes (fwiw) but that it wears off and has to be replaced in 2-3 years!

I bought the Regular All clad.

I thought the original post was pretty clear to me though perhaps i read into it? I read that she was willing to pay more than the calphalon she was replacing but not breaking the bank... so in the range of calphalon but perhaps a bit more for better quality. In that budget range, I had no qualms about recommending all-clad .. and with the staub recommendation I added justification for the extra $$. Had the (many) all-clad recommendations been out of budget range, I am sure the OP would have said so. It's a discussion-- it's not that hard and I don't see a reason to make it a big issue.

For those working with smaller budgets, do check out TJ Maxx. I purchased my favorite all-clad soup pot at TJ for less than $100. Also, keep your eyes out for special sales for the next few months. All-Clad usually offers promos and special pricing on pans around the holidays.

Again, I'll put in a plug for the braiser. When I bought it, it was called the petite braiser.. now they sell it as the "all purpose braiser". I use it to sear meat, saute veggies and/or meat, for frittata and omelets, pasta and sauces... and for braising! It's a perfect size for two. It was my standard wedding gift for coworkers for a number of years. Cutlery and More has a great price (129) on a package with a spoon and a pot holder.

I can afford the high end cookware if I desire (not that it is anyone's business), but, like most people on GW, I prefer getting value for my money, and if I can pay less for similar quality goods, that's great.

Same here.

It's good to know that you can get a great quality pan by shopping carefully. I would have never known that All Clad shows up at Marshall's, so I'd be happy to learn that from a post. What I hate is they charge so much for the larger saucepans that you can't find at a discount. You pay the price or have a mismatched set. Let's admit it, we do want our sets to match!

I've never understood buying pots/pans in sets. Buy what YOU need, not what someone else thinks you need.

In general, that's true. One practice I dislike is they add cheaper filler pieces to make it sound like a good deal. A set of bowls or a colander insert. But if you look at the All Clad sets at Macy's, I'll bet you'd use all those pans over the course of a lifetime. I didn't compare with open stock to see what the savings is. You seldom get a larger saucepan.

Thank you Cindy, agreed.

Here's the problem with saying 'I want something similar, but better than Calphalon':

Calphalon has 8 different models of Hard-anodized aluminum cookware. Which one was the OP dissatisfied with? They have 7 different product lines of Stainless Steel.

All-Clad, along with every other brand, has similar differences ranging from satisfactory, to good, to best.

The prices vary by the quality of the series, and the place it is purchased. Again, Cindy is right that it now makes little difference, and really, once a person has a problem with someone asking a question, it is a waste of effort, but price makes a huge difference in quality and performance.

Good cookware is an investment. Investments begin with a price range. Even when the testers look at pans, they will rate its performance, but they will also offer lower price alternatives because they know that cost is a huge factor.

I purchased a few pieces of tramontina when we got our induction range as our old stainless set did not work with induction. They got good reviews and were inexpensive. I have had them for nearly three years now and have been quite happy with them. No warping. I do not do any form of nonstick for anything because I am concerned about it's safety, both for us eating the food and for the workers in the factory making the pans. I find that even eggs clean off nicely with a bit of soaking followed by some baking soda and dish soap mixed together.

Well, I'm going to be getting All-Clad, but didn't buy any today. Did pick up a Lodge cast iron pan, which I needed anyway. Thanks for all the helpful responses.

If you do go again to Home Goods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx, be sure to go to the one closest to the more affluent neighborhood. This isn't a slam -- in my bargain shopping experience they tend to stock more of the All Clad and higher end lines in their stores closest to the more affluent demographic. Also, at SierraTradingPost (originally an outdoors store, now owned by TJMaxx) you can get 35% off with keycode ES102015A (through 10/22, free shipping with $100+). They have a small selection of All-Clad in stock.

Some more bargain tips: If you google on All Clad, an ad for 20% off will appear from Cutlery and More (I've bought from them). Besides Macys and Bloomingdales, both Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table will send coupons (usually 20%) via email, and WS has a few outlet stores. Yes, I'm a bargain shopper :)

Thanks, Gooster. We are probably the family that has kept Sierra Trading Post in business all these years! We buy all sorts of stuff there, especially running shoes and clothing. I did look for All Clad on the site, but nothing much showed up this time. I also noticed that All Clad is manufactured in Canonsburg, PA, close to my hometown of Pittsburgh. They don't appear to have a factory store there, from what I could tell. They do have a 2 day sale of overstock items, and irregulars, at the Washington County Fairgrounds, every June. It appears to be a big deal, from what I read online. So, if I like the piece or two that I purchased, we may have to make a trip back home next summer!

I have so much stuff from STP, as well. My sister first sent me their direction. I started buying outdoor stuff and clothing from then, then I discovered the cookware, kitchen and pet gear. In fact, I just bought some stuff today.

Yes, the All Clad factory sale is just once a year. They also ran an online version this year, and then did another online sale later in the summer. You can subscribe for a notice on their website. The values were decent this past year. I just advise avoiding the d5 line, which performs worse than the regular stuff (I ditched them to our short term rental property; now its mostly Demeyere and All Clad Copper Core).

Thank you for the tip on the braiser Funky!

For my miss matching pans, I like the Sur La Table brand, but wanted glass lids too. So certain pans are from other companies with glass and others are SS sur la table.

Jb1586 - I have 3 of the CTX or CTQ (SLT) Scanpan fry pans. They are nonstick, but can be used to sear, brown, etc. I've used them to sear meat & then tranfer the whole pan to a hot oven, like I would use my Lodge cast iron pan. No warping. The website states you can use metal utensils on them as the finish is so durable. They aren't cheap but there are occassional deals at SLT.

Sur La Table is having their 'biggest sale of the year' now....

http://www.surlatable.com/category/cat360433/?om_u=AMa2Yd&om_i=_BWKjVyB9G8G1Gn&ch=eml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=email&email=mcmann56@hotmail.com

All Clad 3 qt. saucepan $120!

William Sonoma has a 20% off one item deal as well, plus some matching sale prices. Code UPICK will bring that saucepan down to $96.

Do my peas need an upgrade though?

Thanks for the updates on the sales . I haven't had a chance to continue looking for the cookware (small medical issue), but intend to check out both websites later.

Do my peas need an upgrade though?

Some would have you believe they do. ;)

DH brought fresh peas home from the farmers market. I shucked for 15 minutes and got about a half cup of peas. They looked pretty lost in the saucepan but they were delicious. I told him to never bring home peas again.

@jb1586 wishing you the best as you work through the small medical issue.

I just got an email from All Clad announcing an online VIP Factory Seconds Sale on Nov 9th to the 11th. If you want the email link to enter the online sale, they want your email at allcladvipfactorysale@groupseb.com or I suppose if you sign up at the website you can accomplish the same thing.

Zwilling is also running a sale with 20% off everything Demeyere (first quality, not seconds), for those looking for an upgrade.

(Yes, the cookware people have me on speed dial, so it seems. It seems to be the pre-Thanksgiving cookware push)

@mayflowers-- I felt the same thing about the fava beans I bought at the farmer's market last spring. Yes, they are bigger but you have to peel them twice! A lot of work for a tiny handful of beans.

Thanks, Gooster! I'm all signed up.

I love my anodized Circlulon set from Costco, about $200 for 13 pieces. It is metal utensil safe, oven safe to 400 or 500 degrees, dishwasher friendly, induction capable and cooks great. It is heavy enough and substantial enough but it is not heavy like cast iron. I have lots of different cookware and am a bit of a cookware-aholic and this stuff is great. I have Surlatable, Le Crueset stainless, tramontina triply, Macy's stuff (TOT) and love my Circulon Infinite and Costco Circulon. I actually love it all, lol! me nutsy

Thanks for the WS info. I had gotten that email & deleted it, thinking "I don't need anything." Just upgraded my 3qt Revereware saucepan to the $96 All-Clad. Just need to upgrade the 2 qt & I'm all done. Well, except for one Le Creuset dutch oven.