I don't have time to give you a long rundown, but I've done it before in both this forum and Appliances. I don't know what your budget is other than better than junk. My favorites are Le Creuset (and Staub) enamelled cast iron and Demeyere clad stainless. Neither is light weight. Both are pricy. Excellent performance on any fuel, plus oven. I also like DeBuyer carbon steel crepe pans for eggs and pancakes because the temperature adjustment is instant, but they do take managing the seasoning. I also love my mother's Wagner cast iron frying pans from the 1950's. So, the cast iron is good because it retains heat, and the clad stainless is in the middle, whereas the carbon steel crepe pans are really thin, which is why they adjust so fast.

You can get the last at garage sales. Take down the seasoning sand if there are burrs, and reseason to suit yourself. There are sometimes good sales, especially at this time of year, on the high end stuff. In between are all kinds of moderately priced cookware, and new kinds on the market which are lighter. I can't speak to the performance and longevity of those and haven't seen them on sale (but that may be because I'm not on the buyer lists).

If you can find a store with demos, bring eggs and vegetables, at least, and try them for yourself. Give yourself some weeks to really understand your choices and maybe buy one piece at a time to learn what you really like.

I have multiple pieces of Le Creuset cast iron. My love affair has waned over the years. They're heavy, and it's getting more difficult for me to lift them, especially out of the oven, and now I'll be concerned if I drop one then oh sh*t there goes the glass top. So I'm looking to get a good set of stainless here.

I've never heard of Demeyere, I see Sur La Table carries it, I'll have to look into it.

I'll second the carbon steel, it is lighter than cast iron for sure. We have been using induction for almost a year now, and the carbon steel as well as smaller cast iron has become our go-to for eggs and sauteeing onions, etc.

I have a set of AllClad stainless steel sauce pans (3 sizes) and have expanded that collection with used stuff from ebay because we seem to need extra saucepans.

It gets complicated about what works on the induction burners...

good luck, I feel you on not being able to use the farberware and revereware

Also, I have an allclad copper saucier that I sorely miss being able to use, so be careful to not go with copper

Take a magnet with you. If it sticks hard to the bottom, the pot is appropriate for induction. Don't be fooled by ”induction ready”. A lot of inexpensive pans are aluminum with a steel disk glommed onto the bottom. They work, but not nice to cook in. Clad pans use layers of aluminum and/or copper between layers of steel, to spread the electron excitement faster. Those you want to be clad on the sides as well as the bottom, also. That is, pans where the sides warm up, not just the bottom.

So, don't discount your Le Creuset! Maybe you don't use them in the oven—that's not the induction, anyway. You can put one on the induction. Add food. Remove food. Clean when empty and cool. And lifting weights is probably good for you. ;) Just don't slide pans on induction. One stray grain of salt or sugar (i.e., little crystal) can etch the surface like a glass cutter, and it can crack, and then break straight through. But if you want to slide, you can cook on a silicone sheet or newspaper.

pillog, you say to take a magnet with you, but where, oh where, can one go with magnet in hand to shop for cookware? I want to meet it first and hold hands with it before I commit.

I am not looking for induction cookware but I am looking for some new pieces.

I am looking at stainless steel and I am wanting a saucier, primarily.

I have two all clad skillets that I did not use very much until lately when I got them out and decided to get to know them better. Now that I am learning how to keep them clean I have grown much closer to them.

I have cooked on a gas burner with mostly cast iron. And I have loved my cast iron so much for decades.

But circumstances being what they are, I am now using a glass top electric stove, not induction and I find that my cast iron is a bit too heavy and I am concerned about dropping it on my glass top. I am older and not as reliable as I once was and this old stuff is heavy and neither of us are as smooth on the bottom as we used to be.

But I took my old iron pot out to cook up something that I have always cooked in that pot and I took a look at it and it looks so old and sad and it looks, for all the world, like something that granny uses to cook vittles (that would be me) in or witches cavort around while it bubbles on an open fire (the inner Me)! Hubs says that I am using the finest Iron Age tech! He is right!

Time for a change!!! I need lighter , newer cookware. This electric stovetop is a new experience for me and I am just coming to terms with it . Different things matter with the electric that didnt matter with the gas.

How I wish that I could meet potential new best friends in person! There are no kitchen stores anywhere that I know of. There may stil be some but not around my neck of suburbia.

I have one iron enameled dutch oven and that does pretty well but it is the heavy lid that I am afraid of dropping on the stovetop.

My initial criteria was that I want something that has a heavy bottom but a lightweight lid.

And I dont need much. I am looking at a covered saute pan and a saucier. And I dont need to invest in something expensive. I am looking for something mid range in price. I am willing to pay for something of some quality but not hype. We are old and investment things are pointless. I just want a couple of new things.

I wil continue to use my iron skillets. They have been with me for decades and, had I bought another gas stove I would not question using them. But I need lighter and newer now and most of my iron cookware is sitting unused . I used several different pieces on a daily basis , but now only the three skillets will stay in the kitchen. I have a nice collection of iron and it all got used.

Time to let go of the witches cauldron!!! I want to replace it with a saucier. Actually it is an old fashioned dutch oven and I also have a chicken fryer that I used like a dutch oven. Now I lust for a saucier and covered saute pan.

If your witch's cauldron has a rim or legs on the bottom, it's not good for a pyroceram (glass) top, and you're right to replace it. Also if there are burrs which can scratch. But if you put the pot on the counter beside the stove first and let your muscles relax, I think you should be able to transfer it without dropping too hard on the stove, Remember they're desigened to be used. Same deal coming off. Lift to a trivet beside first. The induction cools fast. The surface only gets hot from the residual heat on the pan (which is why you can put newsprint paper between pan and induction stove. For electric, there's actual radiant heat, so you have to move the pot when done. Do keep in mind that unless you have a degenerative medical condition, you don't have to accept dropping heavy pots as inevitable. Leave them out. Every time you walk by carry the pot five feet and put it down. Add a potted plant, or bag of beans, when it starts to get easy. Etc, Challenge yourself to use one hand, then the other, ”Pump iron” a bit lifting the pot to eye level then down as low as your hands go. Shift it right and left at waist level. If you do this a few times a day for a month, I bet you'll beel better about cooking with them.

As to the magnet, I was thinking ”anywhere” until it clicked that it was ”where” not the magnet. I dont't know, I found my first piece of Le Creuset at the grocery store way back when I was in an electric coil rental. Then used it in the dreadful, underpowered gas kitchen that came in the house, and added more, some were gifts, and I went to the outlet with a friend. I think I might have bought my first Demeyere for the new kitchen (induction and gas) at a department store, likely at a big sale. We do have a couple of excellent kitchen stores, though they don't usually have as good sales. I know both lines well enough to be able to order online from any of these places.

But…suburbia surely means within shopping distance of a city? Make a day of it. Take the husband. Have some laughs and a good lunch. Pre-shop the sizes and shapes you want, online, as well as the brands, and call ahead to make sure they have what you want to feel in stock. If that doesn't work, find online sources with excellent return policies. Nowadays, there's a local UPS store near me at which one can drop off Amazon returns with boxing them up, and just a QR code from Amazon on your phone, which they can read with an optical scanner (bar code gun). I'd bet your suburb has a place like that! But do check first if you use Amazon, that the pots aren't a special exception which requires more bother.

Jehanne -- Sur la Table, Williams Sonoma, and Crate and Barrell have cookware -- do any of the malls near you have one of those stores? HomeGood has odds and ends, never know what you're going to find but it's worth a look. I went to one yesterday, and the only All-Clad they had was non-stick frying pans (I don't want non-stick) and some sort of outdoor grill pan, all the other stuff was what I was looking for and no sets, but yea it's like a giant treasure hunt every so often you'll stumble on a gem.

Here's where I miss Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Linens N Things -- those were terrific stores back in the day where you could go buy all these different brands, low end to high end.

I miss Bed Bath and Beyond too. They had many brands and you could touch them and then buy it reasonably.

You can find random quality pieces at TJ Maxx and Homegoods if you go there a lot. I had to kill my lunch hour shopping for over 30 years so I had some great finds. That is where I found that Dansk Kobenstyle pot that I use so much now. The fact that it comes in teal and purple probably helps but I have 4 now in 3 sizes and they work great for pasta and stuff. Very light weight and so old school. I have no idea about the technical cooking properties but they are cute, light, and work well for my uses.

Update: I went to Williams-Sonoma this afternoon to see the All-Clad. Holy Moly this stuff is heavy! I could probably deal with that, but I do not like the handles. At all. They are uncomfortable in my hand. There is a Williams-Sonoma brand that is made by Hestan, those were a bit lighter but more importantly the grip was very comfortable.

I see they have a Demeyere set on-line, but none on display at the store. Any comments on Demeyere, particularly the grip?

I have to say I agree with you PorkChop about the All clad handles. You could not pay me own a piece of All Clad. I could never understand the reviews. Hearing John go on about them, I am now wondering if they are designed for men? That could explain it. I can not handle those handles at all. The Demeyere is nothing at all like that. I tried to take a photo for you, not sure how much a photo will help though.

It is smooth and soft.

Update: I went ahead and ordered a Demeyere 10-piece set. Not available in the stores around here, so I had to just take it on faith. I can take it back to Williams-Sonoma if I don't like it. Williams Sonoma had a set on display that might work, it's made by Hestan. It was comfortable in my hand, albeit a bit heavy. But still, if the Demeyere has to be returned, the W.S. might be an option. The All-Clad graphite stuff was lightweight and comfortable, but I can't stomach the price -- the Demeyere is expensive enough...

JYL - While I don’t think I’ve ever discovered the forearm trick, I do like the U for the thumb. I’m always surprised at how many don’t like the handle. But AC themselves have acknowledged it, offering the D3 Everyday alternative.

mxk - Which line of Demeyere did you buy? Please update!

Re carbon steel being lighter, depends. The Darto that Sleeve would recommend is like 3mm thick; I wash shocked at it’s weight which for the larger pan is a good half pound heavier than my equivalent Griswold.

My largest pan is SS clad aluminum core with an arched, smooth, rounded handle. Can’t recall the brand, it was a secondhand market find.

When really loaded up, it can be difficult to hold securely with just the handle - needs significant wrist strength and the handle wants to spin in my (invariably wet or greasy) hand.

Fortunately, this pan also has a “helper handle” (a loop handle on the opposite side from the regular handle). What a, well, help! Even people with weak hands/wrists can securely and easily lift the fully loaded pan.

Why don’t more large pots and pans have helper handles?

Congrats on the decision and purchase! Demeyere isn't lightweight, but I don't find it obnoxiously so. And it's beautiful. And there are no rivet heads inside the pan. ETA: I just saw some Demeyere pans with the danged rivets!

JL, the handles of Demeyere are shaped. My Le Creuset long handled pans have helpers. :) The others have two loop handles.

Re carbon steel, 'tis true that it can be any thickness/weight. My crepe pans are very thin.

"Which line of Demeyere did you buy? Please update!"

I bought the Industry 10-piece set . I went through my pots and pans and made of list of "musts" before I purchased anything, and every item in the set is one that I use, nothing is unwanted or unneeded. I do need to supplement with a few pieces, though, but I have time for that.

I took a few hours earlier today to travel over to chi-chi town and lo and behold the fancy cooking store DID have Demeyere on display. They had the Industry and Silver7. As soon as I picked up the Industry, I knew I made a good decision :0) Wish the handles were a bit more rounded on the sides, but still quite comfortable, and the pieces just oozed quality. Now let's just hope the set arrives on my doorstep un-damaged...

My fingers did the shopping this weekend: I supplemented the set with Deymeyere 6.5 qt saucepan and 8" fry pan, and also 0.75 qt Hestan pot (butter warmer). I snagged a 15% coupon from Cutlery and More, so saved a (relative) bit of money there.

I think that's all I need other than a 14-16 qt stockpot, but I have time for that I only use it a couple times a year for parties and nothing coming up soon.

On a related note, why is a 1 qt saucepan not very common nowadays? We use ours a lot. The set I bought has a 2 qt, so I didn't want a 1.5 qt, and I compromised with the Hestan 0.75 qt. I'll see if it meets DH's needs - he uses the 1 qt multiple times a week - but if not I'll have to expand my search to other brands and perhaps consider the All-Clad D3 1 qt, even though I don't like the handle.

I thought they had one: Google shows a one litre Atlantis covered saucepan at Amazon. Perhaps it just is less popular, so not on better pricing? Or discontinued?

https://www.amazon.com/Demeyere-Atlantis-1-1-Quart-Saucepan/dp/B000GT43ZS?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A1UU4CQ3MQ7745&gQT=0&th=1

I have a 1qt. LeCreuset saucier with a steam hole in the lid (which is a bother to plug), but great for melting chocolate (on induction you don't need a double boiler, though I prefer the enamel), a 1.5 qt. LeCreuset with pouring spout, great for butter, etc, but hard to plug the hole between lid and spout, and a 1.5l. Demeyere John Pawson dutch oven-style, which I got as a gift to myself to fit that niche with a solid pot and lid, and to give myself an excuse to get a John Pawson. ;) I totally get it. I use all three a lot more than my 5qt. oval!!

I had the same issue as I really like a 1 qt covered saucepan. I bought the french made cuisinart covered 1 qt (forgot the line name) but it does not have the rolled edge. I would look at zweilling spirit (they own demeyere). Made In is anohter well regarded brand but do not know if they have a 1 qt.

I didn't see the Demeyere Atlantis one. Hmmm... I already ordered the Hestan, so I'll see what that little thing is like before I starting hunting around again, but will keep the recs in mind in case I have to.

I’m another who likes small sauce pans. I get frustrated with small ones being just a bit too big but small enough to where it’s hard to justify getting another. I’m in the market for a new set, was thinking D3 but I’ll look at Demeyere as well. I recall plllog’s earlier rec to me.

"I’m in the market for a new set, was thinking D3..."

I highly suggest you try to see them in person before buying, doing so totally changed my mind. The handles may or may not be a deal-breaker for you.

This thread explains why my two 1 qt pots are Calphalon. They pour nicely and the handles are fair but the rivets are on the inside. I supplemented my set with lesser used pots, like the tall stock pot and a 5qt saute pan that is Cuisinart Chefs Classic. I had the non-induction chefs classic pans previously. Their induction capable are great with the exception of the rivets on the inside if that bothers you. My 1qts are the most heavily used as well.

Still trying to find a place to see these things in person. There is a Willimams Sonoma a good distance from me, but I am very limited as to how to get there. So, that is probably not going to happen.

Has anyone experience with Made In?

My problem with heavy cookware, as opposed to cookware with a heavy bottom , is that I am getting older and I am afraid of dropping it on the stove. And, I am not getting any younger. It is not that I cant lift it. I am stil pretty strong. Also I havnt bought anything new in over 30 years and I am wanting a few new things. I really cant remember the last time I bought any new cookware and I know for certain that it was back in the last century.

I have loved my cast iron all these years but I am ready to step into the modern world.

I keep my kitchen minimal as best I can . Just a few good things is all I want.

I have a great need for a saucier and and a covered saute pan, but not too big .It is just the two of us now and I am not cooking for a family anymore and we rarely have anyone else at the dinner table anymore.

I, too, miss the home and kitchen stores that have all gone away . So many storefronts have closed up and left us with not much more than Walmart, Target and Kohls. I miss Bed and Bath and I remember Linens and Things. That was a great store.

I do always look at what there is at TJMaxx.

As an aside, I also need new blankets and dont find much of any real quality in the big box stores, but I dont know where else to see them before I buy.

I hate online shopping ! There are very few things that I will buy without first being able to see and feel. The result is that I buy very little and it takes me a long time of looking before I actually do buy. Sometimes I just give up on it and do without.

I find online shopping is like trying to judge an item by peering at it through a peep hole with one eye. I hate it!

One thing I think I want is to have that helper handle on the saute pan. I noticed that feature right away as a desired one.

With the cast iron that I am using, I always have a place on the counter aside the stove top prepared as a landing place and always the needed pot holders at hand. I keep it so that I can pick up and slide easily off the stove.

Just FYI, since some of you are considering All-Clad, their only factory outlet runs sales from time to time. Zwilling (parent of Demeyere) does as well, but the material generally is only first quality and therefore the discounts are less.

I have mostly Demeyere, Mauviel and Falk, with some All-Clad, le Creuset, vintage cast iron, vintage copper and a few strays. I will not admit to having too much but have tried most of them. Pre-pandemic you used to be able to find good deals, but now everything is much more expensive.

"Pre-pandemic you used to be able to find good deals, but now everything is much more expensive."

I did some shopping around, but everyone had the same price on the same set; everyone I know is reputable, that is. The price difference was between lines or between brands.

DH said the the 3/4 quart Hestan is too small, so I'll have to send that one back. I ended up ordering a Cuisinart French Classics 1-quart from A*n. It got good reviews, and it's not made in China (I don't want cookware that's made in China -- which some All-Clad is BTW). So I'll see what that one is like.

"Has anyone experience with Made In?"

I looked at it on-line. It's not inexpensive, that's for sure, but I don't know anything about it.

I would have rather not ordered on-line. I have another thread going where I have to deal with schlepping an entire cookware set back to the brick-and-mortar because they sent me the wrong stuff. And, I would have liked to actually see and feel what I was buying first and do direct comparisons in the store. I got lucky with the Demeyere (the correct ones I ordered), it seems like I will quite like it once I get going on it.

"As an aside, I also need new blankets and dont find much of any real quality in the big box stores, but I dont know where else to see them before I buy."

I've gotten really nice bedding from Garnet Hill. They're pricey, but they do have clearance sales, and I try to time things so I order during the Christmas shopping season, they have some nice on-line coupons every year during that time. But, that is on-line, so you may not want to go that route. I've gotten inexpensive sheet sets at HomeGoods that actually have held up well, but as you know you never know what you're going to stumble on in HomeGoods/TJ Maxx.

As an FYI - Zwilling has a factory ”second” sell time to time. I got a 7 qt Staub dutch oven for like $150 a couple of years ago. I have yet to find the ”cosmetic” blemish it supposedly has. You have to sign up on their email list to get notices.

Made In cookware reviews very well. It is often the top pick particularly on frying pans. I was in Austin last spring and had planned to visit their Brick and Mortar store. Unfortunately it didn’t work out. They often run 20% off sales on line.

I like my Cuisinart French Classic 1 Qt. Only downside is the rim is not rolled so pouring a sauce out can be messy. All of my other saucepans have rolled edges. I mainly use it for cooking rice.

I’d keep that Hestan small saucepan. I have a similar size one from Sur La Table and I love it for making sauces, melting chocolate, butter etc.

Sur La Table is another store that stocks a good selection of cookware you can look at in person. Their locations though are limited. Fortunately I have one fairly close by.

"I’d keep that Hestan small saucepan. I have a similar size one from Sur La Table and I love it for making sauces, melting chocolate, butter etc."

You think having a small pan that close in size is really worth it? It's a nice pot and all, but it's only 0.25 quart smaller. If I found a (relatively) inexpensive 0.5 qt I could see that. Is yours 0.5 or 0.75 quart?

Its between 2 and 3 cups capacity. I like it because it has pouring lips on each side so it makes transfering sauces to a sauce/gravy boat mess free. I also got it for a very good price on a promotion sell. I also picked up a cute little butter melter in Sweden. Its only holds 10 oz and its too small to use alone on my induction cooktop (its too small to be recognized) but I set it in my 8” stainless skillet and it works like a charm. It also has pouring lips on each side. I love looking at kitchen stores when we travel. I find all sorts of cool stuff.

I don't think you need the 3 cup Hestan, but if you like it, and can think of three uses for it, unless you really need the money back to buy something you need more, you could keep it just because you like it. :)

Jehanne, places to see things in person are very different in different places. Here, the better department stores have blankets (and pots) you can touch. Or at least, they did have last time I was shopping. I'm not sure what your definition of "really quality' is. The Schweitzer Linens catalog has some really fine things. Most of these catalog/web companies have generous return policies so you can see an feel it. Many don't make you pay for returns, though whether they refund your original shipping fee is idiosyncratic. unfortunately, the better quality home and linen stores have mostly gone away. Good luck with your quests.

pillog, I have to ask where are there still better department stores? I dont mean to be contrary, but they have all gone too. We are left with Kohls, which I like, but not sure if it would qualify as "better". When I hear that I think of a store like Macys, or some of the old fashioned flagship stores that anchored old down towns.

Those old fashioned department stores sold so many things and had quite a lot of status. Then the malls and big box stores took over. The malls have closed and we all know what or what not to expect from a big box.

Now we are back to ordering it and waiting for it to arrive, just like we used to do with the Sears catalog.

And, I live in a pretty affluent suburb!

Where there do still seem to be storefronts are in the more wealthy areas of the metro. Anywhere you see a King Arthur pop up store during the holidays, you know that the good citizens have had their wallets weighed and have been deemed worthy.

As for the blankets.....I dont want fleece or that "sherpa" or one of those open weave "thermal" ones.

I'll taka a look at the catalog for linens you suggested and the Garnet Hill taht porkchop suggested.

I dont want to break the bank for these two items of cookware, but I dont want stuff from Walmart, either.

I may pack up hubs and take a ride to the Williams Sonoma next week if we thaw out at bit. It is on the other side of the river and the ferry is no longer running, so that is an extra 30 miles or so.

That's why I said depending on where you live. Nieman Marcus and Bloomingdale's are still here, with a number of stores in the area (around here, half an hour driving barely gets you anywhere, so by ’area’ I mean within 90 minutes normal traffic), and last I checked both had nice linens departments. Those would be good to check online as well. For both blankets and pots. There might even be a sale, Maybe do some pre-shopping online for the pots at W-S, Sur La Table and Zwilling, too, to get .an idea of what looks like contenders, and what the prices are. The first two have stores, though maybe not near you.

Schweitzer Linen has very high end things like Italian linens and cashmere blankets, as well as more moderate ones. Their stores are only in Manhattan, but they've been doing catalog for a long time, and have a website. You can also call. I think they have more than what's shown,

A couple of years ago, my favorite comforter was ruined. I looked all over, but it was an old fashioned dacron comforter. I can't have any kind of down or feather, and hate ”down alternative” with a passion. What I finally found was a moderate quality (and price) silk lined cotton at Vermont Country Store catalog. They do not have generous return policies (i.e., you pay the shipping) but I spoke to a very helpful customer service agent and thought it sounded worth the hassel. I really like it. Which is why I say, if you want something specific that they might just not have in the local stores, shopping online can really be worthwhile, even if it's not the way you want to do it,

I sent the Hestan 0.75 qt back, no hassle from Cutlery and More.

The Cuisinart French Classics 1 qt arrived this week, I was surprised how well made it seems at the price point, and the handle is very comfortable, if swoopy. I haven't used it yet, so performance TBD.

Actually, I haven't used any of my stuff yet, I'm waiting for the new range to arrive. If it doesn't arrive in the next week or two, I'm going to have to try out all the Demeyere on the gas range, I only have until then to return it if for some reason I don't like it.

I have a couple of All Clad which I bought used from Arlene/Beachlily, she said it "hummed" on her induction stove and the noise was bothersome, so I don't know if that might be an issue for you or if it's a "stove" thing. It is heavier than my KitchenAid/Cuisinart items, but not as heavy as the Le Crueset by a long shot. My all time favorite is an old Griswold cast iron, about half the weight of the cast iron we buy today, but that would have to be a yard sale/etsy/auction kind of purchase and now the collectors have gotten interested it's also expensive.

Here the closest "big town" is Grand Rapids, about 50 miles away. It does have a Macy's, a Von Maur, a William-Sonoma and, of course, Kohl's and JCPenney. There was a Sur La Table but it closed about a year after it opened, unfortunately.

Ah well, can't buy another Griswold there anyway, LOL.

Annie