Basic Kitchen Start Set Guidelines
For a basic kitchen you might consider the following basic guidelines.
Materials:
For most of your cookware you want fully-clad stainless steel tri-ply, which is three layers of metal fused together and extending from the bottom of the pan all the way up to the rim. This constrution helps to ensure even cooking and a steady transfer of heat. You want the heat to go up the sides of the pan for most uses, and you want the temperature response to be steady - doesn't heat up too fast and burn your food, doesn't cool off too quickly so you have to keep adjusting the heat. ( Different manufacturers have different qualities of tri-ply - ranging in thickness. Tramontina 18/10 tri-ply is 0.5mm stainless, 1.6mm aluminium, and 0.5mm stainless. ) For stewing and cooking low and slow you want to have an enameled dutch oven. You'll need one small non-stick skillet for making things like eggs and pancakes or fish. A large stock pot is useful but doesn't need to be fully-clad - disk bottom is ok; you won't be using the stock pot for searing or sauteing, but make sure the metal is thick enough that it doesn't warp or burn the bottom of your boiling pasta.
An ideal set would look something like this.
1. 12-inch traditional skillet/fry pan with or w/o lid - something thats big enough to fit four chicken breasts, sear pork chops, and easy to make a nice fond and pan sauce
2. 10-inch nonstick skillet - for cooking delicate omelets and fish
3. 12-inch cast-iron skillet - for frying and searing steaks
4. 4-quart covered saucepan - for vegetables and other side dishes
5. 2-quart covered saucepan for reheating leftovers, or making sauces
6. 6- or 7-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven - for stewing, making chili, french onion soup, braising and deep frying, and for going from stove to oven
7. 12-16qt large stockpot - for making soups, stocks, boiling pasta, or cooking for a crowd.
Options:
8. 14-inch carbon steel Wok - if you do much asian cuisine, stir-frying, or steaming veggies a wok is a versatile add-on
9. 3qt tri-ply saucier - the saucier has much more rounded bottom corners, perfect for making that risotto or delicate sauce
Sets:
This set fulfills almost all your requirements, but it's no longer available:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramont...t/11072506
A pity. Bring it back, Sam!
Your next best bet is probably either the 8pc Tramontina [walmart.com]a or 10pc Tramontina [walmart.com] and add on a couple missing pieces yourself.
Sources:
All Tramontina 18/10 at Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/search/sea...nstraint=0
All Tramontina including Cast/Enamel at Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/search/sea...nstraint=0
Tramontina 10-inch nonstick commercial skillet:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramont...n/20665942
Tramontina vs All-Clad comparison:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/0...illet.html
Serious Eats review of Woks & Cast Iron:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/0...f=obinsite
BONUS Add-On - How to Cook with Stainless Steel
1. Use Low to Medium heat. NO HIGH HEAT! High heat will burn your food and discolor the steel.
2. Start with the cold pan and add some cold oil. Alternatively, add cold oil after the pan is already hot - you'll use less oil this way.
3. Let the pan come up to temperature. If you're geeky like me, an infared thermometer can tell you when your pan hits temp. You can also tell when the oil starts shimmering in little ribbons. If you haven't added oil yet, flick a drop of water in the pan. If it dances around the pan on its own steam, that's the Leidenfrost effect, and you pan is hot enough. Add cold oil now and a little goes a long way. Science!!
4. Let your food warm up before putting it in the pan! Ice cold pork chop into hot pan = no good! You want to get a good sear and not have the middle raw. So let your meats come up to cool room temp before adding to the pan. You may prefer to rub a little oil on the meat before adding to the pan, this helps your herbs and spices stick to the food and not the pan.
5. Deglaze! When you see that nice fond (brown bits) on the pan, that's flavour, baby. Heat that pan back up a little and add some wine, or water, and gently scrape the bits up. Presto - instant pan sauce. Reduce until thicker and add fresh herbs and a touch of butter off-heat.
Sources:
The Science of Stainless Steel:
http://www.edinformatics.com/math...sticks.htm
