Pans are one of those things that the old adage "You get what you pay for" has never been more true. You buy a cheap pan; you'll get cheap results. I have seen the pans in the dollar stores, and I cringe, assuming that they'd be good for precisely one use, if they got through that. Perhaps you've had good results with them before, but especially if you want you simmer something on the stove for more than 20 minutes, you might want to look into a new set.
Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that a good set of pots and pans is usually expensive. Heck, almost all kitchen equipment is. That's why I'm dedicating an entire post once a week to ways of getting key pieces of equipment for less than retail. Very few people look forward to spending $200-$300 on a set of new pans, even if those will last them for the next ten years. That's right, a good pan can last you upwards of a decade - even though people who cook a lot might replace them more often. If you've ever noticed that your grandma has the same set of pans that she got for her wedding anniversary in 1978 and they work great - well, that sums it up perfectly. Find yourself a good set of pans and you won't have to get another one for a long time or, maybe, ever.
So, how do you get $200-$300 worth of pans on your budget? There are several techniques for this that I'm going to go over then next week, I'm going to detail exactly which pans you really, really need in your kitchen and which ones require you to assess your needs before you run out and get them. Most of these rules apply for all of your kitchen equipment, but I'm going to specify what you're looking for on your old pans and how to get new ones. Over the weeks, I'll do this for different types of equipment. I hope it helps.
1. Don't get it all at once
This is my favorite technique; one that my father and I have used for years. Just because you know you need new pans doesn't mean you need them all at once. Go to your kitchen and assess your pots and pans. For the sake of ease, this week, we're focusing just on the ones you put on top of the stove - not the ones you put in the oven.
For non-stick or Teflon pans, rub a spatula across the surface, not too gently, and not too rough. If any of the Teflon comes off, put it in the replace pile.
| Important! |
|---|
| Make sure it's the non-stick coating, not a burnt piece of something you left in there. If there's silver showing, it's the non-stick. |
If it's simply thin on the bottom, but not peeling off, put it in the "it can wait" pile. Teflon is a toxic substance, and though it's usually only activated by temperatures over 300º F, but I don't like to take chances. Also, once non-stick coating starts to peel, it doesn't stop, and then things start to stick to your pan which makes you scrub at it which makes more non-stick coating come off...well, you get the point.
For regular pans, look at them closely. Rust doesn't necessarily mean that your pan is bad, it just means you have to be careful with it. If you have things with dents, that means they're more likely to break or rust. I'd put them in the replace pile. Each of the other pans is up to you. Rusty pans need to have their rust scrubbed out and dried thoroughly. If you want to prioritize them for replacement go ahead, but focus on what you absolutely need to replace first.
When you look at your replace pile, set each pan out in a line that organizes how much you use it. For my family, that would have the skillet before everything else, but it's your kitchen, and you know what you need. Also, see if you have any pans in that line that have capacities replicated in the "it can wait" pile. Those can just go out the door and you don't have to spend that money yet. Now you're hopefully left with one or two pans that you absolutely need to replace right away and a counter-full of pans you want to replace but don't need to yet.
2. Buy used
If you haven't discovered the wonders of Craigslist yet, Go! Now! If you live anywhere near a large city, there's someone bound to be selling off their pots and pans because they just got the brand new shimmering Emeril Lagasse set at Sears. Or maybe they just moved in with their significant other and they have two of anything. Who cares? They're selling theirs at ridiculously low prices!
On Phoenix's Craigslist, right now, I can find no less than 10 entries of people selling off old cookware that they don't want for one reason or another. Some of them even tell you why. For example, one woman says "Bought and used 1 pot and decided that I don't like using non stick." She's selling a $100 set that she used one pot out of for $70. A quick look at the set tells me it wouldn't last me a full 5 years, but that's 5 years you could use to save up for an amazing set. Then you can sell the remaining pieces on Craigslist for a little extra cash. If you use this method, you have to learn how to properly search for these items. Try "pots" (the /s/ is really important here), "pans" (not so important), or cookware. After a while you'll be able to figure out how people are posting in your area.
Craigslist isn't the only place to search for used cookware. You can go to the old method of garage saling (yeah, I just made up the spelling of that word). Look for garage/yard/estate sales and peruse them for their pots and pans. You'd be surprised at the prices you can find there. My dad once found a crab pot for $5!
Remember, two really important things when buying used. First, used prices aren't usually set in stone. In my experience, you can usually get a Craigslist seller down at least 5-10% from their asking price. For the $70 set up there, ask if they'd take $60 and they'll probably counter with $65. If you're going to try to do this, wait until you've looked at their items in person. Asking for a reduction almost always goes over better if you're in front of them.
Second, remember that items, whether they say they're used or not, are going to be used. Look at each piece you're considering buying and assess its condition. If it's not good, walk away.
3. Ask around
Remember when I mentioned your grandma's 1978 pots and pans? There's a pretty good chance that your aunt gave her a new set of pans in the 1990s that she's never once used. Despite what manufacturers may have you think, there haven't been a lot of technological advances in cookware in the past couple of decades. Sure we've made thicker bottoms and handles that don't melt or even get hot, but when it comes down to it, a good pan is a good pan. The next time you're over at a cooking enthusiast's house, offer to put the dishes away after dinner and look to see if there are any extra pans. Then ask if you can borrow a few. Your friends and family know you're on a budget, and if you mention that you're saving up money for a new non-stick skillet that will have a lifetime warranty but could really use a new one in the meantime, I'm sure they'll say they have an extra. They might give them to you, or you might have to return them when you get your own, but either way, your soup won't be coming out a hole in the bottom of your stock pot.
If you go this way and manage someday to have your own collection of pans you should've gotten rid of years ago, remember to pay the favor forward.
4. Save your pennies
This one's the toughest, but there are some real positive sides to it. Currently, my father owns an Emeril Lagasse non-stick 14" skillet that retails for about $60. That's a lot for a skillet! However, this skillet is heavy (a really good quality in most cooking pans), has a non-heating handle, and a glass cover. Moreover, it has a lifetime guarantee. That means, if the non-stick comes off, my dad can call the company and have the pan replaced. The same goes for the handle falling off, the lid cracking from heat (not from dropping it, they get upset about that), or the steel pitting and oxidizing.
My dad bought this skillet after 2 years of having to replace $40 pans each year for different reasons. That means he spent $80 on skillets before getting a $60 one that will most likely last him until he gets tired of it. That's what I'm talking about when I say you get what you pay for! Replacing a pan every year is a waste of the money you put into it, unless you have absolutely no option. Getting a good set is guaranteed to save you money in the long run.
How do you save money on your kitchen necessities? Comments? Questions? Tweet to @cookingcheap
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