Looking to upgrade my cookware set and with a limited budget (about $300).
I am looking for something long lasting. Any education on coating and metal type for cooking would be really awesome. I know very little about this stuff.
Thank you and happy new year.
Vamsi
$300 is a very limited budget. But you can get this 5-piece All-Clad tri-ply stainless set for $350:
http://www.metrokitchen.com/product/all-clad-tri-ply-stainless-steel-5pc-cookware-set
Don’t look at sets. Look at individual pieces that you need/use. Don’t look at anything nonstick. Look at quality/vintage cast iron. Look at clad stainless as Brad suggested, but lids are useless as a “piece” in my opinion. Also still like some older non coated Calphalon pieces, particularly sauce pans and some stock pots as well. Used on eBay for some of this not a bad option if you are patient.
My recommendation is to not buy a “set” at all.
If you do want a nonstick pan for eggs or something that is fine, just don’t spend a ton of money. Any pan that is non stick today will not be non stick for long. And well seasoned cast iron that will last your lifetime and more generations to come will do the job.
I’d buy a le crueset dutch oven from an outlet (most of your budget), a lodge cast iron, a cheap calphalon knockoff sauté pan, and a slant side saucepan.
If you do the le crueset from an outlet, make sure it is from France, not China. They are doing a bunch of Chinese pieces these days.
And I wouldn’t dismiss a Griswold or Wagner dutch oven. I use them and you can’t burn them, well hardly, and they clean soooooo easy. Same as with pans, I find the Lodge pans to have kind of a rough bottom. The Griswold and Wagner Ware has bottoms smooth as a baby’s bee-hind.
Might have to hunt a bit, but can find nice examples for good prices.
That’s my humble anyway. Sounds like I enjoy using old cast iron.
Like everyone else says, buy individual pieces, not a set. If on a budget, shop around. And take your time… you don’t have to get everything at once.
Amazon has some good prices now and then. A few I noticed doing a quick check just now…
Lodge 10.25" cast ion skillet < $16
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Skillet-10-25-inch/dp/B00006JSUA
All-Clad MC2 10"/3 qt saute pan (the workhorse of our kitchen! 25 years old and going strong) $105
http://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Stainless-Tri-Ply-3-Quart-Cookware/dp/B00005AL4Q
This pan has plain, brushed aluminum exterior and shiny stainless interior. Some folks prefer shiny exterior, too and those pans are OK, but I much prefer the thicker aluminum and utilitarian look of the MC2 (and LTD if they still make them) pans.
Here is the blingy version of the 3 Qt saute ($97):
http://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Stainless-Tri-Ply-Dishwasher-Cookware/dp/B004T6J5XY
These are good prices on All-clad; no idea when they will go up (Amazon has “dynamic” (erratic) pricing on many items.
(No affiliation)
Echoing with some research aids
These folks do stuff for cooks illustrated:
e.g. looking for a skillet that I will replace yearly or every 6 mos that does not have the maintenance of my wagners or lodges…:
I bought this based upon Cook Illustrated reviews and price:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GWG0T2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
After 3 mos of usage; it makes those eggs exceptionally well and cleanup a snap at the 5am rush hour in my house
Lots of good and bad advice here, and whether its good or bad all depends on what and how you cook. I have both stick and non-stick cookware, use both, and find excellent uses for both. Frankly, I probably use the non-stick more for what I tend to cook (I don’t do a lot of searing or high heat cooking). What are you going to be cooking? How much at a time? Short order stuff, or longer cooking like soups and braises?
Buy Le Creuset once and have it forever. Start with the fry pans and work into the Dutch ovens and sauciers Buy at discount.
My wife was just telling me last week what a joy it is that I do not but cookware as regularly as I did before Le Creuset entered my life. Granted I have about 14pieces and the investment substantial but they really are an investment worthy every cent.
Follow my journey as well as others here:
Hey, let’s be real. What can a cab guy who converted to pinot guy really have to offer? 
Cast iron not just for high heat and searing…very versatile if that’s what you meant by that. Trust me well seasoned cast iron can be better than any non stick you own.
To those of you dissing set purchases… Most of the time, I would agree with you. I’ve never purchased sets myself, always individual pieces. But the OP has a limited budget. Sets are going to be more economical, and some of them may even be on sale. Nothing wrong with trying to stretch the OP’s dollar.
Why buy a 10 piece set when 6 of those pieces are covers? Makes no sense.
We have Paderno Cookware Professional pots & pans ( Chaudiere)
made in Prince Edward Island, Canada. If you can buy at the factory (PEI) or Freeport , Maine outlet store you can get some great deals. Lifetime Warrantee excellent stuff. Heavy stainless steel.( Not positive the line is still available)
Below quote from a chef;
“And of course my favorite shopping destination - the Paderno factory and outlet. I spent the better part of an afternoon carressing Paderno and Chaudiere pots and pans. I am told that Chaudiere is the cookware of choice on Airforce One. After the carressing, I put as much of the stuff as I possibly could into the trunk of my car.”
Set of 3 non-stick saute pans from Costco. $35, last 2-3 years, replace.
12" cast iron skillet $35. Lasts forever.
3qt All Clad sauce pan with lid (irregular from Cookware and More) $140. Perfect, lasts forever.
6.5 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven from Costco $90. Not LeCrueset, but will last forever.
Total $300
Certainly depends on what and quantity you cook. For me, this would be my $300 “starter”. If you’ve got a few dollars more, I’d add a cheap 8qt stock/pasta pot, and some cheap lids for the skillets. I’d also consider a 16" cast iron wok for around $25.
Vamsi,
All depends on what kind of cooking you generally do.
Do you saute a lot?
Braise, simmer, boil, sear etc?
Obviously you want to buy stuff you will use often.
For example, I have a 14" All Clad deep pan that I use all the time since I often saute veggies for a family of 4.
I also bought an All Clad wok years ago and never use it.
Poke around TJ Maxx for some decent stuff.
$300 is doable but tight.
I’d browse Webstaurant store dot com too. Commercial pieces (Vollrath an example) tend to be very durable, less expensive than ‘stores’ and i think you get a pretty great product.
Nothing written above is bad advice and I’d pile on that you shouldn’t ‘set it’ you should build one a set piece by piece.
I built a pretty quick ‘set’ on the www.webstaurantstore.com site for less than $300 that should be more than adequate (IMHO). I’d focus on 2 inexpensive non-stick 11" (9 bucks each - will last a year or so each), carbon steel (can buy seasoned or unseasoned - search this thread for how to season - it’s not difficult), a 5 QT sauté pan with lid and 'helper handle (handle on opposite side to move it when full and heavy), a 3QT sauté pan with lid and handle, a 6 qt pot a 4 QT pot and a 20QT stock pot plus a 12" cast iron skillet and a 6QT enamel pot from Lodge. $303.00 all in.
You can easily swap a piece or two and pick up different pieces base on how you cook.
BTW, I think this is really the only way to buy sheet pans too and you can get great deals on 1/4’s, 1/2’s and full plus their draining rig inserts (think cookie cooling grids) for a fraction of what you get in stores and as they’re industry standard you can buy pre cut sheets of parchment, foil and wax paper that drop in and fit perfectly.
Tuesday Morning and TJ Maxx will carry really high end (All-clad copper core) pieces from time to time - slight dings but can be as much as 75% off the list price.
Fill as you need - not just because one box does the job adequately.
Talk about an exaggeration. 10 pieces and 6 are covers? LMAO. Right.