So...some topics are necessarily banal

[mint]

There, did the title catch your attention?[:D]

As I have had no response to my query about pots and pans for induction hobs, I am popping up here (yes, JUST like a bad penny) to ask for suggestions and recommendations.

Have read around this on line and some of the suggestions by, for example, les gens aisés have stratospheric prices or are American (don't know if the one equates to the other[8-)])

The ones that I consider reasonably priced seem OK until I read the reviews and they do not inspire confidence.

I'd go with Lakeland as they are usually good quality for their prices but, since I bought a steam mop from them a couple of years ago and the thing has conked out with minimal use, I am wary of them as well.

Therefore, kindly folk, please advise, warn, suggest, endorse as appropriate?  I am asking because my whole culinary life now hangs on 2 little words with a significant difference.  For those curious amongst you, the 2 words are sauf and dont as in pour tous feux sauf or dont induction[:D]

[Gardengirl]

Mine in both kitchens are John Lewis, Mint and very good they are. But I know nothing about any suitable pans in France.

About your Lakeland steam mop, did you not contact Lakeland when it conked out? My lovely silk weeping fig tree turned blue in the sun so I emailed them about it and received a full refund almost by return. They didn't need the tree as proof.

So if you fancy their pans, order them, and if they don't live up to your needs and wants, contact them. Have you read reviews of their pans?

[idun]

Banal, mais NON!

Being able to cook is very important, anyone can buy congele and stick it in the micro wave, and frankly too many do these days, but cooking no, as they say l'art de la cuisine', and how could that ever be banal.

I have no answer to your post though, and hope that most of my pans work if ever I get an induction hob.

Incidentally, my Circulon baking tins are awful, they were expensive and they stick, so are not as good as my old ones, which fortunately I kept and happily continue using. 

[Chancer]

You got plenty of replies to that question on the other thread, I wont repeat mine in full (you can read it again) but I recommended cast iron cookware like Le Creuset or Cousance.

[lindal1000]

tefal ingenio inox. I bought a set of threer pans and two frying pans from an on line retailer .. think Auchan are also quite reasonable. They stack well inside each other and have a detachable handle.

http://www.auchan.fr/tefal-ingenio-set-3-casseroles-antiadhesif-1-poignee/p-c417336?LGWCODE=C417336;92353;2857&gclid=COnCuZypkMcCFQHkwgodwj8D7A

These are them

[mint]

Lindal, I read about the Tefal ingenio and I thought they might just be the job.  So, do you find just the one handle enough for use with all the pots and pans?

Chance, it is NOT true that I had lots of replies about induction pots and pans, I had lots of replies concerning the hob(not quite the same thing) and, as I have already said, I have, of the le Creuset cookware, 2 tiny capacity saucepans, a tiny omelette pan and a nice sized marmite  with a steamer inset which alas lacks a cover so not much good for bringing to the boil without filling the kitchen with steam.  They must be all of 45 years old or so and are now very heavy for my ageing wrists.

I did buy a very fine looking fait tout from Lidle, massive capacity, and very efficient and only about 22 euros.  Today, I made a nice veg stew with all fresh produce from a neighbour's garden and it was just OH's sort of food.

An plain omelette to night in the tiny pan, only 4 eggs left in the fridge so that was for OH, me and a tiny bit for doggie.  After my French neighbours came to admire the kitchen and have an apero, we spent ages talking, watching the sunset and, after they went home, I was too tired to want any food.

One last thing, saucepans now seem to be sold with OPTIONAL lids[:-))]  How's you supposed to boil things or even, say, sweat vegetables?  Lindal, did your Tefal ingenio pans come with one of those one-size-fits-all lids?

[Jonzjob]

All of our pans are stainless and NO teflon liners. Teflon if PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene, and if it gets overheated it gives off some not very nice gasses. This has been known for decades, but not announced by the manufacturers.

Our small 'milk' pan came from Geante supermarket and is very good. We also have some nice Crystal pans and as I have said we have a set of Renaware pans that I bought when I was stationed in Singaproe in the late 60s. They are still as good as new! All stainless and induction capable. so, it isn't really necessary to buy expensive pans. Just get some decient ones that feel comfortable to use. We also have Le Creuset, but they are so very heavy, especially when full-ish, for us awd sods..

http://www.ewg.org/research/healthy-home-tips/tip-6-skip-non-stick-avoid-dangers-teflon

[idun]

I cannot remember buying an ordinary pan in France with a lid. I have an assorted collection of those multi size lids and like them far better than having all the darned lids I have accumulated since being back in the UK.

Most of the lids I have got since I moved back only fit the pan they were bought with, which ofcourse is logical, but when they are all together in a cupboard, 'knowing' which goes on which pan is a right old pain. 

Just buy some of these multi size lids, they are absolutely fine.

[lindal1000]

I got one handle with the three pots, one with the frying pans and I also bought a deep pan and got one with that, so three in total. That's more than enough and they are pretty robust things. I bought a set of lids as well and one of the optional one size fits all lids which is actually quite good even though it looks rubbish. The pans are good quality..quite solid but not so heavy that you can't lift them off the stove when full( can be a problem with the cast iron ones). I've been quite happy with them..probably won't last a lifetime but do the job

[Russethouse]

I have the black, inside and out, Le Creuset saucepans (not the cast iron one) They stack which saves draw space....and they are lighter than the cast iron pans. John Lewis sell them.

When we were clearing my mothers house there were numerous Prestige stainless steel saucepans, ( my father used to sell them and was often given samples !) some of them were a bit 'limey' (its a very hard water area) they were no good for me as most were copper bottomed and wouldn't work on my induction hob, but my mothers carer took them and cleaned them up and now she loves them.....

[mint]

Thanks for coming back with the info I needed, Lindal.  Yes, those Tefal pans do merit a second thought.  Another plus is that they are readily obtainable from Amazon France.

RH, how nice to see you put in your long overdue appearance![:)]

Yes, I also have those Prestige stainless steel pans, including a large flat pan with glass lid but, as you say, they are no good for induction.

Don't quite know yet to whom I'll bequeath my pans though I suspect I will pick the lucky recipients after careful thought as to how to share them out![:P]  One who cooks big vats of stuff would get the big fait tout, one who cooks oriental gets the wok (non stick heavy duty)..sigh.  And so on down to the dinky little gem of a milk pan.  Who'd think you could love your cooking pans so much?  As they say, I should "get a life", "get out more", "get real", "get a grip" or that I have "first world problems"[8-)] 

I swear I have given away jewellery with less thought[:-))]

[Gardengirl]

I had a lovely Prestige set too, with wooden handles and pan lid knobs and loved them, had them for years and years. But as they weren't suitable for my new induction hob, some went to our DIL and a couple to a charity shop, all gleaming and lovely. I loved my milk pan the most, too.

[mint]

GG, do you think we could have a Group Grief about the loss of our beloved pots and pans?

OK, OK, just a half serious thought, no need to be sarky!  No, that last comment isn't directed at YOU, GG............you do understand and send your condolences, don't you?[:)]

[Pommier]

I've got an assortment of pots and pans, but for top quality (OK, maybe not to everyone, but it is to me!) I love the Kitchen Craft Master Class pans sold by Amazon. The ones I've got are non stick (wok, yorkshire pudding tin, pork pie tin) but they also do some lovely looking stainless steel pans, which are shown as good for induction hobs.

I've also got a few Leclerc stainless steel pans; not expensive and a nice quality.

[Chancer]

I bought a complete set of Le Creuset cast iron pans with lids on Leboncoin for IIRC €20 or €30, the photos didnt do them justice and the insides needed a good bleaching, the guy also did a very cheap delivery, maybe €8, a real bargain.

Then at a rédérie I found an even bigger set of identical pans lids plus a couple of large cocottes en fonte made I think by Cousances but identical to Le Creuset, another €20 bargain, I have also picked up a few Le Creuset frying pans and glass lids in 24 and 28cm diameters as new for €15 a pop.

You dont need to spend a fortune to buy something which will last a lifetime.

 

They are heavy, thats why they are so good with an induction hob, I think the French see them as dépassé and prefer lightweight Tefal etc, but there is nothing like cast iron for mijoter. 

[mint]

[quote user="Pommier"]I've got an assortment of pots and pans, but for top quality (OK, maybe not to everyone, but it is to me!) I love the Kitchen Craft Master Class pans sold by Amazon. The ones I've got are non stick (wok, yorkshire pudding tin, pork pie tin) but they also do some lovely looking stainless steel pans, which are shown as good for induction hobs.

I've also got a few Leclerc stainless steel pans; not expensive and a nice quality.[/quote]

Pommier, so much do I trust your commonsense and good judgement that, upon reading your post, I immediately ordered a set of these pans on Amazon.  The P n P was only 6 quid and the pans were half price, so I am now looking forward to next week when they will be delivered.

Chance, I really must see if I can get a lid for my le Creset marmite cum steamer.  Very happy now that I didn't discard it because I dropped and broke the lid[:)]

[Chancer]

I was looking for some knobs for my pan lids, they are brass and get too hot when I came across this:

http://www.ebay.fr/itm/LARGE-VINTAGE-COUSANCES-LE-CREUSET-28CM-CAST-IRON-ORANGE-SAUTEE-FRYING-PAN-/311414823520?hash=item4881c51a60

Typical of what I buy and what I pay, all it needs is a quick boil with bleach and bio washing powder to be as new.

The ultimate pan for an induction hob identical to but much cheaper than the well marketted Le Creuset.

[mint]

Bonjour, Chance.

I only want a lid of 22 cm.  What I have is a "fait tout" (don't know what you'd call it as it has handles either side!) plus its inset with biggish holes so you could use it as a strainer or a steamer.  Broke the lid when I dropped it on the tiled floor of the kitchen in Charente M.

I guess the model is now too old to be current but I think I'll just buy any old lid (possibly glass) of the right size on leboncoin.

PS, my pan is blue in colour, not that I mind any old colour either!

[Chancer]

I bought glass lids for my frying pans from Amazon, they were better than the one I broke because they have a metal rim protecting the vulnerable rim.

 

Cheaper on Amazon UK but whats new?

 

http://www.amazon.fr/Aeternum-Y0A7CV0220-Corallo-IND-Couvercle/dp/B00TGR1QX8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1439153392&sr=8-2&keywords=couvercle+verre+22cm

 

http://www.amazon.fr/COUVERCLE-VERRE-TROU-ANTI-VAPEUR/dp/B0056YYQ4G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439153392&sr=8-1&keywords=couvercle+verre+22cm

 

I did see cast iron le creuset lids when surfing eBay UK and FR but dont know the size or colour.

 

The knobs I ordered are costing me 99p the pair delivered from China [:-))]

 

 

 

[mint]

[quote user="mint"][quote user="Pommier"]I've got an assortment of pots and pans, but for top quality (OK, maybe not to everyone, but it is to me!) I love the Kitchen Craft Master Class pans sold by Amazon. The ones I've got are non stick (wok, yorkshire pudding tin, pork pie tin) but they also do some lovely looking stainless steel pans, which are shown as good for induction hobs.

I've also got a few Leclerc stainless steel pans; not expensive and a nice quality.[/quote]

Pommier, so much do I trust your commonsense and good judgement that, upon reading your post, I immediately ordered a set of these pans on Amazon.  The P n P was only 6 quid and the pans were half price, so I am now looking forward to next week when they will be delivered.

[/quote]

Further to the above post, I hope you are out there somewhere Pommier.

Pans came today, a full 5 days earlier than signalled.  They look even better than their picture[:D]

Nice, solid, heavy, thick-based, old-fashioned quality and with some nice modern touches, like silicone on the the handles.

VERY fast to come to the boil on the new induction hob.

I am also pleased that only the milk pan and the frying pan are non-stick because I don't think non-stick qualities last at all well.

Staining might be a problem but then there is always something you could do about staining but nothing you could do when non-stick surfaces start peeling and become very "stick".

Could have thanked you in a PM, Pommier, but I thought I'd do it here in case your recommendation could be of help to others too.

[Pommier]

I'm so glad you're pleased with them mint; the set you bought were certainly a bargain. I'm hopeful that the non stick on these pans is pretty durable as the instructions with my non stick wok says that metal tools can be used with no problem (although I'm not risking that!)

Happy cooking!

[mint]

Lovely pans to use, Pommier and, guess what, I sold my whole set of Meyer Circulon to my factrice[:D]

She brought the new pans and I got her a cold drink as it was very warm outside.  She was therefore still in the house when I opened the package.  In the course of chatting, I told her my old pans wouldn't work with the new hob.

She asked to see them and then took the lot off me.  Today, she brought the cheque to pay for them PLUS a melon from her garden by way of saying thank you.

I still have a couple of saucepans and fait touts and a wok, etc but at least selling the old batterie has paid for the new kitchen light[:D]

[Gardengirl]

That sounds a good place for bartering, Mint, well done! Happy cooking all round!

[suein56]

[quote user="mint"] She ... took the lot off me.  Today, she brought the cheque to pay for them PLUS a melon from her garden by way of saying thank you.

[/quote]

Good grief Mint you are awesome, to use a dreadful US expression; that is brilliant news.

Only you could pull off such a transaction.

Raising a glass to bartering. [:)][B]

(That really should be a wine glass ...)

Sue [:D]

[mint]

Yeah, well, Sue, um.......[:$]  .....

WJT, I guess I have to say "no turning back" already;  I am sold![:D]

Getting used to the hob and didn't boil anything over and I was cooking carrots AND peas!

Easy to get everything to be ready at the same time as you can get the rings to barely simmer and so just a matter of whacking up the power just before you are ready to serve.

But, what truly pleases me is the cleanliness; quick wipe, squirt of glass cleaner and there you are!

My old gas hob had VERY heavy pot supports and I'd have to heave all three supports out the way before even wiping under them.  Now and again, I'd heave them to the sink, taking care not to chip the ceramic sink and then replacing them after washing, also with great care, not to scratch the stainless steel hob...........WHAT a DRAG[:'(]

Now I, too, can be a Domestic Goddess, not that I could afford the staff, as undoubtedly, Nigela had at her command.