Best Stainless Steel Cookware

We have a winner!

We found what we think is the best stainless steel cookware set on the market

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Best Non-Stick Cookware Set

For Lovers of non-stick cookware

This non-stick cookware set is excellent value for money and we rate it highly

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Best Dutch Oven Overall For Quality and Color

This will be no surprise

There is no doubt about it, we had to rate the as our number 1 choice for Dutch Ovens.

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Archive for April, 2009

calphalon-commercial-hard-anodized-everyday-pan-with-lidThis is the  Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan that has 2 loop handles and a lid.

This pan is well named because you will find yourself using it everyday. It can be used for just about anything.

It’s not as shallow as an omelet pan and not as deep as a wok so it’s great for roasting a chicken, frying chops or steaming vegetables. You can also cook an omelet in it, stir fry or sauté. If you leave the lid on your can even make a pot roast in it.

It’s also great for taking straight to the table as it looks so good, so that cuts down on the need for additional dishes and additional cleanup.

As it’s such a good price and a good size for cooking for one to four people, it would be a great gift for anyone leaving home, starting a new home or getting married. It’s like having several items of cookware all in one.

The shape of the pan gives it more space than a 3 quart sauté pan and because the sides are flared, it’s easy to get a spatula under the food to turn it over. The domed lid also increases the capacity so it’s great for one-pot meals.

Some people have complained that food sticks to this pan but the trick is to preheat the empty pan and then when it’s at the temperature that you want, add your oil and ingredients.

So stop meat sticking,  if you just let it brown until it’s caramelized, it will then release itself from the pan.

This pan shouldn’t go into a dishwasher as it will ruin the surface. To clean off stubborn burnt on food, just add hot water to the hot pan, scrape gently with a soft brush and the residue will dissolve. You may find that t’s better not to use too much soap. Just like cast iron, anodized aluminum will become more seasoned the more you cook with it. However, it’s easier to care for than cast iron because if you do have to give it a good cleaning, you don’t need to re-season it.

It seems strange at first to not have a long handle but in fact, the two small stay-cool handles are much easier. This pan goes from stove top to oven so the two small handles fit better and make it easier and safer to lift out of the oven. It’s also easier to pick up a full pan with two hands than one and you’re less likely to drop it or tip it and spill the contents.

Once you have this pan, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it!

CLICK HERE to buy the Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized Everyday Pan with Lid.

Read what others are saying at Amazon.com and Cooking.com

eat-this-not-that-supermarket-survival-guideIf you have taken a walk through the supermarket and tried to sort out what would be the best things for you to eat from all the offerings on the shelves, you may have had a tough time making sense of it all. Nearly every package has some health claim. It may be that they have 0 trans fats or are low fat or low calorie or heart-healthy.

What do all of those labels mean anyway?

That is exactly what Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution is going to tell you. This book is a walk literally through the grocery store telling you which foods really are as good for you as they claim and which ones are really just a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

This book is chock full of 336 pages of information helping you know just what is in those foods that you are considering putting in your shopping cart and not only what they will do to your wallet at the checkout, but also your body if you eat them. This is a must have book for anyone who wants to try to make healthier decisions when purchasing food.

What We Like:

  • If you are dead set on purchasing a certain snack or kind of food, why not choose the best of them. This book will help you pick which one is better for your body.
  • It’s easy to look through, allowing you to go section-by-section, food type by food type, to select which one is best for your health.

CLICK HERE to buy the Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution

Read what others are saying at Amazon.com. Even those who brought the earlier Eat This Not That books found value with this supermarket survival guide.


lodge-logic-pre-seasoned-round-griddleDo you like camping as much as you like being in the house? Perhaps you want the secret to how restaurant pancakes taste so great. The Lodge Round Griddle is what you need.

Made of cast-iron, the Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned 10-1/2-Inch Round Griddle is a great piece that will hold up inside, outside and more for generations, not just years.

This is the type of griddle your grandmother cooked on and likely her grandmother before her. Cast-iron is a tried and true cooking surface and will last for decades or longer if you take care it.

It is important to understand how cast iron works before you start cooking with it. Before cast iron is cooked with it has to be seasoned. This pan has been seasoned in advance of your purchase with vegetable oil. Periodically it may need to be re-seasoned with more vegetable oil to keep it cooking properly.

When it comes to cleaning you should only rinse the Lodge Logic griddle clean with hot water. Soap will remove the oil it has been seasoned with. If there are particles of food that you cannot get off you can scrub the surface with steel. Make sure to dry it thoroughly before you put it away as it can rust if you don’t.

What We Like:

  • This is a good piece that will be with you for generations to come.
  • The griddle cooks evenly.
  • This is a heavy-duty piece that will do just what it’s supposed to.
  • It can be used inside the oven, on the stovetop or on an open fire.
  • The flat edge makes this a great choice for cooking things that need to be flipped like eggs and pancakes.

Other Things to Consider:

  • It has to be hand washed and periodically re-seasoned to keep cooking effectively.

CLICK HERE to buy the Lodge Logic pre seasoned round griddle

Review: Matfer Exopat Nonstick Baking Mat

matfer-exopat-baking-matIf you like to bake but hate the mess and problems that often come with the baking process, you may want to add the Matfer  Exopat Baking Mat to your cooking arsenal.

This nonstick baking mat is the perfect way to take the stress out of your baking projects.

What is the biggest complaint when baking?

The cookies or candy sticking to the pan and then becoming a mess as you try to remove them, right? Well this mat will stop that from happening. Instead of having to scrape and make a mess of those perfectly shaped cookies, your baked creations will slide right off of the mat, give it a shake  and it will be ready to be used again for the next batch of treats. Do not use water, and store it flat or slightly rolled.

This is even better than the old parchment paper cure. With parchment paper you have to cut it to fit and it always seems the roll runs out right in the middle of baking and you have to improvise.

The size of this mat also is great as at 11-5/8″ x-16-3/8″ it is large enough to keep you baking at full potential. If you are a serial baker you may want to get two of them so you always have one ready to go for the next batch of cookies.

The  Matfer Exopat nonstick mat is freezer safe and can withstand oven temperatures up to 580 degrees.

Use it over and over – it’s guaranteed to last up to 3,000 bakings.

What We Like:

  • It gets rid of the waste and expense of having to use a lot of parchment paper.
  • It’s big enough to make a lot of cookies at a time.
  • It lets you have perfect cookies every time because they don’t stick.
  • Easy to clean just rinse and it’s ready for the next baking project.
  • Putting it away is easy as it rolls up and can tuck nearly anywhere.

Other things to consider:

  • It’s not dishwasher safe, but it is quick and easy to wash up by hand.

CLICK HERE to buy the Matfer Exopat Nonstick Baking Mat and enhance your baking experience.

Read what others have to say at Cooking.com and Amazon.com

heuck-pre-seasoned-cast-iron-3-pce-skillet-setIf you really want all-purpose cooking items for your kitchen and you are as much an outdoorsy person as you are one who loves to cook in the house, you may want to consider the Heuck Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron 3-Piece Skillet Set.

If you know anything about outdoor cooking, you know that cast-iron is essential for cooking over an open flame. But at the same time this 3-piece skillet set can also go from the open flame to your stove top or oven without a second thought and will cook all of the food items you put in them evenly. They really are all purpose pans.

Included in this set are:
1  x 6-½ inch skillet

1 x  8-inch skillet

x 1 10-inch skillet

Each of these skillets has been pre-seasoned which means they are ready to cook with, although a bit of  extra seasoning helps to build the non stick properties.

If you have never used cast-iron pots or pans before you should be ready for a work out. Cast iron is very heavy and these pans have a good amount of weight to them when they are empty. It will only become more pronounced when they have food in them.

What We Like:

  • It can go from the campfire to the kitchen and back again.
  • It heats evenly.
  • Cast iron will last for a long time, often for generations.

Other Things to Consider

  • If you don’t read the instructions you can ruin them.
  • Don’t use soap when cleaning!
  • Some reviewers found that the finish that seems to flake off in a short time. The Manufacturer advises that this is normal within 6 to 12 months of use and that the manufacturers instructions need to be followed to ensure the set doesn’t rush.

CLICK HERE to buy

Read what others have to say


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