Ot: Why Buy Expensive Cookware? I Don't Get It.

Q: I have pieces of All Clad and Calphalon cookware. They are nice but cost a small fortune. I also have the QVC line of Cooks Essentials Stainless. I bought a 10 piece set for $100 US and it totally out cooks the high priced lines. It's non-stick, metal utensil safe (believe me on these two... lol) goes in the dishwasher and into the oven up to 350dF. Guaranteed for life (and I don't think that QVC's goin' anywhere) I don't understand spending outrageous prices for "name brand" cookware when stuff like this is available?????? Just for "bragging rights"? 'at's all I can think of...... And no, I don't work for 'em or represent 'em in anyway.

A: Well, I'm not sure I'd agree. When I first married I used cheap aluminium pans, apart from a small top quality s/s casserole I was given as a wedding present. It was sort of obvious that the saucepans weren't all that efficient, and the lids weren't what you'd call sturdy. I acquired a good Italian s/s skillet with a lid, and a big stockpot which I don't use much. (These were on sale.) Then about 12 years ago I lashed out on three Spring Crystal saucepans and a two litre stock pot. This was not done to impress anybody - they look exactly like the popular Bistro pans, which are made in Hong Kong and cost about half as much. On close examination, though, you can see that the Spring are much better constructed; the lids fit better and the handles are better attached. They are s/s with bottoms made of some complicated sandwich of different metals. I expect to leave them to somebody when I pop my clogs in (hopefully) about 40 years from now. Best investment I ever made apart from my two Dick knives. I recently bought a 4 litre Fissler s/s casserole with a glass lid (they all seem to have glass lids nowadays). This also has a complicated bottom. It looks like it was designed by a rocket engineer and cost nearly as much as the set of Spring pans together. Of course, when I bought them you could get main courses for under $10 (even the dinosaur cutlets).

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