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: It depends on how serious a cook you are. You cant expect to go 60 mph on a tricycle. the same holds true for cooking utensils. These are your tools, and their performance depend on the quality of craftsmanship that the manufacturer puts into their production. If they fit your job description, then by all means be happy! I still have a few pots I bought 20 years ago that are of poor quality. I use them to boil potatoes in, or an egg here and there. Though they can't handle much else. You can't heat them up to the high temperatures needed for searing, because they warp. You can't keep them consistently on low temperatures for making delicate sauces, because the heat conductivity is poor and there are hot spots. I do believe many people do get discouraged in preparing more challenging dishes not because they couldn't accomplish it but because their cookware can't handle it. I have been asked many times to make this or that in a friend's kitchen only to discover that I don't have the tools I need. then you struggle and get all anxious and the end result is often (to me) disappointing. Of course when one is starting, cost is usually a factor. Probably very few people can at first make the big investment need for the highest quailty cookware. But eventually--if cooking well remains important to you-- it makes sense to upgrade. Good tools can last a lifetime. Prorated over that useful life often the most expensive tools initially can be the most economical choice. There is also a lot of psychic as well as practical satisfaction in being able to use the best and most efficient tools.I've neverregretted any splurging I did on buying the best I could afford. Still, it's possible to economize by buying used equipment. I bought three excellent copper-bottomed frying pans in a yard sale twenty years ago for a few dollars. I'm still using them and have never had a reason to replace them.

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