Cotton C
Answer
The Bottom Line Think about your personal needs, and only own those items that you will use on a regular basis.
Most of us cook, and maybe we do not love trying to decide âwhat is for dinnerâ there are some things that will help you make the experience more pleasurable. For nearly 30 years I cooked with an assortment of hand me down pans. I was happy to get what someone didnât want, and then one day I actually bought a set of some generic brand from Sears. It had a good assortment of pots and pans, but still it was nothing special. It was hard to clean, and frankly I had more pieces than I needed.
Still, I would add a piece or two, something that I probably did not need, but the price was right. Frankly, I had a real hodge-podge assortment, and more pieces than I really even needed to do the job. All of this âstuffâ was taking space in a cabinet, and most of it was not used very often even though I cooked regularly for a family of six.
So what was wrong? Well, I had too many pieces that actually were near duplicates of the other. For example I had two similar stockpots, and one would have done the job just fine. Finally I decided it was time to get serious about cooking, and do major pot cleaning out, and start over.
For some years I had looked at the high-end cookware like Calphalon, All Clad and Berndes. It bothered me to spend around $300 for a set of cookware when I already had more than enough, but finally decided that the time had come, and broke down and ordered a set that had most of the pieces that I thought I would need.
I considered this a starter set which consisted of an 8 qt stock pot with lid, 3 1/2 qt sauce pot with lid which I have found to be in constant use in my kitchen. There were two omelet/frying pans, one 10â and the other 6â. Also included was a âWindsorâ pan, which is somewhat like a saucepan, only larger. It is rather unusually shaped, as it is smaller at the bottom than at the top. That was my basic set. I decided to add a 1 1/2-qt saucepan as nothing was that small in my set, and it was a perfect size for all the odd jobs.
I felt like I was pretty well set. Everything had a purpose, and there was not the duplication of products. I put all of my mix and match old collection in the garage, gave some of it away, and only use the Calphalon cookware. For the first year, I kept strictly with the pieces that I had. Which was a total of seven not counting the lids. I have since added a 2 1/2-qt shallow saucepan and one extra 1qt saucepan. These pieces all work well for me, have little duplication of purpose, and provide excellent cookware.
So how does this help you choose a cookware set? Simple! Think about the pieces that you need. For example you are not going to need some large things if you are cooking for just two. On the other hand, your needs will be different if you have a large family. Be sure and purchase good quality merchandise. If you consider that you may spend a little more, but own cookware with a lifetime guarantee, there are no questions about having to replace it.
Be sure and shop around for the best prices. Our daughter just started setting up her first apartment, and I sent her four basic pieces of Calphalon from Amazon.com for a little over $100. Each piece has a separate use, and when you consider $25 average cost per item, that is a great start on lifetime cookware.
My recommendation is spend a little more, get the pieces you will use, and most of all, get a wall pot rack to hang them on. I purchase such an item for about $70, which holds all my Calphalon, plus has a place on the top for the lids. This gives me easy access, and saves tremendous cabinet space.
Hope this has been of some help when you consider how to put a cookware set to your best use.
The Bottom Line Think about your personal needs, and only own those items that you will use on a regular basis.
Most of us cook, and maybe we do not love trying to decide âwhat is for dinnerâ there are some things that will help you make the experience more pleasurable. For nearly 30 years I cooked with an assortment of hand me down pans. I was happy to get what someone didnât want, and then one day I actually bought a set of some generic brand from Sears. It had a good assortment of pots and pans, but still it was nothing special. It was hard to clean, and frankly I had more pieces than I needed.
Still, I would add a piece or two, something that I probably did not need, but the price was right. Frankly, I had a real hodge-podge assortment, and more pieces than I really even needed to do the job. All of this âstuffâ was taking space in a cabinet, and most of it was not used very often even though I cooked regularly for a family of six.
So what was wrong? Well, I had too many pieces that actually were near duplicates of the other. For example I had two similar stockpots, and one would have done the job just fine. Finally I decided it was time to get serious about cooking, and do major pot cleaning out, and start over.
For some years I had looked at the high-end cookware like Calphalon, All Clad and Berndes. It bothered me to spend around $300 for a set of cookware when I already had more than enough, but finally decided that the time had come, and broke down and ordered a set that had most of the pieces that I thought I would need.
I considered this a starter set which consisted of an 8 qt stock pot with lid, 3 1/2 qt sauce pot with lid which I have found to be in constant use in my kitchen. There were two omelet/frying pans, one 10â and the other 6â. Also included was a âWindsorâ pan, which is somewhat like a saucepan, only larger. It is rather unusually shaped, as it is smaller at the bottom than at the top. That was my basic set. I decided to add a 1 1/2-qt saucepan as nothing was that small in my set, and it was a perfect size for all the odd jobs.
I felt like I was pretty well set. Everything had a purpose, and there was not the duplication of products. I put all of my mix and match old collection in the garage, gave some of it away, and only use the Calphalon cookware. For the first year, I kept strictly with the pieces that I had. Which was a total of seven not counting the lids. I have since added a 2 1/2-qt shallow saucepan and one extra 1qt saucepan. These pieces all work well for me, have little duplication of purpose, and provide excellent cookware.
So how does this help you choose a cookware set? Simple! Think about the pieces that you need. For example you are not going to need some large things if you are cooking for just two. On the other hand, your needs will be different if you have a large family. Be sure and purchase good quality merchandise. If you consider that you may spend a little more, but own cookware with a lifetime guarantee, there are no questions about having to replace it.
Be sure and shop around for the best prices. Our daughter just started setting up her first apartment, and I sent her four basic pieces of Calphalon from Amazon.com for a little over $100. Each piece has a separate use, and when you consider $25 average cost per item, that is a great start on lifetime cookware.
My recommendation is spend a little more, get the pieces you will use, and most of all, get a wall pot rack to hang them on. I purchase such an item for about $70, which holds all my Calphalon, plus has a place on the top for the lids. This gives me easy access, and saves tremendous cabinet space.
Hope this has been of some help when you consider how to put a cookware set to your best use.
German styled dinner table?
kristen h
I'm doing this german report for school and I'm cooking a german dinner to go with it. The assignment called for a dinner and a table with the following:
Tablecloth
Centerpiece
Napkin fold
Place cards
A favor
* Make sure all of the items listed above connects with your country.
I'm doing germany I've got the report done and the meal picked out and the music for the background. I just can't seem to figure out what to do with the table design. But I don't want the table to be like all the colors of the german flag (red yellow and black) although I do want to incorperate them. If you could help me that would be great.
Thanks!
Answer
My mother in law is German, and she always sets a fine table. I am also half German, and my grandparents did much the same as mama does now.
Tablecloth is generally a plain white affair with lace on the ends, then she overlays the center with a very elaborately embroidered or patterned piece to fit the occasion.
Her centerpieces tend to run from simple fall foliage, pine cones, some fall fruits etc...to very elaborate items from Germany themed for the occasion, generally hand carved wood figures with candles, Knussknacker (Nut cracker), Bergmann (Miners) etc...
Napkin fold....mama does simple things, no fancy swans etc....generally just the simple "Pinocchio hat" standing fold.
We always have place mats as well, to fit the theme.
Name cards, never...even with a formal gathering, quite frankly that isn't the German way, we sit together at table where we will, it is a "community" event. Like we always say. Wir sind Deutsche, wir nicht speisen, wir essen!!!!! (We are Germans, we don't dine, WE EAT!!!)
For a favor, mama generally has some small trinket from Germany, at Christmas she gives us each a small ornament of wood made by her brother in Germany. So you can go with something similar, but it is only at Easter, Christmas or one's Geburstag (Birthday)
Viel Glück für Sie!
(best of luck to you!)
My mother in law is German, and she always sets a fine table. I am also half German, and my grandparents did much the same as mama does now.
Tablecloth is generally a plain white affair with lace on the ends, then she overlays the center with a very elaborately embroidered or patterned piece to fit the occasion.
Her centerpieces tend to run from simple fall foliage, pine cones, some fall fruits etc...to very elaborate items from Germany themed for the occasion, generally hand carved wood figures with candles, Knussknacker (Nut cracker), Bergmann (Miners) etc...
Napkin fold....mama does simple things, no fancy swans etc....generally just the simple "Pinocchio hat" standing fold.
We always have place mats as well, to fit the theme.
Name cards, never...even with a formal gathering, quite frankly that isn't the German way, we sit together at table where we will, it is a "community" event. Like we always say. Wir sind Deutsche, wir nicht speisen, wir essen!!!!! (We are Germans, we don't dine, WE EAT!!!)
For a favor, mama generally has some small trinket from Germany, at Christmas she gives us each a small ornament of wood made by her brother in Germany. So you can go with something similar, but it is only at Easter, Christmas or one's Geburstag (Birthday)
Viel Glück für Sie!
(best of luck to you!)
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