Cooking Tools Contemplation

[silverthorne]

So, when my tax return gets back, depending on how much the vet bills end up being, I may or may not replace my Zune with a new player.

However, regardless, I am thinking of getting a bakeware/oven set, regardless of whether or not there's enough left over for the player.

My question to those with more oven cooking experience is this:

I'd like to be able to do casseroles, small chicken/fish dishes, and broiled veggies, but I already know that budget wise, I can probably only afford one 'kind' of set over another for the time being.

So, would I be better served to invest first in a set of glass casserole dishes? Metal pans? One stoneware (or whatever it's called these days) baking pan (you know--the metal ones that are typically either black or blue with the white speckled spots)...or something else altogether?

I don't mind slow cooking the food, either (most of my oven work will be on weekends where I can be on hand for several hours to check the progress).

I do request that it stays in the $50 or below range, if possible. :)

And...if the suggestion is for metal pans, please point me in the direction of a good set that doesn't attract rust just by virtue of sitting unused for a few months (yes, my very cheap, $5 metal pan set did just this, which is the other reason why I'm looking to buy a new set of something...When something rusts when it hasn't even had water in it, there's something wrong...)

So, help me, Oven-Wan-Kenobi...you are my only hope source of info (Since Dad, unless it's ribs or involves an outdoor grill or the simple solution of laying foil on the oven rack, is not much better at knowing this stuff than me)

Comments

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

( ._.)/ hello there i can cook and so can you !

Grab at least one casserole dish. We have like three Pyrex (basically glass :V) ones and they're round with a pyrex lid and they're useful for every-damn-thing. See if you can find a ceramic dish that you can use in stove, oven, AND microwave; then they are always useful. We have a pair that are canned-vegetable-sized and awesome. Brownie pans (8x8 or 9x9; the important thing is the squareness) are like a million kinds of useful.

Get glass over metal just because you can microwave them. Versatility is kickass, I tell you what. (Yes, metal is better at some things. But I don't HAVE any metal baking PANS. only sheets. And a loaf pan.)

BASICALLY: something like this set: http://tinyurl.com/aovl48 :V

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Oh balls those don't have lids go for something like that but with ovenable lids :V

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

( ._.)/ hello there i can cook and so can you !

Hee!

Oh, that's a nice set...and I see other nice stuff under it, too. Which means I'll have to chain the Buying Monkey if I go through Amazon *twitch*. ;)

Yeah, lids for the fridge are definitely a good idea, especially for those days where it's time to go to bed by the time the food is cool enough to go in the fridge, and I don't want to spend another 30 minutes scooping it into servings. :P

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

Pyrex rocks the house. It's durable, affordable, and you can find it anywhere. At a minimum you want a lidded casserole dish, either glass or ceramic, and a rectangular glass baking dish, like you would make lasagna in. No lids come with these but they are easily covered with foil if necessary. I use my Pyrex bakers for the aforementioned lasagna, roasting veggies, making cobblers, roasting chicken parts, baking fish, etc etc. If it's within your budget get two different size casseroles and two different size baking dishes, so you can cook more than one thing at a time.

If you think you will be doing a lot of large things like whole chickens or roast beef you can get the metal roaster, but otherwise don't bother until you specifically have a need for it.

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

Like this perhaps, although you might not want the pie plate. OH, but you could do savory pies so yeah! http://www.amazon.com/Pyrex-Bakeware-3-Piece-Baking-Clear/dp/B0008156FA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1235850717&sr=8-2

This is the casserole I use ALL THE FREAKING TIME. I got it as a wedding present lo these many years ago and it's still trucking: http://www.amazon.com/Pyrex-Bakeware-2-Quart-Casserole-Dish/dp/B0000CF3UW/ref=pd_sim_hg_16

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

I remember Grandma had a lot of Pyrex (and Corningware, too!) in the brown sets (remember when they came out with all the blue/brown/'berry' sets mid-80s? She got the brown set, and the pot set to go with it, too, and already had several clear pieces), so like I said below, now that I've been reminded about them, I'll do some price comparison between those sets you showed me, and the Corningware stuff. :) I remember cleaning the glass was easy (especially if you were using Dawn soap or a similar product), and it was also easy to see if you'd missed a spot. *g* Much thanks!

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

Yeah, brown Corningware! Heh heh. And those brown glass saucepans they introduced to use on smooth-top stoves; Aunt Betty had a bunch of those. They always seemed too heavy for me to use comfortably.
I do also have the traditional white square Corningware casserole with the blue flowers on it that every Southern woman owns. It's pretty good, too, but I use the Pyrex one I linked to way more frequently.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Oh, you southern folks didn't have the corner on those dishes, you know. They were all over New Jersey, too. We even had round and oval ones! *g* ;)

*nods* yeah, I'll have to consider price range...and the fact that I have a tiny little kitchen with a definite lack of storage space, too. Any new set will likely end up being stored in the oven itself until use...and then whatever doesn't get used for cooking will end up perched on top of the fridge until cooking time is done. (My pans take up the drawer under the stove, you see). It's pretty much that I can keep either food or dishes in the cupboards...but not both. XD

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

In that case, I recommend against getting a large set of bakeware in favor of getting a few open stock pieces at a time. You'll pay a little more overall, but you won't have items you never use; you'll only get what you need at the time. For instance, the little bitty Pyrex glass bowls with the lids that come in the large set. I never used them, they were the wrong size for everything, and they make lousy mixing bowls because the sides are straight. Sure you can use them to store leftovers in the fridge, but you can use Gladware for that purpose, too, and Gladware travels to work for lunch purposes way easier than glass bowls. I ended up taking them to Goodwill.
You know, you might check at Goodwill, see what they have! It's not like Corningware or Pyrex goes bad or anything...if it's unbroken, it's useable, after all.

[paksenarrion2.livejournal.com]

Pyrex actually does come with lids now in some sets. I love mine.

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, the rubber lids, sure, but I had glass oven-safe lids in mind when I wrote that they didn't come with them. Like, for poaching in the oven, I'd want a lid. But yes, good to make that distinction.

[paksenarrion2.livejournal.com]

I would go for something like this (http://www.target.com/gp/search/185-1031268-4367833?field-keywords=pyrex&url=index%3Dtarget%26field-browse%3D3151061&ref=sr_bx_1_6&x=15&y=16).

I bought this set (http://www.target.com/Pyrex-Original-8-pc-Bakeware-Set/dp/B000EE1KR4/sr=1-6/qid=1235852196/ref=sr_1_6/185-1031268-4367833?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&field-browse=3151061&rh=k%3Apyrex&page=1) when I moved into my new apartment. I love the fact it has lids so I can just throw the whole pan into the frig for later use.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

oooh, Pyrex. Thank you for reminding me about those! I'll price check 'em with the Corningware. :D

[cluegirl.livejournal.com]

Corningware makes casserole sets with lids that are perfect for what you're describing. You can find them on the cheap fairly easily, since stores like Big Lots often get them by the crate.

As for baking ware, are you intending to make bread? Pies? Cakes? Cookies? or is this more of a lasagna pan kind of thing?

Because if you're interested in trying pies, you MUST invest in a ceramic pie plate. Nothing ever made gives a better crust result, NOTHING. I've found them expensive, by the name of Emile Henri, and knock-offs in the supermarket, but the key is that the dish retains the oven's heat and transfers it beautifully to the crust, toasting it on the underside, so it holds up when you serve the thing. If you don't want to wait, or can't afford to spend the money on it, I'll be happy to send you the two glass corelware pie plates I don't use anymore since I got my ceramic dishes. Just say the word.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Cool...I have a Big Lots right down the street, too. :)

Baking wise, I'm still pretty much at the muffin-and-cookies stage, although I have been contemplating looking into making my own pot pies at home (do they make ceramic dishes small enough for single serving pies?). Dessert pies would be cool to learn to make, but since I don't exactly go to a lot of potlucks, that would leave me to eat my own results...and I don't think my waistline needs the help. XD (And she says this in the same paragraph as she mentions pot pies!)

[cluegirl.livejournal.com]

Pot pie sized ceramic dishes were how I found out they work so very well. I don't know if the knock-off brands are down to that size yet, but I know Emile Henri makes them.

As for muffins, look into a silicone baking set. I find they're a HELL of a lot easier to maintain, and to work with than any metal set I've ever had. And cookies work well on a silicon pan liner, too. The silicon flexes, so the muffins stick less when you're getting them out, and also, it doesn't rust when run through the dishwasher. Although they do need to be set on a sheet pan when they're in the oven.

[bigymchugelarge.livejournal.com]

Need stuff to cook in? I would just get a crock pot. I feel kinda silly saying this when everyone else is listing really specific stuff. But seriously. They're cheap and it cooks EVERYTHING. Soups, meats, casserole, etc.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've got one of those--that was my grandma's housewarming gift. And I use it. A lot. (Actually, I'm contemplating getting a tiny roast today to throw into the pot with some veggies for an easy week of lunches). :)

Some dishes though retain certain 'tastes' and textures depending on the method they're cooked by, and that's what I'm looking for. Stuff like chicken pot pies, or veggies mixed in a certain way, or grilled/broiled meats (I have a tabletop grill, too), or just an oven roasted chicken I can break down for other meals during the week (cheaper that way, actually, than buying a flat of pre-cut chicken parts, usually). That, and although oven cooking is slow (2-4 hours on most things), crock pots are slower still on most foods (at least on what I would cook in one), so I'm also trying to find the equipment for the meals that I can do in between the grill/microwave/stovetop and the crockpot time wise.

And I love my crockpot, BTW. You are right that it does a lot. :) (And I am also a soup queen...)

[bigymchugelarge.livejournal.com]

Ah. I figured you would already have one, but I was just being sure. Cause I know that'll be one of the first things I'll buy when I move out.

As for what to get, listen to those people up there. I wouldn't know what to tell you to get besides "some pans" and "some pots."