Are yours Stainless? Aluminum? Other? (what) I just found what I think is a deal. 5 Stainless Steel Stock Pots (8qt-12qt-16qt-20qt & 22qt) for $30 bucks. My wife has been after me to get her several more. I think I will surprise her this afternoon with this set.

What are your experiences with stock pots? Pricing?

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), August 21, 2001

Answers

Pamida, a small sized department store like a tiny Walmart, in our nearest town has all sizes of stainless steel stock pots on sale every so often for under 12 dollars, look around, watch the sales, 30 dollars is too much to spend, unless they are Farberware or something similar in quality.

I have Farberware stockpots, expensive yes, but very heavy, and excellent quality, they are gifts from Mom over the years. She gets them at half-price time at her favorite store, Kohl's, when on sale. I make homemade soap and salves and really use these pots for everything, they stand up to lye soap as well as canning.

Oh, silly me, I just now noticed you said ALL of the stockpots for 30 dollars, well then, that's a good price, even if they are not heavy quality. Can't go wrong at that price!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 21, 2001.

I only use stainless. All it took was one time cooking tomatoes in a dull aluminum pot and finding it shiny and new looking afterwards to make me shy away from aluminum. I paid about $20 extra when my old aluminum pressure cooker "died" to get one of stainless. How does a pressure cooker die? Well, believe it or not, the handle attachment broke from the lid! The metal part not the handle itself, no less.

I got a set at Sam's last summer for about $45. It's a 3 gal and a 2 gal with a perforated insert for blanching and lids. They were heavy gauge with thicker bottoms so things don't burn so easily if I don't pay attention.

I have a 5 gal that I got at WalMart several years ago. It's a nice one except that it has a thinner bottom. I bought one of those perforated discs at a local hardware store ($3-4, I think) that diffuses the heat and it takes care of hot spots just fine.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), August 21, 2001.

I saw the set of stainless for about 30 bucks,, they dont fit real well,(the ones I saw) and when I go to the wholesaler,, they wre china made,, and under 10 bucks,, so I didnt get them. What I use is a hot water bath pot,, Ive been finding them all over,,almost every yard sale had one,, so now I have 3,, i use one for a stock pot,, works great

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), August 21, 2001.

I bought 4 or 5 different sized stainless steel stock pots for about the same price. They work fine for something with alot of liquid but I wish they were heavier metal. Maybe the heat diffuser would help me too.

-- Marlene Leiby (mleiby@caprock-spur.com), August 21, 2001.

I have two. Both are stainless steel, one came from Ace Hardware and looks like it is spun metal, and has a pretty good weight to it. The other is an expensive one that I got through Williams Sonoma on sale, and is even heavier metal, deeper, and has a thick heat diffuser plate on the bottom.

I use the smaller one for smaller jobs of course, but it is more prone to scorching (even as heavy as it is) that the W S one is less so. They were a lot more than what you are getting on that deal. Check the weight (and possibly gauge) of the metal. I kind of flex the pan and if it has give or bounce, I put it back as too lightweight. I don't like cooking in aluminum, don't have any in my kitchen, due to just what Marilyn said about the aluminum getting into the food. This may digress again into another discussion of aluminum toxcicity and those who don't believe it, but I won't use it. Steel or enamel for me, if for no other reason because the aluminum discolours some food and makes it taste nasty.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), August 21, 2001.

Awhile back I purchased a set of stainless steel stock pots from the Northern Tool and Equipment Co. for around $30. and found them to be pretty thin. I can use them for some cooking, but high heat makes the food stick. I did purchase some great pots through my local grade school cafeteria. They let me look through their catalog and order what I needed. They were priced less than some restaurant catalogs and I know they will out live me! I try to avoid aluminum too, it can be found in so many things people use everyday. It can't be healthy!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), August 21, 2001.

Ok I went back and looked at them. There medium grade stainless. The clerk said she bought a set and they do rather well. Still need to watch them or expect to clean the bottoms. The 22 Qt was sold out. So I picked up a set of 4 for $24.45. Think I'll wrap them for a Christmas present. (hmmm hope she doesn't read this thread. :o)

A friend of my wifes found a "no-name" thick stainless pot at a auction. She swears that she can cook anything in it and never a sticky mess.

Gotta run the pups are looking for food.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), August 21, 2001.

I find that Service Merchandise sometimes has very good pot sets for exceptionally reasonable prices.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 22, 2001.

look in your yellow pages for a restaurant supply store. they sell to restaurants, cafes, industrial kitchens, etc etc etc. they are not a merchant like wallyworld or Kcrap. might even inquire at a few favorite small cafes or restaurants.

get the heaviest, thickest, sturdiest you can possibly afford. i have WASTED so much money over the years buying el cheapo cookware, and those always burn and stick food.

good luck gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), August 22, 2001.

gene

I bought her a 8qt she used it already. Works great. The handles didn't get hot. One of our neighbors said that was a sign that it was a good stainless steel pot.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), August 24, 2001.