Pans

[leowyatt]

So our wok has bit the dust and seems to want to hang on to whatever we put :(

So I was originally going to go to our local Chinese supermarket and pick up a Wok from there until I saw a Saute pan in Costco today.

Do you think it's better to have a Wok or Saute pan? I generally used the wok for all cooking bar chilis, curries and veg.

[NokkonWud]

Not a massive fan of Woks myself. I find it's great for Stir Fry's etc.. but I could never do everything in there. But I don't use a saute pan either really, at least not since we threw all our old pans out and replaced them with the Circulon 2 range (decent, but overrated).

If you're happy doing everything in a Wok, then go for that, but there is definitely reason for both else one would become obsolete. I would probably recommend going for a Wok if you're used to doing everything in a Wok.

[Pheebs]

I live for my wok. I love it. Love love love love love it!

I do have a "cheat" wok though... good ole Tefal. Considering I've used it pretty much every day for... 6 years... yeh 6 years if not more... it's still in darn good condition.

One annoying thing though... I never managed to get a lid for it which would of come handy... but I have another wok too (unused... was bought as a present about 4 years ago and I kept it thinking my other wok may die soon... how wrong was I!) and that has a lid so I nick it and use it when I need to.


Seriously, I love tefal. I hardly ever cook with oil - only water - so I always have the problem of stuff getting stuck to pans. My tefal wok though... poifeck!

*chants* Teeeefal teeeeefal teeeeeefal ;D

Oh... when I originally bought it I was like "Ooh which one... this one has a hot-enough red thing in the middle which changes colour to let me know when it's hot hot... or there's the other one which is plain". For a few quid more I went with the red thing which was novel but not needed :)

TEFAL TEEEEeeFal! :D

Hehehe

I say this... and I have a suate pan too! But... as said above I use my wok to cook 90% of the time (curries, stir fries, lasagne filling, sauces, noodles, etc etc) :D

[Slinwagh]

I use pans from that range.

http://www.nisbets.co.uk/products/ProductList.asp?TopGroupCode=C4&ParentGroupCode=S955&GroupCode=8012

You can bang them straight in the oven too.

If they are good enough for professional kitchens they are good enough for me, plus they are cheap.

[Pheebs]

http://a.pl/Zdjecie-26870/Patelnia-TEFAL-28-cm-A06119-WOK-czarny-Full.jpg

This one this one!!

[Slinwagh]

http://a.pl/Zdjecie-26870/Patelnia-TEFAL-28-cm-A06119-WOK-czarny-Full.jpg

This one this one!!

I wouldn't get one of those to be honest, they are expensive and you can't put them in the oven. Is that also from the "Jamie Oliver" range?

[NokkonWud]

*chants* Teeeefal teeeeefal teeeeeefal ;D

Cracking cheap pans in general, but I've had 2 Tefal frying pans and both are incredibly convex in the middle meaning that any time you use oil/butter it all goes to the outside and you don't get a clean cook of anything evenly. Thankfully we have a Circulon 2 frying pan which is not only incredibly heavy (like a weapon!) it's thick, gets incredibly hot and is perfectly flat, as well as silicon handled meaning it goes in the oven to 180 degrees, but it's not as big as the Tefal pan meaning that sometimes I am forced to use a pan I just don't rate.

Our Wok before was Tefal though, and that was great.

[Pheebs]

Aww noo nokkon :( Can't say I have that problem with our wok... it's quite literally perfeck :D I have heard of circulon and heard they're good!

I love pans. I want a proper griddle at some point. Like they ones you canny pick up they're soooo heavy!


Oooh another plus point on Tefal - sooooooooo super easy to wash! One wipe... job done!

[NokkonWud]

Yeah, they are pretty good pans, you actually see them getting used on a lot of cooking shows, such as Saturday Kitchen I believe. I would recommend looking at them if you're looking at upgrading pans, the weight difference between these and other pans we've had in the past is like chalk and cheese.

They're not incredibly expensive, but they're not exactly cheap either, I believe it was £100 for 3 pans (w/ lids) and a frying pan, but you don't get any of the utensils for them, which I think is a bit of a joke.

[NokkonWud]

On a side note, if any of you are struggling with burn marks and stuff you just cant' get off the pan, try Rhubarb, it's right at the end of its peak season and peak Rhubarb is the best stuff for it, so now would be the time. Just up a few pieces on their own, their natural juice is apparently superb for getting stuff off.

Never tried it myself, but saw it mentioned randomly on some show last year.

[LeperousDust]

I know exactly what you mean, i actually use the sauté pan more than the wok now days. Because the wok tends to take over the top, where-as the sauté pan is sensibly sized but i can cook all the same stuff in it :) The one i have has a massive thick copped base too, so you can leave it to super heat up loooooads if you so wish to beforehand. It really soaks a stored heat for a first initial scorch. I love it better than our admittedly cheap woks.

[leowyatt]

So the general consensus at the minute is to go for another wok?

[lostkat]

I use my sauté pan for pretty much everything including stir fries. It's got two grab handles (rather than a long handle) and a metal lid so I can put it in the oven. I really wouldn't be without it. I don't actually own a wok anymore... shocking :p

[leowyatt]

I use my sauté pan for pretty much everything including stir fries. It's got two grab handles (rather than a long handle) and a metal lid so I can put it in the oven. I really wouldn't be without it. I don't actually own a wok anymore... shocking :p

Now you see that is what is making me lean towards the saute pan. Cooking stir fries in our wok was a bit problem because it was too small. Found one in costco for 18 quid, so come pay day I think I'll invest.

[LeperousDust]

Thats pretty much what i just said before, and ours are metal handled too so you can pop them in the over or under the grill if need be :)

[lostkat]

Ohhhh yes I forgot about the grill. I use it to finish off Spanish Omlettes and give them a melty, browned top. Mmmmm!