Amen! Hard-Anodized Aluminum is the only way to go! The only trick is to learn to use it properly and that's a snap. Remember, never run water in your still-hot pans, that's what causes the shapes to warp and Hard-Anodized Aluminum is especially sensitive to it.

I used teflon coated pans for years because my DH was a duPont employee and it seemed the right thing to do. I got rid of them all because of the health risks.

I also used really old aluminum skillets and pans for years but with all the uproar about it causing alzheimers I tossed mine.

I had a cast iron skillet but the thing was so heavy and it really messed up the burners grates on my gas range so I sold it at a yard sale.

I got a really nice 11 piece set of stainless steel pans including a huge skillet which I just love. I have tossed so many pans I am happy to say these are "keepers".

Shop around and find the right ones for YOU.

Cast iron is the only way to go IMHO. Yes, it's heavy but it does have its advantages. If you season it properly at the beginning, it really is non-stick cookware. And the worst thing you have to worry about ingesting is a little more iron in your diet.

melody .... i know this was not one of the options you listed .... but frank and i swear by our cast iron skillets .... we dearly love them .... we got ours at the army surpus store .... going to get a cast iron dutch oven next ....

So I can't say.

But I do use GLASS for the majority of my cooking on the stove or in the microwave.

I use New Visions (by Corning--which were discontinued here)
I buy them now on Ebay. I've been using glass for many years.
I think it is the most healthy. One has to be careful with it obviously.

When I do make eggs on the stove in a skillet I use a T-Fal teflon coated pan. When the lining gets old looking or damaged I replace it -- not expensive. I don't use it much.


While cast iron is okay for most people, it is less okay for MEN and postmenopausal females. Absorption of excess iron for them is not good for the heart. Also if you have hemochromatosis and don't know it, you can be poisoning yourself. This genetic disease is more common that previously thought.

cast iron for me

I couldn't even open up the V-8 jar this morning, I can only imagine trying to lift a cast iron pan. I was once in my local appliance store and there was this cast iron square griddle pan.

I said out loud to myself "I wonder if these things are really heavy?" I tried picking it up. It stayed put.

So, for me, cast iron is NOT the way to go!!! lol

I'm going to get a stainless steel with a copper bottom. never owned anything with a copper bottom so this will be a first for me.

See, I have all the perfumes, body washes, lotions, potions, WHATEVER, that I need.

What I need is a good frying pan. Alan had said "But I'll give you a gift certificate to your local pedicure place, and you can get a facial".

I said "I wax my own eyebrows and chin, I do my own exfoliating, I shave my legs, I go to my podiatrist, What I really need IS A GOOD FRYING PAN!!

God, I must sound like Grandma Moses!!!

lol

I am with the three of you on this one. I bought a set (Kitchen Aid) about a year ago as my stainless steel pots and pans were too heavy for my weak hands and they were harder to clean. With these I can lift them without any problem and spend much less time standing at the sink "scrubbing."

Oh, and don't put these in the dishwasher.

I have "Kitchen Craft Cookware" which is American Made in Wisconsin. It is 6 layers of Staneless Steel wrapped around cast iron with an aluminum bottom, great cookware, the best you can buy actually.

Cooking in teflon is terrible, it breaks off and exposes the aluminum under it. Aluminum is very hazardous to your health, in many country's it is illegal to make any cookware out of aluminum, in the USA it is illegal for vets to feed animals out of aluminum. Aluminum causes Alzheimers and many other diseases. Non-stick only sticks to aluminum so you get a double whammy there. Non stick causes "the teflon flu" which is also very bad.

Buy expensive stainless steel cookware and you can't go wrong. Kitchen Craft is available on Ebay and at home shows, not in stores, it is the best, one of the best things is it is lifetime guarantee, you break it, burn it, ruin it, for LIFE they replace it. One day my great grandchildren will still have the pots and pans and if they break it, the company will replace it.

My 2 cents, nothing but the best, nothing but Kitchen Craft.

(I also only use Cutco knives in my house, I love them, also guaranteed for life and american made.)

First I'd like to thank ALL of you for your great suggestions. Believe me I thought long and hard about what to buy.

Yesterday, Alan and I went to Kings Plaz Mall (for our podiatrist's appointments).

What is also is Kings Plaza Mall??? MACYS!!

And they were having the last day of their special coupon sales. And I happened to have coupons.

So we are walking around the store and I'm looking at all the pans. They had a lot of SETS of pans. But I wanted one pan.

Didn't end up getting just one pan. I found a beautiful set of Belgique Stainless Steel (by Tools of the Trade).

So the first thing I saw was the $49.99 price tag for the two pans. Then there was a sign that said $39.99. So I said 'that's good for two stainless steel pans. 10 inches and 12 inches.

So Alan is carrying that set around with me and I'm walking over to a big counter when I SAW THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. THE FRYING PAN OF MY DESIRE. Wasn't exactly a frying pan because it didn't have a frying pan handle.

It was this HUGE SKILLET DEEP THING, with handles on each side that were riveted (oh the other pans had riveted handles also).

So I'm in love and I said to Alan. I want this one too. He says "it's not a frying pan". I said 'read the statement on the insert". "You can fry, bake, put under the broiler, deep fry, put a steam rack inside". I said "my god, this is a dream.

The price tag on the pan said $20.00. I said 'that's it, I'm getting it'. Then he goes "wait, look at the sign, it's on sale". $14.99. He goes "wow, now this is a great deal".

So we didn't look at our coupons yet. So we had $39.99 plus $14.99. That comes out to $54.98 (if my math is any good).

So we go up to the checkout, we verify each cost and I take my coupons out and say "can I apply one of these"?

She does something with her scanner over two of the coupons. She said 'You just saved $15.00. We looked at her.

Our total bill (with tax). was $43.00. We went out happy.

It's not over yet!!!

A woman taking a survey walks up to Alan saying "I need a man who has heartburn (he doesn't). He says "but I don't". She says "It pays $6.00 for five minutes of your time and you get to try a new sample of tums that's coming out, we'll say you have heartburn".

Alan then says "Melody, I have heartburn, I'm going to take a survey, be righ back". He comes back with $6.00.

This brings the total price of my pans down to $37.00.

GLORY BE!!! 3 stainless steel pans (one's a giant one) and we paid $37.00.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!

lol