(Part 3) Best cookware & bakeware lids according to redditors
We found 102 Reddit comments discussing the best cookware & bakeware lids. We ranked the 59 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
Don't waste $100 on a knife at this point. After you've been cooking for awhile, and if you really really really want to become a knife geek, then you'll have a better idea of what you want in a knife.
My only knife for about 30 years has been the Dexter chinese cleaver - a misnomer if there ever was one. It's not really a cleaver, it's known as a "vegetable knife" in China.
You can get it on Amazon for about $36
http://www.amazon.com/Dexter-Russell-Dexter-Russell-Chinese-Cleaver/dp/B0015DG3FM/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369673283&sr=1-1&keywords=dexter+russell+chinese+cleaver
Or you can save even more and get a cheap Chinese knife from the WokShop - some people swear these are great knives despite being under $10. My worry buying something like this sight unseen is you can't tell if it's a nice thin blade appropriate for use as a general purpose knife or a heavy thick blade that's not much good for anything. But I've heard people say they like them, so maybe it'd be worth trying. They are carbon steel so do not ever leave them wet. No matter what you do they will stain, so if that bothers you, stick with the Dexter Russell - it's high carbon stainless.
http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/cleavers/carbon-steel-cleaver.html
I know, it doesn't match our western idea of what a knife should be, but it is the easiest and safest to use knife I've ever used. Google Martin Yan on youtube and watch how he uses it for everything from boning chicken to peeling garlic.
If you are more comfortable with European type knives, try a Victorinox/Forschner. They're fairly cheap but pretty good knives. For example:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=victorinox+forschner+knife
I use this sharpener:
http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Steel-Knife-Sharpener-Red/dp/B001P81EVU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369669489&sr=8-2&keywords=kyocera+knife+sharpener
Which for some reason has become godawful expensive on Amazon - no longer eligible for free shipping adds $7 to the price - you might do better finding it someplace else.
Knife geeks will shudder and scream at the above but unless you're interested in buying a $200 knife sharpening set and a multi-hundred $ knife, simple and easy to use is best. You can always step up your game later, if you want to. You could try crock sticks also - I had a set but I didn't really like using them. Knife geeks don't cry quite so hard when they see someone sharpening their (affordable) knives on crock sticks.
The important difference between really cheap pans and better pans is weight. A thin metal fry pan just doesn't cook as well as a heavier one. The heavier pans hold heat better, they conduct heat better, and they are less likely to develop hot spots. I'm afraid my favorite pans are REALLY expensive but you might want to look for a lifetime guarantee nonstick fry/saute pan (skillet) or 2, at least 12". If you have an 8" saute pan, a 12" saute or fry pan, and a 14" fry pan (the difference is the fry pans have higher sides) you'll have all your bases covered.
You might want to consider a wok - carbon steel give the best price/performance ratio, check out the wokshop above for those.
I like this stock pot:
http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Straining-Stockpot/dp/B0002HAEKW/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369669846&sr=1-2&keywords=8+qt+stock+pot+with+strainer
It's a good deal and you will use it a lot. I use it every time I make soup, as well as for pasta.
Sets are always cheaper than buying individual pans. Cookware geeks recommend against buying sets because of the lack of choice, but in your situation, a good low-priced set is your best bet. Save your money for expensive stuff for after you have got the cooking thing down and know what you're most likely to actually use the most.
T-Fal makes "Ultimate Hard Anodized" and "Professional" - either of these are fine, both are "metal utensil safe" - though I wouldn't use metal utensils anyway just to be on the safe side. The Professional series is only available by the piece.
Amazon carries both. Don't get confused between the Ultimate Hard Anodized and the Signature Hard Anodized; the Ultimate are the heavier duty pans.
I'm partial to T-Fal for cheaper pans because my son owns a T-Fal sauce pan that is a good 8 or 10 years old and it's still in service. And that's the CHEAP T-Fal, not the good T-Fal I'm pointing you at. So I'm confident of the quality. Scanpans are my favorite nonstick pan but those are crazy expensive and if a $35 12" T-Fal skillet will last you 8 or 10 years, I'm not sure the $180 for a single 12" open stock Scanpan frying pan can really be justified for you at this point.
If you buy open stock (eg by the piece) be sure to get lids too. You may have to buy them separately. I much prefer glass lids. I like the Nordicware lids like this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YVHXRK/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The 8" lid fits my 8" Scanpan saute pan like it was made for it, but not all lids that say 8" or whatever are going to fit a pan that's labeled 8" (or whatever). You have to measure the inner diameter of the particular pan, then contact the manufacturer via e-mail and ask them to tell you the ID and OD of the lid you want. The ID is the diameter of the INNER ring that will fit down into the pan, and the OD is the diameter of the entire lid including the outer lip that will rest on the edge of the pan. The ID has to be smaller than the diameter of your pan and the OD has to be larger. Unless you can take your pan to a brick and mortar and try them out, this is the only way to make sure the 12" lid you buy will really fit the 12" pan you own!
And finally, I strongly recommend going ahead and getting the Borner V-Slicer, model 1001 aka "V-Slicer Plus" (the newer models aren't as good in my opinion, the rails are higher and they leave more waste):
http://www.amazon.com/Swissmar-Borner-V-1001-V-Slicer-Mandoline/dp/B0000632QE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369673508&sr=1-1&keywords=borner+v-slicer
It'll slice onions faster than you can peel them. The small julienne blade will make matchstick size whatever you put through it. I use the separate julienne slicer (standalone) to make hash browns. I would recommend buying the separate blades and extra blade inserts at Simply Good Stuff because Amazon doesn't carry most of them. The V-slicer set itself is only about $3 more there.
http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/search.asp?keyword=borner&q=borner&sa2.x=12&sa2.y=8
Avoid the Hash Brown Grater and the Twin Grater - they're both all plastic and aren't worth spit. All the other graters and slicers have metal blades.
USE THE SAFETY GRIP. It's really easy to use. Don't push down on it AT ALL, it will cause it to bind. Just slide it back and forth.
You may need to experiment with how you orient it at first, but since I've gotten used to using it I can pretty much use it pointing about any which way. At first it seemed to be easier if I pointed it away from me so you would slice back and forth. It probably depends on the position that is least likely to make you want to apply downward pressure. Once you overcome your natural tendency to think you have to push down on it, positioning won't matter that much.
I wish I had bought one of these 40 years ago, its that handy. Look for extra blade inserts at Simply Good stuff for stuff like Texas fries, the standalone julienne grater (not a V-slicer insert) for super fine shreds, wavy cutter and curly julienne cutter if you want to get fancy. Sometimes they have extra V-slicer holders which you can use to store the extra V-Slicer inserts but you have to call and ask. You do not want to toss those puppies in a drawer, they are super sharp and will cut a finger off before you know it.
I really love this tool. At my age and in the wretched physical shape that I'm in, it makes it POSSIBLE for me to cook, forget just "easier", LOL!
Kauft euch Topfdeckel aus Edelstahl ohne eingebogenen Rand und mit festem Griff, z.B. solche. Brauchen in der Spülmaschine kaum mehr Platz als ein Teller und vor allem kann das Wasser ablaufen und sie sind sofort trocken.
Außerdem kauft euch Tassen mit flachem Boden oder mit unterbrochenem "Stehrand", z.B. Värdera Becher von Ikea. Auch hier kann das Wasser ablaufen und sie werden in der Spülmaschine trocken.
Bei Plastikschüsseln und dergleichen mit "Stehrand" kann man selbigen 3-4 Mal durchbohren, selber Grund.
Do you not have a dutch oven? If you're just using a cast iron skillet, I'm sure you could find a cheap, stainless steel lid (depending on how much time you have).
Mayhaps something like this? I would imagine that you'd be able to pile coals on top, as well, to create more of an oven effect, buuuuut it's not going to distribute the heat as well as a cast iron lid, and may in fact conduct heat too well. Plus, it'll probably be a little bit wobbly if it's not meant for the cast iron pan, so coals could be tricky...
The real thing to remember with cooking outside or in a bonfire is that you don't really want to cook over flames. Flames are finicky. What you want to do is wait until there's a solid bank of coals, and then either move away the logs (not with your hands...obviously), or use a shovel to pull out some coals and rest the cooking vessel on those.
^^I'm ^^sorry, ^^but ^^I ^^gotta ^^be ^^sure.
I think this is what you're looking for.
https://www.amazon.com/JAZ-Innovations-Touch-Handle-Cover/dp/B000T3QMH8
I recently found [these] (http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-627-Smart-Universal-Lid/dp/B0063QEI26) lids at a garage sale and love them! They fit every pot and pan and you can vent them if you wish. I never cook more than 2 things at the same time so 2 were plenty for me and I tossed all of my matching lids. Space saver
The beauty of the wok's shape is that any sufficiently large round lid will fit into it. Grab the lid from your stockpot. I have one kinda like this
YES, that's my favorite way to do it, easier and no brokes. Use this pan for ultimate success with your daily eggs:
http://www.amazon.com/Scanpan-Classic-8-Inch-Fry-Pan/dp/B00004S4TO
Worth the money, and of course get the matching lid:
http://www.amazon.com/Scanpan-Classic-8-Inch-Glass-Lid/dp/B0009J4BBQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1406127991&sr=1-4&keywords=8%22+glass+lid
I prefer the Lodge Glass Lid, as it is easier to clean, lighter and you can see your food as you cook.
If you measure the diameter of the pot, you can probably substitute a different type of lid.
Here's a 4.5" lid but it might be a little too small compared to the listed 4.8" diameter on your link:
http://www.amazon.com/Olicamp-Xts-Pot-Lid-Replacement/dp/B007VENQV8/ref=sr_1_57?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1449711207&sr=1-57&keywords=replacement+lid
On a similar note, you might be able to use something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Silikomart-UFO-Collection-Universal-Transparent/dp/B0089YSAEW
If that fails, there are also some youtube tutorials of people using the lid from cookie tins on the GSI minimalist (you'd have to find something bigger for the soloist).
I use this in place of cling film and have had no problems!
i found a glass pot lid at a thrift store and used it. it was the perfect size for a 5Gal bucket. used a hacksaw blade to cut off the rivets holding the handle.
EDIT: amazon has them for $17 with prime shipping (mine cost $0.50 used though)
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000P5TJKM
Or buy one of these and avoid wasting a forest in paper towels.
I found this one on Amazon they have a couple of sizes.
You could replace the knob, either new, like this, or this, or with an old pot lid knob that fits.
If you have a well-stocked hardware and tool cabinet (or a friend/relative with one), get a stainless steel screw, large stainless washer, and a wooden knob (or make one out of a piece of scrap wood). This blogger replaced her dutch over knob with a a wooden one.
just go get a universal lid like this
You should gift one person a 25 dollar gift because gifts of that range aren't given nearly as often as 5 or 10 dollar difts.
Don't go talking too loud you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones
Invest in good cookware! Cast iron truly does last forever and you can always bring it back to good condition even after years of neglect. it's the type of stuff you can pass on to your kids!
\> Squeeze bottles or an olive oil cruet. We buy our oils in bulk and then transfer them to squeeze bottles (also, a funnel).
\> A large durable cooler
\> Good ice packs, silicone food covers like this one (eliminate need for plastic wrap): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007W943G4/?tag=cioequippilot-20
You could try getting a universal lid, but a heavier lid allows slight pressure build up inside the crock (though I notice that vent holes are added to some to prevent the lid from rattling). If your crock is round this might work well enough.