I can't afford an entire set, and I do 75% of my cooking with a fry pan, so I figured I'd invest in a nice 10" or 12" pan. What brands do you reccomend? I see options from $50-$225, and other than the thickness, I don't know what the differences are.

Thanks

go to a restaurant supply store and buy a pan. probably cheaper and will last longer.oh look, here's one now:

After posting just such a question about 5 years ago or so I did buy the all clad.  Chef's advise was to go handle a few pans and pick one that you like and don't put too much faith in the gucci kitchen gear names.  Chef was right in that respect.  Although my all clad pan is a great cooker, I despise the u shaped handle after using it awhile.  It's a poor design when you want to tip or roll a pan over.  Give me a x section of a rounded bar or egg shape over the u.  

Would one of these help you. I have these on most of my pans with metal handles, if they fit. Very comfortable.

screw that. that's what side towels are for.

I have a pretty complete set of All-Clad Copper Core. These work amazingly well but not enough better than the aluminum version to justify the added cost. The copper pans are also quite a bit heavier than the aluminum.

Like the others have said All-Clad is the way to go

All-Clad is the way to go. Get one of their frying pans or french skillets. The latter will have a larger cooking surface for the same size pan, but with steeper sides instead of the gently sloping sides of the frying pans. Note that the sides will not be straight up-and-down like on a sauté pan.

Either get the original stainless tri-ply, or their D5 line. The D5 line has a layer of steel sandwiched in between two layers of aluminum, sandwiched in between two layers of steel. It is heavier, and supposedly leads to better heating characteristics. You can find either one at a discount home store for less than $100 depending on the size of the skillet.

I am also in the market for some stainless cookware, so I actually made a trip to several stores yesterday to compare prices. If you have a HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, or a Marshall's in your area, I would suggest going there to try and find what you're looking for. Specialty cooking stores like Williams-Sonoma or Sur la Table will have good selection, but at full price.


You might also consider looking into a sauté pan instead. I found a 6 quart All-Clad D5 sauté pan plus lid for $200. These have a large cooking surface, vertical sides, and they are generally deep enough to cook a larger quantity of food than skillets.

HERE i bought this a few months ago and it works great. just make sure you get the handle cover

That might be a good addition, thanks.