Planning a Pots and Pans System

[CarinaPDX]

On non-stick: once scratched with ScotchBrite it is less non-stick and much harder to clean than stainless steel. If I were to want non-stick I would buy SS pots/pans with a ceramic hard coat, which is far more durable than Teflon et al. More durable, but not indestructible. Stainless is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase.

Greg

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by zengirl

I don't understand why someone would keep scrubbing non stick pans with a scrubber that destroys them. This is such a fuss... I have two cast iron pans 8" and 10", a double boiler, a lasagna pan, a pot for lobster. I cook everything with these and I cook a lot!

I love this "method".

Way to keep it simple, Zengal!
LittleWing77

[Benz]

Adding to my last post on cast iron: we have a flat cast iron griddle that fits across the two burners: perfect for pancakes or toasting bread (Texas toast, but it was more breakfasts while cruising than anything else). It, and the cast iron skillet, rarely get washed: just a wipe with a paper towel. Our first cast iron skillet, bought 20+ years ago for five bucks at a Grocery Outlet, has been with us on two boats--close to 20,000 sea miles--a couple road trips, and is still in daily use.
Not having a sink, we pile all dishes in a plastic tub under the galley counter. When it's full, it goes to the cockpit for washing, and another empty tub goes in its place.
For utensils, I mostly use wooden spoons and spatulas. Got to have a good pancake turner, though.

[mvweebles]

Bit surprised topic of handles on pans hasn't surfaced. I too enjoy cooking so want a serviceable galley without undue compromise. My challenge when equipping was finding sauce pans without long handles that are easy to store. I ended up with three Le Creuset pots with two bail handles each that nest pretty well. I do have one non-stick 8-inch pan for eggs and such that I replace ever 7-10 years or so, though newer coatings are much better than older ones.

There was a similar thread a year or so ago where someone had a set of very high quality nesting pots that were still made, I think European. Cloae to $500 as I recall. Wish I could remember them.

BTW - America's Test Kitchen rated Tramontina tri-ply clad SS cookware a best buy behind All Clad. An 8-piece set runs about $200, about what All Clad wants for a single pan. They are very good quality though All Clad is still a notch above. Available with glass or SS lids. They are induction compatible.

Example from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MIKPIKW..._RFg7FbTSMZ7TX

[ranger58sb]

Mention of a pressure cooker reminds me...

The stainless steel insert in an Instant Pot is dishwasher safe.

Also, removable ceramic inserts from slow cookers, ditto.

We have both aboard, but the slow cooker pre-dates the Instant Pot... and we could easily get by with just the latter for both slow and pressure cooking.

Interesting to hear Magma has an omelet pan these days; I suspect I'll do a little shopping on one of those in the near future...

-Chris

[dannc]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

...

BTW - America's Test Kitchen rated Tramontina tri-ply clad SS cookware a best buy behind All Clad. An 8-piece set runs about $200, about what All Clad wants for a single pan. They are very good quality though All Clad is still a notch above. Available with glass or SS lids. They are induction compatible.
...

I like to cook and having space on a boat to hold what I consider essential cookware is a requirement. I like to make soups, and when I do, I cook at least two gallons at a time. We eat a gallon and I preserve the other gallon(s) in quart glass jars in our AL pressure cooker. That requirement will take up space because the pressure cooker is fairly large and my stock/soup pot is pretty huge.

It stock/soup pot happens to be a Tramontina pot that was for sale at Costco for a very reasonable price. Very impressed with it and I would look at the Tramontina brand again if I needed any more pots or pans.

Later,
Dan

[MicHughV]

yeah, lid tops and pot handles is a topic that needs a looksee here...
purely by chance, my lids and pots all have wood handles...and while they don't look as snazzy as chrome and plastic handles, to my eye, they are easier to grab and hold, as they are not smooth like plastic....additionally, I've always been able to grab them by hand, not needing a hand mitten, on the other side, I have tried to grab plastic handles on other boats and they appear to get quite hot as the supporting metal rod tends to to extend to the tip of the handle.
I am by no means a pot or cooking expert, but on a boat, pot handles is very much a part of the pot choosing procedure....or should be...
My take is that the pot manufacturers cater to the general household needs and do not pay particular attention to what a boater may require.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

There was a similar thread a year or so ago where someone had a set of very high quality nesting pots that were still made, I think European. Cloae to $500 as I recall. Wish I could remember them.

Take a look at Cristel Strate.

[Sparx]

Originally Posted by CarlF

If you truly love to cook ...

1. A single burner induction hot plate

2. A sous-vide. $80.

The more i look into these tools the more I like.

[Boudreau]

I was gone at dishwasher.

[Triumph]

You wrote: I’ve always dreamed of a sort of “pre soak sink”. A place you put your dishes on a boat filled with water that sloshes around and keeps dishes easily cleaned with a simple sponge when it comes time to wash.

I'm surprised that no one mentioned presoaking in a mesh back off the stern. Let the little fishies clean them up for you.

Very important that your pans are not too big around. Make sure that whatever you get can fit side by side on the stove top. That is, 12" pans will not fit next to a 10" pot at the same time.

Check out my website for other galley gadgets and tips like the oven stove and flame tamer.

The Book of Sail – Cruising gadgets, knowledge, and ideas for the cruising sailor

[Adiona]

We lived aboard a sailboat, then a trawler for 10 years but have been boating for way longer than that and have spent our share of the GDP on different kinds and sizes of pots and pans.
Here’s what ultimately worked for me, and we entertained a lot.
1. All day lodge pan, one 10” and 12”, for stovetop and oven. Pick a size that fits your burners and your oven. Get 2 red silicone slit handles on Amazon and one glass cover, which fits both. This is a workhorse pan for stovetop and oven. Just don’t ever use soap on it. Shop the internet stores for the 2 pans, 2 silicon handles and 1 cover. Pans were $20 ish, cover $20 ish, Handles were 8 ish each.
2. I got a set of Magma pans, stainless, not the Teflon. Think stews/chowders, anything that boils, also can bake in oven. I keep the large and the medium pot and the detachable handle only on the boat and they both use the same cover. Maybe you can buy them separately. The small one tips over, and the skillets stick badly. I don’t fill a pot more than 3/4 full - boil overs so I like the bigger capacity.
3. I have a mix of silicon, stainless, wooden utensils. Most have short handles to fit in drawers, but I do use the long spaghetti fork and spoon ( use for salads too) and the right handed stirring spoon from Jonathan’s spoons, for everything. Wash and when stained, use a fine sandpaper. Tongs, long handles utensils for BBQ, and oven mitts.
4. I do keep 2 l microwave pots from Walmart for soup, etc.
5. I also got 4 small cutting boards from Target. I use them under plates as well as for chopping. Store in microwave with a dish towel when boat moves.
For meals prepare a sandwich, fruit, crackers, cheese, chocolate, etc. put it all in individual plastic container with sealing top. 1 for each crew. Can be used in rough seas, and easy to cover in any emergency and finish later. Rubbermaid stacking containers, shallow and deep.
The wooden top for my propane stove is useless and stays in the garage.
Repack and seal everything is plastic containers, the bugs will find your stores I guarantee.
So, when not in use I can store the 2 lodge pans, and the 2 Magma pots, the red handles inside each other, both lids, either in a cabinet or on top of the stove and with sturdy bungees secure them to the stove sea rails, if you have them. In a cabinet put pieces of nonskid between to keep noise down.
For cupcakes, put paper cups inside the lodge pan, for pancakes, make a big one in the oven and cut in pie slices, use for pizza, meat, fish. For marinating, mixing bread dough, I use plastic zip lock bags. Add the can’t live without things as you have storage and need. I do keep a stock of skewers, for meals, or desserts. And colorful paper plates and plastic utensils.
I don’t use anything that sits and cooks for hours. A boat moves.

[Schapera]

Change the girlfriend, it's not the pots and pans that are the problem.

[SailMihaly]

Love this as we're going through the same process! Our aim was a few things as possible that allow us to cook everything our hearts desire.

So far, we've settled for:
Lodge 5qt Cast Iron Dutch Oven -
This works both as a dutch oven (fresh bread anyone?) as well as works for anything we used to use our cast iron skillet for. Also perfect for soups, pasta, etc.

Our Place Always Pan
Was hesitant to get a non-stick pan, but the instagram marketing got the best of us & we're not disappointed! It does loads & is a perfect companion to our dutch oven. Big enough for currys, perfect for cooking breakfast & love the fact it can steam!

Cookie sheet for baking

I'd say we're still missing a small sauce pan, but apart from that we're pretty pleased with our range so far. To give a little more context, we didn't want a big nesting kit as we didn't want to have to unstack it all every time we wanted to use it & also we didn't want any extra pots/pans on the boat that we didn't use all the time.

Excited to hear what you get!

[SaltyMetals]

Not sure what my set is since i inherited it with the boat but i am a firm believer in all plastic or wood utensils. A scotchbrite becomes necessary on the oven dish from time to time but i hide it so nobody else can use it on the non-stick pans or on the plastic tumblers & glasses. I have two sinks so the first soaks as large a batch as will fit, then washed in the same sink and stacked into the second sink. Then i put another batch to soak in the first sink while i rinse the batch in the second sink and place them on the drainer. Then on to the second batch which will have soaked for a short while in the first sink then to be washed and passed across to the second sink, etc. Anything really encrusted gets put into the first sink overnight.

My oven dish is pressed steel and had a non-stick finish which lasted the whole of 3-4 weeks before it was beginning to look distressed and knowing the toxicity of the non-stick coating i got out my drill with a wire brush fitted and took all the non-stick off. Now , after cleaning and drying, i lightly oil it with a bit of olive oil to stop any rust. I guess that is what you call "seasoning". Once its life is over i might get a good cast dutch oven.
Andrew