Stove Toppers
09/01/2005
With so many high-end cookware lines available, it is hard to know which ones will best suit your cooking needs. We asked a handful of professional chefs—the finest judges of pan and pot performance—to disclose their favorite kitchen helpers. Though most choose stainless steel (with copper-integrated bottoms) for its durability and looks, copper purists steadfastly maintain that the pricey metal—though heavy and notoriously difficult to clean—is still the best heat conductor on the market.
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(Click image to enlarge.)Sitram
For 40 years, cookware company Sitram has been forging its
professional-grade stainless steel pots and pans in its factory in France.
“Coming up as a kid chef, I was at Le Cirque and all their pans were Sitram from
the Catering line,” says Michael Cimarusti, head chef at Providence in Los
Angeles. “It’s just a well-made pan and also very light and durable.”
11.6-quart saucepan, $187.
800.515.8585, www.sitramcookware.com, www.chefsresource.com
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(Click image to enlarge.)Matfer-Bourgeat
Diane Forley, chef-owner of Verbena in New York, is a
longtime fan of Matfer-Bourgeat copper pots, as is Collin Crannell, chef at the
Argyle Hotel’s Tower Bar in Los Angeles. “I inherited four large Bourgeat copper
pots from the last chef, and they are probably 20 years old,” Crannell says,
“but they are still the best.” Depending on the size, casserole pan with lid,
$339 to $475, saucepan with lid, $49 to $387.
818.782.0792, www.matferbourgeatusa.com
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(Click image to enlarge.)All-Clad
Before becoming one of the hottest cookware lines on the market,
All-Clad’s pots and pans spent decades under the radar as the tools of choice
for top chefs. Longevity of use is a key reason why the company’s trademark
stainless steel line is still found in upscale restaurants. “We have All-Clad
pots that have been here for 15 years, and they’re still holding up,” says Vince
Manna, head chef at Maple Drive in Beverly Hills. “All-Clad stainless steel is
lightweight, but thick. And it doesn’t discolor food.” Copper Core 7-piece set,
$679.
800.255.2523, www.allclad.com
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(Click image to enlarge.)Le Creuset
Le Creuset’s classic French cookware—available in cast iron,
enamel-on-steel and stoneware—has been forged by hand since 1925. “It’s the best
in terms of heat distribution,” says Greg Martell, head chef of Monterone
Catering in New York. Not only is it the most colorful cookware line on the
market (its newest limited-edition color is kiwi), it is also distinctive in
action. “When you caramelize in a Le Creuset pan, it’s so much different than
anything else,” says Providence’s Cimarusti. “Everything somehow tastes better.”
5.5-quart cast-iron round French oven, $255.
877.273.8738, www.lecreuset.com
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(Click image to enlarge.)
Demeyere
Belgian cookware company Demeyere was founded in 1908, and
although it is more popular in Europe than in the United States, it is a
favorite of certain Stateside chefs. Demeyere’s stainless steel Atlantis line
(perhaps its most popular) features hermetically sealed seven-ply
copper-and-stainless-steel cores. “The shape of Demeyere pans is really
user-friendly,” says Martell of Monterone Catering. Food Network chef Ming Tsai,
a regular user of Demeyere, would concur. Wok, $200.
800.338.7304, www.demeyerecookware.com
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(Click image to enlarge.)Fissler
German cookware company Fissler, founded in 1845, crafted pots and
pans for the kitchens of German passenger lines in the 1930s. Its stainless
steel Original-Profi and handsome Intensa Collection, featuring an integrated
lid holder, are favorites of well-known German chef Frank Buchholz and Italian
luminaries such as Umberto Zanassi, Davide Oldani and Max Mariola. Intensa
stewpot, $160 to 240, depending on size. Available in the U.S. through Roland
Products.
800.321.2226, www.rolandinc.com