What kind of pots and pans do you use?

We need some cookware! We have a nice enough set of Jamie Oliver pots and pans that were bought quite a few years ago. They worked great but now they are all scratched up and have reached the end of the road.

As much as I love Jamie Oliver I just don't think it's in our price range at the moment.   Any recommendations for good quality pots and pans that wont cost a fortune?

I just got a good tefal set from Amazon, they're non stick and hard anodised and they can go in the oven. They're not dishwasher safe though, but we don't have a dishwasher so that's fine! So far so good, although I've only had them a couple of days!

I do have some recommendations for more expensive pans if you want, but these are a good mid price. I'm gradually replacing my pans with professional weight ones and thought these would do to replace my tatty ones until I can afford to do that (I have like one expensive frying pan, one sauce pan etc)

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8613310/Trail/searchtext%3ETEFAL+EXPERT.htm

I tend to buy expensive in the hopes of not having to replace as soon.  DH had some cheapish cookware that we started with, and I just replace those as/when we need to, one pot at a time.

I was looking at buying a whole set back before Christmas, but decided to only replace what needed replacing.  A tip I took into account then was that sometimes whole sets are false economies - because you could end up with particular pots & pans (as part of the set) that you don't end up needing or using.  (Well our cupboard space is already beyond capacity - lol!)  And when I looked at the sets I was looking at - that seemed to hold true.  So I just bought a couple of pots instead - one to replace one with a wonky handle that could no longer be repaired, and one that was too scratched up & no longer had a lid.

Oh yeah - I also had some cast iron that I brought over with me - that stuff will never wear out.  Lol!  I'm using cast iron that was my grandma's & my mom's.

We have Marks & Spencers pots and two tefal frying pans (with lid) and been happy with both. The set we bought from M&S was in Ireland and doesnt appear on their site at the moment

I don't know about brands, but after going through several very cheap pots that flaked teflon into our food (bleh), I've stuck with stainless steel pots for cooking. They weren't too expensive and they're holding up really well.

I get mine from Robert Dyas.  I don't know what brand they are, but they're heavy stainless steel and I've been very pleased with them so far.  Also, Homebase has got decent quality stainless steel pans. 

About 12 years ago I bought a set of pots and pans from Costco, the Kirkland brand. They still look pretty new, and are in fantastic condition.

Nonstick pots and pans do not last...I only buy cheapish ones of those. Stainless Steel pots and pans are my favorite. My friend gave me a Pampered Chef omlette pan at Christmas and I really love it, its non stick and I am treating it like my first born.

I don't know about brands, but after going through several very cheap pots that flaked teflon into our food (bleh)

That is what is happening with ours! I guess it's not to bad considering they are at least 5 years old and my hubby uses metal utensil on them! (ok, I have done it too   )

I have used stainless steel before and didn't really care for it. I found nearly every thing I made would stick! They were a cheap set I bought when I lived in my first apartment, about $80 from Macy's at the time.

I've been looking on Amazon just trying to get some idea of what is out there since I haven't browsed this particular area in quite some time now.

I also think it's good to think about the sort of cooking that you do.  Because sometimes you want a stainless steel pot/pan & sometimes you want non-stick.

Like I probably should have gotten a stainless steel stockpot (what I use for lots of one pot meals) rather than the non-stick (not teflon) I got, and you want something (IMO) other than non-stick for a frying pan or skillet - because you want something in which little bits can get crusty on the bottom & then be deglazed & scraped up without the chance of damaging your (non-stick) surface in any way.

Some of the newer, higher tech non-stick are pretty durable, but they aren't teflon & they aren't cheap.  Although I do like my non-stick stockpot in some ways, as it needs little to no fat (oil) for browning/sweating stuff & so it's healthier in that sense.

That is what is happening with ours! I guess it's not to bad considering they are at least 5 years old and my hubby uses metal utensil on them! (ok, I have done it too   )

I have used stainless steel before and didn't really care for it. I found nearly every thing I made would stick! They were a cheap set I bought when I lived in my first apartment, about $80 from Macy's at the time.

I've been looking on Amazon just trying to get some idea of what is out there since I haven't browsed this particular area in quite some time now.

Maybe you aren't cooking right? lol! I really love SS pans, I only use non stick for things like frying eggs or making pancakes. I do love Calphalon also.

I bought several hard anodized pots and pans from John Lewis (their own brand) in their summer sale the year before last.  They were a great deal and I like them a lot.  They've held up well so far.  We've also got a few cast iron Le Creuset pieces that I've gotten in various sales.  

Cast iron and stainless steel.  

I haven't used non-stick since Dupont admitted that the Teflon Flu was real.  

http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon

I doubt it will kill me or cause birth defects through home use, but it my roommate was a chef and had the flu a few times.  It is just galling they wouldn't admit it.

We've also got a few cast iron Le Creuset pieces that I've gotten in various sales.  

Hurrah for mismatched Le Creuset, it's the only way to go! Though we have a few of the bigger pots from Chasseur as it's nearly as good as Le Creuset but half the price.

We just bought a new non-stick frying pan as our little Tefal one warped and bubbled after 2-3 years of heavy use, so we bought a Bialetti at Home Sense at Lakeside (like the homewares section of TK Maxx, but expanded into an entire store!) this weekend as we've got a huge, heavy bottomed frying pan from that same company and love it.

We kinda feel like we're at that point in our lives where we REALLY don't need any more kitchen stuff. It took years to amass our Le Creuset collection, and pretty much everything we own now is solid and good quality and should last for years. So much so that we didn't have a single kitchen item on our wedding registry last year!

My mother and my sister swear by Green Pans, they are like pans with a porcelin coating on them, they love using them but I can't seem to get it right with them. I don't like using the non stick pans because we are eating that non stick stuff that flakes off...can't be good for you. I have more pots and pans than I can shake a stick at, but I do love having kitchenware!!!

I use stainless steel cuisinart ones, some cheapo farberware ones my aunt gave me for graduating uni that are still 10 years going on strong, and my lodge cast iron pans.  My cast iron ones are my favourite.  Don't ask me how I store my pots/pans, 'cause its not pretty!!