You might be surprised but there are cookware available for under $50 online. These sets makes a great starter cookware set for students who just starting out in college or living alone. Once you have bit more money and job, invest in good cookware set, which does not have to be the most expensive one but quality one that can last long time.
If you are on a budget and do some research on the type of pots used in good restaurants. 18/10 stainless steel is the best type of pot you can get to cook with and though the make/brand, etc may be different, under $50 for a 7 piece pot set is amazing. It is not the best quality but it is best price if you are short on budget. The chef’s equivalent to this set can run your in the thousands, and honestly, just like cameras, the quality of food is not dependent on the price you pay for your cookware. I can sear scallops and make coq au vin in these pots just a well as any other pot. It is all about how good a cook you are. I use these every time I cook and put them in the dishwasher and they are still good after everyday use for the past 6 months, AND even if it decides to fall apart on me within a year or two, it has paid for itself in delicious cooking.
They are VERY lightweight. The sizes are nice–the largest one is plenty big to do all sorts of things from huge batches of chicken stock and the medium and smaller sizes are no slouches, either. They are light enough to move around easily enough, too.
But–the downside of a lightweight pan/stock pot–it scorches easily. I have an Electrolux dual fuel range with simmer modes to ultra high power burners. Even with the intricate levels that I have to work with, I still had to be careful not to scorch the bottom of the pots. The heat conduction isn’t the broadest (it can’t be, given how they are made), so be very careful with this. Stir constantly, and keep a good eye on things even while simmering. Of course, even though they come pre-dinged, they are easy to dent further, but that’s par for the course with such lightweight pans.
This 12 piece cookware set is selling for about $40, so I was sold on the price for testing purpose, number and material (stainless) of this cook set. When I got it the pieces themselves looked good, although a bit light and flimsy in feel. The lids and handles on this set, on the other hand, seemed very cheap and of low quality. I was thinking that these would have the heft of the more expensive stainless cookware I’ve used, but it’s the opposite of that. The stainless pots are quite thin and feel very light. For the money though, it just can’t be beat and for those who need a starter set this is probably the right one for you. Only major problem I found that cheap plastic handles get hot quickly, not fun when taking pot off the stove.
Click here for more information on: Cook N Home 12 Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set
I have started using hard anodized frying pan now but these nonstick pan with Teflon is great value and fair quality in cooking as it uses chemical coating for nonstick surface which we eat when we cook inside the pan. However, this set of 3 fry pan for about $30ish is one of the best price we have seen on amazon. If you are on budget, these frying pan will do perfectly well. Do not use it in dishwasher and hand wash gently. It is not the best thick quality and food may not evenly heat up so make sure you stir them often during cooking and use non metal utensils inside not to scratch the nonstick coating.
I love Paula Deen’s show on food network so when I saw this 6 piece soup pot, I had to get it. It looked so good in picture and I was afraid I may only end up using it for displaying as I was afraid that beauty would mean it was lacking in cooking ability, but it’s nice and solid and thick enough to easily and quickly boil a potful of water for spaghetti, to make a big batch of sweet potato corn chowder, and most importantly, it can handle chili.
Handles never got hot to touch even I made hour long chili and wooden spoon and soup bowls made eating later such a gourmet experience. No one will have to know that this set cost under $50, is cooks and looks that great, you will not be disappointed.
We like to provide value, not all of us can afford very expensive cookware sets, even though we may like to. You do not have to use crappy cookware and small appliances when you have less to spend. We have tried to find some frugal kitchenware that are good enough for many of us. Check out our articles on;