It's a very HEAVY choice for everyday cooking. If you want to get your daily workout in the kitchen instead of the gym, then go for it! I'd personally prefer lighter weight pots and pans for daily use.

I also have the Le Creuset stainless pots and pans and a couple non-stick skillets. I love the stainless pots and pans and especially love the lip around the edge that keeps drips in check when you pour from them.

The Le Creuset non-stick is just OK. It has the stainless disc on the bottom for heating. I prefer the non-stick that has stainless up the sides. My Bosch induction cooktop came with 1 and I prefer that over the Le Creuset.

As a cook I definitely prefer having a varied selection of cookware. BTW: I love my Lodge cast iron too. It works fantastic on induction.

Mix them up a little.

Definitely cast iron. Can't bust it. Okay you can; I have. But you can't chip it. Lodge is good and cheap and if you're into made in the USA, it's mostly. (I know--you're looking at FRENCH stuff! :) ). The vintage cast iron (Lodge and other dead companies) is better.

Circulon makes a good induction compatible nonstick pan.

For boiling water and steaming things and everything that doesn't call for cast iron or non stick, I kinda prefer lightweight stainless stuff.

I always worry about my enameled cookware and baby it so I don't scratch it or chip it and that's just not fun. I know it's tougher than I give it credit for being, but I prefer other stuff.

i would definitely mix and match brands. buy the sizes you really use. sometimes with sets, you don't use all the sizes so its a waste of money and space.

i have LC and al-clad mostly and love both brands on my induction. the LC is more"quiet" on my cooktop than the AC. i also use lodge cast iron and they work great also.

the LC is heavy, but cooks wonderfully, so worth the weight for me.

AC expensive, but i buy at a "seconds" store and they run a sale twice a year with and extra 20% off, so not too bad.

lodge is cheap, so that's an easy buy.

also, you can shop at home goods/marshalls/tjmaxx, they have lots of induction capable cookware that's reasonably priced.

have fun shopping and enjoy your induction cooktop..we love ours!!!

Tramontina and lodge also make enameled cast iron if you cannot or choose not to spend the money on le creuset. I bought almost all my (too many) pieces at the outlet stores on sale but many post here that Staub (also made in France) can be found at TJMAXX and other such stores.

Thanks for all of that very useful information! I will continue researching and put together my set! I bought the LC 3.5 qt yesterday at the LC outlet. It was originally $160, and b/c of a tiny chip in the handle I got it for $80 : )

I am happy with it so far (on my electric stove) and would like to get a larger one.

plllog- When you referred to the "2 -in-1" s I didn't understand what you're referring to? Thanks again!

Regarding, the LC enameled stock pots--- would you use these mostly for boiling water, making soups? Wondering how these may differ from purchasing stainless stock pots? You said they heat fast-- faster than stainless? or faster than the cast iron?

Also, I make a lot of tomato sauce. I usually make my meatballs first at the bottom of the pot and then add the tomatoes... or if there are a lot of meatballs I fry them up first in a skillet and add them to sauce later. I'm wondering in the LC french ovens if you can do your meat in those and then add tomatoes?
Or would I make sauce in the enameled stockpots? (or stainless?)

Right now I have a lot of hard anodized non-stick that I use for everything. I have 2-10 qt pans/pots along with skillets, etc. SO, those are the only things I am really used to for cooking.

Hi Fishies,

The 2-in-1 is an old time Le Creuset pot that goes in and out of fashion. It's a straight sided saucepan, with a shallow skillet for a lid. For years the little skillet was one of my most used, though I tend to reach for the De Buyer crepe pans nowadays.

{{gwi:1376238}}

The base size is 2 qt., though they have also had it out in 1 qt. and 3 qt. I got a second 2 qt. and a 3 qt. at the outlet sale a couple of years ago because they work so well.

Re stock pots, I use my 20 qt. for whatever. I do make stock a few times per year, using the whole depth. Spaghetti sauce usually fills about half, though it was on that that I learned about the scorching. ;) Soups, always. What I really want, however, is a 9 qt. dutch oven ("French" oven is an advertising thing because people were ragging on LC for being French and selling Dutch ovens. In English the term really is "Dutch oven"). I think that would be better for the tomato sauces, beans, etc.

Yes, you can make your meatballs in the bottom of a dutch oven first and then build your sauce on top of them. I make much bigger batches of sauce (usually 10-12 qt.) and freeze. When I make meatballs marinara, I usually brown the meatballs in my 5 qt. braiser (wide, shallow pan) and pour the sauce (having already been made) over them. You can do it any old way you want. It all works in the end. :) Using a dutch oven just means you have to be tall enough to like working with your meatballs over the side of the pot, and having a big enough pot so that you have enough room for the meatballs in the bottom.

I've always made sauce in a stockpot for the volume. I actually prefer a wider, shallower pot than the Le Creuset 20 qt. which I have, but it was a gift and it fits my big element on the induction perfectly. It doesn't matter what the stockpot is made of, though if you're fond of color, the enamel is happy-making. Enamel is a bit easier to clean, but not enough to make a big difference.

I've never used non-stick enough to know how cooking with it really handles. Enamel is pretty non-sticky itself, but it handles differently, I think. There are non-sticks available for induction, too.

Try a few different things before making a big commitment.

I would avoid the L.C. stockpots. They are not cast iron, but enameled steel and fairly thin on the bottom. They will have "hot spots", it's the nature of the beast.

Stockpots- I'd get the stainless with a disc style bottom (induction) you don't need fancy sides, and some of the commercial stockpots are called tri-ply, but they have iron instead of aluminum as the ply, and it's usually only on the bottom, which is fine - a decent bottom will help keep things from burning.

I think the Demeyere skillet, is particularly good for any kind of cooking....But here I would go with old cast iron, non-enameled, and without the fire-ring on the bottom (for induction). Look for large block lettered Griswold #10 with a smooth bottom as a perfect example.(Check E-Bay) Also Victor, Wagner and old Lodge (labeled as S.K.) They all have smooth insides without being too heavy. Use a sheet of parchment paper underneath if you're concerned about scratching the cook-top.

All Enameled cast iron is good, but particularly a 5 or 6 qt. French oven (L.C. or Staub) (Enameled) and I love Le Creuset's oval au gratin pans (they're getting hard to find in cast iron).

I don't know enough about induction sauce pans, except the major expensive stuff like Demeyere, Fissler, All Clad, Mauviel M'cook stainless etc... But there must be someone who could chime in the less expensive Emerilware, etc. Of course Le Creuset makes stainless induction pots too.

I bet there are a ton of reasonable Stainless pots that work well on induction, either with a thick disc bottom or clad all the way up the top.

Nothing about induction cooktops requires expensive cookware. Nothing!

IKEA 365+ pots and pans cost $10 to $20. People have posted that these are great on induction cooktops.

There is a cookware forum, b.t.w. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/cookware/

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/cookware/

I use the Ikea wok that works on induction. Although I would love the LeCreuset wok, unless I got it at the outlet (which is about 90 min away) I doubt I would spend the money for it, $5 for Ikea vs. >$200 for LeCreuset. Again, I don't know what the outlet price would be.

However, I LOVE the LeCreuset grill pan and use it at least once a week. I'm making lasagna today in the LeCrueset stoneware pan.

Wok is another story. The Le Creuset wok, being cast iron takes a very long time to warm up on induction, to the point where it's probably more efficient heating it in the oven first. Because of the small footprint of the base and deep bowl sides, it can't take advantage of the high power of a big element. It does work, but it's an entirely different way of wokking. I know. I have one. It was an impulse buy at a pre-remodel too good to pass up outlet sale. I actually bought it for deep frying in, but it does work well for wokkery so long as one is good with tools. It's not a lift and shake kind of wok.

I agree that Le Creuset stoneware is also excellent, but have to admit that Bunzlauer is better, even if it tends to be blue and floral. :)

I don't do any Wok cooking...

One more time (briefly), what's the difference if I do All-Clad stock pots vs the LC enameled steel? I know the LC is thin and has hot spots. Is the AC thicker I assume?

I belong to Direct Buy and the LC prices are fantastic- even less than the LC outlet which is 10 minutes from me...

Thanks for all of your help!

.

Cookware forum. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/cookware/

Here is a link that might be useful: There is a cookware forum http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/cookware/

Thanks, davidro1

Being I had so many helpful responses before realizing there was a cookware forum.... I didn't see the harm with continuing here on the same post. Next time I'll go to Cookware : )

Yes, All-Clad is much thicker and heavier.

There's a lot more traffic here than in the cookware forum, and it's on topic since it's about what to use with your new appliance. :)

If you have access to a Costco, I recommend going to look at these -- IF your local store still has them. They are on still at my Costco as of yesterday, but no longer available online. They are gorgeous, and the 5-ply copper core set is UNDER $200.

Here is a link that might be useful: Costco Cookware

I have 3 porcelan-steel pots I bought at Kmart when I was in college. I think they were something like $7.99 for the 3. They work fine on induction after +30yrs.

some samaritan can go post in cookware that good new information is now over here in kitchens

The All Clad "D5" series is optimized for induction and now has a curved pouring lip on the edge. Supposedly there is an extra middle layer of magnetic stainless. That might help on the bottom, but once you go up the sides and out of the magnetic field? There the aluminum helps, especially on slanted or curved sides of medium and shallow pans.

Still, for large stockpots I think that All Clad is overkill, and would suggest the IKEA 365+ that David had good luck with.. I'm not sure if they go beyond 11 qts. so a nice commercial stock pot like this 16qt one for $44.32-
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/16-qt-heavy-duty-stainless-steel-stockpot-with-cover/922SSPOT16.html

One of the best articles on cookware in general is at :http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/25717-understanding-stovetop-cookware/

But that doesn't get into induction, it just explains how the various size/shape of pans and materials conduct and hold heat.

There is some discussion on page 21 of the Q.& A. about induction cookware. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/25718-qa-understanding-stovetop-cookware/page__st__600.

They seemed to like the discontinued Mauviel induc'inox line.
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Since then....
The folks at Chowhound have listed the ultimate induction pan- the deBuyer Prima Matera. Induction on the bottom, 2mm. copper on the sides and stainless on the inside. Others, looking for some color, like the Chantal Copper Fusion.

Here is a link that might be useful: Debuyer Induction Copper Cookware video

Just as an FYI, Lodge cast iron IS US made, BUT Lodge ENAMELED cast iron is China made.