I learned the hard way that being frugal does not mean skimping on the price of your pots and pans. I just celebrated my 10th anniversary this summer and we are on our 3rd set of pots and pans! Somehow our toaster, blender, mixer, duvet, and a few bath towels are original to our marriage, but we have killed a few cookware sets. That being said, I feel like I can offer some advice on what to look for when you are shopping for cookware. You can learn from my mistakes.

I am getting joy out of cooking again with my Cereco 12 piece carbon steel cookware set from Brylane Home. This particular set has some really practical pot and pan sizes and they all have lids! While it’s not dishwasher safe, the pro’s of this set made me want it anyways. I don’t need to be lazy and dump them in the dishwasher. From the first use, I noticed how quickly they heat up. Carbon steel is an extremely good conductor of heat and can reach high temperatures quicker than other materials. It’s recommended you only cook on low or medium with these pans. That’s a good idea for me to use lower heats since I’m capable of burning boiling water. True story! I can bake well, but cooking is often a disaster.

Quality matters

If you find a cookware set for $14, marked down from $150, there might be a reason why. I thought I found a fantastic deal a few years ago, but the joke was on me. I had to keep a screwdriver in the silverware drawer to tighten the handles on my pots every other time I used them. Brylane’s logo says it all, “Come Home to Value”. My Cereco set was affordable and it’s excellent quality.

Function matters

Speaking of those screws I had to constantly tighten, they were placed in a spot where I could grab the pan and get burned when they got hot. Wow was that terribly designed. I found that one of my cookware sets didn’t have the greatest line up of pans. They didn’t all have lids either. That would pose a problem when I need to “cover” per instructions on a recipe. I felt very limited at times. I was never clear if my set was dishwasher safe. Turns out it probably wasn’t since the non-stick coating didn’t last. These are all things I wish I was thinking about when I purchased my first two sets.

Do your research

Read reviews, study the different surfaces, and think about the pans you use most and make sure they are included in the set you purchase. Brylane Home has a whole line up great cookware. I would encourage you to start there. Plus, there’s a sale right now and it’s all 40-60% off!

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