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Originally Posted by shel  I've ask BDL to explain why he likes them so much, but have not heard back from him yet. |
I like the Tribute because:
Nicely designed pan lips
Good weight
"Gator Grip" handles (see note)
Exterior finish (see note)
General appearance (see note)
Competitive (compared to other high-end tri-ply) retail pricing
I don't like the Tribute because:
Never discounted
Expensive
"Retail" is not a concept that comes easily
Vollrath Tribute Note: This is commercial cookware. It's ugly to start with, if you appreciate "commercial" you'll like the look. In any case, there's not a lot you can do to make it look worse. I'm not sure that it can be seriously scratched on the outside, but if one of your pieces did get a scratch it's not like it would matter. The interiors are as tough as nails. The "matching" pot lids are absurdly expensive but they've got gator grip on the handles too. You can handle everything without a towel.
My favorite skillets are "Matfer Bourgeat" carbon steel because I like the arch of the handle. I actually prefer the "French handle" for everything because it's comfortable (for me) wrapped in a towel. A lot of people think they're too thin, but I have big hands. Sometimes big like ox lets you be a little more gentle and maintain a higher level of security with stupid French handles. [Moo] Speaking of the French, I believe there are several Euro lines of multi-ply that are equivalent to the Tribute -- Sitram and Paderno among them maybe? But they're absurdly expensive and completely not worth it. I'd buy copper first.
Nonreactive skillets are a necessary evil. I own and use them under protest. Darn you vinegar. Darn you tomato. Darn you!
I've never seen a bad pan from Vollrath or Lincoln (Lincoln-Wearever). If you want pretty pans -- and I see no reason why you shouldn't -- stay with regular "residential" pan lines. There are lots of good choices. Similarly, if you want a good discount -- shop for the discount. I think many of us tend to take our cookware choices a little more seriously than they deserve. All-Clad, Gourmet Standard, Calphalon, Demeyere and a few more all GREAT (as long as you don't pay [shudder] retail. Whatever floats your boat. Really. IMO the sauce depends a lot more on the cook and the ingredients than the pan. The best pans can make life a little easier, a little more certain.
When it comes to hand tools like spatulas, cooking spoons, whisks, pay a lot of attention to the handles.
The best spatulas, bar none, are Dexters. I've got cheap, rosewood handled Chinese copies, and am happy. Fish spats have become popular in home kitchens -- nice to have one. A decent set includes a huge spat, a long, wide spat, a couple of medium spats, a small spat, a short pallette knife, a long offset pallette knife, a board knife, and a cake server. Cake servers (aka pie lifters) are triangular. They are not cake or pie knives you need a knife to cut.
Don't pay a lot for spoons, you don't need olive wood. Some spoons last forever, and some deteriorate quickly -- without rhyme or reason. Get handles that look thick enough. Spoons aren't jewelery. Dainty handles will hurt your hands.
There are five basic whisks
1. An itty bitty one for teeny weeny tasks like two eggs. A wire-wrpped handle is okay. Mine has a little Pillsbury Doughboy on top, which helps with my manhood issues a lot. Cost is bupkis. To my mind, a mascot is essential. This is not the whisk you use to make a cake or a hollandaise.
2. A thin wire, pear shaped whisk. Thin wire whisks, stir things which are not too stiff, incorporate things which go easily, and put a controlled amount of air into into stuff. Your basic all around whisk. You want a good handle. Don't skimp on this whisk.
3. A thin wire, balloon whisk. Same kind of wire as your everyday pear shaped whisk. Puts much air in. For egg whites, chantilly creams,that sort of thing. But not for hollandaise or mayonnaise. If you have to choose one thin wire whisk, this isn't it. Get the regular pear shaped.
4. Thick wire pear shaped whisk. Sometimes called a "French whisk," as opposed to what I'm not certain. I've also heard thin wire whisks called French whisks. This is the whisk you use to beat batters and sauces into submission. It will not put air or volume into a mix -- it's a bad choice for beating egg yolks to make a cake for instance. However, it's will cream the heck out of butter and creamcheese. It's the tool that beats a roux based sauce into shape. This is one of those "pro" tools that hasn't really made it into the home kitchen but is part of the "saucier's craft" (could I possibly be more pretentious?). If you ever get one, you'll wonder how you lived without it.
5. Flat whisks are good stirrers, but not much at getting air into stuff, or mixing stiff batters, or "enhanced incorporation" as the CIA cooks call it. You can get them with shapes that go into corners, too. They're the new "hot whisk," and all the girls and fellas want one. They're not essential cooking tools though. Nos. 2 and 4 are.
Invest in a good pepper grinder.
I shop wherever I see this stuff at BB&B, dollar stores, thrift shops, flea markets, brick and mortar restaurant supplies, online cookware suppliers, online restaurant supplies, and so on. I keep looking 'til I find something that looks good.
Just some thoughts,
BDL
Where to buy spices 
