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Buying sets of cookware

post #1 of 7
11/26/07 at 8:58am
Thread Starter 
Some people have mentioned it's a bad idea to buy sets of cookware, and i want to know why. thanks
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post #2 of 7
11/26/07 at 9:24am
You're paying for pieces you'll rarely use or aren't the right size and shape for what you actually cook. The quality isn't usually as high the sets which shows in their pricing. Or the 12 inch pan has perpendicular sides instead of flared sides and other such things that make some important piece less useful than it should be in the name of low price.

There are probably some people for whom a set is right, but they are the minority.
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post #3 of 7
11/26/07 at 11:22am
When buying a set, you may not get exactly what you need. Many cooks buy each piece to suit particular needs, and opt for the highest quality they can afford or the best choice for that need. Buying a set doesn't give you quite that choice or freedom. Often you'll end up with pieces you don't use, or which aren't quite right for your needs - in other words, you're often compromising.

shel
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post #4 of 7
11/26/07 at 11:58am
Phil and Shel pretty well summed it up. To give you an example, my youngest was given an 11-piece set when he got married two years ago. To date they have used 4 of those pieces. But they use those four over and over again. The others just languish, taking up closet space.

One additional thought: Very often you'll find that one manufacturer's make and model is ideal for your cooking style in, say, a skillet. But a different maker builds just the right saucepan for your needs. This ability to mix & match comes from buying out of open stock, rather than sets.

FWIW, I feel just as strongly about this when it comes to buying knives. Probably even more so, because with knives there should be no compromise when it comes to the fit, the comfort and the suitability for the purpose. And sets just don't make it in this regard.
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post #5 of 7
11/26/07 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I was wondering if it was the same thing as sets of makeup brushes, must of them are junk. Thanks everyone for you comments. :)
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post #6 of 7
11/26/07 at 4:07pm
We (my wife and I) like our 13 piece set of Calphalon Tri-Ply, and use every single piece frequently...
Also bought some open stock items to augment the set.
We cook for anywhere from 1 to 10 people, so the sizing variances get exercised...
Look at a set with the image in your mind of what you cook, or would like to, and then decide if the assortment in the set will suit your needs...
There is no apparent reduction in the quality of the set pieces we purchased to that of the open stock items, and if you price out the cost of the individual items from a set (as if purchased piece meal) you'll find a significant savings through buying as a set (especially if you happen to have a 20% off coupon from the retailer).
Good assortment, lower price, same quality...
I guess SWAMBO and I are a minority.
Suits me fine.
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post #7 of 7
11/27/07 at 5:39pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks DMT for your reply :)
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