WELCOME

You can easily feed a family of 4 for under $100 a week with excellent nutrition. Many of the meals are very low cost. Its even possible to make you own convenience food and save a fortune.

The site is now being rebuilt from scratch after the hard disk in my server bit the dust. Everything is fresh and better designed than before. I hope you find the new design attractive. I even now have an animated carrot.

Preparing your meals at home can save you a significant amount of money. Many households tend to eat out which is very expensive.

Cookware is important for eating at home. The typical small 7 piece set has a 6 quart Dutch oven, a 3½ quart sauce pan, a 2½ quart sauce pan and a fry pan. Larger sets may have another sauce pan and/or fry pan.

Cookware is made from many materials. The most common is stainless steel. Steel is easy to clean and is attractive. Steel does tend to warp however which can make lids fit poorly. Using lower heat reduces this risk. With care, steel cookware can last for many years.

Teflon coated aluminum cookware is also very popular. Aluminum has excellent thermal transfer characteristics and the Teflon coating makes cleaning easy. Many Teflon and competing non-stick sets are available. Teflon is sensitive to overheating so its advisable to use low heat to avoid damaging the coating. With care Teflon cookware can last a lifetime.

Teflon fry pans are very popular and most stores offer a wide range of designs. Many with steel cookware use Teflon fry pans. Wok shaped pans are increasingly popular with those who like stir-fry meals. Large Teflon cookers are also available for large family meals. Teflon pans can last a long time with care.

Modern cookware have close fitting lids that do not loose moisture like older designs do. This means cooking rice can be done with much less water. Typically such lids have a vent to allow steam to escape to prevent the pressure from rising. My own steel cookware have glass lids with small vents on them to let the steam out. I have also seen some designs where the vent is integrated into the handle.

Years ago Corning make a splash with their Visions brand of cookware. One ad I remember had one of their pots in a blast furnace with an aluminum pot being melted in it.  The pitch was that they could take the heat so well that they could cook other cookware into a sauce. The problem with glass is that it heats slowly which encourages overheating.

In some high-end shops, I have seen copper and cast iron cookware. Copper has excellent thermal characteristics but it corrodes easily. Cast iron cookware is classic. Cast iron cauldrons have been in use for millennia. Some like the classic cast iron as they are extremely durable.

I am considering replacing my steel cookware with new Teflon cookware to make cleanup easier. Teflon is more expensive than steel. Both can last decades with care. The only reason was I wanted to standardize my kitchen. I have accumulated several miscellaneous pots and pans. Basic Teflon sets ranges from about $100 and way up.

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