Celebrity cookware

[Jenise]

The other night I tuned into an episode of Cooks Illustrated (I have a new HDTV with a new HD-only PBS channel called Create that shows this kind of programming round the clock, in case anyone has noticed that I'm suddenly talking about this show a lot) just in time to see the tail end of the equipment segment. If I understood correctly and I might not have, they compared 12" skillets only. All I managed to hear was Christopher Kimball summarize by saying that the winner was Jamie Oliver and Wolfgang Puck came in second. He then added with pretend nervousness, "So Martha didn't win. Do you want to tell her?" Cracked me up.

He also interspersed something to the effect that in spite of the celebrity trappings the pans were all pretty good, revealing a suspicion that it was not expected to be so. I'd be leery too. Because though I love my Daniel Boulud paring and fruit knifes, the Mario Batali mini-sanduko (is that the right name? Somehow that doesn't look right when I type it) someone gave me is a piece of cheap crap. It's permanently dull and bendy-flimsy and amply rewards anyone who, like me, tends to run from celebrity endorsements.

Anyone else have any experience to share?

From what I understand, the Mike Tyson Grill comes with one of the handles bitten off.

I don't buy anything endorsed by a celebrity. I consider my kitchen equipment as tools, just like a man’s workshop tools. I buy what I want, even if it is expensive. I do my research and make a decision from that research. For me, it is like an investment, get the best I can get for the best price, take care of it and it will last. I’m not saying the celebrity stuff is not good, I’m just not enamored with them.

Jenise, I saw that article-it was a while ago-just when I needed a new saute pan. Went to the local kitchen outlet store, and low and behold they had a Jamie Oliver set-with a few other pots/pans on close out sale. I love them. But because they were on close-out, I suspect they didn't sell well.

I also shy from celebrity-endorsed cookware, and I have never purchased any. Reinforcing this practice lately is the fact that every time I see a display of Rachael Ray's orange cookware, at least one piece or more in the display is chipped, cracked or otherwise defective.