All of us, I'm sure, have a wok, saute pan or kitchen appliance that we simply cannot do without. Like you, we have our favorite cookware that we get teary and sentimental about.
But it wasn't always like that.
When we first started out cooking, we had no idea that good cookware made a difference in our daily meal preparation.
We bought, and trashed, many woks, saute pans, and kitchen appliances that had appealed to us and were reasonably priced (read: bargain or low-priced).
Not that low-priced cookware was bad. After all, didn't mom cook many wonderful meals with her cast-iron wok that didn't cost an arm-and-a-leg in her time? So we made do with average-priced cookware for many years.
Until 1993. That year we were at Takashimaya on a weekend - and saw a promoter demonstrating a new cookware label called Spring Cristal cookware.
Our Spring Cristal saucepan
The presenter allowed food to burn to a crisp in a wok and a saute pan - a situation we were most familiar with *grin* - then proceeded to show how easy it was to remove the hard, blackened mass in the saute pan in less than a minute - using boiling water! No harsh cleanser, no prolonged elbow grease needed to scrub and scrub, just plain water! And yes - and the cookware was Swiss-made, the choice of Michelin-starred chefs, and very expensive - the promoter trumpeted with a smug smile.
We were hooked!
We paid for a Spring Cristal set comprising 1 covered wok, 1 stock pot with lid, 1 saute pan with lid, and 1 sauce pan with lid. All for the then princely sum of S$1,000.
As we walked away, a tinge of regret enveloped us: "Were we duped? Why were we so gullible? Surely no cookware could cost so much? Maybe the slick presentation got the better of our judgment, triggering an impulse purchase?" **sigh**
Did you watch those promoters at CK Tang, Takashimaya, etc? They were so effective with their slick presentation they could sell you almost anything, even if you had no intention to buy in the first place!
No need for non-stick - rice don't stick to saucepan!
Back home we began using the saute pan. The saute pan heated up quickly. An omelet spread out on the pan cooked perfectly, as the heat evenly distributed across the pan bottom. We lifted the omelet a bit to check the doneness / color on the flip side. Perfect golden color!
Wow - that was the first time we ever cooked an omelet so effortlessly!
We removed the saute pan from the burner. After a while, we lifted the lid. It was stuck! Did we get a damaged pan? We worriedly *grin* read the instruction leaflet that came with the product.
Oh, the leaflet mentioned the lid was machined perfectly to match the pan so as to create an air-tight seal. That way we could cook with very little water e.g. veggies cooked perfectly with all nutrients intact in the steam created. The lid could not be removed as a partial vacuum was created inside the pan when the pan cooled down on removal from the burner.
We were impressed. So that's why premium cookware cost a bomb!
Since then, we've never looked back. We saved time, effort and money using our premium cookware. That premium set purchased 17 yrs ago (incredible - has it been that long?) still serves us faithfully - though after several years of usage, we became careless and dropped the saute pan lid on the floor. The lid was kinked and no longer gave an air-tight seal on the pan. *sob*
Back then, there was no internet, no means to check prices, and no consumer reports that we could avail of. We bought blind, simply trusting our gut instincts.
Sure, we were ribbed-off. But fortunately for us - the purchase turned out to be a blessing, for we discovered what it meant to buy quality. As they say, "When you buy quality, you buy only once." And that's cheaper in the long run, isn't it?
Where can you buy Spring Cristal cookware today?
Unfortunately, we were unable to locate a local promoter marketing that label now. Today no promoter could simply import and sell stuff to rib-off consumers, due to the popularity of internet shopping.
Amazon.com also doesn't seem to carry Spring Cristal cookware. But another premium label carried by Amazon.com - Anolon Advanced Collection - that 72 out of 83 customers raved about and gave the highest 5-star rating to the Anolon Advanced series, caught our eye.
We haven't bought or used the Anolon set, so we can't really recommend the product.
What we do strongly recommend is that you invest in high quality cookware if you enjoy cooking, as we do.
If you like, you may read buyers' opinions on what it means to buy quality cookware like the Anolon Advanced cookware range. Don't buy the lower Professional range or other lower-priced series in the Anolon range. Customers' opined that only the Anolon Advanced series get their highest satisfaction, meriting the 5-star rating.
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