Goodwill

I’m not sure what is a good budget. Is anywhere between 500 and 1000 USD a good start?

I mean, you can definitely get really nice stuff for that price. But it’s also overkill. Get yourself a nice set of Lodge equipment and some chainmail “sponges” for cleaning.

Le Creuset is also a good brand for a few more buc

You’ve received a lot of good answers and I don’t have much to add regarding manufacturers. Just a little warning towards the ultra cheap models. I once bought a big, BIG enameled pot for about 60€ in a supermarket because I needed something bigger in an Airbnb and I planned on using it after my vacation. That thing had a ridiculously thin bottom and bowed under heat, making it unusable on my induction stove.

I’m a sucker for good pans and pots, so my collection consists of Le Creuset, Staub, Skeppshult etc. But they’re pricey. You’ll never have this problem though.

Lodge isn’t really a thing over here, so I have no clue about their quality. But I guess they’re good, given the praise they receive.

I buy them second hand and clean them up.

You don’t need anywhere near $500 for a cast iron pan. I bought one on clearance from Kmart 15 years ago and it’s still cooking meal for me. It was probably $30 full price. It’s literally just a pan made out of cast iron. That’s all any of them are.

It’s more important that you take care of the pan, than what the price point is. Sure, you could spend an obscene amount of money on one, or three pans. But if you don’t take care of it it’s a waste no matter what.

Lodge cookware is fine and cheap, but you need to figure out why you want cast iron. It is true that it is basically indestructible, but it has certain properties that can (slightly) affect cooking (specifically it retains a lot of heat for a long time and also heats incredibly unevenly).

Unclad stainless steel is basically the same as cast iron in that it doesn’t have artificial coatings and is nearly indestructible, but also heats faster and more evenly, is lighter, but doesn’t retain heat as well.

But seriously a 12 inch lodge pan is like $20 bucks and is basically all you’d ever need to cook most things

I got this Lodge set plus an extra 10.25" skillet. I also got silicone handle covers because I don’t like burning my delicate fingers🤌💅

That should be enough and under $150. If anything, get an extra 10.25" dutch oven/pot.

Be careful getting second hand, make sure to do lead tests of anything you buy before you use it for food.

Honestly, I would steer clear of sets and go for nicer individual pieces, as you would knives. A skillet, one or two saucepans, and a pot (with lids for all) will get you very far in a kitchen.

I don’t recommend cast iron grill pans, they’re a pain to clean for no real benefit aside from pretty grill marks.

Lodge is an American manufacturer of quality cast iron cookware. Buy what you need and read the “care and feeding” insert, then follow it.

https://madeincookware.com/products/carbon-steel-frying-pan/12-inch

carbon steel which is the same thing but lighter and better suited for flattops

their steel cookware is awesome too

Can I ask, why have you settled on this particular idea for a gift if you really don’t know what to get?

Also, if you’re buying this for someone who loves to cook, they must have some cookware already. What kind of stuff do they have in their kitchen? Do they really need an entire set of cookware, or is there maybe a particular thing that they might appreciate?

So, I have an inherent bias… I inherited my grandmothers Le Creuset dutch oven that she bought in the 50s. It’s still usable, so I built out a full set around that.

Problem: Le Creuset is STUPID expensive.

But here’s the secret… Find an outlet store near you and sign up for their email list.

They will regularly offer sales from 30% to 70% off.

https://www.lecreuset.com/outlets.html

They also regularly run “Factory to Table” events in certain cities.

Build your own set currently up to 30% off:

https://www.lecreuset.com/buildaset

Spend $200, Save 20%

Spend $500, Save 25%

Spend $1000, Save 30%

Use Code BUILDASET at checkout

I just knocked out this set:
Dutch Oven
Skillet
Saucepan
Braiser
Cassadou

$1,460 -30% = $1,022…

My set, grammas is the 70 year old pot with the loop handle in the middle.

Foodporn:

I got the Amazon set a few years ago for my wife and she loves them. They work great as long as you treat them well. If you don’t already know, cast iron needs some extra love, so make sure you read up on that, or you’ll ruin even the best cast iron.

Cast iron pans last forever, so if you’re looking at Christmas as in acquiring a set, vs Christmas as a gift, you might find one in a garage sale or something. With some care and re-sasoning, you’ll have a perfectly functional set. Good luck!

They’re HEAVY though.