Guests keep ruining pot and pan sets. What is the best sets to buy that guests can't ruin?

[#1]

We've bought 2-3 sets of pots and pans in the past year because guests keep scratching them and burning the bottoms of them. The scratching of the interior "non-scratch" looks really bad.

And we're not going to charge guests for scratching the pots and pans. One guest will scratch them in 1 place, another guest makes a couple more scratches, etc.

It's an accumulation over about 3-4 months that they start to look really bad.

We've replaced all metal cooking utensils with hard plastic and wooden stirring spoons, etc., but guests just use the metal flatware instead.

Do I just buy new $300+ sets a few times a year?

I thought of cast iron, but I know guests won't wash and season them properly and they'll rust, etc.,  within a few months.

Any ideas because cast iron and "non-scaratch" pot and pan sets?

Thanks

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

Cast Iron A MUST

[Sarah977]

@Andreas-and-Anna0   Yes, for you and me, but not for guests. They will not be careful and will damage surfaces with them, as they are so heavy.

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

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@Sarah977 wrote:

@Andreas-and-Anna0   Yes, for you and me, but not for guests. They will not be careful and will damage surfaces with them, as they are so heavy.

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I have granite surface but the only surface would be a stove

[Mark116]

Guests will ruin cast iron, they will put them in the dishwasher.  Same with anything aluminum or copper and the finishes will be ruined.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Everything can be ruined if someone doesn't care . 

I see you can host 10 guests at the time and this is a lot of pots and pans in different sizes. I just can't immagine a group of 10 people on holidays cooking toghether and thinking or talking about  your cookware  :)  

We have cheap IKEA cookware and my friend have very expensive one. Nobody ever mentioned the quality or price of hers or ours cookware in their review . So don't worry, you can go for the cheapest IKEA products and just replace them when needed.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

Agree with others...... go for the cheapest option available, always keep an extra set on hand, and switch to a new set every 6 months or so as needed. 

$300 for a cookware set is really expensive!!! 

[Letti0]

@Diane15  I agree with @Susan for your price point you should have AllClad and LeCreuset or Staub. The first and second picture are Le Creuset, the 3rd one is the AllClad (sideways sorry). These are personal staking photos only so I know and the cleaning people know where things go. The place is cleaned for guests lol. I have more frying pans and such in the cabinets, but the towers work great to help to keep the cabinet space used to a minimum as these are bulky items. For the non-stick for eggs and such I use the Calphalon Elite frying pans, egg poacher. essentials pan etc. they hold up well and I purchase them at William Sonoma they are pretty inexpensive for the quality. They will get scratches, but not as much as other brands. The AllClad non-stick is horrible, they scratch and flake in a short period of time and are 3 to 4 times the price per pan. https://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/cookware/cookware-calphalon/?cm_type=gnav

[Diane15]

Thanks @Letti0 I really LOVE what we've done with your pot and pan stands. And love the look of the Stainless Steel...Any chance you remember what brand that set is? And/or can you...or anyone else who is kind enough to chime in... recommend a quality Stainless Steel brand? Thanks!

[Letti0]

@Diane15  The brand of my stainless steel is AllClad. Here's a link to where I got mine. They happen to be 20% off right now which only happens a few times a year. 

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/cookware/cookware-all-clad/?cm_type=lnav

[Mark116]

Is that all Le Crueset?  Aren't you afraid people will steal it?  

[Letti0]

@Mark116  Yes it's all Le Creuset and we have more in the cabinets like frying pans, tagin, soup pots, smaller saute and sauce pots, but we document it all before the stay with a date and time stamp right before check in. I am on property and have a security system. I also have a really good solid rental agreement they must sign and inital with a copy of a goverment ID, on HA/VRBO and elsewhere I also get a copy of their credit card front and back. If anything goes missing I will file a police report and press charges. If they take just a few of them it would be felony charges, same with my knives if they take those. I also have great commerical insurance. Both my listings have identical items. I am a gourmet cook and outfitted both of the places for one. 

[Diane15]

Thanks for the great answers everyone! Looks like Stainless Steel seems to be the general agreement. I'll get a Cast Iron pan as well (didn't know that rust didn't hurt them... look what I've learned today!) As for the countertop discussion...my countertop are Soapstone, so when they get scratched, we just sand the scratch out, then a little beeswax, and it's done. Super easy. Thanks again all!

[Lilly28]

Yes, Stainless Steel - even when it is scratched a bit, it looks great and is easy to cook in. I would buy the best quality - it is going to last a lifetime. I had cast iron - I was not at all pleased - i threw the pan, enameled LeCreuset is another thing. As for the silicon and wood utensils - oh, I had a guest who used my salad dressing high quality designer  fork and spoon for cooking, thinking they are cheap silicon ones - and melted them...

[Chelsey20]

I just recently decided to take that off of what I am willing to have available in amenities. Can't stand it. Laziness is a huge factor. People dont want to use the tools they are supposed to use because they don't want to wash an extra dish. Plus I am sick of cleaning up cooking oil splatter and smeared food all over my counter tops. Pots and pans are too expensive too keep replacing. Another option would be to have a separate set for guests to use. Mine are expensive, theirs would be the cheap ones. I have also noticed that sometimes people just wipe stuff off without washing it after use and putting it back in the cupboard or drawer. I find that to be very disgusting.