Pans

I’m another one still using the Prestige stainless steel pans I had as a newlywed. I’ve replaced all my baking trays with stainless steel too now, too, they will all outlive me. I like old things, but not china or ornaments, except jugs and vases for flower arranging, which I have lots of, many from my two grans, aunties, mother in law, my own mum, they are my family memory joggers.

I have both of my grans china, my mum’s cutlery and other items 💔

We only replace something if it breaks and isn't worth fixing (cost / obsolete - no parts).

Like the OP, we have a set of pans, a gift for our wedding in our case. They're still near perfect, non-stick stainless steel and nearly 30 years old. They may well outlast us and we're not planning on exiting this planet any time soon.

I remember my sister and mum doing "swaps" as mums pans had been family size and my sister had lived alone and had smaller pans, but when she had a family , they just swapped over, which was quite good.

My pans have changed over the years, according to what was going on. When we had the boat, I bought a pressure cooker for £5 from a car boot sale, which became an excellent boat pan, as it was both economical with the fuel and was safe, so that if , (despite the good use of the ubiquitious bungy cords to anchor it to the cooker) it fell off the cooker, it remained safely shut, no hot liquid got out. Used that for many years along with a pan that had a steamer on top so that I could manage more things on a two burner cooker. But as things change despite having a whole group of pans I find there are one or two that are always the favourites to use. Could never get on with Creuset I think it was called. They were very heavy , even when I was up to lifting hefty things , and it would be impossible now.

I'm still looking at lots of the same old stuff because I still like it :-)

Much of it wasn't new when I acquired it. Kitchen table, WW2 utility model, cost £1 at the Scouts jumble sale in 1980...ish. I'm sitting on a kitchen chair which cost 2/6 in 1970. Last survivor of a set of 8 which cost £1 the lot in a junk shop. Its currently painted red, but in previous i decades it has been black, white, and blue.

My saucepans were new ( from Ideal Home Exhibition in 1982. Prestige SS with copper bottoms, Lifetime Guarantee and still perfect)