Vollrath

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Vollrath

29 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 31, 2025

  I never want to buy cookware again

  I've got 30+ year old All Clad stainless and use it hard. IT will last forever. I would imagine the new stuff is nearly as good as my old stuff but I can't attest to that. Over the years I have bought plenty of non stick frying pans and have settled on buying a new Vollrath 10" commercial model every 4-5 years when cared for properly. They hold up better than even super high end non stick and don't break the bank. A cast iron frying pan is nice and easy to care for, as well as a carbon steel model. We have some nice enameled cast iron dutch ovens. I've has some cheaper ones from Lodge that did not hold up at all. You can get by without enamel and go raw cast iron, works fine. I would bite the bullet and buy a high end piece when you can afford it if you want BIFL in that category.

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• #2Dec 30, 2025

  I never want to buy cookware again

  Vollrath Tribute are tri-ply commercial grade pans that are usually a bit cheaper than all-clad. We’ve had some for about 13 years now and they’re just like new.

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• #3Dec 20, 2025

  Anyone bought this before ?

  Yep. A few of these commercial kitchen pan brands out there. Also check out Vollrath and Viking pans.

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• #4Dec 1, 2025

  Which type of pan is the BIFL king?

  I literally furnished my kitchen from thrift stores as some years back I found myself newly single, broke (long story, and the understatement of the century), and with a storage tote full of random kitchen items that I hadn't used in 20+ years, as the kitchen was always the domain of my cuter, squishier half. I settled on collecting pre-1968 Revere Ware because a) my mom had it, so I was familiar with it b) it was common enough to not be hard to find even though borderline antique (so I could look all bougie and my saucepans would match my skillets etc. and everything would have lids) and c) you could still get replacement handles etc. I would not recommend that today as reverewareparts closed up shop about a year and a half ago, although if you like that approach, who am I to stop you. That all said, by reputation All-Clad is good stuff. Vollrath is one name I know that makes a LOT of stuff for commercial kitchens, although whether those are the most popular with pros I don't know. I've heard that the sets that look like All-Clad sold at Costco are pretty good, too, and less expensive. Finally, something to keep in mind is if you have or think you may get an induction cooktop, not all stainless steel will work on it. Pretty sure Revere Ware will NOT - basically some stainless alloys are ferromagnetic and some are not, and only those that are will work with induction. There's workarounds like using diffuser plates, but this is something to keep in mind when shopping for cookware. (this is also true of pressure cookers and canners as many of them are aluminum; however, some newer ones are cast with steel plates inside the bottoms so they can be used on induction cooktops.) Of course, cast iron and carbon steel work fine on induction.

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• #5Dec 1, 2025

  About to buy the most expensive set of pots and pans in my life

  Vollrath Optio is a commercial brand with the same durability and heavy clad bottom Its also like 75% cheaper

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• #6Nov 3, 2025

  I need new induction cookware I won’t have to throw away in two years.

  Vollrath stainless cookware is top notch.

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• #7Nov 3, 2025

  What's the best cookware you've ever had?

  Vollrath. It’s probably what your favorite restaurant uses. Best price, performance and true buy it for life per dollar.

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• #8Oct 6, 2025

  What are some actual BIFL kitchen items?

  good call, I have two similar Vollrath ones.

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• #9Oct 6, 2025

  Anything like this but not this?

  Buy commercial grade pans. Vollrath. They're way cheaper than the fancy shit and will outlive your grandchildren. Also, I hate absolutely everything about this photo.

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• #10Oct 6, 2025

  What are some actual BIFL kitchen items?

  Vollrath is an excellent brand used in loads of high volume commercial kitchens especially at high end restaurants!

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• #11Oct 6, 2025

  What are some actual BIFL kitchen items?

  Vollrath pots and pans. Haven’t heard of them? Likely used by your favorite restaurant, crazy well made and often well priced.

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• #12Aug 12, 2025

  I’m looking to buy a stainless steel pot set that’s going to last me for years to come

  I use Lincoln pans, mostly, but the lines from which I purchased 20 years ago were bought by Vollrath. Vollrath figuratively makes tanks that won't break the budget and are intended to be heavily used for years in a restaurant kitchen setting. I also buy welded; never riveted. There are some pans and pots I've found along the way that are made the exact same way, but are not stamped by those manufactures, and they are just as good. Most of those I've found at Ross and TJ Maxx. I suggest to anyone to start out with a 9.5/10" skillet, two 4 qt pans, a 6 qt pan or (preferably) pot, one Vollrath lid for each (because of its design), high grade silicone mixing spatulas and ladles, and Dexter spatulas/turners. Then, extend from this only as needed. It's minimalistic, but with high grade stainless steel mixing bowls and an oven to keep things warm, you can cook just about anything standard in European, Middle Eastern, American, and African cuisine. Asian can be done, but it's best to use a Wok, and that's a whole other topic. (This is just my appraisal after trial and error for over 20 years. Opinions may vary.)

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• #13Aug 9, 2025

  What's the best BIFL item you own?

  I have had the following for years if not decades, and have never regretted the price: All Clad pans, Vitamix, Portmeirion plates and ramekins (dishwasher, fridge, freezer and oven safe; they have literally been dropped on wood floors and been totally fine), Kyocera ceramic knives, Wüstof 10 inch chef's knife, Vollrath Wear-Ever Cookie Sheet Pans, Peugeot pepper mill (solid as a rock), Kitchenaid mixer, Hamilton Beach Heavy Duty food processor, Williams Sonoma gold pans, all metal apple slicer, all-metal juicer, all metal Microplane, metal bowl set, 10 piece glass bowl set, metal whisk, set of 3 plain wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, all silicone spatulas (handle coated as well) Basically, if you find a kitchen tool that has no plastic anywhere, and is made of good quality metal, get it. Also refer to America's Test Kitchen recommendations, as they really put kitchen tools to the test. Also, I almost hate to say it, but my Tesla Model 3 has lasted 8 years now, and my only maintenance needed has been to replace the air filter, windshield washing fluid, and tires. Also, with every SW update, the car gets better/more features. Not buy for life, but buy for a decade at least. I may not stay with Tesla in the future, but I will be staying with electric cars, for the super low cost of maintenance and acceleration alone.

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• #14Aug 6, 2025

  Best pot and pan set for a new homeowner?

  I think it's a mistake to buy a set and it's also a mistake to buy nonstick. All nonstick is some form of PFOA / Teflon. They slightly change the chemicals to say it's not or they flat out lie and say it's not a PFOA when it is. These chemicals are bad for you, and there is no such thing as a non stick pan that will last for more than a few years, the coating wears down and starts to flake or tear out and you have to replace the pan. Doesn't matter how much you spend, they all do this, including the "Super Diamond Hexagon!!!" whatever new bullshit they come out with every year. Always the same. For a new homeowner I recommend going to a restaurant supply store and buying: 12 inch stainless steel fry pan 12 inch carbon steel fry pan 4 quart sauce pan 12 quart stock pot (this is pretty big, maybe 8 or 10 is fine for you, I prefer the extra room to prevent boil overs and to use to deep fry in sometimes) All of these should have one piece metal lids and heavy disc bottoms (carbon steel doesn't have a disc bottom, the others do). Restaurant supply stores usually stock brands like WinCo and Vollrath but whatever they have will be fine for the rest of your lifetime. Watch a video on how to season and use your carbon steel pan, that's your nonstick pan. If you cook eggs a lot you can get a 12 inch nonstick frying pan but I suggest using it only on medium heat or less, only for eggs, and only using silicone utensils in it, and still throwing it out every three or so years. If you make a lot of stews consider getting a braizer pan instead of / in addition to the stock pot. It's basically a low wide stock pot so that your have more surface area for browning. Some people get a Dutch Oven to serve this function but I prefer a stainless steel braizer. Tougher and lighter and more functional.

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• #15Aug 4, 2025

  Suggest for my kitchenware?

  Pans: American Kitchen (or any fully clad 3-ply) you don’t need a “set” get the pans and pots you’ll actually use. Pan contd: Lodge carbon steel and cast iron Utensils: Dexter, Vollrath, Edlund and Epicurean Mixing bowls: Vollrath Strainer: RSVP Sheet pans: Nordic ware Thermometer: Thermoworks thermapen Knifes: Wustoff

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• #16Jul 9, 2025

  Important Kitchen Essentials?

  Skip All-Clad. Go Winco, OXO SS, or Vollrath. Escali Primo scale, Cuisipro spoons. Cheap, solid, pro-tier.

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• #17Jul 1, 2025

  Does anyone else feel like it's impossible to buy quality stuff anymore? Seems like every single thing I buy falls apart absurdly fast. I try to get quality stuff, but reviews are all fake, star ratings are bought... how do you avoid buying junk?

  I try to stay with things that are industrial, for example kitchen pots and pans I go with vollrath, they’re not pretty like the all clad stuff, but they’re tough and designed for a pro kitchen so the little bit of work they get in my house is nothing

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• #18Jun 5, 2025

  Meat smoker accessories

  Edlund tongs Even if he has a wireless thermometer, an instant read is always needed (Thermoworks thermapen or thermopop) Vollrath SS mixing bowls (great for tossing wings or ribs in sauce Dexter spatula/turner Spices from The Spice House

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• #19Jun 4, 2025

  Vegetable Chopper - The kind that functions as pictured - MUST be dishwasher safe - strong enough for most vegetables (Potato would be awesome but not required)

  The biggest problem I see with this is the hinge. It's going to be pushing at an angle which will cause a lot of problems. Something like this is probably gonna last forever. [https://www.vortexrestaurantequipment.ca/product/vollrath-47715-932″-french-fry-potato-cutter/](https://www.vortexrestaurantequipment.ca/product/vollrath-47715-932″-french-fry-potato-cutter/) It's listed as $400. I assume that's USD. I also assume your $200 is also USD It's all metal, except the grip. It's huge though. But you can mount it to the wall have it all vertical and it'll take up less space, but since you're putting strength into the lever, make sure it's screwed into a stud. And I'm not sure about cleaning, I assume you can remove the blade and wash that. It will get duller and duller in the dish washer, but that'll happen with every cutting edge. So beware you might need to replace that.

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• #20May 8, 2025

  What’s a kitchen item you bought once and never had to replace?

  Kinda depends on what you cook, we're a mixed west/east cooking house so the list reflects that. And these have been collected across a 35 year span and frequent trips to both western and eastern restaurant supply shops, not all at once: Tatung steamer/rice cookers, Ohaus valor 3000 xtreme scale, vintage high carbon knives (mostly French), good Chinese cleaver (Master Wu Artillery Steel), Benriner mandoline slicer (blades are replaceable), carbon steel woks in two sizes, EZ Wok outdoor wok burner cart, cast iron and carbon steel pans, Vigor induction ready sauce pans in a variety of sizes, Russell Hobbs kettle and toaster when they were made in the UK, solid wood (olive, beech & bamboo) utensils (spoons, spatulas), Nordic Naturals muffin and cake tins, Vollrath half and quarter sheet pans, Vollrath heavy duty stainless bowels in a variety of sizes, heavy duty stainless steel measure cups and spoons, PYREX volumetric measuring cuts, Waring all metal commercial grade immersion blender (2 speeds, replaceable blades), Braun Universal Mixer, Vitamix blender (I honestly wouldn't buy this if I had it to do over, it's our most rarely used gadget). The food processor has been replaced (killed beyond repair a Cuisinart, bought a used Magimix, had just for year) and the KitchenAid Professional (HA) had to be repaired twice so we gave up and switched to the Braun for bread doughs and barely use it now. #

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• #21May 7, 2025

  So is there really no non-stick pan that is safe to use as long as it isn’t chipped?

  Fine, I'll take the downvotes. Others have made good points, and I want to consolidate them here with a recommendation "Safe" is a relative term. As far as we can tell, and we've looked, Teflon non-stick pans appear to be safe to use at low temperatures EVEN IF the lining is scratched or chipped. Ingesting flakes of lining does not appear to be harmful at all because they just pass right through you. Their production is horrible for water quality and probably pretty bad for the health of their workers, but using them is fine as long as you make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN you never get the pan hotter than \~375. Keep in mind that preheating the pan can give you hotspots that can exceed that temperature. There are no BIFL non-stick skillets. Most skillets you find in stores will balance durability with performance. The better they non-stick, the sooner they wear out. Obviously you can extend the life by never using metal utensils and only hand-washing. You can extend it further by only cooking things like eggs that won't leave a mess you have to scrub. Using it for fish is right out, both for durability and for overheating. Restaurant suppliers often slap their own names on them, but Vollrath makes the best, most durable non-stick skillets on the market. If you have a friend in the industry, you can get them to order you one from GFS or Sysco. They are sometimes available on Amazon, but you'll overpay. I've found them on Ebay, but caveat emptor. Tramontina makes a reasonably close dupe. They can be found on Amazon. Carbon steel and/or cast iron will replace your non-stick skillets for everything but eggs. You can absolutely make over easy eggs in cast iron or carbon steel with more oil than you're used to, but it doesn't work quite as well. For omelettes and scrambled eggs, there's really no substitute in my opinion. I have one Vollrath 10" and one Tramontina 7" that I've had for a decade or more, and I never, EVER cook anything but eggs in them. I expect them to last probably five more years.

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• #22May 4, 2025

  What’s a kitchen item you bought once and never had to replace?

  Vollrath half-sheet pan. I have 2 half sheets, 2 quarter sheets, and I'll be amazed if they don't last 20 or more years. I used to buy the cheapo nonstick baking sheets and they would warp after a couple of years. These are always covered with something... parchment, silicone mats, aluminum foil. They're tough. I like the one that isn't rolled completely closed along the edges (thinking way into the future), but I have both.

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• #23Apr 10, 2025

  What is your current BIFL item you recommend to everyone?

  Vollrath

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• #24Mar 11, 2025

  Outdoor Grilling tools

  Lol, vollrath tongs are like $6 for the hinge version, $10 for the solid version

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• #25Mar 10, 2025

  Outdoor Grilling tools

  Spatulas: Dexter Tongs: Edlund See also: Vollrath

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• #26Feb 3, 2025

  Best pot and pan set

  Restaurant Supply shops will have a ton of gear, and we'll priced. I am for Vollrath, and I like welds instead of rivets.

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• #27Feb 2, 2025

  Best pot and pan set

  I wish I had learned about ordering from restaurant supply stores earlier. I think most stainless steel pans are pretty indestructible, but my Vollrath tribute pans feel heavier and more substantial than what was at the box stores. And they're less expensive than some of the other SS brands.  Switching to stainless steel made me learn about temperature and proper cooking techniques.  I also grabbed some Japanese pots from another restaurant supply store that have gone the distance.

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• #28Jan 4, 2025

  BIFL Request - kitchen pots & pans! Aside from cast iron, which brands are going to last a lifetime?

  You will love Vollrath Tribute. I bought a bunch of it 13 years ago, and excellent. I bought saucepans and stockpots- multiples of each. And a 6qt sauté.

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• #29Jan 4, 2025

  BIFL Request - kitchen pots & pans! Aside from cast iron, which brands are going to last a lifetime?

  Ah perfect! I'm grabbing the Vollrath Tribute 2 qt Saucier pan and I've never been more excited for cookware.

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