Winco

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Winco

17 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 30, 2025

  I never want to buy cookware again

  WinCo. Industrial quality for a reasonable price.

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• #2Dec 30, 2025

  I never want to buy cookware again

  All clad. Had my full set for 12 years. Zero issues with it. I just use cooking spray if I need it to be non stick. We also have some huge commercial grade stainless Winco stock pots and skillets for large batch family means and those are also great. 

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• #3Dec 30, 2025

  I never want to buy cookware again

  Commercial quality is cheap steel pans that get beat to hell because they are workhorses and are all that is needed to cook. Winco is what I have in my house because it's in damn near every commercial kitchen, you can get them in any shape/size, and you can get them super cheap at a restaurant wholesale. If you need non-stick that is something you are either going to have to replace often or sacrifice time in prep/matainance. For bifl, you have 2 main choices cast iorn/carbon steel. I chose carbon steel cause it's lighter than cast iorn, but I dont cook stuff that requires the heat retention that cast iorn provides. Both are pains because you need to season and make sure to get it dry ASAP or it will rust. So not dishwasher friendly at all. 

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• #4Dec 22, 2025

  The flatware controversy: When did spoons become that sticky?

  Restaurant supply is honestly the way to go, had the same exact crisis and ended up with some basic Winco stuff that's been solid for like 3 years now

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• #5Dec 20, 2025

  Anyone bought this before ?

  I know this is buyitforlife, but when I consider the value of my 8” winco non stick pan for $14 and 12” for $38, it’s tough to justify an Allclad set. My non stick pans are pristine after 3+ years because I let them cool down fully before washing and only use a sponge and either silicone or wood cooking utensils. I’ve wrecked several non stick pans in the past, but once I learned how to care for them, they’re fantastic

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• #6Nov 2, 2025

  LPT: Buy all you kitchen utensils at restaurant supply stores

  Thanks for mentioning Winco! I’ve found their full stainless steel mixing bowls and whisks to be a game changer. They’re easy to clean, super sturdy, and honestly, once you try these, regular kitchen stuff feels flimsy in comparison. 10/10 would Highly recommend

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• #7Oct 1, 2025

  If you had $300 for your kitchen, what would you buy that lasts?

  Cheap victoriax knifes(chef, santoku, bread, boning, and paring) and decent pull through sharpener along with a winco 1” cutting board is all you need. Buy some Nordic sheet pans, cusinart stainless pans, and a lodge Dutch oven and that’s almost everything. Only thing that gets substantial better with price is a blender. Any $150-250 blender will have enough power to chop ice and seeds to create a good smoothy, have a big blender cup to create more than single servings, and will have a few attachments to double as a food processor for sauces. Don’t over complicate it.

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• #8Oct 1, 2025

  If you had $300 for your kitchen, what would you buy that lasts?

  Cheap victoriax knifes and decent pull through sharpener along with a winco 1” cutting board is all you need. Buy some Nordic sheet pans, cusinart stainless pans, and a lodge Dutch oven and that’s almost everything. Only thing that gets substantial better with price is a blender.

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• #9Sep 5, 2025

  Manual Citrus Juicer recommendation

  I have a Winco one that’s been in my life for at least 15 years they’re only 7 bucks at [homedepot](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Winco-Lemon-Citrus-Squeezer-LS-9Y/330817338?MERCH=REC-_-visuallysimilar_1_0-_-330817306-_-0-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a)

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• #10Sep 4, 2025

  What's a purchase under $50 that has genuinely improved your daily routine?

  Winco Stainless Steel Tongs. Can be had for <$10

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• #11Aug 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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• #12Jul 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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• #13Apr 1, 2025

  What to buy for upkeep of house as a 22M?

  Make a maintenance request for stuff that's not working. That's why you rent. Don't waste money on a crap tool set that isn't going to the job if you don't know what you're doing. Buy nice tools one at a time as you need them for the job. Get a offset serrated knife like a Dexter, it'll cut most things and you won't dull the blade out and be working with a useless edge. (Cook by trade ) . Go to a restaurant supply store and buy pans from there, a half sheet tray , a WinCo half hotel pan , s rubber spatula , a WinCo pizza cutter is going to work a hell of a lot better then a cheap one from the grocery store at a reasonable price. Metal tongs / metal spatula will scratch your non sticks making them useless.

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• #14Feb 3, 2025

  Looking for Spatula/Turner for Cast Iron (not silicone/nylon)

  I like the Winco fish spat, wood handle doesnt melt. Looks like dexter makes a wood handled one, too

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• #15Feb 3, 2025

  What brand / type of pots & pans are worth investing in as a young adult?

  Winco makes pans for restaurants. The amount of abuse those things can handle and keep going will last your home kitchen forever. They're actually super affordable too. Go to a restaurant supply store and get yourself some.

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• #16Feb 2, 2025

  Any recs for a new can opener? This is the highest rated one of my online short list so far. Thoughts?

  Winco CO-902. I've had it for years. It's incredibly easy to use. I've never had a single issue with it. Good construction. The long handle gives easy torque, so even someone who might have hand/wrist issues should have easy time with it. Best can opener I've ever had.

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• #17Jan 3, 2025

  How in the dang world is OXO considered bifl? What other brands do you see recommended on this sub that aren't worth anything?

  Interesting. Yeah, mine probably has 35 degrees of slop so it couldn't possibly roll a straight line. It's easily duller than a butter-knife. When I worked pizza we just got the winco sub-$5 rollers at the kitchen supply store, they also had polycarb. I never saw a bad one. But it seems like oxo has a wide variety of price points and quality levels, I'm sure mine was the priciest of the trash models.

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