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A properly stocked kitchen will change your life for the better. Chances are you already own a few nonstick, aluminum, and maybe even cast iron pots and pans, but are you confident about when to use each piece? Do you know which pieces you should purchased together or individually?
There are a variety of factors to consider when buying cookware sets&#;so much so that it can be a downright confusing task. Here, we'll break down the basics of buying cookware and take a look at which materials will work best for your needs and budget.
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Most people need these cookware essentials.
Before we dive into the differences between cookware materials, it's important to know which cookware items you should have in your kitchen cupboards. Whether you&#;re stocking your kitchen for the first time or finding the best recommendations for your registry, you&#;ll want to make sure you have the following essentials covered.
A nonstick skillet will be the cornerstone of your kitchen cookware. Depending on how many people you&#;re cooking for each night, you&#;ll want to purchase either a 10-inch skillet, which is perfect for two large pieces of meat, or a 12-inch skillet, which can fit three or four smaller pieces. If you prepare a lot of complex meals, you may want to invest in both sizes.
Sauté pans are great for cooking one-pot dishes, as they have higher sides than skillets, allowing for more food and more movement like stirring and sautéing. When you're cooking stir fries, pasta, stuffed meat, or steamed veggies, you'll find yourself reaching for a sauté pan, so this is undeniably an essential in the kitchen. Look for a product that comes with a lid, as this is called for in many recipes.
Everyone needs a saucepan or two in their kitchen. Personally, I prefer having a small 2- or 3-quart saucepan for rice, gravy and single-serve pasta meals, but you&#;ll want to make sure you also have a saucepan large enough for group dishes. Sometimes you can use a Dutch oven for these larger recipes, but if you aren&#;t ready to invest in one of those, a large 4-quart (or bigger) saucepan will get the job done. Again, you'll want to make sure these pans come with lids.
Yes, it will take up a fair bit of room in your cabinet, but sometimes, a ridiculously large stock pot is the only thing that can get the job done. From creating your own broth to brining your Thanksgiving turkey, there are a multitude of ways to use stock pots that you&#;ll suddenly discover after purchasing one. Plus, you can stack other cookware inside it to condense storage.
While not a complete necessity, we're willing to bet you won't ever regret buying a Dutch oven. This large, heavy piece of cookware may be intimidating, but its thick walls, tight lids, and ability to go in the oven make it an essential for any serious cook. Other pots and pans may be great for preparing individual parts of a meal, but a Dutch oven is perfect for one-pot dinners, soup, pasta, and even deep frying.
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Different metals have different properties that will affect your cooking.
Now that you know which pieces you need in your kitchen, it&#;s time to start comparing cookware materials. You'll want to consider these four factors as you decide which option is best for your needs: heat conductivity, durability, maintenance, and price.
This is a classic choice for cookware. Stainless steel is commonly used to make pots and pans because it&#;s both widely available and affordable, and it's a great option for beginners.
See our list of the best budget-friendly cookware sets.
This is another widely available material, and you&#;ll often find it in cookware sets combined with other materials, such as stainless steel pots with aluminum cores.
Nonstick pans are the best way to brown meat, cook eggs and whip up sticky sauces without having to labor through cleanup after. The cookware itself is generally made from a combination of metals like aluminum and stainless steel, but the nonstick coating is a chemical known as polytetrafluoroethylene&#;more commonly called Teflon.
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See our list of the best nonstick cookware sets, including budget-friendly options.
Copper can be quite expensive, but there&#;s a good reason&#;it&#;s excellent at conducting heat and is a breeze to clean, and aesthetically, it&#;s absolutely gorgeous. All this considered, it's really no surprise die-hard chefs consider copper cookware a must-have.
Most chefs will tell you that everyone needs at least one cast-iron skillet in their collection. This heavy material is an unbeatable choice for cooking meats, like burgers and steaks, but takes a lot of maintenance to maintain.
See our list of the best cast iron pans
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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DUTCH OVENS
Dutch ovens are one of the most versatile, timeless and durable types of cookware that you can have in your kitchen because they can go directly from the stovetop to the oven &#; and then to the table. A Dutch oven is a lidded pot with handles that&#;s the perfect vessel for soups, stews, beans, braised dishes, one-pot dinners, and even dishes like roast chicken or baked bread. A tight-fitting lid traps moisture, allowing for slow cooking since it limits evaporation. Traditionally made from heavy durable materials like enamel cast iron, Dutch ovens are now available in non-stick materials too if you are looking for a lighter or more affordable option.
FRYING PANS
Frying pans typically have a wide base and short sides. From making omelets to sautéing veggies, this essential piece of cookware has slanted sides that let you move ingredients around quickly, perfect for quick cooking. Frying pans are available in a variety of sizes, often from 8-inch to 12-inch, and it&#;s helpful to have a few options in your kitchen depending on the size of the recipe you are cooking and how many people you are looking to feed. Frying pan is another name for a skillet.
GRIDDLES
Not just for pancakes! Griddles are flat pans that transform your cooktop burner into a large flat cooking surface. They are so useful for breakfast foods like french toast, pancakes, eggs and bacon, but they are also the perfect pan for searing steaks, making fajitas, or even recrisping up a slice of last night&#;s pizza. You&#;ll typically find them made out of cast iron or nonstick materials. Note: Griddles can be sized to cover 1 or 2 burners on your stovetop.
GRILL PANS
No outdoor grill? No problem. A grill pan can help you make all your favorite grilled recipes indoors. Made with grill-like ridges that leave those desirable char marks, these pans allow you to make kebobs, grilled chicken, veggies, brats and more right on your stovetop. Grill pans are usually available in cast iron or non-stick finishes.
LASAGNA PANS
A lasagna pan is a type of rectangular bakeware that can vary in size from the typical 9"x13&#; pan to a larger size. It&#;s perfect for baking up a large lasagna to feed a crowd, but can also be used for all kinds of other baked recipes, like mac and cheese, a shepherd&#;s pie or even a blackberry cobbler. These pans typically feature rounded edges to make scooping out food easier, and can also be called bakers or baking dishes. Depending on the material, these pans can also be microwave-, dishwasher- and even freezer-safe, giving you more options for cooking and storing your favorite dishes.
PASTA COOKERS
Pasta cookers are also called pasta pots or multipots. These cleverly designed large stock pots feature a large perforated insert nested inside so you can easily and quickly strain cooked pasta. Use the pasta pot for other kitchen tasks like boiling potatoes and blanching vegetables to eliminate the need for an extra colander or a precarious trip to the sink with a pot of boiling water. If you are looking for even more versatility, look for a pasta pot with an additional perforated basket that can be used for steaming vegetables, fish or dumplings.
ROASTERS
A roaster or roasting pan is a hosting essential because it&#;s an ideal vessel for cooking large cuts of meat like a Thanksgiving turkey, a leg of lamb or even a dish as simple as a weeknight roast chicken. These pans come in a variety of sizes and you&#;ll find them in rectangular and oval shapes. A roasting pan often includes a rack that holds the meat above the pan, creating better air circulation around the food in the oven and allowing the drippings to flavor ingredients like potatoes and onions below.
SAUCE PANS
We consider a sauce pan one of the most basic kitchen essentials with its long handle, high straight sides and lid. Don't let the name deceive you&#;this do-it-all workhorse goes beyond sauce. Make gravy and syrups, reheat soup, prepare rice and potatoes, and boil or steam vegetables. Sauce pans are typically sized by volume and come in a variety of sizes, often from a small 1 quart up to a large 4 quart.
SAUCIERS
Similar to sauce pans, saucier pans are small to mid-size lidded pots with a single long handle. However, they have some key differences. Sauciers have curved rounded edges and shorter sides. A saucier will be a better pan for dishes that require more stirring like risotto or a custard because the round edges allow spatulas and whisks to continuously stir and prevent ingredients from getting stuck in the edges. The sloping sides allow for more evaporation as well so are also a great choice for sauces that require reduction like a balsamic glaze.
SAUTE PANS
The key difference between a saute pan and a frying pan is that a saute pan has straight sides and a frying pan has sloped sides. However, they can often be used interchangeably for things like sauteing vegetables or searing steaks. The straight sides of the saute pan are superior for recipes that require a little more liquid like a shallow fry or braising meat since the higher sides will trap the liquid and slow evaporation. Saute pans can also go from stovetop to oven making something like pan-roasted chicken thighs an easy dinner at home.
SKILLETS
What&#;s the difference between a skillet and a frying pan? There&#;s no difference. Skillet and frying pan are two different words to describe the same pan. A skillet has a wide base and sloped sides and is a great tool for sauteing vegetables or cooking a hash. You can find skillets made out of almost any cookware material including cast iron, non-stick, ceramic and stainless steel.
STEAMERS
Steaming is a fast, inexpensive and healthy way to cook your food and there are a variety of steamers available to help you in the kitchen. A pasta pot or multipot can function as a steamer, especially if they have a smaller perforated insert that holds the ingredients above the boiling water. You can also find separate steamer accessories like metal basketss or bamboo steamers that can work with your existing cookware. Typically you set the basket over an inch or so of boiling water, making sure to have a lid on top to trap the steam.
STOCK & SOUP POTS
A stock pot or soup pot is another essential piece of cookware. These pots are large enough to boil lots of water or simmer a big batch of soup for meal prep. Since stock pots and soup pots are typically made from stainless steel or nonstick materials, they are often lighter than dutch ovens of a similar size. This makes them a great choice if you are looking for a large volume pot but don't want it to be too heavy.
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