The 10 Essential Pots & Pans
Yep, it's only 10. Unless you're me, and then it's the entire Williams Sonoma catalog. But whatever.
Personally, I can never have enough pots and pans. I like them. I collect them. I find them interesting. Like a lot of other kitchen items, they tell stories. Or, that’s what I tell myself whenever I order a new one.
Look, I will one day judge my life on how many fights happen at my estate sale. I’m just not normal.
For those of you new to building a kitchen, again, we’re probably looking at spending some money up front, and your best cooking implements — both the pots and pans I’m introducing today and the cooking utensils I’ll talk about next week — are investments, and you should treat them like that. All Clad pans sound expensive, definitely, but I bought mine on clearance at Macy’s with my employee discount, way back in 2001, and they’re still cooking as well today as they did the first time I took them out of the box.
That’s 25 years. My pans are now 25 years old. At today’s prices, that averages out to roughly $.08 per day (I did check to make sure All Clad copper core quality hadn’t declined, and it seems it hasn’t, so that’s also very good news).
Of course, I’m not saying you need to go out and drop a paycheck on pans. Getting the best pan for your budget, though, will pay off in the long run. And they also seem to withstand abuse better, especially if, like me, you occasionally get frustrated and drop your pots in the dishwasher and don’t select any special “pots and pans” option.
There are a few constants, though:
Stainless steel is best. It just is. There are lots of other good options, and it does require a bit of a learning curve, understanding how to cook in a stainless steel pot without having food stick, but you’ll always do best with stainless steel. I prefer stainless steel with copper core for more even heating, but that’s a jump in price and that may not fit in everyone’s budget. Made In is a great compromise between affordability and commercial quality. NYT Wirecutter, which I trust to make a lot of my purchasing decisions, and Food & Wine, recommend Tramontia, but I’ve never tried it.
You need cast iron, but most cast iron is the same. I also love the look of a nice enameled dutch oven, but a Lodge brand…well, anything…will work fine. Cast iron without enamel requires seasoning and maintenance.
Ceramic non-stick is preferable over Teflon. I don’t know that I even need to say this — is anything made of Teflon anymore? I don’t typically go in for the “what’s in your pans/bottles/plates/cups” is going to kill you, but it’s just not necessary to take the risk. Nonstick pans, ceramic included, are far less durable than other pans, and you need to toss your nonstick pans at the first sign of scarring, scraping, or flaking of the finish.
Every Person Is Different. You may need all of these pans. You may do well with just one saute pan and a saucepan. You might prefer everything in cast iron. This is a general list for people who want to build a pantry and furnish a kitchen, and will pretty much take care of all needs across a variety of situations. I’ve tried to divide the list into “non-negotiable” — which I think you’ll need even if you don’t think you’ll need it, and “negotiable” which are pans I think you should have and that you’ll buy eventually.
Our Place pans are trendy and don’t live up to the hype.
The Non-Negotiable
A Stainless Steel Frying Pan. This and the saute pan coming next will probably be your most-used kitchen pans. You can cook just about everything in a frying pan or sauté pan, and it’s versatile enough to be used on top of your range or inside your oven. Once you learn how to heat this pan properly — that is, allowing it to heat up before plopping anything into it — you can make basically any dish using just this pan, but it works best for pan frying, browning, and sautéing (ironically!), and instances where you’re cooking a sauce that draws on your cooked protein.
A Stainless Steel Saute Pan, 10” or 12” (w/lid or universal lid). The explanation here is the same as the frying pan, but sauté pans will have sides that go straight up from the bottom of the pan, whereas a frying pan will have flared sides to more elegantly distribute heat. Again, this is a great, versatile pan, and you can use it for just about anything — and if you’re really going to splurge on anything, this is it.
A Stainless Steel Saucepan (w/lid or universal lid). The temptation to always have a side dish is, for me, ever-present, so I keep a small saucepan (2qt-ish) on hand for servings of pasta or risotto. It’s also super useful for boiling vegetables, heating sauces, or even making a box of Kraft Dinner. You can often find these pans with a lid that fits on your saute pan, in 3-piece or 5-piece sets.
A Nonstick Pan. Because at some point you’re just going to want to make breakfast and eggs, bacon, and pancakes are just…a lot…before you’ve had your coffee. I’ve also been known to saute in the nonstick pan if I just want to make quick work of some vegetables, but meat should be cooked in stainless steel.
A Dutch Oven. You need one to make sauces, soups and stews, both on the cooktop and in the oven. You want one that’s heat safe, well above 400 degrees, and most people select an enameled crock pot for ease of cooking and cleaning (the enamel also resists soaking in browned items and liquids, which help to create flavor as you braise over time). A Le Creuset or Staub is home cooking standard, but Lodge and even Cuisinart make passable options. I have a Le Creuset round dutch oven, but I find myself using my Cuisinart duck roaster (a dutch oven that’s more of an oval shape) just as much, and I got that one at HomeGoods 10 years ago for under $60.
The Negotiable
Look, I still think you need them, but get the other ones first.
A Stock Pot, 8-qt or larger. Stop buying expensive bone broth at the store. Instead, put a giant bag or container in your freezer (freezer-safe, of course), and put all of your cooking scraps in there — animal, vegetable, mineral — to save for a once-monthly stock-a-palooza. Stock pots also come in very handy for soups, bigger meals, and mashed potatoes. Don’t settle for anything less than 8 quarts or you may as well just buy a big saucepan (and you don’t need a steamer basket, double boiler, or pasta insert)
A Cast Iron Pan. In a pinch, basically anything can be cooked in cast iron. They’re, of course, a bit more difficult to wash, and they require seasoning, but if cared for properly, they can be one of the most versatile and effective tools in your kitchen — and they’re cheap! Always Lodge brand, accept no substitutes.
A Grill Pan. No matter where you live in the US, grilling year round can be a challenge. Good grilling can also hinge on a number of environmental and commercial factors (as well as remembering to heat and reheat your outdoor grill). Having something for the stove can be really useful for year-round hamburgers, grilled chicken, veggies, and even desserts.
Rimmed Baking Sheets. I put this in the “negotiable” category because it’s not technically a “pan” category, but while baking sheets and cookie sheets are great for some things (including protecting your oven from drippy pies), jelly roll pans and rimmed baking sheets, which have about a 1/4” rim all the way around, are super useful for roasting vegetables and cooking various items quickly. Restaurants keep stock of half and quarter sheet pans because they make life in the kitchen just that much easier.
Roasting Pan. Because you’re going to want to make roast chicken someday. Everyone wants to make a roast chicken. These can get expensive, but the Faberware one linked in the headline is just fine!
Next up: The essential tools you need to cook in your kitchen.
And then we get cooking.
Are you psyched?
Last week I went to a local restaurant outside of Nashville with my husband. Sat on the patio, shared an appetizer, and we each had a hamburger and a beer. With tip it was $80! We make good money but that is unsustainable--especially since I have a 1/2 steer in the freezer, Miller lites in the fridge and patio at home. For people that don't cook, how can you NOT afford to buy cookware?!
We bought ceramic nonsticks at Costco, and they’re just terrible. Certain things that never stick in my other pans, like eggs and pancake mix, absolutely wrecked these ceramics. It’s crazy.