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In this video, I answer the
question I get most often:
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“What are the essential pots and
pans that every kitchen needs?”
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I give you my recommendations
on shapes, sizes, and brands.
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I also share a few pans that aren't
essential but are nice to have as
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you add to your collection over time.
So if you're starting completely from
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scratch or you’re ready to throw out your
old pans and invest in better quality,
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more functional pieces, keep watching.
The first piece every kitchen needs is
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a quality stainless steel frying pan, also
referred to as a stainless steel skillet.
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This is your workhorse pan. You can use
it for nearly any ingredient and it will
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last forever. This pan has sloped sides, a
long handle, and a large cooking surface.
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You can use it to sear meats, saute
vegetables, shallow fry chicken, and much more.
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It won't react with acidic ingredients,
and the fond and brown bits that get
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stuck to the surface can be deglazed and
simmered down into a delicious pan sauce.
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Look for a fully-clad pan that's around 3
mm thick. Fully clad means the pan has a
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conductive core layer of aluminum or copper
throughout the pan, including the sides.
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The alternative is disc bottom, meaning
the pan only has this conductive layer
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at the base. Fully Clad pans are
more durable and heat more evenly.
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I prefer pans with flared rims
because they make it easier to
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pour liquids and slide food onto a plate.
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Avoid rounded handles as
those can rotate in your hand.
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I recommend a 12-inch pan because it can handle
large amounts of food without overcrowding. But
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if you live alone or don't have the space
for it, a 10-inch pan is a good option, too.
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For frying pans and the other stainless steel
pots and pans I talk about in this video,
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All-Clad, Made In, Heritage Steel,
and Demeyere are excellent brands.
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If you want to save money, Goldilocks, Misen, and
Legend are affordable brands that perform well.
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The next pan you need is a stainless steel saute
pan. The difference between a frying pan and
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a saute pan is that frying pans have sloped
sides and saute pans have straight sides.
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Because of the taller L-shaped sides, saute
pans can handle more volume and liquid-heavy
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meals and do a better job containing
splatter. They're great for braising,
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shallow frying, and, of course, sauteing.
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The downside of the straight sides
is that liquid doesn't evaporate as
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quickly. And since you need the surface of
the meat to dry out to get a good crust,
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searing in a saute pan is less
effective than searing in a frying pan.
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Most come with a lid so you can stuff
large amounts of greens, like kale,
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in them to steam and cook down. And
they usually have a helper handle
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that makes them easy to pick up and move,
even when they’re hot and full of food.
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Saute pans come in several sizes,
but I recommend 3 to 4 quarts for
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most people. These sizes are large but
still maneuverable and easy to store.
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Every kitchen should also have either a
stainless steel saucepan or a saucier.
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Saucepans have a flat bottom, straight
sides, a narrow opening, and a long handle.
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Sauciers have a curved bottom,
sloped sides, and a wider opening.
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Both are great for making sauces, pasta,
grains, braises, and small batches of soup.
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Although I use both regularly, I prefer a
saucier because the rounded bottom makes
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stirring, whisking, and cleaning easier.
With saucepans, ingredients tend to stay
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in place, which increases the risk of burning and
sticking. And the corners are difficult to clean.
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I recommend a 2-, 3-, or 4-quart saucepan or
saucier. The 4-quart gives you extra room to
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avoid overcrowding foods like pasta,
but the 2-quart version is better for
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hard-boiled eggs and quick meals like mac
and cheese since it boils water faster.
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3-quart is a nice balance between the two.
One reason you might want to go with a smaller
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saucepan is because you also need a stock
pot. These pots are similar to a saucepan
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but they’re larger with taller sides,
wider openings, and two small handles.
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This will be the largest pot you buy,
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and I recommend getting one
that’s between 6 and 8 quarts.
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You'll use your stock pot to cook soups, stocks,
large quantities of rice, and pasta. You may not
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use it daily or even weekly, but I still consider
it essential. Sooner or later, you'll need to
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make large quantities of food and cooking multiple
batches in a smaller saucepan isn't practical.
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Although I recommend fully-clad stainless
steel cookware in most cases, stockpots are
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one exception where you can get by without
it. The circulating liquid helps distribute
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heat effectively and food doesn’t often
directly contact the sides of the pot. So,
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there's less risk of scorching or uneven
heating even without the clad walls.
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A 12-inch cast iron skillet is another
essential piece of cookware. The main
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difference between this cast
iron skillet and the stainless
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steel frying pan I mentioned
previously is how they heat.
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Cast iron doesn't heat up as fast or evenly
as stainless steel, but due to its thick
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construction, it has far superior heat retention.
It’s the ultimate cookware for searing because it
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can hold temperature stable and not cool down
when you place a piece of cold meat in it.
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But you can do much more than searing.
You can use this skillet for roasting,
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sauteing, frying, and even
baking cornbread and pizza.
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To prevent rust, you need to
season cast iron occasionally,
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which involves coating it in a thin
layer of oil and baking it in the oven.
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As layers of seasoning build up over
time, the cooking surface becomes slick,
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which makes it easy to cook eggs without sticking.
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The main downside is that cast iron
doesn’t go well with tomatoes, wine,
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vinegar, and citrus. These acidic ingredients
can strip the seasoning and react with the metal,
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leaving behind a metallic taste in the food.
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Lodge and Calphalon make good quality
and affordable cast iron skillets.
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But Stargazer is an excellent option if
you're willing to spend more. It has
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a longer handle and a smoother
cooking surface than these other brands.
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Every kitchen should have one 10- or 12-inch
non-stick pan to cook eggs. I know I said you can
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cook eggs in cast iron, but a non-stick pan is, by
far, the easiest and most convenient way to do it.
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No matter what brand you buy, the
non-stick coating will eventually
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wear out, food will start to stick,
and you'll need to replace the pan.
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That's why I recommend using it exclusively
for eggs and keeping the heat low to medium.
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If you’re concerned about the chemicals in
traditional non-stick pans, brands like Caraway
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and GreenPan have a ceramic-like coating made
from Silicon Dioxide, which is essentially sand.
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Don't waste money on non-stick saucepans,
stockpots, and saute pans. Liquid-based
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meals don't stick, so there's no reason to buy
larger pots and pans with a non-stick coating.
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And don't spend too much money on a
non-stick frying pan because you'll
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have to replace it eventually. Brands
like Misen, Tramontina, Calphalon,
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and All-Clad Essentials make affordable
aluminum non-stick pans that get the job done.
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A rimmed baking sheet or sheet pan is another
essential. It's helpful to have two of these so
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you can roast multiple foods at once without
mixing flavors or overcooking one of them.
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These pans are great for cooking large quantities
of ingredients that need to spread out flat and
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bake or roast in the oven — for example, pizza,
chicken wings, broccoli, potatoes, and squash.
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You can also use a baking sheet to catch drippings
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under a cutting board or on the
lower rack under a smaller pan.
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Go for the half-sheet size which measures
about 18 inches by 13 inches. The 1-inch
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rims contain ingredients, so they don't
slide off when you move the food around.
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These pans are made of either aluminum, steel,
aluminized sheet, or aluminum with a non-stick
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coating. I recommend aluminum without the
non-stick coating because it heats more evenly
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than steel and can withstand higher temperatures
than non-stick. Plus, it’s safe under the broiler.
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A roasting pan with a rack is only
essential if you cook chickens,
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turkeys, roast beef, ham, and other large
meats. Otherwise, you can roast smaller
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meats in a cast iron skillet, stainless
steel frying pan, or rimmed baking sheet.
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I recommend a 14 to 16-inch roasting pan with 3-
to 4-inch walls. If the walls are too shallow,
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juices can splash over the sides. But walls that
are too high prevent air from circulating,
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and the food won't cook as evenly. Make sure
the roasting pan you buy comes with a rack.
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The rack allows heat to circulate so the meat
cooks evenly and doesn't stew in its own juices.
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Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Ovens like
this one from Staub are incredibly
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versatile. You can use them to make soups,
stews, sauces, braises, and even bread.
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Because they have thick cast iron walls, they
retain heat incredibly well. So meatballs,
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short ribs, chicken thighs, and any other
meals that require browning and braising,
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frying, or low and slow cooking
do really well in these pots.
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Plus the enamel coating is non-reactive
so you can cook tomato sauce, chili,
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and other acidic foods without any issue.
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You could argue that a Dutch oven is not essential
if you own a stock pot since both are large pots
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with tall walls, large openings, and lids. But
I suggest getting both for the same reasons I
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recommend buying stainless steel AND cast
iron skillets. Dutch ovens are heavier and
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retain heat better than stock pots. Therefore, they are
better for browning, searing, braising,
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slow cooking, and any meals that require
a steady temperature for long periods.
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Plus, the heavy lids do a better job locking
in moisture and keeping meals tender.
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In terms of size, a 5 to 7-quart Dutch oven is
ideal for most kitchens. They make round and
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oval Dutch ovens, but I prefer round because
they fit better on standard cooktop burners.
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I've tested several Dutch ovens, and the best
brands are Le Creuset, Staub, and Made In.
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Those are the essentials, but if you have
the space and budget, a carbon steel skillet,
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an enameled cast iron braiser, a carbon steel
wok, and a copper skillet are nice to have.
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A carbon steel skillet is the lightweight version
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of a cast iron skillet. But
owning both isn’t necessary.
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A braiser is like a Dutch oven but with
shorter sides and a wider cooking surface.
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Woks have tall sloped sides that
prevent splatter and allow you to
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regulate the heat as you rotate ingredients
from the hot bottom up to the cooler sides.
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Copper skillets heat up rapidly and
respond quickly to temperature adjustments,
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but they're not essential because stainless steel
pans can deliver similar results at a much lower cost.
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If you’re ready to start your cookware
collection, I’ll link to my favorite
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essential and nice to have pots and pans in the
video description. Those are affiliate links
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so I’ll earn a commission if you click
and buy, but at no extra cost to you.
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If this video was helpful, check out this
video where I break down the biggest mistakes
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people make when buying stainless steel
cookware. And don't forget to click the
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logo to subscribe to the channel. Thanks for
watching; we'll see you in the next video.
