For all of the cooking that I do — often as much as three times a day — I entered 2010 using the same, cheap, hand-me-down aluminum cookware that I was given when I married nearly 12 years ago. This includes the saucepan that always scorches at the edges and the two tiny pans that are useful for absolutely nothing. So I decided that it was finally time to take the leap and invest in good cookware.
I already have a 12″ skillet that I love with all of my heart: a KitchenAid that cooks beautifully and was purchased for $4.50 at an outlet mall. But the rest of the cookware had to go.
Being the compulsive researcher that I am, I read countless online reviews from professionals and amateurs and came up with the following combination of pots and pans.
- 2 2.5-qt nonstick sauce pans
- 1 domed sauté pan, 3.5-qt (approximately 12″ diameter)
- 1 8-qt stock pot
- 1 6-qt enameled cast iron self-basting dutch oven
Why these choices? As Cook’s Illustrated suggests, saucepans are used for a lot of sticky things, and in their estimation, nonstick is the way to go. I have no doubt that I’ll get far more use out of the two 2.5-qt pans than I have out of my single 2-qt and two 1-qt pans.
Since I already have a good frying pan, I opted for the lidded sauté pan to give me extra depth when working with food that needs to be both seared and simmered.
The 8-qt stock pot replaces one of equal size that was poorly crafted, and suffered from severe hot spots. This one allows me to make soups without burning half of the mirepoix. Cook’s Illustrated recommends a 12-qt stock pot, but I’ve never found that I’ve needed anything larger than my old 8-qt, and I don’t want to store anything larger if I don’t have to.
I’ve wanted a dutch oven for years, particularly since discovering the recipe for no-knead bread. At 6 quarts, this pot does a fantastic job with bread and gives me a good-sized second option when I need to make sauce and pasta at the same time.
What tools are must-haves for you? What can’t you live without?