Cookware

What Is The Best Cookware?

For every job in the kitchen, there’s a tool that’s right for the job.

How you cook or how many people you typically cook for will have a major impact on which pots and pans are the right fit.

Here are some of the most important questions you can be asking yourself when picking cookware for your kitchen.

Sets Vs. Individual Pieces

For most home chefs, only a few pots and pans will be responsible for 90% of the cooking that gets done. And the fact of the matter is that you can go a long way without a lot of accessories.

There is a certain convenience (and sometimes cost economy) to buying a full set, but in most cases you will be picking up items in a “package deal” that rarely see the stovetop.

Most sets include products of a single brand, line and material. If you’re looking for best performance across your entire cookware collection then it can be beneficial to employ different materials for specific tasks.

One brand may be excellent, for example, for its stainless steel cookware products AND simultaneously below average when it comes to enameled cast iron dutch ovens. If you purchase a set, you get what you get.

Take time in advance to confirm the pieces and materials are actually what you need and want. Even budget-oriented cookware can be expensive. 

It is possible to find a screaming deal on a set, but often you’ll be better served in the long run to purchase piece-by-piece.

What Do You Cook?

The types of pots and pans sold today were originally designed with very specific cooking purposes in mind. Take a moment to think about the types of cuisine and recurring dishes you like to cook.

Be specific, if you can.

Think about, and write down, the meals you prepared in the last month. Many home cooks will venture out to try new recipes a few times a month, but most of us tend to come back to the same dishes we know and love.

If you don’t recall which dishes you prepared last month, find a notebook where you can keep a “food journal” over the coming weeks.

Your first cookware purchases would do well to support the 80% of items you make again and again. For example, it’s probably more practical to start with a great daily frying pan before investing in occasional items like an egg poacher.

Check Your Stovetop.

Your heat source matters.

In addition to what you’re cooking, it’s also important to have an idea where you’ll be cooking it. Not all materials perform equally on every type of stove.

For example, induction ranges will only work on pans that contain a ferro-magnetic material like iron and some types of steel.

Some cookware may have temperature limitations, or not be safe to use in the oven. Materials like cast iron will do better at holding a consistent temperature for even cooking when the heat source fluctuates. Cooking over a camp fire where there is little temperature consistency or control is a great example of when this might apply.

Know your heat source, and plan your first purchases appropriately if you need induction cookware or if you’re more likely to use pots and pans on a gas stove or electric glass-top range.

While induction stoves are incredibly convenient, it is worth noting that nonstick induction cookware can be hard to come by.

Portions And Sizing.

Buy for the mouths you are regularly feeding first.

For example, I can tell you from personal experience that it’s not helpful to own a 16″ wok if you are only feeding 2 adults on the regular.

Sure, it’s a nice tool to have around if you are catering to a crowd – but a huge dish is heavy, clumsy and hard to store. Especially when the 12″ model would’ve cut it for 99% of meals.

In most cases, over-sizing a dish from your cooking current habits will cost more money but not add a lot of extra benefit. There are always a few exceptions to any rule, but the vast majority of us would benefit to look at the portions we prepared last month and assume that next month should be (mostly) the same.

Each variety of pot or pan is sized distinctly. Those used to prepare liquid dishes are often labeled in quarts, while solid-centric pans may label by inches diameter instead.

There is no “golden rule” for sizing across every type of pan. 

Fortunately, our team provides a detailed guide for each category of products we review. For example, the Dutch oven is one of the most versatile dishes in any kitchen. It can be sized from as small as 1-quart (single serving) to 15.5 quarts (10+ people). See our guide to Le Creuset dutch oven sizes for an example of what I mean.

Sizing is complex, and every kitchen is unique.

The most important thing is to have a good idea about who you’re cooking for most often and start from there. 

Storage And Care

For a low-maintenance pan, stainless steel is going to be your best friend.

Stainless steel is very durable, it doesn’t have to be seasoned, and washing is as easy as scrubbing with soapy water, or even throwing in the dishwasher.

Stainless steel also takes time to get used to. It is far from nonstick, and easy to burn food on before you’re accustomed.

Just like stainless steel, every cookware material has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Nonstick pans will be fragile, while carbon steel requires special seasoning to avoid rust or can’t be washed with soap. 

There is no universal silver bullet when it comes to the best pots and pans.

You can only find what’s right for your kitchen, and balance the benefits and tradeoffs of the material you choose to fit your preferences.