Five Essential Pots and Pans Every Kitchen Should Have

Here are the five essentials that every kitchen should be stocked with, and how to use them.


10-Inch Non-Stick Skillet

Use It For
- sautéing breaded chops and seafood
- searing fish fillets
- scrambling eggs

Easy to Clean
Use a 10- to 12-inch nonstick pan for breaded items, seafood, and eggs; you'll need less fat and spend less time cleaning up. You can also sauté meat and vegetables, but they will not caramelize as well as in a regular skillet. To preserve the coating, do not use metal utensils or place in dishwasher; soak and clean with a soft cloth and dishwashing liquid (no abrasives).

Beneath the Surface
The nonstick surface should be bonded to sturdy aluminum or stainless with an aluminum core.

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Dutch Oven

Use It
For slow-cooking pot roasts and making stews, soups, and chili.

From Stovetop to Oven
This pot has a thick bottom and sides with a snug, tight-fitting lid that traps in moisture and flavor. With the lid off, it's perfect for browning meat or vegetables on the stovetop, and it can also go into the oven for even cooking.

Make It Sturdy
Look for a heavy 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven made of anodized aluminum, enameled cast iron, or stainless steel around a copper or aluminum base. The sides and bottom must be thick in order to retain and evenly distribute heat, and to prevent hot spots. Handles and knob should be sturdy and ovenproof.



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Large Pot

Use It For
- blanching large quantities of vegetables
- cooking pasta and making soups and stocks
Soup, Pasta, or Stock
This 8- to 10-quart pot is for cooking large quantities. It has plenty of room for big batches of soup, and it holds enough water to boil up to 2 pounds of pasta. It's also good for making stocks.

Heavy or Light?
A thin-gauged pot is fine if you're just using it for pasta, but if you plan on making soups and stocks, you're better off with a heavy pot. The handles should be durable in order to stand up to years of heavy lifting.



12-Inch Skillet

Use It
For browning or searing thin, quick-cooking cuts of meat or poultry sauteing or stir-frying vegetables, poultry, and meat

Saute Essential
The short, flared sides on this classic 10- to 12-inch pan act as an escape route for unwanted moisture that would otherwise prevent browning. The wide, flat bottom also allows for greater surface heat and thus better browning.

The Best Materials
Look for a material that heats quickly and retains even heat, preferably stainless steel with an aluminum or copper core. The skillet should be ovenproof, with handles securely riveted or welded to the side; it should also feel comfortable in your hand.

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Large Saucepan

Use It For
-Making soups, sauces, and mashed potatoes
-Steaming and blanching vegetables
-Cooking tomato sauce

Retains Moisture
A traditional 3- to 4-quart saucepan has tall, straight sides that prevent rapid moisture loss, which is exactly what you need when steaming, blanching, or making sauce or soup.

Choose Nonreactive
The walls should be as thick as the bottom, for even heat distribution. Do not use a cast-iron or regular (non-anodized) aluminum pot for sauces; their reactive surfaces can discolor and alter the taste of butter and tomato. Be sure the one you buy has a lid.

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