Cookware Essentials: 9 Pots & Pans You Need (and 4 You Don’t)

Yikes. Got rid of that non stick that's all scratched. That stuff is peeling into your food every time you stir/cook whatever you put in there

I have to disagree. Generations of Chinese used a wok for cooking almost exclusively. My father used it to stir fry, steam, and deep fry almost everything. He also used a pot for soup. Besides these two, he rarely used anything else for cooking. Well, he did own a small saucepan, but he used it to boil water for coffee or tea. For a lot of Asians, the wok is the top essential item to have.

I tried using a skillet or a sauté pan for stir frying, but I always have trouble keeping the food inside the pan.

I don’t see any need for a stainless steel skillet. I never use mine as I always prefer cast iron or carbon steel. Also I HATE non-stick pans. They are completely unnecessary.

I found it off putting that you recommended aluminum baking sheets. Heck, no, they are very unhealthy and reactive to food, especially acidic foods (so is aluminum foil). I prefer emailed baking sheets that usually come with the oven here. Also very good: black email forms of any kind. Add dutch ovens and CI or SS forms… bliss!
And say no to non stick products! We don’t need them and they are awful for the environment!

Good video to the people.
🌎👍❤.

An enameled Dutch oven is also known as a French oven. Don't ask me why.

I prefer carbon steel to cast iron because it's lighter and the smoother surface is less likely to scratch my ceramic cook top.

We have all of the above, including some very nice cast iron pans, but the most used pans by far are the saute pans, we have 3 in regular use. The cast iron pans are almost never used and we have some smaller non-stick pans for eggs (9" irc) which are a more useful size. Our smallest pots (1-2 qt) get the most use, so we have multiples of those. I think that as a "starter" set, you could get away with 2 sauce pans (3.5qt & 2qt), a 10" stainless frying pan, a 4qt saute pan and a 6qt dutch oven. Coupled with Japanese santoku + German pairing knives, you could cook almost anything.

P.S. Might be time for a pan cull, as much as I HATE doing that - already did this with lids.

If you have a Dutch oven, why do you also need a stock pot? And what about a 9x13 baking pan for casseroles, cakes, cobblers, etc.?

I am with many others here and say ditch the “nonstick” and go for a seasoned carbon steel. I would suggest you can even replace both the cast iron and nonstick with a carbon steel skillet.

I agree with your choices for the most part with a few exceptions. The saute pan is not really necessary if you have a Dutch oven because everything that can be cooked in a sauté pan can be cooked in a Dutch oven. I feel the same about the 4 quart pot. That’s pretty large so you might as well use your Dutch oven. A 3.5 quart pot is a better choice than a 4 quart. Also, I don’t think those enamel coated french Dutch ovens are a good idea. That enamel will eventually chip and more than likely that chip will be in your food so you might consume it. Not to mention long before a chip occurs the inside of the enamel Dutch oven will become discolored and look awful and will always look dingy or even totally dirty from food stains, A stainless steel Dutch oven is a much better option. A 12 inch cast iron skillet is very heavy and large. That’s definitely not for a small family. I think a 10 inch cast iron skillet is usually the better option because many recipes like ones for cornbread and cakes call for round 10 inch pans so 10 inch cast iron is great to have. Non stick pans are too risky. They all have questionable chemicals in their coatings and they will scratch eventually and those particles will most likely transfer to your food and get ingested. Those pans usually only last a couple years before they get scratched and have to be thrown out so they’re a waste and that’s not good for landfills. I think everyone should have a copper skillet is a nice thing to have, but unless a person makes a lot of stir-fry dishes a wok isn’t necessary. They’re also best suited for gas stoves. If you get one with a flat bottom, you might as well use a skillet.

Not a bad guide, but I think it should be emphasized that small households don't need multiple pans, and should defer buying more specialized items until needed.

Also should emphasize scrutinizing one's cooking needs. For example, most East Asian folks I know rarely if ever cook anything in the oven; if we want a roast chicken, we go to Costco to get one.

And, unless you cook for more than 3 people, multiple skillets are an overkill. My preference is the carbon steel skillet--the wrist straining cast iron pan only comes out if I really need a concurrent second large pan on the stove.

Think in the last 6 months at our 2 person household, I only used:
* large carbon steel skillet
* medium stainless pot ("sauce pan"? lol)
* large stainless stock pot
* microwave
* rice cooker
* Instant Pot
* immersion sous vide machine (w/a cheap plastic box with 100 C temp rating from a discount store)

Cast iron pan, dutch oven, oven sheets, small skillet, etc. were all gathering dust. (Non-stick pan? I haven't bothered to replace the one I tossed over 10 years ago.)

I recently started using the lodge cast iron sheet pans for roasting veggies and chicken/salmon, and I have to say, I will never go back to aluminum. Mostly non-stick, super flat, good sear, can be cleaned with chainmail if anything does stick. It's the best.

Also, I recommend getting a pizza stone if you like pizzas, and some kind of heat shock resistant ceramic baking dish for things like casseroles, lasagna, etc. I have an Emile Henry with a lid that works perfectly.

Like others have said, I use a darto carbon steel pan for eggs, but I like this list!

A fascinating test for all of the commentators here (as well as PR) is the answer to the question, "What pots/pans have you used in the past month?" This would provide a more practical answer to the question of 'Essential'.

Do you prefer Made In 6 or 8 qt stockpot? Do you use a pasta insert?

How can you tell someone doesn't use nonstick pans?

They'll tell you.

I don't see any need for a non-stick pan. Carbon steel heats up very quickly and works well for eggs, pancakes, etc. You dont want put too much acidic food in them, but that's what the stainless steel pan is for.

Instead of the non-stick, I have a carbon steel omelet pan that works great and will last forever. And it does more than just eggs.

Why don't you have the made in saucier? It's probably my most used pan in the kitchen. It's lower than misen's saucier and it's slightly taller than made in saute pan.

If you have the made in saucier, you don't need need a sauce pan and a saute pan.

Stainless steel RULES!!!!

I have never had a cast Iron Skillet and at 85 and having had 8 kids plus 18 foster kids - I did okay without. I do have a 2 Tramontina 7 Qt Dutch ovens that I bought when America's Test Kitchen recommended them decades ago - you can still get them today for $50 at Costco or Sams when they have them but they are too heavy for me now to use a lot. I do have 8 1/2 sheet pans because I bake - but Most of my pots are the Aluminum HUGE set from Wear Ever that they sold door to door back before WWII - I have my grandmother's set. You can still buy replacement wood handles for them. Other than a Non-stick skillet which I replace every so often - I do not need much else although my sister gave me a set of Tri-Ply Tramontina recently and they are pretty nice looking. It is a good thing I have a big house to store my Kitchen stuff. But I have both large and small sauce pans because I still heat my Tea Water in the small one after all these years.But what I do use a Lot and not on the list is my 9"/13" casserole Baking dishes (I have several in glass and ceramic and metal) - which I make all sorts of things more than just Mac and Cheese in.

Interestingly enough for me personally, I prefer rounded handle pans like the one you showed. I've never had a turning problem. My hands are on the bigger side so I think my grip is different. I dislike handles that are almost flat like the ones you see on carbon steel pans, commercial aluminum pans, and Hestan's handles. And now I'm curious, what pan brand was the one you used in your round handle example?

My only nitpick was the non stick pan. Not necessary if your skillet stainless or cast iron is seasoned. I suggest a non essential enameled cast iron skillet in its place. Long lasting and versatile. Non stick, non reactive, retains heat well.

In this response, I ask, who is your audience? Kids setting up housekeeping for the first time? I have been cooking for 6 decades and I don't need advice about what pans I need. I need somebody to cook me dinner and wash the cookware and put it away so I don't have to. I don't need pan advice.

Excellent video. Thank you.

I've never seen the point of copper If you have a good stainless steel skillet. Moreover, While you can cook with acidic food or sauces with stainless,. It is dangerous to do so with copper. Elemental copper leeches and while you need a small amount of copper in your diet, too much is quite dangerous.

Great and informative video.

Green Pan nonstick pans are only nonstick for a very short time. I wouldn’t recommend them.

I dont like made in. Crappy knives and lifted plans for pots.

At least misen innovates and doesnt just take. Misen makes better pans and better knives. Though i still recomend Tojiro for knives.

Carbon steel for eggs for the win better then the non stick by miles

I have some version of all of your essentials (I sub the nonstick pan for carbon steel) and not much else, and I can confirm that this collection can make just about any recipe that comes up. :D

My nice-to-have is a 1.5qt Staub for rice.

Cast iron just makes cooking more fun. 🙂

The only non stick i use in a 8" pan for eggs and pancakes.

what about a loaf pan , cake pan and grill pan ?

Personally, fish and scallops is the only time I use nonstick. For everything else, one of those recommended pans and pots are in daily use.

Nice choices. Good content as always. I'm with you on saucier vs saucepan, and on getting multiple 1/2 sheet pans.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Thx for doing this, filming it and sharing it with us. 👍👍👍👍👍

The non-stick for eggs is redundant. The cast iron will do the same job as long as you season it right. I only use cast iron for eggs.

Lodge makes good quality? Nah. I go by the "2" rule for Lodge. You either need to spend 2 hours machining the surface of a Lodge, or 2 years building up the polymer seasoning (God forbid you leave it on heat for too long and burn off the seasoning). They don't finish their products. They pull them out of the sand, knock off the sharp bits, oil them, and toss them in the fire. Other manufacturers actually machine the surfaces smooth like they used to from Wagner and Griswold.

I agree with most of this list, although I personally prefer my matfer carbon steel pan over nonstick, and since getting it 2 years ago I barely use my cast iron, either (at nearly 8 lbs, the 12” lodge is rough on my wrists because of the short handle). The carbon steel sears insanely well, and once it’s seasoned properly, eggs just glide right off of it as long as I use oil or butter. I don’t personally see the use of having a pan just for eggs if a more versatile, longer lasting option can replace it, especially since I just cook anything acidic in stainless steel ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but I also get that this is just personal preference lol

Btw, if anyone wants to get into carbon steel but cooks on electric/induction, I really recommend disregarding the seasoning instructions and just seasoning it in the oven like a cast iron pan. Why the French manufacturers of most CS pans give you instructions that only work on gas when something like half of European kitchens use induction, I have no idea

Don’t forget a steamer. Mine is dedicated to that function and was very cheap. I would also put a carbon steel skillet on the essentials list. Everything else here I agree with completely. Bare copper is ridiculous- Unless you enjoy polishing it regularly like I do. Very beautiful and inspiring to have around.

BULLSHIT, OBVIOUSLY YOUR A LIMITED COOK, IF THAT.

yeah, I live in a Manhattan apartment, less than 400 square feet. I cook all the time... and I think you need a small-apartment version of this video. Cause there's no way I can fit all the "essentials" in this video in my kitchen.

I enjoy your videos so much! Very informative and I learn so much! Besides you have a very clear speaking voice which is also helpful.

thanks for posting. Good info. articulate. and informational rather than a sales pitch. don't quit, don't change.

An oval shaped Dutch oven is more versatile for making bread.

Lou Creuset. :)

Love my All Clad...

As a single, I get by with less. I have Tramontina 3-ply stainless 2 and 3 quart saucepans and an 8 quart stock pot, a Stargazer 10.5" skillet, a Lodge non-enameled 5.5 quart Dutch oven, and a couple of Nordic half-sheet aluminum baking sheets. It seems to be enough at the moment and didn't cost me a fortune. Yes, the Stargazer skillet was expensive, but after a month I'm glad I spent the money. It's a joy to use.