Cooking Essentials - Pots and Pans

I love to cook, which is fortunate because being willing and able to cook one's own food makes it a lot easier to be vegetarian.

The key to cooking is having a nice kitchen with plenty of space and the right kinds of tools. It has taken me years, but I think I've finally got my kitchen just the way I want it. The trick is to have enough counter space to hold all of the gadgets while still allowing room to chop and mix. In addition, it's knowing which tools you need, and that is what this series of articles will teach you.
  

Pots and Pans

The number and variety of pots and pans you need depend on what you cook. If you make a lot of omelettes, it is really nice to have an omelette pan, but if you only make one or two a year, you're financially better off using a regular frying pan instead.

Then there's also the matter of what the pans are made of. Aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron... what's the best? And what about non-stick? In a perfect kitchen, I'd have my entire set of pots and pans in three different varieties: stainless steel (light, quick to heat), iron (heavy bottomed), and non-stick (easy to clean). In reality, I only have the types of pans I use most in two varieties (one non-stick and the other either stainless steel or cast iron).

Here are the basic pots and pans that every kitchen needs:

1. Frying pans - At least two sizes (such as 5 inch and 9 inch), preferably non-stick. For frying, sautéing, and reheating small amounts of sauce. (Models with high sides can be used to make/reheat larger amounts of sauce. My personal favorite is Revere, which has a nice non-stick coating and is at least two inches deep - perfect for making sauces and braising.)
     
2. Sauce pans - At least two sizes (1 quart and 2 quart). For reheating sauce, boiling water, making rice.
     
3. Dutch oven/Stockpot - A large, two-handled pot for heating large amounts of water, sauce, and soup.
     
4. Wok - Not the kind you plug in, but a large, almost hemisphere of a pot that you place on a stove burner. It's perfect for making sauce, sautéing, and - of course - stir frying.

As for lids, I think glass is the best, since you can see what's happening in your pots and pans without removing the lid.
   

More cooking essentials: Knives

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