Kitchen Equipment for Great Home Cooking
Stovetop & Oven Cookware

I truly empathize with the person who enters the “housewares” section of any up-to-date department store with the goal of outfitting a kitchen with the right pots and pans. There are so many to choose from!  Please, don't buy a "set" just because they look great or have an attractive price tag. It's better to collect only a few wonderful pieces than to have loads of something that you won't ever use. When selecting cookware, you should know that certain materials definitely lend themselves better to specific cooking procedures. Although copper is thought of as the crème de la crème of cookware because of its superior heat-conduction qualities, copper cookware is also delicate, extraordinarily expensive and hard to maintain. For these reasons I don't recommend purchasing copper pots in quantity. However, if possible, I do suggest buying one 2 1/2-quart copper saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, just so you can experience its unique character. I've chosen this size because it's one of the most frequently used pots in most kitchens.

But for durability, ability to conduct heat evenly, price and especially versatility, I recommend that most of your pots and pans be made from stainless steel with a thick bottom layer of copper and/or aluminum. This combination of materials gives you the best of all worlds: the heat-conduction ability of copper and aluminum, and the non-reactive surface of stainless steel. Aluminum, unlined copper and cast iron by themselves react poorly with acidic ingredients (such as citrus juice, wine, tomatoes and vinegar) by imparting a metallic taste and an off color, thus it is extremely important to use a non-reactive pan when cooking acidic foods. Most of the “high quality” cookware companies also make a non-stick line and I also recommend having one or two non-stick skillets. Enamel-coated cast iron (although heavy) is a wonderful choice when making delicate sauces and long-cooking braised dishes because the bottom is so heavy that the mixture has less chance of scorching and the enamel coating is also non-reactive.

Those items that I feel are essential to successful cooking with minimal frustration are included in the Must Haves list. I have also included under Fancy Footwork some of my favorite extras that I use in my recipes. You'll find more about specialized cookware for baking in the Primarily for Baking section.