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My appreciation for cooking and cookware began at an early age, but I’ve only recently completed a collection of what I consider to be the core utensils necessary for proper daily cooking. 

This article will focus on the types and brands.  Future excerpts will detail the typical uses of these types and tips for keeping them looking and performing as new.  With proper care, the pieces referenced below will last for many years.

While “sets” of cookware may seem like the best bang-for-the-buck when you are looking to acquire new cookware, I’ve never had much luck in this regard, as there’s usually one or two pieces that won’t get much use.  I contend that you’re much better off collecting the pieces you will use, even if it means you are not able to procure everything up front.

Following is my list of recommended cookware, followed by the brand.  Those in bold are pieces I consider day 1 essentials.

1. 8″ Fry Pan (nonstick) - All-Clad
2. 10″ Fry Pan (nonstick) - All-Clad
3. 12″ Fry Pan (nonstick) - All-Clad
4. 10″ Fry Pan (stainless steel) - All-Clad
5. 12″ Fry Pan (stainless steel) - All - Clad
6. 2 quart Sauce Pan - All-Clad
7. 4 quart Sauce Pan - All-Clad
8. 8 quart Stock Pot - your choice
9. 6 quart Saute Pan - All-Clad
10. Large Dutch Oven - Le Creuset

There are a few discussion points based on this list.

1. Why so many fry pans?  Do I need both stainless steel and nonstick fry pans?
2. Stock Pot
3. All-Clad

Why so many fry pans?
The fry pan is the work horse on the cooktop.  I use mine daily, and oftentimes more than one.  I will cover the specifics of their use in a future article, but rest assured, the nonstick and stainless steel pans serve different purposes and both types are necessary. 

Stock Pot
You may be wondering why I didn’t specify a brand for the stock pot.  While better brands like All-Clad certainly have their merits , I don’t find it necessary to spend that much money for something that will primarily be used to boil water for pasta or make and reheat soups.  I’m sure there are those that may disagree, and I’d like to hear from you, but this is my take.

All-Clad
Quite simply, this is my brand of choice.  It’s also the cookware you see being used most often by professional chefs on TV.  The cookware is bulletproof.  All-Clad is short for aluminum clad, meaning there is a layer of aluminum that runs throughout the bottom surface of the pan and up the sides, providing for an incredibly even-heating utensil that makes hot spots non-existent.  Next to copper, aluminum is an outstanding heat conductor. 

The fry pans come in the two surfaces alluded to above, while everything else comes with stainless steel.  Stainless steel will not interact with foods and remains stable with high temperatures, meaning you can move your pan straight from the cooktop to the oven. 

You have your choice of outer surfaces, but this is primarily for aesthetic reasons (with the exception of copper, which provides some conduction benefits).  In order from least to most expensive, you have polished stainless steel, brushed aluminum (Master Chef), anodized aluminum (LTD), and copper.  My collection consists entirely of LTD.  The dark anodized aluminum exterior contrasts nicely with the stainless steel interior, but the primary benefit is its easy to keep clean.

What are your favorite types of cookware and why?

chris@clawblog.com

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