Here’s How To Choose the Best Pots and Pans for Your Kitchen

Common Pot and Pan Materials

Everyday pots and pans are kitchen workhorses. Their functionality, maintenance and cost are driven by their composition, so choose materials that suit your cooking habits and are compatible with your kitchen appliances. Here’s how common materials stack up.

Buying Considerations for Pots & Pans

Once you’ve narrowed down suitable pots and pans based on material, weigh these additional factors, which can help you make the right buying decision.

Your Lifestyle

If careful temperature calibrations are standard for the family chef, high-end cookware offers a delicious return on investment. But for everyday cooks, dependable basics offer good value minus special maintenance needs.

Kitchen Design

Many homeowners upgrade their cookware after a kitchen redesign, to complement their new look. But an update goes from want to need if you’ve installed a new cooktop that requires compatible pots and pans.

Budget

Premium cookware can last a lifetime. While low-priced pots and pans are easy on the budget, they will require replacing later on. Based on your life stage and kitchen habits, decide whether now’s the time to save or splurge.

More Cookware to Consider

Most stovetop pot and pan sets come with one or two frying pans and saucepans (cooking pots) with matching lids. But when it comes to cookware, there’s more to uncover. Consider these options, too.

Pasta Pot

This pot has a colander that lifts out so you can move cooked pasta to a pan or serving bowl. This boosts safety since you won’t have to transport a hot pot over to the sink.

Stock Pot

This large, deep, dual-handled pot is a must for homemade stocks, stews, seafood boils and corn on the cob. Household stock pots average 6 to 16 quarts in size.

Wok

This large Asian frying pan features a deep, curved shape to maximize its high-heat cooking surface, which is ideal for stir fries, fried rice and deep frying.

Grill Pan

With its ridged surface, a hot grill pan can replicate the chars of a traditional grill. The ridges also collect grease runoff, which is helpful when trying to consume less fatty food.

Dutch Oven

This deep and tightly lidded cookware suits stovetop and oven cooking. It tackles low-and-slow or high-temp cooking and is great for braising, stewing, roasting or bread baking.

Casserole Dish

This ovenware is available in round, square and rectangular shapes for baking dishes ranging from cheese and dips, to lasagna, gratin and roasts. Great for oven-to-table serving.