Just like the knife post, I decided to put together a 101 on cookware. Probably the best tip I can offer you right off the bat is this: do not buy a set. Sets always come padded with “filler,” those odd pots and pans you’ll pull out once and then never touch again. Instead, buy single pieces of equipment you’ll actually reach for on a regular basis.
Basic kit:
- 10″ or 12″ fry pan
- 4 qt stainless steel pot
- 8 qt stainless steel pot
Extra:
- 10″ or 12″ saute pan, or an additional fry pan
- An even larger stockpot if you cook big batches
- If you have gas, a wok (also, I hate you a little for having gas, since I can’t get it here)
Non-Stick
Teflon: generally safe to use. If overheated, it can emit toxic fumes, and once the surface is scratched, you may ingest some of the coating. Depending on the source you read, this is either harmless or a cancer risk, so opinions vary quite a bit here.
Ceramic: considered safer and more eco-friendly, and the coating is actually even more non-stick than Teflon when it’s new. The downside is that after a year or two of regular use, food starts sticking again. The good news is that prices have dropped a lot in recent years, so it’s more accessible than it used to be. Ceramic coating is usually blue or white.
I switched to ceramic several years ago and have been happy with it. If you watch for sales, sometimes up to 70% off, you can get a great piece for a fraction of the original price.
Whether it’s Teflon or ceramic, always cook over medium heat, never high. High heat is what shortens the life of the coating fastest.
Stainless Steel
Stainless. Beautiful stainless. If you’ve ever bought a cheap stainless pan, you already know how frustrating it is. Food sticks to everything and it’s nearly impossible to clean. As a general rule, expect to pay around $100 for a decent stainless fry pan. Unless you cook on gas, skip copper or 5-7 ply pans entirely. Your range will always be the bottleneck, so that extra conductivity goes to waste. Those high-ply or copper pieces get very expensive for what amounts to a marginal gain on an electric range, so honestly, it’s often just money down the drain.
When it comes to stainless cookware, it really comes down to a few key factors.
Is it reactive or non-reactive? Aluminum, copper, and iron all react with acidic foods like tomatoes and can leave an off taste behind. Stainless steel is non-reactive, so it won’t affect the flavor of anything you cook in it.
Is it a good conductor of heat? This is about how efficiently a material transfers heat. Copper is the undisputed king here, aluminum comes in second, stainless steel third, and cast iron trails behind as the weakest conductor.
Is it heat reactive? This refers to how quickly a material responds to a change in temperature. Cast iron, for example, stays hot for a long time even after you turn the burner off, sometimes 20 minutes or more. That can work in your favor or against you, depending on what you’re cooking. Copper, on the other hand, heats up and cools down almost instantly.
This is exactly why “ply” cookware exists. Manufacturers layer two, three, or even up to seven materials together to combine their best properties. The most common combination is stainless steel with aluminum. Aluminum conducts heat well but reacts with food, so sandwiching it between layers of stainless gives you the conductivity without the reactivity, plus the durability and easy cleanup stainless is known for.
A safe, reliable choice is All-Clad 3-ply, made in the USA (I’ve heard they now produce some lines in China, and I’d steer clear of those). It’s not cheap, but it’s fairly priced for the quality you get. I’ve owned mine for about 15 years now, and it performs as well today as it did on day one.
If you go this route, keep an eye on pricing over time. The exact same All-Clad piece can run you $100 or $300 depending on when and where you buy it, so patience and a bit of sale-watching pay off.
Fun fact: my most expensive pan, a 5-ply, warped within the first year of owning it.
Cast Iron
The top choice for searing meat. These pans are heavy and thick, so they take a while to heat up, but once they’re hot, they stay hot. Dropping a cold piece of meat onto the surface barely drops its temperature, which is exactly what you want for a good sear. The flip side is that even after you take the pan off the burner, it stays hot long enough to keep cooking your food, so timing matters. It’s ideal for slow cooking, and you’ll need to season it every so often to keep the surface in good shape.
Copper
It’s so pretty. I’ve spent over ten years admiring copper cookware and drooling over it, and I still don’t own a single piece. Why? A few reasons.
Price: copper is expensive, expect to pay at least $300 for a 10″ pan.
Maintenance: it’s high maintenance. Copper tarnishes, and you need to clean and polish it constantly to keep it looking good.
Usage: copper isn’t particularly useful on an electric range. If you have gas, it’s a completely different story, and the investment makes a lot more sense. Spending that kind of money on something where you can’t actually take advantage of its heat conductivity feels like a waste (again, I’m on an electric range, so this one stings a bit).
Conclusion
If you spend a reasonable amount on good cookware, it should last you a lifetime. But spending a lot of money doesn’t automatically guarantee the best results, sometimes it just guarantees a nicer-looking pan sitting in your cupboard.