Pick a Pan: How to Choose the Right Cooking Equipment

There are hundreds of pots and pans out there to choose from, and dozens of brands that sell them. Just like everything else in our capitalist society, it’s overwhelming, and honestly, slightly terrifying. So first you have to figure out what pan to buy and then there’s the special challenge of knowing which one to use when you’re cooking. 

Okay, to keep it simple, there are a couple things you really need, a couple that it would be great to have, and other things that are cool but totally not necessary and can be purchased at a later date when you have disposable income and/or the desire to buy kitchen equipment.

What you really should have to be successful in your kitchen:

• A frying pan: Ideally eight to ten inches, preferably nonstick. 
  • “But Taryn, wtf is nonstick?” Okay, fair. So you could have a stainless steel pan which is just that: a pan made of only stainless steel. My issue with those is if your pan gets dry at any time while cooking (meaning there’s not enough oil or fat), then all your food sticks and it makes for a frustrating process as a home cook. A nonstick pan has an actual coating that makes the bowl of the pan nice and smooth and keeps food from sticking.
    • Nonstick is easy to clean, they are really helpful for limiting the amount of oil you need, and after years on the market, the manufacturers have figured out how to produce them without causing health scares from the coating. 
  • Note: most nonstick pans cannot go in the oven whereas stainless steel can.
• A small saucepan: A little guy, somewhere between two and four quarts
  • This is a little pot, with a long handle, and comes with a lid. If you’re a pasta eater like yours truly, go for four quarts. It can fit at least a half pound of pasta aka my usual serving.
• A large stockpot: A big boy, ten to twelve quarts
  • You want one of these to make soup or stock, or if you need to make more than half a pound of pasta. It also needs to have a lid.

Equipment it would be really nice to have but aren’t totally necessary:

• A cast iron pan
  • If you like crispy things, a cast iron will be your best friend. They’re durable, affordable, and will literally last for your entire lifetime. They are also extremely heatsafe which means they can go in the oven, a pro if you cook a lot of protein.
    • They require a decent amount of fat during the cooking process at the beginning because they’re brand new but once you use them for a while, they become pretty nonstick. 
    • I use mine to make grilled cheese sandwiches and it’s just… *chef’s kiss*.
• A Dutch oven
  • Ideal if you make a lot of soups, stews, or maybe even bread. You can also deep fry in a dutch oven because they’re super heatsafe.
  • Yes, you can make soup in a stockpot but if you want to leave something to simmer for a long time, a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven is very helpful. But again, not necessary.

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, you’re probably saying “Woman, I need to know how to use them!” Calm down, I’m getting there.

Honestly, if you only have these five things, it’s very easy to choose. If your recipe calls for sautéing, caramelizing, or pan searing of any kind, choose your frying pan. If you have to braise, you can use your saucepan, stock pot, or dutch oven. Full on frying with the whole hot oil, battered situation should be done in a high walled, heavy bottomed pan, your cast iron or dutch oven are ideal for this. 

Trust me when I tell you hot oil splatter feels real bad on skin.

However, on that note, only braise in a pot with a heavy bottom. The pot literally will be heavier on the bottom, and you’ll be able to tell by the width of the bottom surface. If it’s super thin, you’re likely to burn whatever you’re cooking. A good pot will have another layer of metal at the bottom that looks like a separate piece that’s been secured, and it will be solid. This is also where a dutch oven would come in.

If you are fancy and have many versions of these items, consider the size of what you’re cooking. The vessel needs to be bigger than the food to accommodate for any liquid, fat, or just general space to cook. 

Things to consider when choosing your cooking equipment:

• Am I cooking with more or less oil?
• Will I be using liquid and does that liquid need space to reduce?
• How big is the food that I am cooking?

In general, the absolute worst case scenario is you use something that causes your food to stick or burn. Will it be sad? Yes. Will you remember that the next time and never use that pan again? Probably.

Either way, it’s gonna be okay.