Whether you’re the type of person who cooks solely to sustain your physique or the type who loves to experiement in the kitchen, we’re willing to bet you don’t always give a ton of thought to the type of pan you’re tossing for favorite meat onto. Hell, some guys may be under the impression that all you need is a utilitarian stainless steel pot. It was the only thing I thought I needed when I first started cooking. Want eggs? No problem—hard-boiled eggs. Want pasta? No problem—pasta and sauce in one pot! But if you have to cook for someone, say a date or guests, having one pot comes across as less minimalist and more…well, sad.
But the biggest drawback wasn’t the embarassment, it was the lack of variety when it came to the food I was able to cook. If you’ve never tried to fry an egg in a pot, dont—it’s a pit of hot oil that inevitably splashes on your hands and forearms. An easier, if more expensive, option is investing in some cookware that’ll last a lifetime so you can whip up any meal with ease.
This all-purpose pan can retain a ton of heat due to its thickness, says Kahlenberg, and it doesn’t give in easily to what he calls “pan shock”—the loss of heat when food is introduced to the skillet.
Best For: Anything, really, but specifically searing meats.
Max Heat: Up to 1,000°F.
Care Tip: Cast iron is porous and needs to be treated, a process known as seasoning, says Kahlenberg.
To Season Your Pan: Rub salt and oil in it, then bake the pan in your oven, set to its highest setting, for an hour. That’s it. To maintain your pan, rub it down with more oil and salt, let it dry, and then add another coat of oil. Do not scrub cast iron with steel wool and water. If you do, you’ll need to repeat the seasoning process.
Kahlenberg says that these pans release heat easily, so they’re perfect for cooking delicate foods such as eggs.
Best For: Controlled cooking.
Max Heat: Around 500°F.
Care Tip: “You have to keep these from getting scratched, as the exposed metal can be toxic,” Kahlenberg says. “Skip the scrubbing brush and rub them down with a damp towel.”
A member of the sauté pan family, this pan has angled sides that help moisture evaporate more quickly from the pan.
Best For: High-heat cooking and to caramelize veggies.
Max Heat: Around 550°F.
Care Tip: If you have burned food caked onto your pans, Kahlenberg recommends that you soak them in water overnight and then give them a good scrub in the morning.
This pan has straight sides, which help retain moisture, and a larger surface area. Use for panfrying, low-and-slow cooking, and braising.
Best For: Cooking low and slow.
Max Heat: Around 550°F.
Care Tip: Let your pan cool for a few minutes and then clean it while it’s still relatively hot, “hot enough that you can hold the handle,” says Kahlenberg.
Kahlenberg recommends stainless steel sauté pans since they’re durable, relatively cheap, and easy to clean. “All you need is a green scrubby and some dish soap,” he says.
Size Matters:
“I notice that people like to buy small pots and pans to store them easily,” Kahlenberg says. He suggests investing in a few bigger pans so you can cook in bulk. “It takes a gallon of water alone to boil pasta.”
Keep it Seperated:
“Most people probably don’t have a fish pan, and they end up cooking it like chicken,” Kahlenberg says. A fish pan is an oval-shaped pan with higher, straight sides and a thin middle to stop it from getting too hot.
