Cookware (Pots and Pans)

Unless one insists on cooking using a skewer over an open fire pit, it is impossible to avoid the necessity of cookware. We all need pots and pans of various types. These vessels hold food as it is boiled, sauteed, fried, roasted or steamed. Proper cookware should have the following characteristics: excellent heat transfer, easy to clean, relatively light, pleasing to the eye, and not outrageously expensive. This usually translates into a pot with aluminum and copper in the base, and an otherwise stainless steel construction. Steel is relatively easy to clean and copper has one of the highest heat transfers of any metal. Of course, one can get pans made completely of copper with a stainless steel interior, which in many ways represent the zenith of cookware, however, the outside is difficult to keep clean, the larger pieces are quite heavy, and they are very expensive. If you happen to employ a strong-armed cook, and have both a diligent housekeeper, and a significant income then I would recommend nothing other than copper cookware in the kitchen. For most mortals, however, a few copper pieces, a casserole perhaps and one for delicate sauces, are more than adequate.
The most common quality pot in the US market has an aluminum core in both the base on the sides, and is lined with stainless steel but has no copper. Among the best manufacturers are All-Clad, Viking, Kitchen Aid; Calphalon is a little less expensive (though they do a cheaper line for some discount stores), however, many of their products do not have stainless steel lining and in my experience are difficult to clean. Most of these manufacturers also do a pot with a copper base but these tend to be quite expensive. A personal favorite of mine for both price and quality, which does have a copper base, is the Sitram “Catering” product line, which is available in some specialty stores and on the internet. Cookware made from cast iron is also excellent for heat retention and slow cooking. Cast iron frying pans can be bought quite inexpensively but they need to be “seasoned” with oil and frequent use before they acquire a patina that will reduce sticking; otherwise they will be the bane of your life. Le Creuset is a high-end manufacturer of cast iron cookware products that are lined with enamel and are relatively low-stick. These pans are quite expensive and heavy but work wonderfully well as casseroles or stewpots.
You may wonder why anyone in the 21st century would cook with anything other than a non-stick pan. These pans are not durable, generally have poor heat transfer and recently there has been some question about the health safety of the non-stick surface. Although every kitchen should have one non stick pan for cooking eggs, or frying fish and potatoes, for most other uses a stainless steel lining, which is generally low-stick, is far preferable. In fact, when frying meat or poultry you often want some sticking as this will form the basis of any sauce that you will subsequently make. It is incredible to me that approximately 85% of frying pans sold in the US are non stick; it makes no little sense for anyone who is even moderately interested in cooking.
Now that we have discussed the best type of pots and pans, how many of them do you need? Obviously, this depends to some extent on cooking preferences, and the size of the family. For the average household in which cooking is an important part of family life, one will need two regular frying pans of different sizes, one non-stick frying pan, one or two saute pans, three or four saucepans of varying sizes (consider 1 quart, 3 quart and two 5-6 quart), and one large casserole. A roasting pan is also essential in every kitchen. Most manufacturers and specialty cookware stores offer sets of cookware of a particular type at a reduced price; this many be a good way to start if you are beginning to outfit a kitchen or replace what you already have. A good set of cookware will be a significant investment but one that you can use for several decades.