If you’re an inexperienced chef, getting into cooking more frequently can be overwhelming. On top of finding the perfect recipes to cook and tracking down essential ingredients, you also have to get the right cookware to make the dishes you want. However, you’re unsure if you can tell a frying pan from a stock pot, and the thought of picking out your own cookware feels like an impossible task. You might as well fire up the microwave and pop in another frozen mac and cheese; it’s all too much! Before you resort back to your regular microwave meals, we’re here to help with a guide to all the different types of cookware you’ll need to make your foray into the cooking field a success.
Fry Pan
The fry pan is one of the most versatile cookware items you’ll want to have as a part of your kitchen arsenal. A frying pan is a pan that you can use to cook different vegetables and proteins. These pans come in many sizes, so you can use different ones depending on what you want to cook. For instance, you could use a small fry pan to sizzle up a few eggs for breakfast and a larger pan to cook some chicken to toss into a pasta dish for dinner that night. If you’re looking to cook with less oil or butter, you’ll want to invest in a non-stick pan, so the food you heat up can easily slide out of the pan once it’s done. Luckily, there are many different types of available ceramic non-stick pans.
Sauté Pan
A sauté pan is a larger form of a pan that you can use to make stir fry and dishes cooked with stock. Sauté pans are perfect to use when you’re having a dinner party, as they allow you to cook up a more significant portion of food than you would be able to in a frying pan. As with the latter, there are sauté pans with a non-stick coating; you can cook without worrying about any part of your dish sticking to the pan when you’re dishing up.
Sauce Pan
While fry and sauté pans are great for whipping up meats and veggies, sauce pans are perfect for cooking your favorite soups, risottos, and mac and cheese dishes. If you want to spice up your favorite pasta dish, you could even use your saucepan to make some sauce at home. For a great homemade tomato sauce, try roasting some tomatoes and blending them with garlic and any other veggies you desire. Then let the sauce simmer in your saucepan, and you’ll be ready to mix it with your favorite noodles for a delicious and easy-to-make homemade meal.
Dutch Oven
A dutch oven is an incredibly versatile piece of cookware that allows you to make anything from rich stews to casseroles to sourdough bread! Dutch ovens are large, circular pots made with a ceramic non-stick coating that make them the perfect cookware for crafting specialty dishes. In addition, dutch ovens are typically oven-safe up to a specific temperature, meaning you can use them for baking bread and roasting meats. A dutch oven is an excellent cookware option to have on hand as you get used to cooking more and expanding your recipe repertoire.
Stock Pot
A stock pot is a larger version of a saucepan that you can use to boil large amounts of liquid at a time. They’re great for making different broths and soups and can also be used when cooking large portions of pasta. You might not necessarily need a stock pot if you’re only cooking for yourself. However, if you’ve got a large family to feed, having a stock pot on hand can be helpful when you want to whip up a big meal with enough portions for everyone to enjoy.
Conclusion
When beginning a cooking journey, you want to ensure that you’re prepared with the essential cookware you’ll need to make all your favorite dishes. Be sure you have a good fry pan, sauté pan, saucepan, and dutch oven on hand so you can cook whatever your heart desires. If you have a bigger family to feed, you might consider getting a stock pot to cook large meals. Additionally, it’s essential to look out for pans and pots that come with a ceramic non-stick coating that will make serving and cleaning a breeze. Now that you know more about the different types of cookware, what recipes are you most excited to try making?
