Cookware essentials

Learning how to cook is really about finding the inspiration, other than hunger, to keep practicing. My daily inspiration to cook comes in large part from the equipment I've collected over the years. By doing some simple research and buying the best I can afford, piece by piece, I've been able to save a lot of money while building a great set of cookware essentials.

It's important to consider exactly what you'll need before making a purchase, since buying a few items individually will allow you to get better quality items compared to purchasing a "complete" set from a single brand. These sets often have many items you are not likely to use, especially as a beginner. Instead, purchase just a few things that you actually need, and build your own custom set.

As part my series on essential equipment for your kitchen, I've listed below the bare essential cookware pieces you will use daily. Don't forget to subscribe for more information about the essential equipment for your kitchen and tips for learning how to cook!

Pots and pans

I really believe you need only three functional pieces. Buy them individually or look for set that only sell these three items for the biggest bang for your buck. Buying them individually is probably a better choice for selecting items that are of the highest quality for your dollar, but a set has the benefit of matching. 

One 2-quart pot

These are great for boiling or poaching a few eggs, boiling grains, making sauces and simmering smaller quantities of liquid. 

One 3- to 4- quart pot

A bit larger than the 2-quart sauce pan, these are great for working with larger quantities (especially when cooking for more than one) as well heating up leftover soups, stews, etc. If you had to choose between these two, go with the larger one. However, there may often be situations in which you will need two pots going at once (one to heat stock for risotto while cooking your risotto in the other, for example), so it's better to have two.

One 6-8 quart pot

 These are great for making pasta, soup, stews, stocks and other larger-quantity meals. You'll be boiling lots of water for many things, so this is a pot that will get plenty of use. Some of these also come with a strainer/steamer attachment, which makes it easy to steam vegetables or boil pasta without worrying about pouring the water out.

A copper or aluminum base for your pots will help evenly distribute and maintain the heat. Go for a stainless steel-lined interior for easy cleaning. If possible, and it should be, get pots with heat-resistant handles.

Frying Pans

These come in various sizes, most commonly in 8-, 10-, and 12-inch diameters. Frying pans are hugely versatile, allowing you to fry eggs, brown meat, searing food, and even sauteing. Most good-quality frying pans are oven-safe, allowing you to start something on the stove-top and finish it in the oven. This way, you can sear a nice piece of lamb or steak to get some colour on it (also seals in the tasty juices) and then finish cooking it in your oven for a more even cooking process. Two different sized frying pans would be best, with one being non-stock, though you can getaway with buying just one, larger pan.

Dutch Oven

Don't snicker. Usually made out of enameled cast-iron, dutch ovens are great for so many things. You can also start these on your stove top and stick them in your oven for long, slow cooking. Things like stews and soups, braising or roasting meat, or making casseroles are perfect for your dutch oven. Getting an enameled one also makes it very easy to clean and care for.

Check out this great video for more details about many of the pieces we talked about here, as well as offering some other options.


There are many other pieces that you can add to your cookware set, but I believe these are the essentials that everyone needs and will use often. Focus on these pieces, buy the best ones you can afford, and you'll be using them for decades! I will cover some of the other additions you can make to your set in a later post, so make sure to subscribe and get an email notification when that's available!