Pots and Pans

Sheet pans

You can find these on the cheap, but paying a little extra means they'll last longer and make better cookies and roasted veggies (inexpensive pans are flimsy, and often result in burnt bottoms).

Use it for:

Cookies, roasted vegetables, cinanamon rolls or even granola.

Buy these sizes:

Buy two or three half-sized sheets, so you can bake cookies in batches without having to swap them out. It's also worth buying one or two quarter-sized sheets for toasting nuts, and other small batches of baked goods. Full-sized sheets are enormous, and are typically only found in commercial kitchens, or used for sleds during the winter.

Cast-iron skillet

This is truly your kitchen's workhorse. It's durable, lasts forever, and is up for just about any task you need.

Use it for:

Recipes that start on the stovetop and need to be finished in the oven; anything that needs a good, hard sear (like steak). You can also use it for shallow frying, sautéing (it's a great substitute for woks) and baking.

Buy these sizes:

A 12" pan is the size that you will want to start. If you're looking to expand, consider investing in a 3.5" for toasting spices or a 17" for bigger meals or cakes.

Dutch oven

These heavy-bottommed, sturdy pots are amazing. Perfect for browning meat and then transfering to the oven, for braising meats or perfecting your next chili. Born from the traditional cast-iron ones, the enamel coated ones will last forever but can be washed and require less care.

Use it for:

Braises, soups, stews, stocks, making dried beans.

Buy these sizes:

A 5.5-quart pot is a great start—it'll hold a whole chicken! I've seen 7 and 9 quart pots but they are huge. I have two 5.5-quart pots - that let's me have flexability of cooking two different things at once or doubling a batch of something.

Non-stick skillet

Coated with a tough lining (Teflon is the most common), these pans are convenient to have on hand for sticky, wet foods, or anything that has a high probability of adhering to the surface. A well-seasoned cast-iron serves the same function, but consider the nonstick your bulletproof (and fool-proof) option. Many nonstick pans have plastic handles that are not heat-proof (a.k.a. plastic) so be aware that you most likely won't be able to put them in the oven.

Use it for:

Scrambled eggs, fried eggs or anything you think will still to the pan.

Buy these sizes:

An 8" non-stick skillet is about all you need. Though a skillet in the 12" variety can come in handy every once in a while.

Stainless steel skillet

These heavy-duty pans can go from the stovetop to the oven (most are able to handle temperatures in the 450-500˚ range; just make sure the handle is heat-proof), and can do just about anything you need them to.

Use it for:

Browning and roasting meat, sautéing veggies, stir-fries, pan sauces, toasting spices.

Buy these sizes:

Start with a 10" skillet. If you have more room and want to invest in another, add a 12" to your collection.

Stock pot

DIY stock isn't hard to make if you've got the time and the right equipment. Thankfully, investing in a quality stock pot means you can do everything from simmering bones to making big batches of soup, and even canning sauces and pickles, if you are into preserving produce.

Use it for:

Boiling pasta (the noodles need plenty of room to swim around), simmering beans, making stock, canning.

Buy these sizes:

Look into a 12-18-quart pot. You want a stock pot large enough to hold a couple of chicken carcasses plus aromatics.

Stainless steel sauce pot

Sauce pots, or the pot you boil eggs in. are also great for cooking polenta, beans and grains. Plus, as the name would imply, great sauces. The better make and heavier the pot, the better. Stay away from aluminum. A better quality pot will conduct heat more evenly which means your food will cook faster.

Use it for:

Hard-boiled eggs, small and medium-sized batches of rice, hacking a double-boiler.

Buy these sizes:

A 4-quart pot is the perfect size for making a dozen jammy eggs or sauce for a meal.

Tart pan

Pefecting a quiche or a fruit tart is something that should be on your list of things to do this year. They are truly easy and always welcomed at any brunch.

Use if for:

Quiche or fruit tarts.

Buy these:

Having two 10" tart pans with removable bottoms is always useful.

Muffin tins

So the thing I hate about the muffin tin is that the only thing you can cook in them is, well, muffins. But you can't cook muffins in anything else.

Use it for:

Muffins, cupcakes, popovers.

Buy these sizes:

Most families only need a 12-cup sized one. Buy the darker metal ones do help browning. When it comes to the mini or extra muffins, really think about how many times you are going to use it. They are pretty much a waste, if you ask me.

Round cake pan

Everyone has dreams of making that glorious three layered cake. Though they are actually used more often than you think. From potato gratin to bread pudding this pan worth having multiples of. I like to have two that are light colored metal and two that are dark colored. The darker color helps with browning on a gratin while the lighter colored ones are more ideal for cakes.

Use it for:

I know, you saw cake and stopped readingm but these are great for gratins, as well.

Buy these sizes:

2 8" pans are pretty standard in any kitchen. Having two gives the flexability of making a double batch of something. Plus when you make the amazing cake, I'm sure it will be layered.

Baking pan

These are great for roasting small batches of veggies, pasta based or a good ole' casserole. The ceramic ones are pretty, but I have found that they take longer to warm up and hold their temperature longer. This can cause things to cook longer after you remove them the oven and often create burnt bottoms, which then means more scrubbing at the sink, which I'm never a fan of.

Use it for:

I know, you saw cake and stopped reading.

Buy these sizes:

A 13"x9" is the most practical size though a 8"x8" baking pan comes in handy as well. Some may look at the list and ask about different specialty pots and pans and ask why aren't they on the list. Well, because they aren't practical. If you're looking at getting a bundt pan or a double boiler, ask yourself who else has one and borrow theirs. Honestly, you just won't use them enough to justify the cost. Spend you money on the essentials and invest in quality. Avoid aluminum pans, they don't retain heat and make cooking difficult. Also, they can give your food an off taste. Cooper pots are pretty on the rack but are temperamental at best when cooking and are a pain to clean and to keep looking as good as when you first bought them.