How Many Pots & Pans Do You Really Need?
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Wedding season is upon us!
Or….is it?
Depending on when you read this post, you may or may not be rounding out all of the particulars for you and your “spouses-to-be’s” registry.
If you aren’t in the midst of completing a wedding registry or even planning on getting married, chill out: this post is still for YOU!
The singles crowd, co-habitants, and even skandi-mountainous-rockabilly-pescatarians will get something out of this blog.
Translation: If you cook, then you need cookware, and this post will demystify the necessities.
I certainly remember the joys of researching cutlery, small appliances, and luggage as my wife and I completed our wedding registry back in 2011.
The heralded “Wedding Registry” may be where the origins of Enough About It began. My research led me to learn more about the “bagel function” on a KitchenAid toaster than the sweet older woman helping us out at the Macy’s registry event. That poor woman’s patience must have been tested while dealing with a PITA like me (PITA: pain in the -ss).
My best piece of advice: if you do a registry, skip most of it, get a high-quality coffee maker (check out The Best Automatic Drip Coffee Maker), and register at REI for outdoor gear that you can use on fun adventures. Those memories will last much longer than even the most well-researched “thing.”
Besides, the margarita and fine wine glasses we received collect dust. We enjoy most of our beverages out of Silipints because we are usually drinking outside and glass breaks!
The second most important decision that you will make when rounding out your new love nest is the cookware!
I’ve found that since tying the knot and owning a home, my wife and I have adopted several pots and pans, akin to a rescue shelter for unloved but adorable pets. This accumulation led me to ask the question:
How many pots and pans do I actually need to have a functioning kitchen at home?
To answer this question, I solicited the advice of my friend and uber-talented Chef, Aimal Formoli.
Aimal has style, doing the no-look pan toss!
Aimal’s background includes heading Formoli’s Bistro in Midtown Sacramento, serving as executive chef at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, and running the kitchen at Sequoia at the Cannery with his lovely wife Suzanne. If you are hosting an event in the Sacramento area and want an incredible experience, I highly recommend you check this place out.
To summarize, Aimal is a rock star in the Sacramento culinary scene. I’ve grown to enjoy devouring his brutal honesty and candor as much as the dishes he serves. He’s shared tips with me that, along with sous vide cooking, helped me fool my friends and family into thinking I can plate a mean dish!
Chef Aimal suggests the following:
An all-clad style heavy stainless steel sauté pan
This is a workhorse pan. Due to the fact that it’s stainless steel, a good one will be heavy to lift with one hand. Stainless steel is key because it will last a long time and not warp, like aluminum pans. The sauté pan is excellent for browning meats and making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
Cast Iron Pan
“Buy real cast iron,” says Aimal. Don’t waste your money on the blended stuff you find at Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table. Those are colorful and just for aesthetics. A legit cast-iron pan should be heavy and durable enough to fight off a zombie apocalypse.
Rondeau
A rondeau is bigger than a saucepot but not so large that it is a stock pot. Think of it like the Goldilocks of pots—it’s just right. Buy one that is circular in shape. These are great for braising, sauces, and risotto.
Sauce Pot
Sauce pots have a higher volume than a sauce pan which means the process of evaporation takes place more slowly and requires less stirring. This makes sauce pots ideal for sauces and stews that benefit from slow cooking.
Stock Pot
This is the big boy in the kitchen. The stock pot has the highest walls and is ideal for boiling ingredients without any reduction.
Non-Stick
A nonstick skillet is an underappreciated kitchen hero. While neither as strong as a cast-iron workhorse nor as indestructible as stainless steel, the nonstick pan is what you reach for when making eggs, crisping fish skin, or reheating leftovers.
Pasta Strainer (colander)
Not exactly a pot or a pan, but certainly a kitchen must-have. It’s one of the most-used items in your kitchen. You use it to drain pasta, rinse berries, wash off canned beans, and much more.
Notes
Brands
It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole on this one. I’m clearly a fan of Cuisinart products. It’s the brand of cookware that we’ve had for over 12 years, and it has held up beautifully. They make fantastic, high-quality cookware (among many other things) at a reasonable price point. Check out the links above and the corresponding reviews.
Induction Cooktop
According to America’s Test Kitchen, induction cooktops work differently than other stovetops. Instead of using a gas flame or electric coil, induction burners contain coils of copper wire. When electricity passes through the coil, it produces a magnetic field that heats the metal in the skillet or pan. As a result, the burner doesn’t get hot, just the cookware itself. You have to use cookware that contains ferromagnetic metal—a fancy way of saying that a magnet will stick to it.
Dutch Ovens
Dutch ovens can be replaced by the stock pot and rondeau. If you’re looking to slim down on how many pots and pans you have in your kitchen, skip this one.
So, I bet you’ve come this far and are thinking, “What about the wok, plancha, griddle, steamer, etc?”
Great thought. However, this post is not about all of the items that you can purchase to practice every culinary art form. It’s about “How many pots and pans do I really need?” Of course, you can round out your arsenal, and by all means, do it!
The joy of cooking is akin to that of art; the possibilities are limitless. I hope this post served up some tips and pearls to help you round out the necessities in your kitchen. Bon Apétit!
https://www.sacmag.com/magazine/food-drink/sequoia-at-the-cannery/
https://www.rei.com/help?a=REI-Gift-Registry---id--Vv6V1bprQ6-ciChJoRPoAQ
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/3526/saucepan-vs-pot.html#:~:text=Sauce%20Pot&text=Like%20a%20saucepan%2C%20the%20shape,that%20benefit%20from%20slow%20cooking.
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/best-nonstick-pans
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/6061-the-best-induction-cookware
