We have 18 stovetop pots and pans that have met our needs for many years.
All-Clad stainless-lined aluminum sauté pan – large: Probably our most-used piece of cookware because I love to bang pans around while cooking and it does a bang-up job of browning, searing, and quickly reducing sauces.
Falk stainless-lined copper saucieres (large, medium, small): I use these frequently but Mrs. C finds them too heavy. Great do-anything pans for sautéing and searing to stews, braises, delicate sauces, and caramelizing sugar. The small one melts chocolate beautifully without a double boiler.
Thin cast iron woks (medium, large): The medium one gets lots of use and has built up a remarkably durable non-stick patina. Best 20 bucks I ever spent on cookware, and still available from the Wok Shop. The large wok gets used less often so the patina is not quite as remarkable.
All-Clad saucepans (large, small): Mostly used to steam rice, but also handy for soups, sauces, and deep-frying.
Staub Dutch oven: Glad to have it, even though we don’t use it very often.
All-clad stockpot with steamer inserts – very large: Mrs. C uses this to make chicken stock and steam vegetables.
Non-stick frying pans (small, medium, large): Useful for cooking fish and eggs. These get replaced every once in a while.
Cast iron flat pan: Used to roast spices, garlic, and dried chiles.
Cast iron skillets (large, small): Large one is for searing meat. Small one is of unknown providence and rarely used but it is an heirloom from Mrs. C’s family, so . . .
Non-stick saucepans (large, small): Mostly used to boil water for pasta or vegetables. If these went away I would not be sad.
Does a kettle count by official rules?
