Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the retailers.
Owning a ton of pots and pans isn’t necessary (even if you cook a lot). But owning a mix of the right ones is. No one is more familiar with the intricacies of day-to-day cookware use than chefs, and while some depend on fancy, professional-grade brands like Mauviel in their homes just as much as their work (and recommend them if you can afford it), most say a mix of dependable stainless steel, decent nonstick, and workhorse cast-iron (everyone loves Lodge skillets) cookware does the trick for anything and everything you’d need to whip up in the kitchen.
We’ve asked chefs, recipe developers, and food writers to share their thoughts on the very best pots and pans for daily cooking, and we’ve tried some ourselves. Here’s the Strategist-approved list.
All-Clad Stainless Steel 1.5-Quart Saucepan
$155
When we spoke to experts to find the best-in-class saucepans, the top recommendation was All-Clad’s 1.5-quart-size pan. Strategist kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman says the pan’s aluminum core allows it to heat up quickly and evenly, and the stainless-steel finish means it’s easy to clean, dishwasher safe, and durable. Lili Dagan, a culinary director at Blue Apron, describes the pan as a gateway piece into nicer cookware, saying “it’s reliable and sturdy, and it will show your parents that you have decent taste.” Patch Troffer, a former chef at Marlow & Sons and now a recipe developer at Row 7 Seed Co., is a fan of the pan’s pour lip, which allows liquid to flow “without any annoying drip,” he says. “I know it’s not a particularly riveting choice,” Troffer says. “But it will get the job done, always and forever.”
$155
at Amazon$155
at All-Clad
Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Saucepan
$30
This pan from Cuisinart also has a stainless-steel finish and aluminum core, but it’s a third of the price of the All-Clad above. Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang has owned hers since 2017 and says “the quality is exceptional for the very reasonable price.” She uses it at least five times a week for cooking grains or heating soup and just sticks it in the dishwasher afterward for easy cleaning.
$30
at Amazon$35
at Target
Joan 12-Inch Polished Cast-iron Skillet
$345
$345
Yes, we just said that everyone loves Lodge skillets. And that’s true. But if there is one cast-iron skillet that might have a leg up on Lodge, it’s Joan from Butter Pat Industries. It’s polished, which the Lodge isn’t, meaning your food is less likely to stick to its surface, and it’s lighter, too. “The Joan from Butter Pat Industries sits on my stove perpetually, waiting for the next use,” says North Carolina chef Katie Button of Katie Button Restaurants. “I use it for just about everything that I could possibly use it for, and sometimes for more than I should. Steak, scallops, fish, vegetables — they all brown up perfectly.”
$345
at Butter Pat Industries
All-Clad 4212 Stainless Steel 2-Quart Saucier
$160
If you’re cooking larger quantities of food, like a risotto or seafood pasta, consider the saucier pan, which is slightly taller than your standard frying pan. “A large sauté pan with two-thirds-inch sides is the most important pot you should own,” says chef Tony Cacace of Jackson’s Eatery. “It’s perfect for almost anything that has a longer cooking time but needs a gentle hand. It will handle everything from oatmeal and black-rice porridge for breakfast to risotto for dinner and ice-cream bases for dessert.”
$160
at Sur La Table
All-Clad D3 Stainless-Steel Fry Pan
$100
If you’re stocking a home kitchen, Wartzman says you can’t go wrong with a stainless-steel pan for fast, even heat distribution, and All-Clad is the best. Robert Guimond, the chef and owner of restaurant Public Display of Affection in Brooklyn, swears by his. “It’s durable and it’s beautiful,” he says. “I often find myself daydreaming about sautéing some gnocchi or scallops with it right after I’m done washing it.”
$100
at Amazon$190
at Crate and Barrel
Lodge 12-Inch Carbon-Steel Pan
now 20% off
$45
Sometimes cast-iron pans can be a little too hard-core, especially when cooking delicate foods like crêpes and seafood. Carbon-steel pans, with their smoother surfaces and lighter weight, are ideal for having all the qualities of cast iron minus the rough surface. “They basically act like a nonstick if they’re well-seasoned,” Cutler says. Luckily, chef-favorite Lodge also makes carbon-steel pans. “I use mine for everything from paella to pressing Cubanos because they are quite heavy,” says chef Jordan Wallace, the culinary director of Denver’s Pizzeria Locale. “And over a coal or wood fire camping, these are clutch.”
$45
at Amazon$45
at Walmart
Lodge Cast-Iron Round Dutch Oven
$80
And for a fraction of the price of the Staub or the Le Creuset, Lodge’s enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is an affordable and well-made favorite of both Irani and Todd Pulsinelli, executive chef of the Chloe in New Orleans. Both chefs say they’ve had theirs for about eight years and still use them all the time with Irani saying that the Dutch oven is “pretty damn near indestructible.” Although he acknowledges that the Staub looks a bit more refined, Irani says he appreciates that the Lodge comes in multiple colors.
$80
at AmazonFrom $106
at Wayfair
Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron Round Dutch Oven
$250
now 31% off
$250
But if you’re looking for a ubiquitous model and don’t mind the slightly higher cost, “Le Creuset pans are workhorses, and they’re made to really, really last,” says Sohui Kim, chef at Insa. “They’re very durable, conduct heat tremendously well, and look super nice.” She uses hers for brazing, soups, stock, anything she wants to stick into the oven, and even a “lazy bowl of quick instant ramen.” Alexandra Wight, owner of Crown Jewel in Great Diamond Island, Maine, has owned hers for almost two decades and hasn’t noticed discoloration. “I love that you can throw it in the dishwasher,” she says. “I don’t always do that, but I like to know that the option is there, especially as a mother of three children who make a lot of dishes.” If you’re interested in a Dutch oven but don’t want to invest quite so much (though, we really do believe it’s worth it), check out our reviews of the best Le Creuset dupes.
$250
at Crate and Barrel
Made In Carbon-Steel Frying Pan
$89
$89
While traditional V-shaped woks are large with extremely tall walls for stir-frying and a second handle for easy maneuverability around a high flame, Lucas Sin, chef at Junzi Kitchen and Nice Day, recommends this woklike pan if you want the signature shape in a more compact size. The pan has a wider bottom than other woks, which Sin says he prefers “for as much surface contact as possible.” It also has slightly lower sides than other woks, but the walls are still tall enough that it “can be used for braising, steaming, and boiling,” Sin says. If you’re looking for a more traditional wok, check out more reviews here.
$89
at Amazon$89
at Made In Cookware
Kamacco Japanese Rice Cooker
$70
Chef Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s and Mamahuhu loves the Kamacco, which has been produced in Japan by Tsukamoto Pottery since 1864 and is half the price of the Toiro. “It has a double lid that helps concentrate steam to cook rice better,” Jew says. “The pot can go over a low flame on the stove, but recently I took it camping with me and was able to cook rice over an indirect campfire. It can be used for heating things up, like stews, and retains heat really well, so serving food in this vessel will keep food at the table hot longer as well.”
$70
at Jinen
All-Clad Nonstick Hard-Anodized 2-Piece Fry Pan Set
$90
“This is the best nonstick deal you’ll find,” says Cutler. “I like that they’re anodized [a heat treatment done to the aluminum to turn the surface nonstick] as opposed to coated with Teflon, which is toxic if it gets scraped up.” Nonstick isn’t meant to last your whole life the way cast iron is, even if you take good care of it. But after a couple of years of everyday use, Cutler’s pans are only just now starting to show some wear.
$90
at AmazonFrom $109
at Williams Sonoma
Lodge Seasoned Cast-Iron Set
now 40% off
$90
Lodge’s quality yet affordable cast-iron pans make the brand hard to beat. For only $100, this set gets you two skillets of different sizes, a griddle, and a Dutch oven. You can sear, sauté, braise, fry, and bake with this versatile arrangement of pieces, Wartzman says, and because it’s naturally nonstick (and will only get better with age), she calls it a worthwhile investment.
$90
at Amazon$100
at Cabela's
Mauviel Copper Triply Cookware Set
$900
$900
If you’re going to invest, industry favorite Mauviel will last you a lifetime. “We got our copper Mauviel pots and pans as a gift,” Cutler admits, “but if I had unlimited money, I would only use these.” They’re a dream to cook with, he says, because “copper conducts heat, retains heat, and then cools down in an incredibly exacting way.”
If you want to keep your copper cookware looking like it has a place in Gusteau’s in Ratatouille (i.e., sparkling clean), people swear by Bar Keepers Friend. Cutler, however, has let his grow a patina over time. “I wash it with hot soapy water and an abrasive sponge as soon as I’m done cooking, because otherwise it’s hard to get food off — but that’s it,” he says. “I don’t mind the aged look.”
$900
at Williams SonomaActually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts.
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