Cookware and kitchen gear

A short list, grouped by job, with budget picks tagged. Each note says why the thing earns its spot. None of them is a test result, and if that ever changes, the entry will say so.

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Cookware

A skillet, a sheet pan and a Dutch oven cook almost everything on this site.

• Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet

  Budget pick

  If I could keep one pan, it would be this. Cast iron holds heat, so meat browns instead of steaming, and it goes from the burner into the oven. It's heavy, and it wants drying and a wipe of oil after every wash. In return it'll outlast you.

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• Nordic Ware half sheet pan

  Budget pick

  Most oven recipes assume a half sheet, and this is the plain, heavy aluminum one. Heavier pans warp less at high heat, which keeps oil from pooling in one corner. Buy two. Add a wire rack that fits it and you also have a cooling and draining station for fried food.

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• Lodge enameled Dutch oven

  Step up

  Braises, beans, soups, bread, and deep frying with the oil a safe distance below the rim. The enamel means wine, tomatoes and citrus don't eat a seasoning. Six quarts feeds six people. Do not heat it empty on high, which can crack the enamel.

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• 3 quart stainless saucepan with lid

  Budget pick

  Rice, sauces, beans for two, and a small batch of pickling brine. What matters is a heavy base so the bottom doesn't scorch on low, and a lid that sits tight so rice steams properly. Brand matters less than those two things.

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Knives and tools

One good knife, a steel to keep it straight, and a board big enough to work on. Skip the knife block. It's how they sell you six knives you'll never pick up.

• Victorinox Fibrox 8 inch chef's knife

  Budget pick

  An inexpensive chef's knife, NSF certified to the sanitation standard written for commercial kitchen equipment, and stocked by restaurant supply houses. Stamped blade, light, takes an edge easily, and the handle grips when wet. One good 8 inch knife does nearly everything a knife block does.

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• Honing steel

  Budget pick

  A steel pushes a rolled edge back into line, so the knife cuts like it did last week. A few light strokes before you cook. It doesn't remove metal, so once honing stops helping, the knife needs a real sharpening on a stone or by a sharpening service.

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• Large plastic or composite cutting board

  Budget pick

  Big enough that food stays on the board and off the counter. Plastic and composite boards can go in the dishwasher, which makes one the obvious pick for raw meat. Put a damp towel under it so it doesn't slide.

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Thermometers and scales

A thermometer is how you know meat is safe. A scale makes rice, baking and coffee come out the same twice.

• ThermoWorks ThermoPop instant-read thermometer

  Budget pick

  An instant-read is the only way to know chicken is at 165 F and pork at 145 F. Cutting it open and looking is a guess, and I don't guess with chicken. This is an affordable instant-read with a readable screen. Buy any decent one, but buy one before you buy anything else on this page.

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• ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

  Step up

  The step up: a faster read and a sturdier build, at a much higher price. Worth it if you cook meat several nights a week or fry often, where a few seconds with the pot open matters. The cheaper instant-read does the same food safety job.

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• Clip-on deep-fry and candy thermometer

  Budget pick

  The instant-read checks the chicken. This one rides the side of the pot and watches the oil for the whole fry, so you see it drop when the cold chicken goes in and see it come back. Get one that reads past 400 F and clips to a thick pot wall. Dial or digital, cheap is fine. Before the first fry, stand it in boiling water: it should read about 212 F at sea level, a little lower up high.

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• Digital kitchen scale

  Budget pick

  Grams are more repeatable than cups, especially for flour, salt and rice. It is also the most useful coffee tool after the grinder. Look for one that reads in 1 g steps up to about 5 kg and has a tare button. A 0.1 g model is nice for coffee but not necessary.

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Coffee grinders and brewers live on the coffee page. Coffee gear