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Choosing cookware
Two pans used constantly beat a twelve-piece set where four pieces never come out of the cupboard. Buy for the cooking you do most.
The material decides what the pan is good at
- Stainless steel — browns meat properly and takes any amount of abuse. It is not non-stick and never will be; that is the trade for the browning.
- Non-stick — eggs, pancakes, fish. Treat it as a consumable: it is the one piece of cookware with an expiry date, and metal utensils and high heat shorten it.
- Cast iron — unmatched heat retention for searing, and it lasts generations. Heavy, and needs seasoning rather than scouring.
- Hard-anodised — a middle ground: more durable than standard non-stick, lighter than cast iron.
Check the base against your hob
Induction needs a ferrous base — if a magnet does not stick to the bottom, the pan will not heat. On any hob, a thick sandwiched base is what stops the middle scorching while the edges stay cool.
Knives: three do almost everything
A chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife cover nearly all home cooking. A large block of knives is mostly filler. A sharp mid-range knife outperforms a blunt expensive one, so budget for a steel or sharpener as part of the purchase rather than as an extra.
Handles and oven use
Check the oven-safe temperature before starting a dish on the hob and finishing it under the grill. Riveted metal handles usually go in the oven; moulded plastic usually does not, and finding out afterwards ruins the pan.
