If You Could Only Have One Cooking Pan- Which Would You Choose?

So maybe you've just had a new kitchen fitted and fancy some stylish cookware for your new cupboards? Perhaps that old frying pan has finally surrendered itself to the scrapheap? Or maybe you just never seem to have enough decent pans to cook that big family meal? Whatever the reason, most people need to consider the possibilities of new pots and pans at some point in their adult life.

The first question you need to ask yourself is: what am I going to be cooking? This is crucial as the type of cooking you intend doing will obviously greatly influence your choice. Probably the most essential item for most kitchens is a decent set of saucepans in varying sizes. You will need a small milk pan with a spout and around three or four larger saucepans for boiling vegetables etc. Often, these saucepans are available as a set, making them an economical choice.

A large stock pot can be added to the list if you intend making large amounts of stock or soup. A casserole dish is also invaluable as a large pot that can be used both on the hob and in the oven, due to its small handles.

If you enjoy healthy cooking, then a steamer will be great for vegetables and a poaching pan is useful for eggs. However, while these are useful additions, the one item you probably can't do without is the humble frying pan. Used for all types of cooking, it would probably be good to have both a small omelette pan and a larger one for those big fry-ups.

Combining the allure of frying with the speedy cooking of healthy ingredients is probably the most popular type of pan in these current times - the stir-fry pan or wok. Due to the ever-increasing popularity of Asian cuisine, this is definitely an essential item for the modern kitchen.

Once you have decided what type of cooking pan you need, remember to give some thought to what type of material it should be made of. There are many options available, from stainless steel which is light and stylish, to cast iron which is heavy and durable. Anodised aluminium features good heat distribution which minimises the chances of burning; whilst induction cookware has been specially designed for use on the new induction cookers that are becoming more widely available. Carbon steel cookware is good value and is often used for woks and stir-fry pans. An essential feature, however, for frying pans in general, is that they are non-stick as this feature will enable you to cook your food with the confidence of a master chef.