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. In my years of using and testing many different pieces of cookware in my own home, as well as talking to dozens (and dozens) of professional chefs, recipe developers, and cookbook authors about their own favorites, I have a pretty good sense of how to curate a well-rounded collection. The most important thing is to have a mix of shapes and sizes as well as materials (dependable stainless steel, decent nonstick, and workhorse cast-iron being the most important). The rest should be determined by how much space you have, how often you cook, and how many people you usually cook for.
If you want to go deep on specific categories, I’ve rounded up longer lists of the best skillets, nonstick skillets, Dutch ovens, saucepans, woks, and full cookware sets. Here, I’ve culled the top players from those stories, as well as added some additional enthusiastically recommended picks for good measure (like a rice-specific donabe and dedicated hot pot).
According to the many experts I’ve interviewed over the years, stainless steel is the best material for a saucepan. It conducts heat evenly and is sensitive to variations, plus it’s incredibly durable. And when it comes to stainless-steel pans, All-Clad really can’t be beat. The pots and pans should last you forever if you take care of them (and are the undisputed favorite of chefs, both at home and in professional kitchens) because they’re so durable and thoughtfully designed. When my colleague Rachael Griffiths spoke to experts to find the best-in-class saucepans, the top recommendation was this 1.5-quart model from the brand. Recipe developer Lili Dagan describes it 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, chef and a recipe developer at Row 7 Seeds Co., is a fan of the pour lip, which allows liquid to flow “without any annoying drip,” he says. “I know it’s not a particularly riveting choice, but it will get the job done, always and forever.”
This saucepan from Cuisinart has the same makeup of the All-Clad above: a stainless-steel finish and aluminum core. But it’s markedly less expensive. 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.
Cast iron can get really hot and retain that heat, go from stove to oven, and even has some nonstick properties if seasoned correctly. And Lodge’s skillet — perhaps the most-known and most-beloved on the market — is just $20. If you only had to cook with this single one for the rest of your life, you’d be pretty okay: You can sear, sauté, braise, fry, and bake in it. (And if you’re unsure of how to keep it in top shape, I wrote an entire guide to cleaning and maintaining it.) I’ve been using mine since I’ve had a kitchen, and Strategist writer Liza Corsillo even declared it the best thing she bought in the last decade. Alon Shaya, a New Orleans–based chef and restaurateur; Daniel Cutler, co-owner and chef of Ronan in Los Angeles; and Lani Halliday, founder and owner of Brutus Bakeshop all sing its praises, too.
Sometimes cast-iron pans can feel heavy. Carbon-steel pans, however, are much lighter — and otherwise behave similarly. (This is the material most woks are made out of, too — much more practical for maneuvering around the stove and picking up and flipping ingredients). “I use mine for everything from paella to pressing Cubanos,” says chef Jordan Wallace. “And over a coal or wood fire camping, these are clutch.”
Carbon steel frying pans are one of the most popular choices in commercial kitchens, made to easily withstand the demands of hospitality environments. Pro chefs will know that using a carbon steel pan is probably one of the best materials due to its superb durability and affordability, and it heats up quickly.
Best donabe rice cooker overall
This Toiro donabe is a favorite of Jing Gao, the founder of Strategist-favorite brand Fly by Jing, who says the manual method makes rice taste better. That’s because Toiro’s owner and donabe expert, Naoko Takei Moore, says, this model’s thicker shell provides even and steady heat distribution, while the double lid increases pressure and prevents overboiling. The rounded shape also allows for “the most ideal circulation of water and moisture and steam during cooking,” Takei Moore says. Whereas traditionally shaped donabes require paying more attention to heat levels, this version was designed to be as convenient as an electric model — simply set your flame high for 15 minutes, turn it off, and let it all sit for another 20 to steam. If you’re interested, Toiro also has some of the most stunning standard donabes (meaning, not rice-specific ones) around, which you can shop here.
Best Dutch oven overall
This is the Dutch oven I’ve owned for seven years — and the one most experts told me is their favorite. Although the Le Creuset model is a classic and popular choice, Staub offers a couple standout features. It has a black interior instead of Le Creuset’s white, so it “looks great with age and doesn’t discolor as easily,” says Colin Wyatt, executive chef at Twelve in Portland, Maine. Recipe developer and food writer Grace Elkus, as well as recipe developer Tara O’Brady are both fans of Staub’s darker color, too — specifically for baking bread, since it helps bread get “that chestnut-brown shade, which lighter interiors aren’t able to achieve,” O’Brady says. The Staub also features a lid with concentric dimples on the bottom. Meherwan Irani, owner of Chai Pani in Asheville, North Carolina, and founder of Spicewalla, likes that these indents promote even condensation inside the pot, saying that “when it’s in the oven for a long time, the Staub seems to keep meat particularly tender and prevents it from drying out in any spot.”
Picking The Right Pan For Every Recipe | Epicurious
FAQ
What type of cookware do most professional chefs use?
What brand of pans are used Top chef?
What kind of cookware do Michelin chefs use?
What pans does Bobby Flay use?
What kind of pans do professional chefs use?
Professional chefs use a variety of pans, like frying pans, saucepans, sauté pans, skillets, brazier pans, and griddle pans. They prefer stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel, ceramic, and cast-iron pans. These are better for professional kitchens due to their durability and construction quality. Let’s talk about this in greater detail now.
Which pots & pans are best for professional chefs?
With its unmatched durability and versatility, it’s no wonder stainless steel is the number one choice of pots and pans for professional chefs. With stainless being an essential cookware type for chefs, let’s look at some of the top brands used in professional kitchens:
What types of cookware do professional chefs rely on?
So what types of pots, pans, and bakeware do professional chefs rely on? The short answer is that chefs use commercial grade stainless steel, heavy cast iron, heat responsive copper, and nonstick pans to create their culinary masterpieces. Professional chefs have distinct cookware needs compared to home cooks.
Do professional chefs use stainless steel pans?
Professional chefs prefer to use stainless steel pans for preparing sauces and sautéing. They do not usually use it for deep frying. However, professional chefs prefer thick stainless-steel pans over light ones. The thicker the base, the safer it is to use. The thinner versions are prone to overheating and warping.