Only 3 pots and pans

[Jannie]

I read an article somewhere about how few cooking items we can get by with and it got me thinking – about what is most used in my kitchen and what can I do without, if I have to.

Then I read an article about a similar thing where they had asked some chef's if they were on a deserted island and could only have 5 cooking items, what would they be. I think it came down to a saute pan, windsor pan, tongs, knife and scissors or something like that.

So here's the deal, in my kitchen what I think I use most is from my Mauviel pots and pans: 11 3/4" skillet, 1.3qt sauce and 2.7qt sauce. I shined them up, put them on the stove and put everything back away in the cupboards and decided I would try for one week to see how well I can do with just these three pots/pans. I'm not limiting my utinsils beyond my knives which will only include a 3 1/2" paring and 9 1/2" chefs/guyto.

If you were cooking for just one or two, which three pots/pans would you choose, money being no object.

Jannie

[phatch]

Picking from my current stock of pots and pans:

12" Lodge Cast iron skillet. Better than non-stick and will last forever. Works great in the oven too and is very close to the capacity of a 9x13 casserole so it doubles for that too.

6 qt Tramontina stock pot. Includes strainer insert and steamer basket and lid.

Wok and the associated goodies--bamboo steamer basket, side rack, lid and so on. This assumes a stove hot enough to put it to good use. Woks are extremely versatile besides cooking good Asian food. If I don't have that good stove then my 2 quart All Clad sauce pan.

If it's most any pot/pan, I'd sub in some All Clad for the Tramontina, but I'm keeping my cast iron skillet. I love that pan.

[castironchef]

Originally Posted by phatch

If it's most any pot/pan, I'd sub in some All Clad for the Tramontina, but I'm keeping my cast iron skillet. I love that pan.

Bless you!

[texasflute]

I'd have my 10 inch iron skillet (passed down from my mother), my 5qt. LeCreuset pot and my 4 qt. Anolon sauce pan. My utensils would be my Wusthof Oriental Chef's knife and a large plastic spoon from Ikea that I'm VERY fond of using while cooking. If I could have a 6th item, it would be a balloon whisk.

[Jannie]

Well yesterday I just had to add a steamer insert for my larger sauce pan. Part of why I'm doing this is that I was thinking a lot about getting my daughter some decent pots and pans. Most sets seemed to have stuff I didn't think all that useful and I wondered if I got her some better quality stuff, could I start with just a few and build on that over time.

Jannie

[cwshields]

My Lodge 12" cast iron skillet, 8qt Calphalon stock pot w/steamer and strainer inserts, and All Clad 3qt sauce pan.

[Joyfull]

Well mine are not quite so fancy but my 6 in. cast iron skillet (Taiwan) 10 in. cast iron skillet (Japan) both over 30yrs. old and used a lot.. Also my 3 quart Wear-Ever Excellence Plus double boiler/with steamer insert. I use this one a lot as now I'm mainly cooking for two..

My favorite utensils would be my S&S cleaver, Ausbein messer boning knife, and assorted sized wisks..
Oh, and kitchen scissors!

[powers]

I used to backpack a lot before life gave me responsibilities. I had one pan, I did everything from searing meat to making soups and some desserts. I learned a lot from that. Yet get me in a 600 sqare foot kitchen with anything that I could ask for and I'm missing the one thing I need. haha i guess its all relative.

[KYHeirloomer]

Originally Posted by Jannie

Most sets seemed to have stuff I didn't think all that useful and I wondered if I got her some better quality stuff, could I start with just a few and build on that over time.

Jannie

You've put your thumb right on the button, Jannie. Most sets are near worthless for that very reason; they contain things that the purchasor never uses.

It's far better to buy exactly the items you want from open stock. The fact that you say "decent" implies that she already has some stuff. I think the trick is to see what she uses most often, or would use if she had it. Assuming, of course, that your purchase isn't a secret.

I would also not lock myself into a particular brand. There's no rule that says pots and pans have to match; and very often a skillet from one maker and a saucepan from another fit your needs.

The same applies to knives. I've never seen a knife set that made sense for the way I cook.

Keep in mind that the "right" cookware is the stuff that fits your (your daughter in this case) cooking style. What works for me might not work for you.

I could happily cook for the rest of my life with only my 16-inch cast iron skillet, so long as you allow me a make-shift cover for it. Expanding to two, I'd go with that skillet and a Dutch oven. Broadening out to three, I'd add a small covered saucepan; iron if I were truly going to have to use only those three, stainless otherwise.

Utensils are actually harder to limit than pots & pans. If I absolutely, positively had to choose just three they would be an 8 or 10 inch Chef's knife; a small boning knife; and a set of tongs. I would prefer both a chef's knife and Santoku, frankly, but one has to give up something.