What Are the Best Pots and Pans to Use + More!

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I’ve been to kitchens without a sharp knife or a can opener or prep bowls, but I’ve never been to one without at least a few pots and pans. No matter how minimal your kitchen is, you definitely have at least 1 pot or pan. Now maybe you don’t feel like you have the best pot and pan set, but that’s what we’ll chat about in today’s episode.

I’m covering the 7 most common questions I receive regarding these essential kitchen tools, from how to pick them to how to care for them.

In this 30 minute episode, we’ll answer these questions:

1. Are those sets of pots and pans really worth it?
2. What pots and pans do I need for specific cooking techniques (from size to material)?
3. How do I get more out of my non-stick cookware?
4. What is proper care for cast iron?

Giveaway time!

Now if you listen to the episode and realize that your kitchen could really use a few more types of cookware, we have great news for you! You can enter our contest to win one 6-quart Lodge Dutch Oven between Thursday, 5/9 and Wednesday, 5/15.

Here’s how to enter:

• To enter the giveaway, you must leave a review of our podcast on whatever podcast player you use to listen to podcasts
• Once you leave a review, take a screen shot of your review (the review can take some time to load, so we suggest taking a screen shot of your review before you hit “submit”!) and EMAIL the screen shot to us at hello@cooksmarts.com
• ONE winner will be chosen randomly on Thursday, 5/16, and we will email the winner on Friday, 5/15

That’s all there is to it! By spending a quick minute to write a review and emailing it to us, a brand new Dutch oven could be yours!

Subscribe & review in your podcast player

We’re a brand new podcast, so please subscribe to us in your podcast player and leave a rating in iTunes! Those people at Apple take reviews and subscription numbers seriously so your endorsement really helps people find us.

We have another favor to ask — if you have a friend or a family member who is about to get married and are currently building out their kitchen registry, send this episode to them so they can have the most functional collection of pots and pans for their needs!

Links mentioned in this episode

1. Find out what the best cookware material is for you on the Kitchen Kaper website
2. Save on All-Clad irregulars at CookWareNMore
3. Pick up some Bar Keeper’s Friend to keep your stainless steel shiny
4. Get the best equipment reviews on America’s Test Kitchen

Some of my favorite cookware

1. Lodge cast iron skillets
2. Carbon steel wok
3. 5 quart All Clad saute pan

Some of our members’ favorite cookware

1. Pampered Chef Rock Crock
2. Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron 6.5 Qt Covered Round Dutch Oven
3. 12” All-clad deep Sauté pan
4. All-Clad 8701004421 Saute Pan, 4-Quart, Silver
5. Lodge Dutch Oven
6. Lodge L8DD3 Cast Iron Dutch Oven 5 qt
7. Lodge Pre-Seasoned 9-Inch Skillet
8. Lodge 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet. Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder
9. Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok with Flattened Bottom for Asian Stir Fry and Sautees
10. Sur La Table Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Sauté Pan
11. Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French (Dutch) Oven
12. Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 9-Quart Round French (Dutch) Oven
13. Le Creuset LS2532-3217 Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser, 5-Quart
14. Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 1-1/2-Quart Round Braiser, Marseille
15. Calphalon Contemporary Hard-Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Cookware, Panini Pan and Press, 13 3/4-inch, Black
16. Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware, Dutch Oven, 5-quart
17. Staub Cast Iron 5.75-qt Coq au Vin Cocotte – Turquoise
18. Cravings by Chrissy Teigen 5qt Stainless Steel Saute Pan with Lid
19. GreenPan CC001874-001 Venice Pro 11in skillet 11” Grey
20. AmazonBasics Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 4.5-Quart, Blue
21. Instant Pot
22. My Grandparents’ 100 year old Cast Iron Skillet
23. Crock Pot

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