Pans & Pots

As a start we recommend you buy:
- 2 liter saucepan: for making sauces and small quantities of vegetables
- 4 to 6 liter saucepan or pot: for cooking soups, making stews, cooking rice or pasta.
- 4 to 6 liter pressure pot: for cooking bone meat and hard vegetables faster.
- 20 to 25 cm pan: for frying eggs, pancakes, omelets and single portions of steak
- 30 to 35 cm pan: for frying bigger portions of steak for example.
This is probably one of the biggest investments you make in your kitchen utensils, so make sure you review several manufacturers before purchasing. What we recommend you keep in mind is the material, copper and aluminum heat up quickly but can negatively react to some food items, so it is better to get them with a protection stainless steel layer. Also make sure that the handles are silicone or other stay cool material. Weight is an important factor; you want something that is not too heavy but also steady and stable on the oven.

Steamer:

Preparing steamed vegetables is a very easy and healthy side dish to prepare, for that you should consider buying a stainless steel adjustable steamer that can fit on multiple pots. Also it should have legs to keep the water away from the vegetables. Another thing to look for is handles, to make it easy to lift and move the steamer.

Measuring Cups and Spoons:

Those babies come in handy especially when you are reading a recipe from a book or a box. 250 ml, 100 gm… it’s really difficult to try and do that relying on your senses. One important thing which not a lot of amateur cooks don’t know is that there are different measuring cups for liquids and solids. Check out our Conversions and Equivalents page. The ones for liquids have a spout to make it easy to pour.

Mixing Bowls:

This comes in handy when you need to mix multiple ingredients. Look for a set that comes in different sizes, they come in different materials: glass, plastic, ceramic and stainless steel.

Cake and Cookie Pans

Baking pans come in different shapes and sizes; you should consider your baking needs before making a purchase. As for the material, they are generally made of metal, glass or silicone. For metal pans look for ones that are coated with a non sticky layer, and you also have the option of springform which makes it easier to remove the cake.

Baking Dishes

You should consider getting a set of baking dishes in different shapes, designs and sizes, as they can be used for preparing several dishes: pasta, roast meet or chicken and even for baking sweets and pies. Look for dishes that have handles so that you can easily remove them from the oven. Getting baking dishes with a nice design can work as serving dishes as well, straight from the oven to the table.

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