Kitchen Basics: Pots & Pans

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Follow along this easy guide from the JCPenney Wedding Registry, and you’ll soon be ready for a well-stocked kitchen.

With every set or open-stock item you’ll find on our site, we will list its necessary distinguishing features:

Heavy-Gauge – The thickness of the material from which the cookware is made determines how well the heat is evenly distributed to produce thorough cooking of the food.

Solid Construction – You will want handles and lids that are sturdy, secure and heatproof.

A Comfortable Hand – Cookware must feel comfortable in the hands of whoever is using it, to make food preparation run more smoothly and avoid potential accidents.

Here are the various cookware and bakeware materials. Whichever you choose is up to you, as each has its own advantages:

Aluminum – Heats quickly and evenly, and with a non-stick surface inside, is easy to clean.

Cast Iron – Absorbs and distributes heat evenly, and is best for frying, browning, stewing and baking.

Copper – The oldest cookware metal, as well as the most efficient heat conductor. It is always lined with silver, tin, stainless steel or a non-stick finish to avoid chemical reactions that may discolor food.

Glass – Wonderfully versatile, it goes from oven to freezer to table to dishwasher and into the microwave as well. Plus, it’s easy to maintain.

Stainless Steel – It’s extremely durable, and it won’t dent, stain or scratch. It is often bonded with copper or aluminum to enhance heat conduction.

Our registry checklist for the well-stocked kitchen of pots & pans:

1 medium skillet (great for breakfast dishes, breads and meat dishes)
1 large skillet (great for the above, but for serving a larger party)
3 covered saucepans: small, medium, large (ideal for sauces, but can also handle soups, stews and vegetables)
1 6-12 qt. stock pot with lid (it can simmer soups and stews, but also do double-duty for steaming vegetables and boiling pasta)
1 6-8 qt. sauté pan or dutch oven with lid (use for frying, deglazing, and of course, sautés. Plus, either can go from stove to oven)
1 double boiler (means double-duty, for rice, pasta, stuffing and vegetables; also great for melting chocolate)
1 roasting pan (not just for pot roast, this pan can handle meat loaf, turkey, chicken, pork, even fish—with the vegetables and broth for each added right in)
1 braiser
1 wok
1 pasta pot
1 colander
1 stir fry pan

Remember bakeware too:

3 baking dishes: square, oval, oblong (an 8” square is perfect for a batch of brownies, while the oval or oblong easily roast meats, poultry and vegetables)
2 large baking sheets (for everything from cookies to doubling as a warming tray in the oven)
2 round cake pans (the 9” round pans are ideal for making layered cakes and trifles)
1 springform pan (a smart choice for making a lighter, fluffier cake, such as angel food)
1 square cake pan (ideally used for brownies and other dessert bars)
1 12-cup muffin pan (also use for cupcakes)
1 pie pan (the 9” round pan is perfect for pies, cheesecakes, even quiche)
2 6-cup loaf pans (they’re great for quickbreads, loaves of bread and meatloaf)

Regardless of the cookware and bakeware sets or open-stock pieces you register for, be rest-assured that cleaning them once you have them will be simple. Really!

Baking soda, dishwashing liquid and hot water are the key to removing baked-on gunk and removing burned-on foods.

If the food is burned-on, add the above solution to the cookware, put it on the stovetop and bring it to a boil. Then remove it from the stovetop, let it cool down, add a bit more baking soda to it and give it a good scrub with a plastic scrubber.

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