My Favorite Pans

One of my favorite things as a food stylist is answering questions about my profession and being asked for my “professional” opinion. There are a few questions I get often like …

“What pans do you use at home?”

When my husband and I got married I didn’t know how to cook. I was 23 years old. I had an inherited a love of food but honestly, I didn’t know much. For several years we would each choose five to ten frozen meals when we went grocery shopping and that’s what we ate for lunch during the week. It didn’t take many pans for those meals. I could be ashamed of that but I prefer to look back at it and marvel at just how far I’ve come on my journey.

I did have a nice set of cookware from Amway when we got married so I was grateful for that. {My daughter has packed that set up for when she moves out!} But, in those days I also used non-stick cookware, cheap aluminum pots and pieces picked up at Goodwill. No one told me any different because maybe no one really knew.

Enter cancer into our lives …

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998. This was the impetus for all the changes I’ve made since then. Including our cookware.

The non-stick cookware had to go away. No one could say for sure whether that coating was cancerous but I knew it wore off over time so it was getting into our food. I also stopped using aluminum for things that were acidic like tomato sauce and things with citrus. Here’s an article about why not to cook those foods in aluminum.

Over time I replaced all my cookware, baking dishes and baking sheets with these items. {Of course, every cook will have a differing opinon on what they want/need. This is what works for me and my family. Tailor yours to your life.}

1) Cast iron skillets
I have several but I am on the lookout for a nice, seasoned 14-15″ pan. I only buy these used. I don’t have time to season these as well as a 40 year old pan. These are invaluable and are considered the original non-stick cookware. We cook all of our dippy eggs in these pans. An added bonus for cast iron is that you can sear meats on the stove top and put it in the oven to finish. No worrying about what the handle is made of or if anything on the pan will melt. I use this technique often.

2) Stainless steel skillet and sauce pans
I purchased the center skillet at Goodwill for $4. It was brown on the inside and needed some TLC but it’s like new now. I use Bon Ami to clean it when needed. These pans are used almost every day for sauteeing, browning meats, cooking veggies, making sauces, etc. If these pans are taken care of they will last a lifetime. When I wash my pans I don’t let any food on them. NONE. I soak them if necessary and I use the Bon Ami about once a month. I even clean the very bottom of the pans.

Another thing I don’t tolerate is opaque lids. I always use glass lids. Using a solid metal lid has always baffled me for making things like rice and oatmeal where you’re not supposed to open the lid until the food is finished cooking. How do you know when it’s done cooking if you can’t see it? I have purchased glass lids, regardless of brand name, to fit all my pots and pans. They are the ONLY lids I use.

3) Allclad stainless steel stock pot
This was a total splurge for me. William Sonoma had a set on sale for 50% off and I needed a write off at the end of the year. In hindsight I didn’t need the whole set. I use only two pieces from it. This stock pot and a sauce pan. I don’t even use the lids. Buying this has reinforced that it’s not a good deal if you don’t need it. I do use this piece very often though. It was almost worth the price of the whole set. Haha.

5) Calphalon 12″ anodized aluminum skillet
Several of the studios I work at have whole sets of this anodized aluminum cookware. I haven’t found the need to get any other pieces (even though I recommend it often) but I love this low sided skillet. We use it for all kinds of things like pancakes, grilled cheese and corned beef hash. I’m not sure it’s officially non-stick but it doesn’t need oil like cast iron does and the circumference is just the right size. It develops a patina similar to cast iron, the “coating” doesn’t wear off and it’s not as heavy. It’s a great, all ’round skillet.

6) Copper sauce pans
I’m in love. If you’ve ever seen a photo of Martha’s kitchen, it’s filled with copper pans. I’m working on my own collection, s l o w l y. These are a few pieces I use, mostly because I love how they look. I’m a visual artist, what can I say? And, I don’t apologize for the patina on these pans. I love that copper changes color over time and equally love it when it’s freshly polished or has a warm patina.

So, there you have it. These are the pans we use every day. The majority have been purchased at Marshall’s or Home Goods. I don’t pay full retail for any cookware I buy and I’m of the belief that it doesn’t have to cost a lot to buy a pan that will last you a lifetime. It’s taken me 25 years to get to this point but I honestly feel like I don’t need any other pans than what I have (except that large cast iron skillet that continues to elude me.)

If you choose your pieces wisely, you will never need to purchase cookware again. I once saw a pantry filled floor to ceiling with all manner of cookware. Most of it cheap, coated non-stick, thin aluminum pots, bakeware that bends and twists with heat and sauce pans that were dented. It was clear they were purchased, not with thoughtfulness and an eye to the future or health, but on impulse or to replace another cheap pan that had used up its life in mere months.

We are what we eat but we are also what we cook in if it leaches poisons into our food. Let’s not be teflon but instead be a sturdy cast iron pan that adds flavor and a lifetime of good meals to our family’s table.