Pots and Pans

A quick guide to which pots are best for some popular dishes

Risotto

For best results (for the risotto and for your pan) use an enameled cast iron pot. The bottom and sides must be thick, for long cooking.

Boiling pasta

Use a stockpot that can hold 4 quarts of water, not too heavy ? should be easy to lift for draining

Skillet and Saute pan

A skillet has sloping sides and a long handle while a saute pan has straight sides and a shorter handle. Both can be used to saute meat and vegetables.

Skillets

Skillets are better for omelets and food that you need to brown. The long handle and sloping sides allow you to flip the ingredients. Many skillets are also oven safe, so good for recipes that include both stove top and oven time. Saute pans are perfect when you have a bit more liquid or a larger amount of vegetables ? they also come with a lid so ideal if you need to cover. Saute pans come in all sizes so you can find the one that fits your needs.