gardenlad, I think you've got it -- but I'd reverse:

One pot, I'll take a wok.
(In fact, a 16" carbon steel with ears.)

Two pots, I'll add a round 5 quart.
(I have a couple 5-6 quart pots in different materials I use constantly but I suspect the Staub version would be an improvement on my current kitchen pals.)

1) a good 6-7 qt. enameled cast iron Dutch oven
2) cast iron wok

If limited to one pan, I'd look for versatility first. So I would go with a 5-qt deep saute pan. If pressed, I could cook just about everything in it.

If limited to two pans, I would add a 4-qt sauce pan.

I'm not saying that these are necessarily my favorites but that if limited, I would choose them for their ability to let me cook the most dishes.

What a great topic! For a one-pot kitchen I'd choose the Le Creuset saucepan with a lid that doubles as a small skillet.
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Add a Chinese chef's knife and a good cutting board and you have a complete batterie de cuisine. For a two-pot kitchen I'd live with the above for a while and see what else I found I wanted.

Ironic that woks are never included in starter sets.

Ya have to be leery of projecting, KitchenDetective. Folks on this forum tend to be more sophisticated about cookery. But I bet the average household does not contain a wok, and the cook in the family wouldn't know how to use one.

So, from a well-stocked kitchen point of view, I wouldn't be without one. But from a marketing point of view, I wouldn't put one in a starter set either.

It's like knife sets. A filet knife is actually one of the most versatile blades you can have in the kitchen. But you won't find them in basic knife sets.

Good point, gardenlad. Also, most sets of pots are made of materials less suitable for a wok.

Very crafty, velodoug, savoring your second pot pick while enjoying a pair already!!

One of the saddest moments in my kitchen remodel was having to give away my two woks - they won't work on my glass cooktop. I replaced one of them with a flat-bottomed cheapie from IKEA, but it's not the same. Sniff.

Are flat-bttomed woks flat-bottomed on the inside, too? If so, then it's more of an evasee, no? I've never looked inside one, I just realized. (Behind the curve on cultural awareness, I guess.)

kitchendetective -- Yes, and no. Carbon steel woks are the same shape on the inside and the outside because they're made of thin material. But I've seen cast iron woks that are flat bottomed on the outside and curved on the inside. The difference between a flat-bottomed wok and the evasees I've seen is that the flat area in the bottom of the wok is much smaller in relation to the overall size.

Velodoug--yes, my cast iron one is flatish on the bottom (sort of has concentric rings, but the whole thing works on a wok ring anyway--)but it is completely curved inside. My steel one is as you describe. I was wondering more about the copper and stainless steel cookware types, not that I would buy one.

Here's something that I did not consider when choosing pans ;)

Wouldn't a Lodge be better?

Here is a link that might be useful: Yet another vote for one good pan

kitchendetective,

In all the years I cooked primarily with cast iron, that actually was one thought that did go through my mind! I'm not very large or strong, and thought a good hard whack with a pan (preferably hot) possibly could work, lol.

So, too, can a .45 between the eyeballs!

If more people were willing to protect themselves there would be less violent crime in this country.