I think you answered your own questions. Sounds like you eliminated a need for a stock pot and Dutch oven. Maybe ask yourself if you’ve ever wanted to try a recipe from scratch and you didn’t have the proper pot?

I'm curious what pots and pans people have and what you use a lot and what you have but rarely, if ever use? Besides pots and pans, does anyone use a dutch oven a lot? a stock pot? saucier? Also, other than a crock pot, does anyone have an Instant pot or an Air fryer or anything else you really like and use quite often?

I use a stock pot a lot because I make my own large batch chicken soups and tomato sauce. I use my Dutch oven for short ribs or slow cooking in the oven. I rarely use my crock pot. I don’t own an Instant Pot or Air fryer because that type of cooking doesn’t appeal to me. I do not own a cast iron pan.

I have a variety of small pans to cook eggs or sautee a small batch of vegetables. I own larger pots to cook pasta or smaller batches of homemade soup. I have small and medium pans to fry chicken cutlets or cook boneless pork chops.

I have a meal plan subscription service (basically I get a plan for the week and shop myself), so I cook a wide variety of meals in a wide variety of cuisines. Usually I make recipes for 4 people.

Cookware I use frequently:

12" cast iron skillet

Enameled dutch oven

Carbon Steel Wok

3 qt pot (rice)

Stainless steel saute pan with lid

Larger pot/stock pot (pasta)

I have 3 nonstick saute pans of various sizes that I use mostly for eggs.

I have a small nonstick pot (1 qt) that I use mostly to melt butter

I have an instant pot that I never use. I use my crock pot 1-2 times a month. I have a cast iron griddle that I don't use because it's a pain to clean (I just use my skillet instead). I find that for most cooking, I use my cast iron skillet the most (I have a 10" and an 8" as well, but I rarely use those since I usually need the space - I'm considering getting a 15" one). My dutch oven I use often - a few days ago for gumbo. I have a huge stock pot that I don't use often but LOVE to have it, especially for shrimp boil.

Really, the dishes you have and need are all based on the type of cooking you do. If you're doing jarred spaghetti and mac n cheese most of the time, you only need one pot. However, I would say most people have more cookware than they need. I had more pots and pans until I started my meal plan service, which is when I started cooking a lot more. I realized I didn't need very much, and have gotten rid of most of the stuff I've lugged around through the years. I could easily survive with the pots and pans I've listed above.

anj_p, I can cross the Instant pot off my list. I don't really see any reason for it. I don't mind cooking and if I want to do a one pot thing in my crock, I don't mind that it takes several hrs. to cook. I have a round stainless dutch oven that I would like to use if I could figure out what it would be better for than my 10" saute pan.

Anyone have a saucier and actually like using it for certain things(other than sauces)?

dutch ovens are good for big pot dishes. gumbo wouldn't fit in my skillet. neither would the split pea soup I'm making over the weekend. If you don't eat those things, you probably wouldn't see a need for a dutch oven.

I don't have a saucier and wouldn't need one. Most of the sauces I make are done in the pot I cooked my protein in, deglazed. I guess it could be good for something like risotto. I use my dutch oven for that, though.

The reason i have a big stock pot is i keep all unused leftover veggies ,herbs...meat bones/scraps...in bags in the freezer ...especially the carcasses and bones from rotisserie chickens....as they are usually highly seasoned...when i get enough ..just add all of them to water and simmer for a few hours...then strain for the best stock ever...i freeze the stock in smallish containers for sautéing fresh veggies or making small batches of fresh veggie soup ....even for pasta sauces...this justifies having a big pot in our kitchen...but lastly this stock adds a real meat flavor that is nice in a household where we are slowly/ grudgingly eliminating meat in general

Our little dog also loves the last drips drizzled over her dry food as well

Be sure to check out the Cooking Forum, and perhaps ask your question there.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/cooking

And check out Serious Eats, for great info

https://www.seriouseats.com/

Their equipment reviews are very good.

https://www.seriouseats.com/products/equipment-reviews

The wirecutter also has excellent cookware reviews generally and an article about building your own set and what various pieces are good for. They generally recommend all clad as their top choice and tramontina triple ply as their much less expensive but almost as good pic. I have their recommended tramontina set and use every piece. Also have a large Dutch oven they recommend for larger soups, quick breads, etc that I love.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/lists/build-your-own-cookware-set/

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-cookware-set/

The saucier is my go-to for polenta and caramel as well as sauces. My crockpot gets used about twice a year, but I use a Dutch oven frequently. I do the usual soups and stews in it, but also roasts, whole chickens, beans and even bread. This weekend I’ll be using it to cook 40# of apples for applesauce.

Before I had a Dutch oven, I never used one, but now that I have one I use it almost weekly. Well duh, right? With the right equipment I expanded the things that I was making. So instead of always making x in an x, I now can also make x, x, and x. So it’s not just the owning of a particular thing, it’s also the willingness to try different things.

Donald, just curious, what things do you make with your dutch oven that you didn't make before?

sandk, do you make anything other than sauces, caramel and applesauce in your saucier?

I use my stock pot for pasta more than soup. And I use my Dutch oven for pot roast. I really like my OXO stainless steel cookware.

I use the saucier for thicker things that need a lot of stirring/whisking - like polenta. A whisk fits nicely around the curve of the saucier compared to a regular pot. My regular pans with a lid get more use than the saucier and I could live without it. The Dutch oven would be hard to give up. I much prefer the flavor of food cooked in the Dutch oven over the crockpot.

Love my LC Dutch ovens for braising, soups, roasts, bread, mashed potatoes. I Love my saucier for risotto, polenta, creme patissiere, and sauces, of course.

No crockpots, air fryer, pressure cooker for me.

If you don't feel like an item is missing from your kitchen, then it's probably not.

I will have to look into the LC dutch oven. I have a stainless dutch oven. Are the enameled any better than a stainless? I know the enamel ones are really heavy and can chip over time. If I were to get a new one, what size would I need? 4 qt? bigger?

I have a smaller copper sauce pan from TJ Maxx that is handy to have. Use it when something needs to be melted for baking or cooking. Also use it to clarify or brown butter. I haven't burned the brown butter yet.

How many people do you cook for? I almost went with a size smaller LC and the store people recommended the biggest one since I cook for 6 daily. Also, zero chips...that's why it's worth getting the genuine LC.

I cook for 3. My husband, daughter and myself.

I have some of my mother's yellow LC from the 70s. She gave it to me when I went to uni. Zero chips. The white interior is slightly discolored.

I love my Staub everyday pan and pretty much use it everyday.

What about the fact that an enameled dutch oven is already heavy enough without anything in it and then full, it's got to be extremely heavy. I've also seen that an enameled dutch oven is not any easier to clean than a stainless one and you can use an SOS pad on stainless. Any reason an enameled one would be better than a stainless?

I use stainless pots and pans all the time, they are different. The cast iron/enamel is very nonstick and it's super easy to clean. Yes, heavy but SO worth it! Once you get an LC Dutch oven, you wonder why you waited for so long ;)

Should I look at a round or oval LC Dutch oven and what size should I get? I cook for 3 and like having a little leftovers.

I would get the 5.5 qt at the minimum, the price difference is only $40 between that one and mine. I was questioning also the oval or round at the store, the ladies advised me to get a round one, it cooks more evenly they said. Call a factory outlet (if you have one) and ask them about upcoming Black Friday specials. Usually it's only for a couple of hours and only certain colors are included. Mine was a discontinued color and I got it -50%....still not cheap.

One of my favorite things to do in the Dutch oven is quick breads, and I think I prefer a circular shape for that.

@kathy6421 I fry in it, the higher walls make me feel a little more confident, I roast a lot of chicken ( on top of a layer of croutons for bread salad, America’s Test Kitchen recipe) soups and stews more often than before and that is partly because once cooled the d-o fits in the fridge better than a taller pot, polenta and risotto, I soak beans overnight in it and then make rec

Refried beans. It’s just become a go to pot and cleans up so much easier than my others

Anyone know anything about lodge enameled dutch ovens? Any idea why Le Creuset is so much more expensive than lodge?

This is from the description: "Lodge Enameled Iron products are made in China"...LC is made in France. I have other French cookware also, it's all pretty fabulous. Not all LC cookware is made in France, some are Chinese. Not saying that Lodge isn't great, just pointing that out for the price difference. (my Lodge cast iron skillet is one of my favorites too!)

I cook a lot for my family of four and my Le Creuset 7 quart dutch oven gets the most use by far. I actually keep it out because I use it that often. A close second is the Le Creuset Signature 10 inch fry pan. I agree with most others here that they are worth the money. Both are still in fantastic condition, even after rigorous daily use. I've had the fry pan since 2011 and the dutch oven since 2015.

As an anecdote, my mom has a few Lodge pans and dutch ovens and she's had to replace them at least once or twice during that same time period. The bottom chips and scrapes up. She also uses her pots very regularly and they simply haven't lasted as long.

I have a lodge, and the enamel on the inside where the lid meets is chipped in a few places. The le creuset is supposedly much better quality, but I don’t have kids I’m passing it down to. I’m also not at all convinced that the actual cooking performance is affected by the rim chips. I’m also not convinced that the cooking performance is all that different between enameled cast iron Dutch ovens as long as the cast iron isn’t thin and the enamel is intact on the cooking surfaces and doesn’t stain. LC is nice, but for the price I can replace a cheaper one every few years if I really had to (and I’m not convinced I will want to aside from very minor cosmetics).

If you’ve never used one, my advice is to get something cheaper before you shell out several hundred dollars on something that doesn’t integrate into your personal kitchen habits.

Anyone know anything about Tramontina brand or Made In brand?

Both have series of various quality and both have a high-end that’s pretty highly regarded. I have a set of stainless 3 ply clad (throughout, not just the base) tramontina cookware that I love. It’s 2 years old and still looks brand new. Heat distribution is great.

Kathy6421, I just bought a tri ply tramontina brasier and have to say it seems just as nice as my all clad. I will be buying more for our vacation home.

What is the point of buying and storing a pot you don’t need? Large, good quality ones are pricey. Seems like any new pots would be overkill.

I use my two LC DOs all the time. One is the 5-1/2 qt size and one is the 7-1/4 qt size. I do not have a crock pot. I make in my DOs chicken soup (came in handy for a friend with Covid - I left it at his door. The old school cure really made him feel better), meatballs marinara, whole roast chicken, beef stew, bolognese sauce, chili, macaroni and cheese, boiling corn on the cob, pot roast, and a ton of other things. I also have a stainless steel DO that I will likely sell on eBay. It works great, but I find it much harder to clean the SS than the LC enameled cast iron. You need elbow grease to scrub the brown off the stainless steel, but the LC just leave to soak for half hour and it pretty much just rinses away.

When I had my kitchen redone I purchased some T-fal non stick pots that I 💕 love. They also are a great weight, not heavy. I love my Cuisinart heart shaped ceramic casserole pot too. I use my crockpot a lot for chicken and vegetables. I just purchased a Ninja air fryer that I really like. It is ceramic coated inside and nothing sticks to it ; and makes for healthier cooking.

Hi, sorry this is a little late and you've probably long since made a decision. You asked why Le Creuset is so much more expensive than other brands. There are a few reasons that make LC the right choice if it's in your budget. For one thing, it is the lightest brand of enameled cast iron. Yeah, it's still heavy, but it's about a pound or so lighter than other brands without any sacrifice in heat retention. Also, the enamel is much higher quality. If you read reviews of bargain brands you will see complaints about chipping and cracking. I've had a couple of LC DOs for over a decade and no chipping or cracking at all. Super high quality. Next, IMO the higher quality enamel is a little more nonstick than other brands. I have a LC Classic and a LC Signature, and the Signature enamel is almost like using a ceramic nonstick. Finally, the color options make LC the most fun brand of Dutch oven.

If you haven't bought a DO yet and can afford LC, I highly recommend it. Here's an article on Dutch ovens that you might find helpful. OTOH, if you don't make stocks and do braises and stews in a slow cooker, why do you even need a Dutch oven? I own a slow cooker but rarely use it. I much prefer the results from my Dutch ovens. Oh, that's another thing: the heavier lid helps stews and braises retain moisture better than a stainless Dutch oven can. And the main reason I prefer the DO to a slow cooker is that you can do your browning and braising in one pot.

Hope that helps!

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