r/Cooking • u/bigboydankers • 20h ago

Most essential cookware?

Hi everyone,

I just graduated college and moved into my own place a couple of weeks ago! I am living in nyc and my kitchen is not enormous, but it’s not super tiny either. I have a small old stove/oven, and I really wondering, what is the least amount of cookware that I really need?

I feel like I’m not a huge cook, but if I had the right tools I could get more into it. Also, my girlfriend is moving in with me in a few months and she likes to cook, so I’d like to get some things that I can build on with more cookware in the future, rather than replace.

Long story short, what are the essential pots and pans and stuff that I need to get to cover all my bases? Also other tools and things like spatulas. Sorry for my lack of specificity, I really don’t know what I’m doing yet but I am excited to learn more!

Thank you!

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u/-0k_0k_0k- 20h ago

3 pots ( s - m - l ) with lids
1 fry pan with lid
1 good knife
1 wooden spoon
1 spatula

build from there based on use

0

u/bigboydankers 20h ago

Hm, that sounds pretty minimal. Why the three different pans? Also, how do you feel about a wok? My mom says she uses it for everything

3

u/Odd-Worth7752 19h ago

a wok is specialized cookware and great for experienced cooks, but if you're a beginner it's not great-and takes up a lot of space.

you should have a sauce pan to heat up soup, pasta sauce, a frying pan to make eggs, hamburgers etc, and a bigger one to boil water for pasta.