Family kitchen checklist
For four or more, size up: a 12-inch skillet, a 3-quart saucepan, an 8-quart stockpot, a 5.5-quart Dutch oven and two sheet pans, plus the tools to match.
Start with these
Family-size eggs, searing, a pan of fried rice. Which size?
Rice for four, sauces, vegetables. Which size?
Pasta for the family, soup, corn on the cob. Which size?
Stews, chili, pot roast; stove to oven. More
One-pan dinners and braises. Which size?
A sheet-pan dinner and the side at the same time.
Lasagna, casseroles, a crumble.
Tools
Big jobs and small ones.
One for raw meat, one for everything else.
Serving and turning food for a crowd.
Baking and doubling recipes. More
Tells you a roast is done without cutting into it.
Draining pasta, tossing salads, mixing batter.
When you're ready
Two things frying at once. Which size?
Holiday turkey and big roasts. Which size?
Pancakes for everyone at once, across two burners. Which size?
Dinner ready when you get home.
Size up, not out
Bigger pans matter more than more pans. A 12-inch skillet takes three chicken breasts where a 10-inch takes two, Made In says, and a 5.5-quart Dutch oven feeds four with leftovers. Check that your largest pans fit your burners and your oven, and that you can lift them when they're full.