Small kitchen checklist
For a small kitchen or after downsizing, keep pans that do two jobs: a 10-inch skillet with a lid, a 3-quart saucepan, and a Dutch oven for stove and oven.
The core
Four pans that cover nearly every meal for one or two.
Fry and sear, and covered for steaming or simmering. Which size?
Grains, sauces, a small soup. Which size?
Soup, stew, braises, bread; stove to oven. Which size?
Roasting and baking; slides into a narrow space.
Does nearly all the cutting.
One that fits your counter and your sink.
Three tools in one crock.
Only if you'll use them each week
If you often cook one-pan dinners with a sauce. Which size?
Casseroles and lasagna.
Replaces a drawer of measuring cups for baking. More
Several sizes stacked as one.
Leave out
Things a small kitchen usually manages without.
One 10-inch pan does most of the work.
For one or two, one big pot is enough.
If another tool already does the job.
Choose pans that store well
Pans that nest inside each other, lids that sit flat, and handles that come off all save space. Measure the cabinet or shelf before buying, and check that the biggest pan fits with its handle on. A Dutch oven that goes in the oven can stand in for a casserole dish and a stockpot for two.