I used to think that if a meal didn’t turn out quite right, it had to be a problem with the ingredients, the instructions, or… me! But what I realized after years of practice is that sometimes it’s actually the cookware (or the way the cookware is being used).
Certain materials just work better for certain components or methods! If you’re trying to get a good sear, cooking something that releases a lot of moisture or fat, letting a protein braise for hours, making a pan sauce—the list goes on—the pots and pans you use can completely change the outcome. Plus, the way they’re used—like how high they’re being heated or even how they’re being cleaned—matters a lot.
Because I’m here to make your life in the kitchen better, I’m going to walk you through everything I know about the five most common types of cookware so you can reach for the right pot or pan, no matter what you’re cooking. Plus, all my best tips for maintaining and cleaning your cookware, so it all lasts as long as possible. Good quality cookware can be an investment, so it’s worth getting the most out of what you have! At the end, I have bonus tips for knives and cutting boards, too.
Stainless steel is one of the most common cookware materials, but I know it can be intimidating! It’s really strong, naturally non-stick, and gives you the best even cooking. It’s incredibly long-lasting, too. It’s one of my favorite materials to cook with every day.
🌟 Best for: Searing and browning meats, sautéing vegetables, deglazing, shallow frying, & pan sauces
Cooking best practices
Proper heating is key: Preheat your pan before adding oil. To test if it’s hot enough, splash a few drops of water on the center of the pan. If they splatter and steam, it’s not ready. If the water beads join together and slide around, it’s ready for oil and food. Once you add the oil and food, turn the temperature down slightly to prevent burning.
Stainless steel gets very hot, so it’s best to use oils with a high smoke point, like avocado oil, especially for frying. Olive oil is better for medium or low temps.
When searing, let the meat sit undisturbed until it naturally releases from the pan. That’s when you know it’s ready to flip! If it doesn’t release, the pan likely wasn’t preheated enough before the food was added.
Stainless is great for cooking acidic foods (like lemon and citrus). There are no coatings or materials that the acids can break down.
Cleaning + maintaining
Let your stainless steel pans cool completely before washing them to prevent warping. Wash with soap and warm water, and use a scratch-free sponge.
If food sticks, cover the surface with water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove the pan from the heat and rinse out any loosened food. Let the pan cool, then clean it with soap and water.
For stains, soak pans in a paste of water and cleaning powder (or baking soda) for 20 minutes. Barkeeper's Friend is another option for stains. This stuff truly does work like a dream on stainless, and it’s non-toxic (code JENNEATSGOOOD).
Never put stainless steel in the dishwasher!
In my kitchen: frying pan set | sauté pan | 6-quart stock pot | 4-quart saucepan
🌟 Best for: Braising*, soups & stews, searing, frying, & baking
Most of the cast iron I use is enameled, meaning it’s coated in a glass-like sealant that protects against rusting, is easier to clean, and doesn’t need to be seasoned. If seasoning a non-enameled cast iron yourself, you want to cook something high in fat, like bacon, first to coat it and build up your seasoning layer. You can also get a pre-seasoned conventional cast iron.
Cooking best practices
For regular seasoned cast iron (like Lodge) avoid cooking acidic foods for more than 30 minutes (like tomatoes, citrus, wine, and lemon)*. Cooking acidic foods for too long can strip the polymerization layer from your pan.
Conventional cast-iron skillets sometimes come pre-seasoned, but will require re-seasoning after heavy use.
Enameled cast iron doesn’t require seasoning because of the enamel coating. You can cook acidic foods in enameled cast iron because of the coating, which is why I primarily cook with enameled. Like an enameled dutch oven for braising!
Both enameled and cast iron are oven-safe!
Cleaning + maintaining
Wipe your cast iron with a paper towel after cooking.
Wash cast iron while still warm with warm water and a small amount of mild soap. Rinse thoroughly, then dry on a burner over medium-low heat. Drying completely right after washing prevents rust. Season with a light coat of oil to re-season (this is optional, but helps keep your pan seasoned).
For enameled cast iron, hand wash with a mild soap. Do not use abrasive cleaners like steel wool. Dry thoroughly after cleaning!
In my kitchen: cast iron deep skillet | cast iron skillet | cast iron always pan | enameled cast iron dutch oven | enameled cast iron saucepan | 6.5” cast iron skillet
🌟 Best for: Cooking delicate foods
Non-stick cookware is coated with a glaze to prevent food from sticking. Ceramic-coated cookware is a non-stick coating without PTFE or Teflon and is considered non-toxic.
Cooking best practices
Foods like eggs, pancakes, and fish are great to cook in your non-stick skillet.
Ceramic coatings are fragile—avoid cooking in skillets and pots at high temperatures, as this can damage the coating (and remove the non-stick).
Opt for wood or silicone cooking utensils to preserve the coating and minimize scratches. (Avoid metal!)
Non-stick sheet pans do not require parchment or silicone liners in most cases. As long as you properly care for your pans after cooking, they will stay looking as good as new! I love this because it saves money over time!
You know I love non-stick ceramic muffin pans for egg muffins!
Cleaning + maintaining
Cool hot pots and pans before cleaning.
Cleaning thoroughly after each use is key. Hand wash only with warm water and soap and avoid abrasive sponges—they’ll damage the coating.
Non-stick cookware wears more easily than other materials, so it’s important to replace your cookware if the coating gets scratched or has lifted.
Store with towels or pan protectors in between layers to protect the coating.
In my kitchen: ceramic fry pans | ceramic dutch oven | ceramic saucepan | frying pan set | sauté pan | non-stick baking sheet | griddle pan | ceramic muffin pan
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🌟 Best for: searing proteins, stir-frying, & high-heat cooking
Carbon steel is most often used in professional kitchens for skillets and woks. It has high strength, durability, and versatility. Chefs love carbon steel because it combines the searing power and natural non-stick of cast iron with the lightweight feel of stainless steel.
Cooking best practices
Preheat on medium-low for 2 to 3 minutes before adding room temperature oil, produce, or meat.
The non-stick properties increase the more you use them! Cook high-fat foods (like bacon) in a new carbon steel pan to build up the seasoning before you cook a more delicate food, like your morning eggs.
Cleaning + maintaining
There are 4 methods to cleaning carbon steel:
Method 1: Wipe with a paper towel after cooling to soak up remaining oil.
Method 2: Follow step 1, but add coarse salt and oil to loosen up stuck food.
Method 3: Add a small amount of water and bring to a boil to lift stuck food.
Method 4: As a last resort—use steel wool to scrub stuck-on food and re-season afterwards.
In my kitchen: seasoned frying pan | carbon steel griddle set
🌟 Best for: sheet pan meals, roasting non-acidic veggies, & baking
You’ll most likely find aluminum sheet pans in your kitchen! It can get very hot, very fast, and is often more affordable than other cookware options. Aluminum is known for even heat distrubution, preventing hot spots. Aluminized steel is a heavier duty coated carbon steel.
Cooking best practices
Avoid cooking acidic ingredients (tomatoes, citrus, etc.) directly on pans to prevent wear. If you’re roasting something like tomatoes on a sheet pan, add a sheet of parchment first.
Aluminum is great for roasting and broiling. Some can be heated up to 900ºF!
Opt for wooden or silicone cooking utensils—avoid using metal.
Use parchment paper or liners on sheet pans to avoid food getting stuck.
Cleaning + maintaining
Hand wash only with warm water and soap.
For sheet pans, make sure you’re getting into the corners each time you clean to prevent food buildup. This is another place I use this cleaning powder.
In my kitchen: half sheet pan | half and quarter sheet pan | titanium pan
Thoroughly cleaning your cookware after use prevents small stains and damage from getting worse, and keeps your pans working well for longer. It’s easier to clean a well-maintained pan, but there are some tricks to reviving hard, stuck-on stains. For really stuck-on food and stains, I use baking soda or oxygen boost to make a paste. The best practices for cleaning your cookware come back to the same basics:
✅ Always hand-wash
✅ Never put pots and pans in the dishwasher
✅ Scrub with gentle soap
how to clean stuck-on food
Cover the surface of a cooled pot or pan with baking soda (or oxy boost).
Spray lightly with water and dish soap and wait 20 minutes.
Using a non-abrasive sponge, scrub with warm water. It takes some elbow grease!
A good knife can change your entire kitchen experience. When you’re able to slice, dice, and mince with ease, everything moves quicker and you’re met with (literally) less resistance. That’s why dull knives can actually be more dangerous than sharp ones.
My staple kitchen knife is an 8-inch chef’s knife. You really only need one! This handheld sharpener is the best (code JENNEATSGOOOD). Always, always hand wash your knives with soap and warm water, and make sure to completely dry them off before putting away to avoid bacteria build up, water spots, or rust.
cutting boards
I mainly use wooden cutting boards in my kitchen. They’re best for chopping produce and dry products (like slicing bread). For raw meat I usually reach for this board, which is made from plant-based materials (microplastic-free) and can go in the dishwasher. Kate Eats Goood uses these boards for meat—easy to clean and store!
You absolutely can prep meat on a wood cutting board, but it requires more regular cleaning to ensure it’s staying safe. The key to maintaining your wood board without cracks is a good food safe mineral oil. When you do use raw meat on a wooden board, scrubbing with lemon and baking soda helps keeps bacteria out.
In my kitchen: chef’s knife, pairing knife, bread knife, large cutting board, wood cutting board, checkered wood cutting board
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I hope this resource guide helps build your kitchen confidence and keeps your pots and pans looking and cooking great for years. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or in our chat! I’ll be back Friday with our second dinner plan of April.
Love these! As an avid carbon steel user, I recommend a chainmail scrubber over steel wool for cleaning stuck on food. Doesn't damage the surface yet very effective at scrubbing off any burnt food scraps.
This information is beyond helpful! Thank you so much for explaining what to make in each type of pan.