Non-stick, stainless and carbon steel each do one job well

This is written to be used rather than admired. Each section below is a decision about choosing pans, and each one has a default.

Non-stick is for delicate and low heat

Its purpose is releasing food that would otherwise tear, which means eggs, pancakes, fish fillets and crepes. The coating degrades with high heat and abrasion, and manufacturers generally advise against very high temperatures. Because it releases food rather than gripping it, it produces very little fond and is a poor choice when you want a sauce.

Treat it as a consumable, buy a cheap one, use wooden or silicone tools, and replace it when it stops working.

Stainless is for browning and sauces

Food sticks to stainless initially and releases once a crust forms, which is a feature rather than a fault. That sticking is the fond, and deglazing it is where most quick pan sauces come from. Stainless alone conducts heat poorly, which is why good pans are clad with aluminium or copper through the base or the whole body.

At the stove, a thick disc base is adequate for a saucepan and inferior to full cladding for a frying pan, where the sides matter.

Carbon steel and cast iron are for heat

Both store and deliver heat well, take very high temperatures, and develop a seasoning that becomes reasonably slick. Carbon steel is thinner and lighter and responds faster to changes in burner setting.

Cast iron holds more heat and is better when a lot of cold food is going in at once. Both need drying and a wipe of oil, and neither belongs in a dishwasher.

Enamelled cast iron and clay

Enamel gives you the heat retention of cast iron without the reactivity, which suits long acidic braises. It is heavy, expensive and chips if treated roughly, and the enamel cannot be re-seasoned or repaired. Earthenware and clay pots heat gently and evenly and are excellent for slow cooking, with thermal shock as the main risk.

For a home kitchen, one enamelled pot with a lid covers braises, stews, soups and bread.

Size and shape matter more than material

A pan too small crowds the food and steams it; a pan too large scorches the empty areas and burns the fond. Straight sides hold more liquid and suit braising; sloped sides make tossing and turning easier.

A wide sauté pan with a lid is the single most useful pan in most kitchens and the one people own last. A flat base that sits evenly on the hob matters enormously, and warped pans transfer heat poorly.

A workable set

One heavy frying pan for searing, one cheap non-stick for eggs, one wide sauté pan with a lid and one large pot handles almost everything. Add a small saucepan and a roasting tin and there is very little a home cook cannot do.

Induction hobs require magnetic bases, so check before buying anything aluminium or some stainless alloys. Matching sets are sold because sets sell, and buying individually usually produces a better kitchen for less money.

The takeaway

Non-stick for eggs, stainless for sauces, heavy metal for searing, and one lid that fits.

Taste it before it leaves the pan. That is most of cooking.