The Importance of Quality Cookware

**This is not a sponsored post. Just a few of my favorite things and the reasons why I love them, all opinions are my own.

Jess and I talk a lot about cooking and baking for our families. This is something we both enjoy. I think that one of the reasons we enjoy it is because we have been cooking and baking long enough that we have gotten to be good at it. Neither one of us is about to open a restaurant or anything, but when it comes to cooking for our families, we got this.

We each have our stories of failure. Forgetting ingredients, burning things beyond recognition, things happen.

Luckily, those mishaps don't happen to as often as they used too. In college, I'm pretty sure my roommates though I was delusional when I told them I could make dinner. If it wasn't spaghetti, there was a good chance it wasn't as good as I promised it would be. Part of the problem was likely my cooking novice. But I'd also like to believe that the biggest issue was the equipment I was working with. A poor college kid looking for a cheap apartment doesn't care about the quality of the appliances. A poor college kid also cannot afford Le Creuset. Thus, a poor college kid is more likely to mess up dinner. Good logic, right?

Nowadays, there are certain things I will splurge on. I don't have a lot of expensive cookware, but there are a few select pieces that I have justified, and some have been gifted to me. The quality of the cookware makes a huge difference in the quality of the meals I make.

Le Creuset French Oven

I am very fortunate to have relatives who understand my love language. I got my Le Creuset french oven for my birthday. What a difference enamel coating makes! This is a piece of cookware that I use for everything from spaghetti sauce, to taco meant, to soup and chili. It's really versatile.

How is improves your cooking

Even heating (you'll see this over and over again). It is important to have cookware that spreads the heat evenly over the bottom of the pan. With a french oven, the heat is also evenly distributed around the sides keeping sauces and soups evenly cooked. If you don't have even heating, you won't have even cooking- spots of your ground beef will brown faster than others, this leads to undercooking or burning.

Another great thing about this is that the enamel coating let's you use any ingredient- even acidic tomatoes- without ruining the finish or having to worry about things sticking to the pan.

It's also pretty enough to go from stove top to table top- always a good thing!

Pampered Chef Stoneware

I have a couple of pieces of Pampered Chef Stoneware. I love them all. They aren't too expensive either. This rectangle baker is one of my go-to pieces. I bake chicken, veggies, meatloaf, and just about anything else in this.

How it improves your cooking

Even heating, again- very important!

Stoneware is also non-stick, this is great for making sure things don't burn in the oven (as long as you don't leave them in there too long). A well seasoned piece of stoneware is pretty much black as it darkens with every use. As you can see, the top edges of mine are getting close to that point. The more "seasoned" the less you have to worry about sticking.

Because stoneware is slightly porous, there is the opportunity for well seasoned stoneware to give dishes a deeper flavor. Every time you use stoneware it just gets better.

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

This is not an expensive piece of cookware, it is a necessity. Mine never leaves my stovetop because, chances are, if I am cooking dinner, I am using my cast iron skillet. Well, unless I'm making something with tomatoes- don't use tomato anything in cast iron.

How is improves your cooking

Even heaitng. Enough said.

Jess mentioned using cast iron to help boost your iron absorption. Always a good thing.

Cast iron is just so versatile. If you are a beginner and want to improve your cooking, buy a cast iron skillet and keep it seasoned. You'll notice a difference.

Stainless Steel Stock Pot

I received this gem as a wedding gift. Seven and a half years later and I'm still grateful for it! It holds a lot, or a little, boils, steams, stews, simmers... you get the point. It's a great piece. There is a nested cook-in strainer for pasta and potatoes as well as a steaming basket. So many uses for one stock pot. It's awesome. {since mine is over 7 years old, I can't find the exact product, but here's a similar one from the same company)

How is improves your cooking

Can you boil water? If yes, then you can cook a lot with this pot! If no, this is a great pot to learn the basics.

When cooking pasta or potatoes it's important to have a lot of water. These starchy foods absorb a lot of water while cooking so it's important to have way more water than food. Using a pot of this size allows you to have a good water to starch ratio.

This is also a great pot for simmering soups, stews or chilis over low heat for an hour or so. It holds heat well so you can keep the burner on a lower setting and even though you will need to stir, your food can simmer slowly for a bit without burning or going cold.

These are a few of my favorite things. I love them all, and I love the dishes I'm able to make for my family with them.

What's your favorite piece of cookware?