Don’t Know Which Pan To Seize When It’s Time To Cook dinner? A Dietitian Explains

[ad_1] <img width="800" height="534" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/dont-know-which-pan-to-grab-when-its-time-to-cook-1024x684.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Don't Know Which Pan to Grab When it's Time to Cook? | MyFitnessPal" decoding="async" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/dont-know-which-pan-to-grab-when-its-time-to-cook-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/dont-know-which-pan-to-grab-when-its-time-to-cook-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/dont-know-which-pan-to-grab-when-its-time-to-cook-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/dont-know-which-pan-to-grab-when-its-time-to-cook.jpg 1348w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> Why the Proper Pan Issues

In case your rooster sticks to the pan, your veggies steam as a substitute of crisp, or your eggs come out a multitude, the issue won't be your cooking expertise—it is perhaps your pan.

Should you’re utilizing MyFitnessPal’s meal planner to make life simpler, otherwise you’re simply getting your toes moist with MyFitnessPal’s recipes, it might be time to get aware of use completely different pans. Utilizing the fitting cookware is without doubt one of the easiest methods to enhance your outcomes and really feel extra assured within the kitchen.

I’m a registered dietitian who cooks most nights of the week, however I didn’t develop up cooking for myself. It has taken me numerous meals (and a few epic failures) to comprehend the fitting pan issues.

You don’t want an enormous assortment of pans, however it’s useful to have some well-chosen items that go well with the way in which you cook dinner. This manner, meals prove the way in which you plan, which is a confidence booster.

Should you’ve ever questioned why you may by no means get your rooster to appear to be it does in images, hold studying. I’ll stroll you thru some fashionable varieties of pans and when to make use of them, so you may prove persistently scrumptious meals.

No Pans? Begin With One

I attain for a similar pan on repeat. You actually don’t want a dozen pans to make nice meals at residence. In actual fact, in the event you’re simply getting began, a single, versatile pan is commonly all you want (1).

If I had to decide on one, I’d go together with a forged iron skillet. It holds warmth fantastically, works on the stovetop and within the oven, and might deal with quite a lot of dishes (2). I take advantage of mine for a variety of meals, together with salmon dishes (it offers an ideal sear), flatbreads, and fried eggs.

I additionally love that seasoned forged iron is nonstick and simple to scrub. It’s the form of pan that will get higher with age and might final a lifetime.

That stated, the perfect starter pan actually is dependent upon what you wish to cook dinner. So, begin with the pan that matches your cooking fashion and increase from there.

Nonstick pans are one other good choice in your first buy. They work nicely for brand spanking new cooks and those that gravitate towards easy recipes.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/guide-to-meal-prepping-1024x683.jpg" alt="A person wearing an apron stirs a bowl of spiral pasta with a wooden spoon in a kitchen. With meal planning in mind, various utensils and ingredients, like baby corn and a glass bottle of oil, are arranged on the counter nearby. MyFitnessPal Blog" class="wp-image-57316 size-full" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/guide-to-meal-prepping-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/guide-to-meal-prepping-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/guide-to-meal-prepping-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/guide-to-meal-prepping.jpg 1504w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> You may also like

Important Information to Meal Planning

Nonstick Pans: Finest for Mild, Low-Warmth Cooking

Once I’m making scrambled eggs or flipping protein pancakes on a weekend morning, I attain for a nonstick pan. Nonstick pans are perfect for delicate meals which might be susceptible to sticking. They’re additionally a strong alternative for cooking tofu or flaky fish with out making a multitude.

Professionals:

Meals stays intact and releases simply

Requires much less oil or butter, which will help decrease energy

Makes cleanup quick and simple

Nice for newbie cooks

Cons:

Not appropriate for prime warmth—this will harm the nonstick coating

Scratches simply if used with steel utensils

Coating wears out over time and ultimately wants changing

Care Suggestions:

Hand wash solely—even when it’s labeled dishwasher secure

Use silicone, picket, or plastic utensils to guard the coating

Keep away from stacking with different pans except you place a protecting layer between them

Change your pan if the floor is scratched or meals begins to stay extra usually

Stainless Metal Pans: Nice for Browning, Searing, and Sauces

Should you’re on the lookout for a pan that may deal with excessive warmth and offer you that golden-brown crust on rooster or steak, chrome steel is the way in which to go (2).

Professionals:

Nice for searing, sautéing, and stir-frying (2)

Superb for constructing pan sauces (2)

Sturdy and infrequently dishwasher secure (2)

Can deal with excessive warmth with out harm (2)

Cons:

Meals sticks if not preheated correctly

Requires extra method than nonstick choices

Could result in further cleanup if used incorrectly

Care ideas:

Preheat the pan earlier than including oil and meals to stop sticking and enhance browning

Contemplate handwashing to increase pan life–verify producer’s steerage (2)

In regards to the Specialists

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, is a nationally acknowledged meals and diet skilled, media persona, diet marketing consultant, and writer. Cassetty is a former diet director for Good Housekeeping and the co-author of the e book Sugar Shock.

Emily Sullivan, RD, is a meals information curator at MyFitnessPal. She earned her bachelor’s diploma and accomplished her dietetic internship at The Ohio State College, and obtained her culinary arts diploma from Johnson and Wales College.

Solid Iron: The Crispy, Taste-Constructing Workhorse

“I take advantage of my forged iron skillet for 99% of issues that I cook dinner on a day-to-day foundation,” says MyFitnessPal registered dietitian Emily Sullivan. Right here’s what makes this a sensible choice.

Professionals:

Superior warmth retention for even, excessive warmth cooking (2)

Nice for searing, roasting, baking, and one-pan meals, like frittatas

Oven-safe and stovetop pleasant (2)

Naturally nonstick, and will get higher with age (2)

Cons:

Heavier than most pans, which might make it tougher to deal with

Requires ongoing upkeep to retain nonstick qualities (2)

Can’t go within the dishwasher and shouldn’t be soaked (2)

Care ideas:

Wipe or rinse with sizzling water (2)

Dry totally and rub with a skinny layer of oil to take care of seasoning (2)

As Sullivan factors out, forged iron is very nice for recipes like spatchcocked rooster. “A forged iron skillet is superb for this as a result of it retains and distributes warmth evenly, which helps the rooster cook dinner evenly (2). Its heavy development permits for a excessive warmth preliminary sear, giving the rooster pores and skin a phenomenal, crispy, golden-brown crust (2). Plus, you can begin by searing the rooster on the range and end roasting it within the oven—all in the identical pan,” she explains (2).

Dutch Ovens: Superb for One-Pot, Gradual-Cooked Meals

Dutch ovens are superstars for cooking comforting meals. Should you’re somebody who likes to meal prep or cook dinner as soon as and eat a number of occasions, a Dutch oven is a useful addition to your kitchen.

Professionals:

Glorious warmth retention and even cooking (2)

Superb for simmering soups, stews, and chili, slow-cooking braised meats, boiling pasta, and even baking

Can go from stovetop to oven (2)

Nice for one-pot meals and batch cooking

Cons:

Heavier and bulkier than many different pots

Conventional forged iron variations require seasoning to take care of nonstick properties

Care ideas:

Select enameled variations for simpler upkeep since these don’t require seasoning (2)

For forged iron, dry totally and season often with a skinny layer of oil (2)

Should you’re massive on doing weekend meal prep, you could need to spend money on a Dutch oven. Sullivan makes use of hers to make beef stew. “The heavy lid helps entice moisture, which retains the meat and greens tender throughout lengthy cooking occasions,” she says. “Most likely a fair greater bonus for one thing like a beef stew is that you could begin it on the range and switch it to the oven to cook dinner for a number of hours when you do different issues.”

Should you love the thought of flavorful, make-ahead meals that cook dinner themselves when you unwind or verify issues off your to-do checklist, a Dutch oven is the pot for you.

Continuously Requested Questions (FAQs)

Do I would like a couple of kind of pan? Not essentially. You possibly can cook dinner loads of meals with only one or two pans—begin with what suits your cooking fashion and construct from there (1).

Can I take advantage of a nonstick pan for all the things? Not fairly. It’s nice for delicate meals, however it could’t deal with excessive warmth, so it’s not supreme for browning or searing (2).

What’s probably the most versatile pan? My vote goes to a well-seasoned forged iron skillet because it goes from stovetop to oven and might deal with a variety of meals (2).

Is forged iron arduous to take care of? It takes a bit care, however it’s not arduous. Simply clear, dry, and rub with oil after use—it really will get higher with time (2).

When ought to I substitute a pan? If the coating is scratched, meals sticks greater than it used to, or it heats erratically, it’s in all probability time for a brand new one (2).

The Backside Line

You don’t want a completely stocked kitchen to cook dinner scrumptious, satisfying meals—only a few reliable pans that match your cooking fashion. With the fitting cookware, cooking turns into a bit extra approachable and fewer irritating, permitting you to arrange your meals with larger confidence. With extra talent and confidence, you’ll have the ability to prep a broader vary of meals and dishes, and the range could make it simpler to maintain wholesome consuming habits and attain your objectives (3).