Carla's Essential Pots and Pans

Here's my guide to the skillets, pots, and pans that I think every cook, at ever level, should have in their kitchen. I'm talking sizes, prices, marks of qualities, and the brands I use.

Thanks to Goldilocks for sponsoring this episode.

For a list of recipes paired with specific pieces of equipment, head here:

Here's the scrubber brush I use on my pans

I also love fine steel wool (00 or 000 grade) and Bar Keepers Friend!

Intro 00:00
Iron Maiden (Cast Iron) 01:06
Nerves of Steel (Stainless Steel) 05:26
Lovin' Oven (Enameled Dutch Oven) 09:40
Stick the Landing (Nonstick) 11:42
Recap TL;DR 12:52

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Producer: Zoie Omega

Director of Photography: Tim Racca

Food Stylist: Cybelle Tondu

Editor and Comic Genius: Meg Felling

Theme music performed by Madison McFerrin. Written by Madison McFerrin. Used by Permission of MadMcFerrin Music LLC.

#kitchenbasics #essentialcookware #carlascookingshow

[rhus]

As someone who has a full set of pots and pans but chooses to use his Dutch oven for literally every application besides pan frying, I think this is a sign that I should get some smaller pots that I actually like lol. My Dutch oven, his name is Thompson, will forever be my mvp but I think it’s time to recruit some new rookies. (I’m already in way over my head with this sports metaphor.)

[lindsayhaugen]

I feel like Carla would be that awesome college professor who would tell the class on day one, "Don't buy the textbook. Here's the link for all of the useful readings for this class"

[trayvixk]

So glad to see a cooking channel talk about their kitchen equipment. As an avid homecook, I'm always wondering if there's anything I'm missing. Would also love to know about your staple go-to cookbooks that people should check out.

[khuelynn]

What I love about this video is that there are pros AND cons to everything! It's not just Carla bashing one type of pan and praising the other. There is a purpose for EVERYTHING! Now time to buy new pots and pans...haha!

[drakeface]

As someone who's seen a lot of beautiful kitchen reno type content, your pan wall is truly functional meets dreamy.

[getreadywithmemamma]

I feel like I’m getting an avant-garde MA for free in this like rustic Italian American Culinary school and I’m like gobbling up every bite while eating popcorn. I love you Carla, I’m picking up what your putting down and yes I loved you at your Dairy Shack.

[brandibucko]

I started started my day at 6 by watching super green salad, and I’m already back for this one. Ugh, you’re the best, Carla!

[nicholaspickolas-]

I just got a 7 quart Staub for Christmas in the most beautiful green colour, and its easily the nicest piece of cookware I've ever owned and probably will ever own - it cooks like nothing else and I'm deeply in love 💚

[guadalupeguizar]

I love this!! Can you please do other videos like this? Like utensils

[xaychotic]

Gotta say, my ride or die pan is a flat-bottom wok! I think it's definitely dependent on the kind of cuisine one typically makes, to an extent, but I love that a wok/stir-fry pan is basically a skillet with taller sides, meaning less spatter, and more capacity if needed (especially when mixing food).

[timphillips]

Thank you Auntie and team for taking the time and energy to do this with so many details and visual examples!

[puly]

Awesome recs, Carla! I have so much tragic experiences with my non-stick skillets and woks as the people in the house have no care for them and scrub them all to the base metal with steel wool and naked metal utensils. My cast irons and carbon steels at least were salvageable from the rust with some heavy scrubbing and re-seasoning. I now keep those in their cubby hole and no few fierce glares at wannabe users. Only the stainless steel ones are out in the open for everyone as they really can take the punishment best.

[sanne]

Carla, you're the best. So happy with your channel, videos, tips, recipes. I always feel so cozy and warm watching your videos!

[kawaiidollnails]

Amazing to finally come across must have Kitchen essentials on YouTube. I just got the realization that maybe it’s time for me to upgrade to stainless and there are so many different aspects when choosing you have made my life a lot easier and have given me confidence in some of the kitchen choices, I have already made in terms of my pots and pans.

[MyronTheHen]

From personal experience I think you are underselling the value of a “mirror finish” common to those vintage cast iron pans! I have tried the pre-seasoned Lodge pans and there’s a very good reason why so many YouTubers have made vlogs about how to smooth them out like they used to be.

[m_a_k_e_n_n_a]

Requesting a YouTuber drama/beef video between Carla and the Our Place Always Pan

[ericawentz]

My mom had that same yellow LeCruset when I was a kid! I’ll have to look for it next time I’m home!thanks Carla for another great video! ✌🏻❤️🍲

[naturallymarisa]

Wow, Goldilocks are SO inexpensive. Definitely worth another look when I'm ready to replace my current set. The one thing I wish they had was something between the 3qt and 8qt pots.

[johnhpalmer]

I have all of these, stainless, cast iron, carbon steel, enameled cast iron and a nonstick.

My enameled cast iron are mostly vintage Le Creuset, one is an actual set I bought at an estate sale about 30 years ago, I think the Dutch oven was not used as the big Le Creuset sticker was still on the side. I think it dates to the 50's as it has the ribbed fully enameled bottoms and is the Elise yellow. The 5.5 Qt oval Dutch, the 1 Qt sauce pot, and 2 skillets, an 8" and the 10 inch. The skillets have the white enamel in them. I hardly use those skillets these days as I have other skillets that I use way more. I do have a 3Qt Cuisinart Dutch oven that I use for smaller batches of stuff. The larger round Dutch oven was my mother's that she bought new in the late 70's, or early 80's in the chocolate brown. I got that when she passed away in 2012 and it's got Great Northern beans in them that need to come off the heat as I cooked a bag of beans I got yesterday to add to dishes for the next several days.

The stainless are an 11" saute pan that has the stainless/aluminum disc on the bottom (an older Wolfgang Puck variant), but have had that for oh, 15 years? Use it all the time for pasta dishes (mostly to saute the meat, make a sauce, and perfect for sauteing spinach), a 3.5Qt soup pot, which will be put to use tonight as I make leek and potato soup for dinner.

I have a 10" stainless steel skillet from All Clad, bought that several years ago at TJ Maxx, but is not the D3 or D5, but their all clad basic skillet for $50. I use it often, and it's in the DW, along with the saute pan as I used both last night for dinner. At this same store about a year ago, found a basic aluminum nonstick All Clad for $16 (10").

Cast iron is my Mom's 10" skillet that I think dates to the 50's, and a cheapie 8" one I bought at Grocery Outlet a couple of years back to try out. Good for cooking a burger patty or some such.

I do have a 1.5 stainless pot, a Kobenstyle butter warmer that I recently picked up in cobalt blue. It's a post 2012 reissue that I doubt ever was used. Got it at an estate sale back in the fall for $16. Use it when I need to melt butter. and they all get used often and the choice is decided on what I am about to cook. like a thigh is mostly done in the carbon steel (DeBuyer), which I got on Amazon on sale (11") 2-3 years ago.

[sophiejohnson]

Yay thank you so much for this video, I appreciate your honesty!

I’d love to see a video on kitchen tool needs.

Thanks Carla! ❤