Recommended Equipment

Please note that any commisions from these links support Helen's Kitchen Cooking School.

Pots and Pans

Tramontina Stainless Steel 10-Inch Frying Pan
Excellent all-purpose skillet. equivalent to all-clad, but cheaper

Cuisinart Stainless Steel 5.5-Quart Saute Pan
This pan is amazing for braising. the bottom surface is huge so you can brown lots of meat in one batch. the straight tall sides give you plenty of room for braising liquid.

All-Clad Stainless Steel 3-Quart Sauce Pan
I have a 4 quart version of this pot. great for soups, pasta, etc.

Misen 5-Ply Stainless Steel 3-Quart Saucier with Lid
The curvy sides of this pan make it very comfortable to work with for sauces and other small project.

Strata Carbon Steel 12.5" Frying Pan Skilet
As light as stainless, but can be seasoned like carbon steel to become almost non-stick. very even heat distribution. you only need to season the inside. Here is my review of this skillet (there is a discount code for it in the description below this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o73ev0cC5pQ

Tramontina Round Dutch Oven Enameled Cast-Iron 6.5 Quart
A good pot for braising. similar to Le Creuset, but a lot cheaper

Tramontina 4-Quart Saucepan with Lid
I have a 3 quart version of this pot. as good as All-Clad, but cheaper

Winco 11-inch Stainless Steel Chinese Colander with 2.5 mm Holes
This unassuming colander let you poach up to 8 eggs perfectly with no fuss.

Lodge Seasoned 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
Needs a lot of seasoning, but eventually performs well.

Cuisinart Stainless Steel 8-Quart Stockpot with Cover
Very affordable and durable stock pot

Misen 5-Ply Stainless Steel 12" Frying Pan
I love this 12 inch skillet. It's affordable, not too heavy, give you lots of cooking area and browns very evenly.

OXO 12" Frying Pan Ceramic Nonstick Skillet
Very good non-stick pan with a comfortable oven safe handle.

Strata Carbon Steel 12.5" Frying Pan Skillet
This skillet needs seasoning, like a cast iron pan, but only on the inside. the outside is stainless steel and the core is aluminum. It's very light and heats quickly and evenly and is non-stick after you season it (but you can't use acidic ingredients).