Not a normal kinda post, but I’m not a normal kind of poster.
Anyways… I’m good at cooking. And I have a few insights to share, especially in cookware. First off, never buy that $500-600 cooking set of anything. You’ll have at least 3 pieces that you will never use. Which more than makes up for any savings you may have gotten. Please just think about what you do cook with, not what you might one day you hope cook with.
First off, you’ll need some stainless steel pots. If its just one or two of you, you don’t need a big mix of different sizes. I know this goes against your scout training, but pay attention. Go out and get 2 or 3 of those All-Clad 1 qt. try-me pots for 20$ each. Its the perfect size, and now you don’t have to constantly clean one in order to use it. All-Clad is great cookware, and you can never go wrong with it. Now, the next size up is the 1 1/2 qt or the 2 qt. The price goes up A LOT. I’d get the 2 qt, making sure that the lid still fits the 1qt pots which don’t come with lids. You don’t need a matching number of lids for everything. 1 is fine. And the 2 qt pot will handle things when you have meals together. Last pot you need? A giant pasta pot. Get whatever seems sturdy.
Now for frying pans and griddles. No, not that straight sided saute pan, unless you know you’ll use it. I had one for 4 years before I just made tomato sauce in it because I was out of pots. You’re going to want a decent size non-stick griddle first. The sides go up about 1/4 inch. That’s for eggs, sandwiches, and most quick things you will every fry up. Also pick up a few more of those 20$ small All Clad frypans. Perfect size again for a grilled cheese, a burger, a few hot dogs, etc. Its not non-stick, but for most things you don’t need non-stick.
Finally, you need a big frying pan. This is for the chicken, bacon, etc. High sides is a must now. So go out and pick up a good 10″ or 12″ Lodge cast iron pan. They’re under 20$ normally. Please get over any fears you may have about cast iron cooking. Sure its heavy and needs a little care. But you will be rewarded! You do have to season your cast iron. This is what gives it that strong black coating, and makes it naturally non-stick. I can cook fried eggs in mine now with a little grease and they slide around almost like teflon. The instructions say to give it a good bath inside and out with crisco, and bake it for an hour or so. I’ve found that this isn’t quite long enough, or the best way to get a good finish quickly.
Take your new pan, and cook a few pieces of bacon in it. When you get a good buildup of bacon grease, turn off the burner and let it cool. This will take a while because of how much heat the iron can hold. Grab a few paper towels, and spread the grease inside and out of the pan. Coat everything, even the handle. Take it outside, and put it on your grill UPSIDE DOWN. Gas grill is easy, just turn it on high. Charcoal, well, thats because you want to do things the harder, better way. Maybe wait until the next cookout. Anyways, let this roast in the higher temperatures of the grill for close to two hours if you can. After an hour, flip the pan to its normal position and throw another piece of bacon into the pan. This will be charcoal when you’re done, but the grease will splatter around nicely, making sure there is enough grease to soak into the pan. Let everything cool down, and you should be rewarded with a nice, ready to use pan. It will probably be a darker brown, you can only get the black color with use. But this pan will become one of your favorites, just ask Alton Brown (click Ci).

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