5 Cookware Items Bound to Make Your Life Easier

If you’re hoping to streamline your cooking routine, it’s important that you have the right tools. Rather than overcomplicating your kitchen with unnecessary, single-use pots or appliances, investing in a few key, multitasking cookware items can make cooking easier and less daunting. They can also make you a better cook: With reliable, high-performing equipment, you can trust that the simplest of recipes will turn out great each time. These are five of our favorite, most versatile kitchen essentials that make cooking anything (and everything) a breeze.

1. Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron Chef's Oven, 7.5QT

If you’re looking for a piece of cookware that can do it all, a Dutch oven is likely your best bet. From braising and frying to sautéeing, roasting, and soup-making, there’s little that these multifunctional workhorses can’t do. We like this 7.5-quart beauty from Le Creuset because of its generous capacity and gorgeous colorways. Plus, like everything else from the brand, it will last for decades if taken care of properly.

2. Hestan Provisions OvenBond Stainless-Steel Ovenware

The average aluminum sheet pan warps easily and can be hard to clean. However, these ones—made by Hestan—are constructed with triple-bonded stainless steel and an aluminum core, which means they’re warp-resistant, and they heat up quickly and evenly. Think of them as your go-to for sheet-pan dinners, roasted vegetables, cookies, and everything in between.

3. Anyday Microwave Cookware Everyday Set

Anyday's cookware aims to encourage people to use their microwaves for more than just reheating leftovers. With their set of dishwasher-safe, thermal-shock-resistant glass bowls, you can use the microwave as a primary cooking appliance, alongside the oven and stove. This cookware makes it a breeze to steam rice, scramble eggs, and much more—all in the microwave.

4. Food52 x Staub Multi-Use Braiser With Glass Lid, 3.5QT

The Staub 3.5-quart braiser was already one of our kitchen essentials, thanks to its wide surface and shallow depth that makes it ideal for anything from pancakes to long-braised cuts of meat. But the addition of a transparent lid really takes things to the next level. Now, it’s easier than ever to monitor your dish without disrupting the cooking process.

5. Greenpan Premiere Ceramic Nonstick Ovenware

One of the main draws of this ovenware is how nonstick—and therefore easy to clean—it is, thanks to its ceramic nonstick coating. It’s also available in a wide range of sizes and shapes (and as a four-piece set), meaning you’ll always have the right-sized pan handy for whatever it is you’re baking or roasting.

More from Food52

• Our 52 Most Popular Products of All Time
• Why We Love the Dansk Pitcher
• Our 5 Best Skewer Recipes
• 13 Essentials for Setting a Farmhouse-Inspired Table

---

What cookware item makes your life easier? Share below!