I inherited a set of twelve pans when I got married. Twelve. I used maybe four. When we moved, I got rid of all of them and bought three. I have not missed any of the nine I gave away.

Pan 1: 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet (twenty-five to forty dollars)

A Lodge cast iron skillet costs less than thirty dollars and will outlive you. It does everything: sear steak, fry eggs, bake cornbread, roast vegetables, cook pizza. Heat retention is unmatched.

Maintaining seasoning is easy: cook with oil, wash with hot water and a brush, dry immediately, rub with thin layer of oil. Modern cast iron comes pre-seasoned. You cannot permanently ruin a cast iron pan.

Pan 2: 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saute Pan (forty to sixty dollars)

Get one with straight sides and a lid. Tramontina or Cuisinart are forty to fifty dollars and perform nearly identically to All-Clad (one hundred sixty plus). Your workhorse for pasta sauces, stir-fries, braised dishes, one-pan meals. Preheat on medium for two minutes, add oil, wait thirty seconds, then add food. Food releases naturally when ready to flip.

Pan 3: 2-Quart Non-Stick Skillet (twenty to thirty dollars)

For eggs. Scrambled eggs, omelets, crepes. Do not spend more than thirty dollars on non-stick — coating wears out in two to three years regardless of price. When coating flakes, throw away and buy another.

What You Do Not Need

Matching sets include sizes you will never use. Copper pans (impossible to maintain). Ceramic non-stick (degrades as fast as Teflon, costs more). A wok without a powerful gas stove.