Pan & PlankCookware chosen by how you cook

Kitchenware

How to choose

The decisions that actually change what you end up with.

1 guides

Chopped nuts and pumpkin seeds on a worn round wooden board with a cleaver resting on it — Years of use leave a wooden board scored and darkened, which does not affect how it cuts.Photo: Shixart1985 · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Open source page

An empty black cast-iron skillet with long handle and helper handle on white background

How to choose

Which pan to buy first, and which three you actually need

Hob type, diameter and the cooking you really do decide the first pan. A four-material comparison, with the sizes that match Canadian burners and ovens.

Updated 3/11/2026 · 10 min

Photo: Evan-Amos · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons