Pots and Pans Question

[melissa]

My main question is how many pots and pans do you have versus how many do you actually use. Between my MIL bringing stuff with her along with my DH buying a pot or pan periodically here or there, I am running out of room to store them.  I installed pull out shelves which are filled. We have a two shelf thing in the pantry and they are falling off there. I want to downsize but find it hard since we use certain pots and pans for certain things.

[gummybear]

I use all my stuff a lot. Nothing extra is in the kitchen - we moved to the basement. This is basically what I have

assets.surlatable.com/m/5a75b037898bb6b3/webimage-1039940_01f_0220_p.jpg

The two hanging sautée pans are in the basement. I have a 12 inch and a 15” cast iron (I use these daily), one non stick pan (which I hate and is getting thrown out soon) and a mini stainless steel saucepan (same as the set except it’s cuisinart) that we use for heating single serving soup or left overs.

[k3am]

We have a lot of pans we don't use.. We just replaced ours, so I probably think about this too much. We're a family of 4 - we cook dinner at home 5+ times a week, full breakfasts once a week, and eggs 6 times a week for DD.

I use our smallest fry pan to make eggs in, and the largest for family dinners. Middle two are rarely used. For pots, we rarely use the smallest pot, the medium pot gets used frequently, the next size up has probably never been used, and the largest (stock pot) gets used when we cook for larger groups. So in heavy rotation in our house - 1 pot and 2 pans get regularly/near daily use, stock pot maybe once a month. Everything else? Very rarely.

[Bad Dingo]

I'd be fine with just a stock pot, a smaller sauce pan, and our two cast iron pans (fry pan and dutch oven).

[momin2013]

I have 5 pots that I use regularly, and 2 more that I use rarely.

I have 2 frying pans that I use regularly, and 2 more that I use occasionally.

[definitelyO]

I have 6 that I use on the regular.

[noodleoo]

I have 5 that I use regularly plus a nonstick pan for eggs. I have a few more, but I rarely use them. Mostly juts for holidays when we’re making a bigger meal than everyday.

[maudefindlay]

I just bought one of those IG pot/pan holder organizers and donated whatever didn't fit. Then I went and bought a Dutch oven. So 8. I have and use 8.

[mccallister84]

I really cut back over the last year.

We have the always frying pan and stockpot, two smaller pots and one smaller frying pan.

Then we also have a Dutch oven and a double boiler.

I haven’t missed any of the other pots.

[Jalapeñomel]

We have 8 total pots and pans.

[mel]

I have a big and small frying pan, a big and small deep skillet, a dutch oven, a small stock pot, and a couple medium sized sauce pans. So 8-9? I use them all in pretty heavy rotation.

[janegold]

I have 3 stainless steel pots (large, med, small) and 4 stainless steel pans (huge, large, med, small). I use all of them regularly.

I also have 3 cast iron pans (medium and two small) that I use very infrequently...I don't like the taste.

[cereal K]

H recently brought this up. Between the set we got for a wedding gift (15+ years ago!) and pieces we've added on, we have more than we use or need, and most if it is old and needing to be replaced. We plan to do an "audit" soon to start replacing the pieces we use the most.

We have two large stock pots, an enameled French oven (oval), and a 12" cast iron skillet that will all stay.

We have three size of sauce pan (1 qt, 1.5 qt, and 3 qt) that we like and will keep.

It's the skillets that are out of control - I think we have 6-7 in sizes ranging from 8" to 16". I think we probably only need 2 or 3 total.

Then we have a few "specialty" pieces - a square griddle, a wok. Both get used enough to keep them around.

Oh, and aside from the cast iron pieces, everything is non-stick, and we're staying with it. We have no desire to go to stainless.

[loira]

8 total including my Dutch oven.

[chickadee77]

2 saucepans, two frying pans, and one big pot for stock/soups/stews.

[bears]

I have a stockpot and two frying pans that I don't really use. Since everything is nested, they don't take up too much additional space.

I have 13 pots and pans total. The others all have their uses.

[Roc A Bee]

We have probably 4 pots and 3 pans we use regularly. We also have a Dutch oven and a HUGE stock pot only used for Pozole that I keep in the garage.

[mrsslocombe]

7 pans (ranging from literally the size of one sunnyside up egg to 15in very deep) 5 pots, 2 dutch ovens.

Almost never use: cast iron pan (it never really got seasoned well and it's too big a pain to use), my large stock pot.

I used the dutch ovens a few times a year.

Everything else gets used several times a week.

[isabel]

We have 11 total. There are two that we could easily get rid of.

Of the remaining ones, I would say our two smaller pots, Dutch oven, flat cast iron, and larger sauté pan get the majority of use.

[livinitup]

I use one small and one large non-stick pan, one large stainless steel pan, and another large stainless steel pan with a high lip. I have one large pot for boiling pasta, two small pots for rice/gravy, and one large Le Creuset Dutch oven for almost everything. Also, in easy access in the basement are 1 extra large stock pot and 1 large pasta pot with strainer (that lifts out).

A year ago, I put a bunch of pots/pans in a box in the basement. I have not missed any of them and they are ready for donations. I really thought I would be dipping into that box but I didn’t.

[InBetweenDays]

We have 11 and use all but 1 regularly. One cast iron pan; 3 stainless steel sauté pans of various sizes (one small, one medium, and one large with the higher sides and a lid); 2 stainless steel sauce pans (one large, one medium); 1 large stainless steel pot for pasta; 2 non-stick sauté pans; one Dutch oven; and one giant stainless steel pot for crab boils, etc. that rarely gets used and we keep in our storage room.

[stemmie]

I have a stupid tiny kitchen but cook a lot.

I have 3 stock pots and 2 dutch ovens that live in shelves in my garage off the kitchen. I have 5 basic sauce pans of various sizes-- some stainless and a couple copper. I also have a Windsor sauce pan. I have 2- 10" non-stick fry pans, a 12" non-stick, 8" non-stick, 2 well seasoned cast iron pans that were Nana's, a chicken fryer pan w/lid and a medium sized wok. I have used everything on this list in the last month except my 20 qt stock pot.

I have jettisoned non-sticks that didn't hold up, a dutch oven with feet for camp fire cooking, my grill pan, a broiler pan and one of my 1 qt stainless sauce pans in the last couple years.

[puppyluv]

I have 2 pull out shelves. The house: 5 pots of different sizes. 5 fry pans in different sizes. about 6 lids. A griddle pan. A streamer basket.

[mrsjuleshs]

My boss got me this set (along with the baking set) when I won Rookie of the Year and I use ALL of it along with the small fry pan from my old set, an old caphalon frying pan strictly for frying food in oil, and a random griddle I've had for 20 years.
www.calphalon.com/cookware/cookware-by-material/nonstick-hard-anodized-cookware/calphalon-premier-hard-anodized-nonstick-cookware-13-piece-pots-and-pans-set/SAP_2172347.html

[sonrisa]

I have about 11. I started with fewer/smaller options as a newlywed (cooking for two in a two burner kitchen). Over time, I've added specific pieces as the meals I regularly make are larger and our needs are more diverse. The smaller pans are still useful for specific things. My smallest frying pan could be replaced, but not tossed outright. I don't want to pull out (and clean) an 8 inch pan to sweat two cloves of garlic before throwing them into pesto.

[melissa]

Love all the info. I'm definitely going to look and see what pans we can downsize.

[katfco]

Of my 7-pan set, my 2 cast iron skillets, large frying pan, large skillet, stock pot and wok, I use all of them regularly except for 2 medium skillets and my wok. I used to use the wok more, but my large frying pans are good with my stove.

[dexteroni]

We downsized a lot of pans before we moved two years ago, and it’s so nice. I use every pan now, and don’t have to dig to find what I need. Here’s what I have now.

1, 2, and 3 quart saucepans. I could probably do without the 2, but I do use it frequently. And they all nest together, so it doesn’t take up any extra room.

Two 8 inch skillets, one stainless and one nonstick for eggs. One 10 inch stainless skillet and one grill pan.

6 quart stock pot for pasta, 3 and 6 quart enamel over cast iron Dutch ovens for soups and stews.

I have a deep 12 inch skillet and an 8 quart stock pot that I keep in the basement because I do use them, but only a couple times a year.

What I got rid of included a large nonstick skillet, a tiny saucepan, an enamel stockpot, and a saucier type of pan with no lid. There was more but I can’t remember what now.

[cricketwife]

I have 3 pots/pans that are used multiple times a week:
Stock pot
Small saucepan
Large “Chef’s pan”- I seriously use it almost every time I cook.

I also have two frying pans that don’t get as much use.

I have considered one more stock pot, but every time I think about it, I decide against it because it would crowd the cabinet they are in.

[pinkdutchtulips]

I have many and no where to store them - le creuset (dutch oven), hexclad (3 pans), faberware (2 pots), cast iron (10", 12" skillets and a 4 1/2qt dutch oven), an our place anywhere pan and an assortment of grill pans and saute pans .... I use the faberware pots almost daily, the cast iron weekly, the hexclad multiple times a week. The rest are on an as needed basis.