Cookware

A sturdy roasting pan with a rack is what you want for the turkey, a roast chicken and a tray of crispy potatoes. Buy one heavy enough to make the gravy in.

A stock pot is the big one, for stock, soup, chili, corn on the cob and a proper rolling boil for pasta. If you cook for a crowd, you need one.

Ceramic baking dishes go from the oven to the table looking lovely. Lasagna, crumbles, mac and cheese, gratins: a set of three sizes covers almost everything.

Every kitchen needs one good nonstick pan for eggs, pancakes and delicate fish. Treat it gently and it will treat you well.

A pizza stone soaks up the oven's heat and gives you a crisp, blistered crust that a baking sheet just can't match. It's wonderful for bread and flatbreads, too.

If I could keep only one pot, it would be a heavy Dutch oven. It sears, simmers, braises and even bakes bread, and it goes from the stovetop to the oven to the table.

A good saucepan does the everyday jobs: rice, sauces, gravy, custard and boiled eggs. Buy a heavy one and you'll use it every single day.

A good set is the easiest way to kit out a first kitchen. Choose one for the pieces you'll actually use, not the biggest number on the box.

A sauté pan is a frying pan with straight, high sides and a lid. It sears like a skillet and holds sauce like a pot, so it's my go-to for one-pan dinners.

Stainless steel is the pan chefs reach for. It browns beautifully, it's happy on high heat, and it leaves behind the tasty bits that make a proper pan sauce.

No grill? No problem. A cast iron grill pan gives you real char marks on steak, chicken, vegetables and halloumi, right on your stovetop.

A cast iron skillet is inexpensive, nearly indestructible and gives you the best crust you'll get at home. Look after it and it will outlive you.