5 Kitchen Essentials, According to PureWow’s Food Editor

“Knives are essential for cooking (duh), but I really believe in investing inat leastone workhorse knife for chopping veggies and slicing meat and fish. This eight-inch chef’s knife isn’t too big or too small and can be sharpened a bajillion times without compromising quality.”

“Wooden cutting boards look pretty on your counter and are the gentlest surface for keeping your knives in good condition. If you take care of your Boos Block (I suggest weekly oiling), it’ll last forever.”

“A Dutch oven is so multipurpose; I use mine for soups, braises and more. By the way, you can definitely find bargain versions that are almost as good as Le Creuset, like this Staub cocotte (my personal fave).”

“A good frying pan is essential for weeknight dinners. I use mine to cook meat, veggies, eggs, you name it, and scrubbing it cleans takes just a minute. I like that this All-Clad one comes with a lid to keep the heat in.”

“I like to keep a ton of these flour sack towels hanging around for drying hands and cleaning up messes in place of paper towels. I also use them instead of oven mitts to grab hot pans out of the oven. When they get dirty, just toss them in the bleach wash and they’ll come out as good as new.”