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Cast iron might be heavy, and it must be cleaned correctly, but it turns food brown and crispy like magic. It's easiest to buy a pre-seasoned skillet, but if you accidentally leave yours soaking in water, you can season it yourself.

With their straight sides, sauté pans have similar bottom and top measurements, so a 12-inch pan will offer a cooking area of the same size. Sauté pans are often described according to capacity, and a good choice for home cooking is anywhere from 1 quart to 7 quarts.

    A large cast iron Dutch oven is perfect for cooking a large meal or feeding a crowd.  These heavy-duty pots are great for slow-cooking, braising meats, and making soups.  The thick walls and tight-fitting lid of a large cast-iron Dutch oven help distribute heat evenly, making it ideal for simmering and baking.  Their size also makes them perfect for baking bread or making large batches of chili.

To help give you a running start, we’ve put together a guide to six of the most common pan materials, how to cook with them, what they’re best used for, and how to decide which one is right for you.