6 Sources For Quality Cookware To Enhance Your Kitchen

Whether simmering up a seafood stew or baking a red velvet cake, the aspiring home chef requires the proper kitchen tools to tackle any culinary task. In no particular order, here are some purveyors creating everything from the standard wares necessary for any cook's kit, to specialty items specific to a culture's unique cuisine.

Starting off the list at #1, Made In has been creating stainless steel-clad and carbon-steel cooking supplies since 2017. The business partners with multi-generational factories and experts boasting over 100 years of experience in kitchen supply. Made In's kitchenware is used in multiple three-Michelin-star restaurants, such as Chicago's Alinea and New York City's Le Bernardin.

The manufacturer offers frying, saute, and sauce pans, as well as stock pots, nitrogen-treated knives, silicon lids, and various other special-use cookers. Each are available separately or as a set. All of Made In's stainless steel-clad pots and pans are 5-ply for better heat retention and control, with the added benefit of corrosion resistance. The company's carbon steel line combines the heat-retaining and seasoning abilities of cast iron with the temperature control of stainless clad.

In at #2 is Wolfgang Puck Cookware. The famed chef's line of cooking tools and utensils includes everything from cutting boards and knives to tea kettles and appliances. The company curates several gift sets complete with the essential pots, pans, and utensils one needs to stock a new kitchen.

The brand claims to reflect Wolfgang Puck's attention to detail through his signature professional-quality cookware and essentials. Puck's stainless mixing bowl sets are oven-safe, have non-skid silicone bases, and are built with wide-edge rims and deep sides that make them easy to handle and help keep splatters to a minimum.

Next at #3 is La Tienda. Designed for avid home cooks and seasoned chefs alike, La Tienda's selection of Spanish cookware includes steel paella pans from Valencia, rustic cazuelas, tortilla espanola pans, and other kitchenware traditionally used in creating Spanish cuisine.

The company's range of paella pans includes multiple sizes meant to serve anywhere from one to 50 people. The La Tienda collection of cazuelas are made from durable terra cotta and have a glaze finish. These pots may be used for cooking hot meals or as serving dishes for tapas.

Coming in at #4, TOIRO Kitchen and Supply specializes in handmade Japanese donabe, or "clay pot," cookers for everyday use. These pieces are artisan-crafted in Iga, and have gone through multiple detailed quality checks. TOIRO also provides a collection of other unique kitchenware and tableware from all over Japan.

The donabe earthenware produced by TOIRO can be used for hot pot, soup, stew, steaming fish or vegetables, making rice, or even grilling. The shape, color, and patterns of each unit are slightly different from one another, highlighting the individual character of every vessel.

At #5 is Nordic Ware. Since 1946, this Minneapolis-based business has been manufacturing quality bakeware and other kitchen accessories. The manufacturer's portfolio began with specialty Scandinavian staples, like the Rosette iron, Krumkake iron, Platte Panne pan, and Ebelskiver pan, before expanding into a wider array of cooking tools.

Perhaps Nordic Ware's most famous item, the Bundt pan can be found in households around the world. From griddles and Dutch ovens, to muffin pans and even Disney Frozen-licensed baking molds, the company prides itself on offerings that add "utility, convenience and enjoyment to the preparation of food."

Finally, at #6 is Ken Hom Woks. Celebrity chef Ken Hom introduced his line of kitchen essentials in 1986 with a focus on authentic Chinese and Asian cooking. Featuring carbon steel construction, each wok is designed with an emphasis on efficient heat conduction, allowing for the type of high-temperature, high-speed cooking necessary for stir frying.

Ken Hom's equipment is available in two collections: the Classic Range, with 1.4 millimetre gauge steel, and the Excellence Range, with 1.5 millimetre gauge steel and an additional, third layer of non-stick coating. Both use a flat base to ensure the wok is well-balanced. In addition to these lines, the chef also offers bamboo cooking accessories such as a two-tier steamer and a three-piece tool set.