Registry Basics: Pots And Pans Slideshow

It's easy to get lost amid All-Clad's many beautiful offerings, but the truth is you need one wonderful skillet and the stainless is, in our opinion, the way to go. Yes, you can upgrade to copper or copper core if you really want to, but chefs agree that the stainless does the job beautifully and looks beautiful doing it. It's what we use every day. This will be your go-to pan for browning meat, sautéing vegetables, and just about everything else you do.

The greatest little pan on earth. It's perfect for searing fish for two, cooking a chicken breast, or whipping up a pan sauce for a weeknight dinner. Or for making omelets, of course.

Le Creuset is the Cadillac in this department, but Mario Batali and Martha Stewart produce equally colorful Dutch ovens that brown and braise like a dream. A larger size (5 ½ quarts and up) makes entertaining easy. You'll take this from stovetop to oven to table so pick a color you love and let your Dutch oven reign cheerfully over your kitchen for years to come. 

A kitchen workhorse that is essential for making rice, sauces, soups, and blanching or steaming vegetables. Along with the frying pan, you'll use this nearly every time you cook.

All new brides who cook must have a roaster, partly because now everyone will be coming over to your house for the holidays. In addition to roasting a turkey, it also bakes a huge, crusty lasagna and nearly any other kind of casserole.

If you are an avid cook or baker, then these next five items are great to have in your cupboard. While they are good multitaskers, you probably won't use them every day.

For brownies, lemon bars, or small pasta bakes, this is your pan.

For your husband's first birthday as your husband, you may want to make him a homemade birthday cake — and you'll need one of these (they're also perfect for soaking bread slices for French toast).

When you host your first Thanksgiving and roast a perfect turkey in your new roasting pan, you will want a pie plate to whip up your mother-in-law's signature pecan pie, too. Choose glass over ceramic, as it allows you to check that the bottom crust is cooked and not soggy.

Can you imagine a life without banana bread or meatloaf? If you can't then you need this pan.

Just what you need to bake muffins, making serving breakfast to weekend guests simple... And don't forget the cupcakes!

While these nest three items aren't essential, if you've got room in your kitchen for them, get 'em. They will allow you to easily expand your culinary repertoire.

A grill pan makes cooking meat in the winter a breeze. Choose the brand according to your guests' budget. We've used the All-Clad, Calphalon, and Le Creuset pans and each heat evenly on the stove top and sear a crusty grill mark. 

Tall and deep, this pot can boil gallons of water for pasta or lobsters and drain the water in a snap with its built-in strainer. Any brand will do, as it's unlikely you will use this pot more than once a month (or a year)...

Cast iron has a very even heat and is great for searing meats or baking a savory cornbread right in the pan. A cast iron skillet will last you your whole marriage (and likely your children's marriages, too) and be seasoned over the years.

You will need at least two of these kitchen staples for baking cookies, roasting vegetables and meats in your oven, or if you ever want to make a Bûche de Noël.