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Whether you're out on your own for the first time or you've been slingin' hash for the family for the last thirty years, choosing the right pots and pans from the variety of utensils available might be a daunting task. I've been cooking for fifty years now (good lord, has it been that long?)and during this time I've developed my own personal preferences and I'd like to share some of that information with you today.

The slick name brands you find in the department and specialty stores are beautiful and attractive, but I've always been a utilitarian kind of guy. Besides, who needs to shell out hundreds of dollars on cookware? I'd rather save some money and buy that nice tenderloin roast instead, or a couple fresh lobster to throw in the pot to impress that special someone.

Let's start by talking about the different types of metals used for making cookware. Basically, you've got cast iron, aluminum and stainless steel. Now some manufacturers have come up with variations where aluminum is clad between stainless or vice versa. The point is, you want something that heats evenly, without hot spots. I guess I should mention Visions. It's that brown colored glass cookware from Dow-Corning. I had a set given to me once. I gave it away.

Cast iron can be pretty reasonable especially since you can often pick it up at the local flea market for a reasonable price. Another benefit of cast iron is that cooking food on an iron surface also imparts some iron into the food itself, and there are certain health benefits to that. The downside is that cast iron will rust if you don't take care of it properly. Don't leave it in water or allow water to sit in it for extended periods of time. I usually rinse mine out and use a stainless steel scrubber to clean away food particles. Don't use soap. Soap will remove that thin layer of oil that keeps food from sticking. Cast iron is also heavy. My mom never liked the big cast iron skillet my dad bought her because it was too heavy for her to lift. Overall, cast iron great. I picked up a cast iron wok in Taiwan years ago. It's a fixture in my kitchen. I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in Taiwan.

Aluminum is nice. It's lightweight and heats evenly. NO, it won't give you Alzheimers. While at a flea market recently I found a nice restaurant style ten inch aluminum saute pan. It's got a spout on one side that makes it convenient for pouring liquids. I fry eggs up in mine for breakfast and they just slide around in the pan. Again, when cleaning,

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