Your cooking obsession is at an all-time high, isn’t it? From everyday meals to preparing delicious food for special occasions, you’ve certainly made your mark in the kitchen. It’s perhaps one of the most rewarding household activities you can take part in because you get to marvel in the taste of finger-licking foods quite often. Sure enough, it’s a much better and cheaper alternative to eating takeout every day.

But see, here’s the thing, while we have absolutely no doubt in your cooking skills, your craft alone isn’t going to get you very far. It’s like trying to build a house without any bricks. That’s definitely not going to work out. So what are the building blocks to preparing a meal? It’s simple really, all you need to do is browse through the kitchen cookware sets until you find one that suits you the most. It sounds simple enough but it’s certainly not an easy choice. Do you buy them as a whole or do you shop for each piece individually? That’s exactly what we’ll be looking into in just a bit.

Should You Buy a Full Cooking Set?

This is the preferred option if you’re looking to replace your old cookware set and not have to shop for open stock products. It’s effective and less time-consuming, both of which are admirable qualities in today’s fast-paced society. Plus, all of your cooking tools are the perfect match in terms of design and appearance.

In any case, buying cookware sets as a whole seems like a good idea only if you use all of the items that are included regularly. The whole appeal of such sets lies in the fact that you’re getting all kinds of pots, pans and cooking tools all in one, usually discounted price. Naturally, you’re thinking, what a steal, I should get my hands on one as soon as possible. While you’d be absolutely right in thinking in such a way, you’ll need to carefully consider all the products that are part of the bundle. In other words, if you think you’ll have no use of that extra-large boiling pot, then there’s no point in getting it because it’ll probably just use up a fair chunk of your storage space anyway. Bottom line is, you should only get sets that have all the kitchen utensils that you actually need.

Should You Shop for Individual Cooking Tools?

If buying an entire set doesn’t match your preferences then your next stop is shopping for open stock. Despite being the more expensive alternative, it makes room for lots of customisation since you’ll have full control over what kinds of products you buy. Basically, you can hand-pick each item to suit your taste and needs without worrying about how it can come in handy in the future because you know exactly how you’re going to use it. Unfortunately, this means you’ll have to do a fair bit of research regarding the specifications of each pot and pan you get so that you’re able to navigate them properly.

How Do You Choose the Right Cooking Set?

This is the tricky part because there are lots of options out there. Whether you’re inclined towards buying full kitchen cookware sets or shopping for individual pieces, you’ll have to take the following factors into consideration to make sure you’re making the right decision.

Materials

Whether you like it or not, cooking utensils come in a range of different materials. Each one has its own benefits and drawbacks so you’ll have to prioritise certain aspects when making a decision.

For starters, stainless steel cookware is the most common type found if most, if not all households. Judging by the name, this material is quite durable and corrosion-resistant which is certainly a bonus.  It’s also a relatively inexpensive option so you’ll definitely be getting good value for your money.

Next up, cast iron is also used to make good quality cookware tools. It’s quite resilient and it has good heat retention abilities. Unfortunately, it requires high levels of maintenance and care. If not seasoned properly, can easily rust and lose its original sparkle.

Finally, aluminium is another common material type due to its polished exterior and ease of use. The downside is that it’s quite soft which means it’s prone to dents and scratches. So basically, if you’re not careful enough with your aluminium cookware, you can easily damage it and render it useless.

Heat Conductivity

This goes hand in hand with the previous factor since not all materials conduct heat in the same way. For example, despite its somewhat delicate build, aluminium actually has excellent thermal conductivity which means it’s better at cooking your food evenly and reducing burns and crisp edges. On the other hand, stainless steel actually falls behind in this category despite ranking higher on the durability scale. But if you’re looking for something in the middle, then cast iron strikes the perfect balance between longevity and proper heat conduction.

Occasion

Last but not least, it’s important to think about where you’ll be using your cookware set. If you’re setting up your camping kitchen, then it’s definitely not a good idea to spend a fortune on a cooking set that you can easily damage when you’re outside. But if you’re looking for something to use indoors, then you can certainly lay out the big bucks if you want to.