From the most versatile pot available to the most versatile pan, if you’re going to add another cooking cease to your arsenal, let it be a cast iron skillet. Made out of the same material as your Dutch oven, it simply has a wider cooking surface area and shorter sides, making it ideal for most of your “pan needed tasks” such as searing meats, shallow fries, and pan roasts. Additionally, you can make pizza, frittatas, quiches, pies, tear away breads…the possibilities are endless!

The only downsides are, like the Dutch oven, it’s heavy. You won’t be able to flip any pancakes by just the pan handle unless you’re Chuck Norris. Also, most budget priced cast iron skillets are raw, meaning they aren’t covered in enamel and need to be seasoned in order to be nonstick and avoid rusting. This can be an upside if you look at the glass half full.

Raw cast iron cookware require different treatment from your other pots and pans. You don’t want let it stay wet for too long or else it will rust. You’ll want to build layers of seasoning so it can be slick as a whistle. Once you get the hang of things, maintenance becomes second nature when handling cast iron.