One of the most common questions I’m asked when I teach cooking classes is, "What kind of [knives, skillets, pots] should I buy?" And, as befits a frugal and thoughtful teacher, my response is, "It depends."

The more general answer is that for those items you use most often you should have the best quality you can afford, and with things you use less often it matters less. For example, every cook should have a top-quality chef's knife. Which specific knife brand depends on you. Tiny little Sara Moulton (she's only 5' tall) uses a 10" Henkle's chef's knife. I'm 5' 7" but when I outfitted the knife kit I travel with I chose an 8" Wusthoff. And some cooks use their paring knife more often than their chef's knife. On the other hand, I don't use a utility knife (a 5" - 6" knife with a fairly straight blade) very often and I'm still satisfied with the $15 Sabatier I bought 35 years ago. But whatever you prefer, you should get the best you can afford for the knife you use most often.

If you use sauté pan (a straight sided kind of skillet) more often than a true skillet (with sloped sides) splurge on the sauté pan and economize on the skillet. If you often bake cakes go for pro-quality cake pans. If you do a lot of braising get a top of the line, enameled Dutch oven and skimp on pasta pot.

So think about the tools you use most, buy the best you can for the tools you use most, and take care of them.