Crepe pans, egg poachers, paella pans, tagines - while these types of cookware allow you to cook specialised dishes, they are more suited to those who know their way around the kitchen. Every budding chef should choose to invest in a cookware set that includes the basics; at least one frying pan, a stock pot, casserole dish and a number of different sized sauce pans. Purchase these items and the possibilities in the kitchen are endless.

The humble fry pan is probably the most versatile piece of cookware found in the kitchen. From grilling steaks, to whipping up a fresh batch of bacon and eggs, the frying pan can do just about anything. With numerous options available including non stick, anodised, cast iron and stainless steel, choosing a frying pan can be overwhelming. The multitude of choice is simply due to the frypans popularity. Every kitchen simply must have at least one.

A frying pan will have you frying your favourite foods in no time. Combine a frypan with a saucepan and you have the simplest, yet most versatile, cookware set available. Sauce pans can be used for just about anything. Love hot soup, stews and casseroles? A sauce pan is an effective vessel for cooking or reheating such delicious recipes. For more specialised recipes, a Dutch oven or casserole dish is recommended, but don’t underestimate the value of your humble saucepan.

Professional chefs agree, the fry pan, stock pot and sauce pan set are crucial to any kitchen. By owning these most basic of cooking implements, you can create a wide variety of dishes for the whole family to enjoy. And best of all, they don’t have to cost an arm and a leg.