The short answer, says perfectionist Felicity Cloake, is not very much: “Start with the basics, see what you actually cook and equip accordingly.” Topping Cloake’s “basics” list is a frying pan, which, of course, you can do more than fry in – a sentiment echoed by Home Cookery Year author Claire Thomson. “I like a cast-iron one, because it lasts longer,” she says. “Just maintain it by cleaning with a cloth and oiling with sunflower oil.” If space is at a premium, Cloake recommends investing in a frying pan that goes in the oven. “Make sure everything you buy is as versatile as possible.” As the late American writer Laurie Colwin puts it in her essay The Low-Tech Person’s Batterie de Cuisine, “Pots and pans are like sweaters: you may have lots of them, but you find yourself using two or three over and over again.” Chef and cookery teacher Gill Meller keeps three in his arsenal. In addition to a frying pan (he favours non-stick), he suggests ­– budget allowing – a Le Creuset or Crane cast-iron casserole pan for stews and the like, and a small milk or egg pan. “With those, you can knock together everything from … Continue reading What is included in the basic set of kitchen tools?