If you look in your kitchen cabinets, you will probably find a lot of cookware and kitchen items that you don’t use.

You may have bought them with the best of intentions and even planned to use them to make special meals or treats for your family. The truth is, most people have more cookware than they need and they continue to buy more.

If you are thinking about getting some cookware for your new home or to refresh the kitchen in your current home, make sure the products you buy are useful and will serve a purpose.

Here are some of the most useful and commonly used cookware items for most modern kitchens.

Pots
Pots will come in handy for most types of cooking. You can purchase them as a set or individually. Either way, you will want at least three, one small, one medium and one large. You will need pots to cook rice, vegetables, pasta, soup and to rewarm leftovers if desired. Choose pots made of a durable material such as aluminum or copper.

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Pans
Like pots, pans in a variety of sizes are best for any kitchen. You will use your pans to sauté and fry different foods. Because pans offer a flat surface, it is best to choose pans that are made of a non-stick material.

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Kettles
Kettles can be used much like pots, but are larger and perfect for stews, roasts and other meals that require the use of a lot of ingredients. Kettles can take up a lot of space in your cabinets, but you should have at least two in your kitchen. Again, choose kettles that are made from high quality materials. There are numerous types to choose from, including copper, ceramic, cast iron and titanium.

Don’t fill your kitchen with useless cooking utensils and cookware. Buy cookware that you can use and that will last for a long time.