Quality cookware is at the heart of any serious cook’s kitchen. You need a variety of pots, pans, and casseroles, maybe even a few specialty items. Will a $500 set of cookware make your meals twice as tasty as a $250 set? Not necessarily. Here’s how to build the perfect culinary collection.

Choose Your Pieces

If you’re building a set of a cookware from scratch, depending on how you cook and how many people you cook for, you will want an assortment of skillets and pots, a stockpot, and lids. In boxed sets, manufacturers count a lid as a piece, and it might fit more than one piece of cookware in the set. A set that contains more pieces might not be the smartest choice if you use only a few and the rest take up space in your cabinet. Note: Utensils and even a cookbook can count as pieces of a set.

Pick It Up

We all shop online, but if you can, handle the cookware at a retailer. See how it feels in your hand. If it’s heavy, think how much heavier it will feel when it’s full of food. Make sure that the handles are easy to grasp and that the pot or pan is well-balanced. Check that handle attachments are tight and sturdy. Read the packaging to see whether the cookware can be cleaned in a dishwasher.

Glass Lids

These allow you to see what’s going on inside the pot without having to lift it off, letting steam escape. But they add weight and can break, which could be a problem in a household with young kids.

From Stove to Oven

If the box says the cookware is oven-safe, be sure to check the specifics. At what temperature can this cookware safely be used? Some cookware can be used in ovens set to 350° F, and others can withstand higher heat—up to 500° F.