We’re experiencing a Golden Age of cast iron, with new manufacturers making some excellent, well-crafted pieces.

Cast iron is an alloy of iron and carbon. It’s the carbon that gives cast iron its characteristic gritty feel, and it also makes cast iron more brittle, hence the need for the pans to be thick.

It’s ideal for most cooking because it can go on the burner and into the oven, under the broiler and onto the grill.

With proper seasoning, cast iron will develop a nearly non-stick cooking surface. Care is easy: a quick swish with a little bit of soapy water will take care of most food residue, after which the pan should be thoroughly dried. Cooking acidic foods such as tomato sauces can wear down the pan’s seasoning, but it’s easy to re-season a piece of cast iron with an oil that has a high smoke point, such as grapeseed or flax seed.

Enameled cast iron is cast iron’s glamorous sister: it has the same heat retaining properties and ability to sear, but it’s gorgeous.

Because the pots are coated with vitreous enamel, you never need to worry about seasoning the pan. You can cook anything in an enameled Dutch oven. The downside? They take longer to heat up, and because they aren’t seasoned, they’ll never develop the non-stick properties of their plainer siblings.

Care is easy: if you glue food onto the surface of the pot, you can let it soak with soapy water to loosen things – something you cannot do with seasoned cast iron. But don’t heat shock it, the enamel might crack.

Netherton Spun Iron cookware is 99.1% iron, with traces of magnesium, carbon, phosphor, and sulfur. It is much lighter than cast iron, so it heats up quickly and is great for sautéing food.

The pans we carry are pre-seasoned with flax seed oil, so they’re ready to go, but if you should need to re-season a pan, the procedure is the same as for cast iron.

It is not recommended that soap or detergent be used with spun iron; just hot water.

People love stainless steel cookware because it’s non-reactive and easy to care for. The stainless brands we carry at Goods are multiple-ply cookware; that is, the outer and inner layers are stainless steel, and sandwiched in between are layers of aluminum or copper.

Why all the layers? On its own, stainless is not a good heat conductor, but when a better-conducting metal is bonded to stainless, you get the best of both worlds. Aluminum and copper are reactive; covering them with stainless eliminates that issue.

An important consideration when buying multi-ply cookware is the weight of the pan – it should not be light, which makes it more likely to warp. The bottom of the pan should be flat, so that it heats evenly.

Care is extremely easy: soapy water and a scrub pad will take care of these pans. If you really stick something to your pan, you can soak it. You can even use powdered cleaner on tri-ply cookware.

An alloy of iron and carbon, this cookware actually has a higher iron content than cast iron. It’s also lighter, with a slicker surface than cast iron. Once it has a good layer of seasoning, it’s wonderful for everything from paella to eggs, even pizza.

Carbon steel heats up more quickly than cast iron and heat is distributed more evenly, with fewer hot spots. Because it’s so much lighter that cast iron, you can sauté in a carbon steel pan.

Care is similar to cast iron: a little bit of soapy water, then thoroughly drying will take care of things most of the time.

There is nothing more classic and beautiful than a copper pan in the kitchen and despite its reputation, care is usually quite easy.

Copper is at its best when cleaned and dried immediately after use. Warm soapy water will remove most things, but if you have more stubborn food adhering to your pan a powdered, non-abrasive cleaner will work (check the label to insure in it safe for copper). To polish the outside, coarse salt and lemon will do the trick or if you prefer, you can use an approved copper polish.

Mixing different metal finishes into your home has enjoyed a bit of a design spotlight in recent years. From brushed steel to polished stainless, dark bronze to the traditional copper, it is brass that we now see as the final finish to truly emerge back into the rotation. Brass like any other metal can be long lasting if cared for properly.

Avoid acidic foods or cooking with brass utensils. After each use, wash with warm soapy water and dry immediately to prevent water spots or tarnishing. Both linseed (flax) or mineral oil with a soft terry towel can be used to polish and protect from the elements.

Wood boards, utensils, and bowls can be cleaned with warm soapy water, but never submerged or placed in the dishwasher as this will damage the fibers. Alternatively, if needing to eliminate strong odors, you can use coarse salt and have a lemon. Rub the lemon and salt over the surface and rinse. Once cleaned, remove excess water with a clean towel and let air dry.

If the surface of your woodenware becomes rough from abuse, time, or exposure to dry air or water, lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper. Wipe away resulting dust and massage the surface with plenty of wood conditioner such as walnut oil (do not use olive as it can go rancid), mineral oil, or an oil + beeswax blend.

We are fans of beeswax blends and walnut oil - they provide longer lasting conditioning.

Most ceramics can be cleaned with warm soapy water and left to air dry. If using a kitchen towel, be sure that it is freshly laundered and not the towel used during the cooking process to avoid contamination.

If the surface is light, you may notice gray scratches. Typically this is a result of bits of metal coming off of metal utensils. Not to worry, use a small amount of water and a powdered cleaner such as bar keepers friend. Apply gentle pressure until the scratches are gone. Rinse any residue. Food stains or stuck on residue can be removed in the same manner.

We recommend hand washing fine porcelain or sentimental pieces as the dishwasher can cause chipping. Bone China, dishes, or glassware with silver, pewter, or gold rims should always be washed by hand.

Caring for and maintaining your knives prolongs their life, as well as ensuring efficient performance and safety.

Cleaning and care

Always keep your blades clean and dry

Wash with warm soapy water and dry with an absorbent towel, avoiding abrasive sponges.

It is never recommended to place your knives in a dishwasher. . . NEVER. The water and heat will damage and warp your handles and blades are commonly chipped.

Store your knives on a magnetic wooden strip, in-drawer or countertop wood block, in a saya or other blade cover, or a knife roll.

Carbon steel knives, beloved by chefs and home cooks alike, need additional care as the steel is particularly reactive with acidic foods which can damage the steel. Simply be attentive to washing and drying as above and occasionally oil the clean and dry blade with a food grade oil such as mineral or camellia.

Carbon steel blades will take on a natural dark or blue patina that is completely safe and a desired effect by those seeking this style of steel, however, they are also susceptible to rust so do take care to dry completely.

Keeping your edge

A dull knife is a dangerous knife. While some fear a sharp blade, when dull, more pounds of pressure need to be applied while prepping food and the blade is more likely to slip off of the object leading to more serious injury.

Avoid cutting on glass, metal, or ceramic surfaces - this dulls and damages your knife quickly. Use a quality wood or plastic board.

Never use your knife as a box opener, to cut frozen food, or other non-food items.

We recommend using a honing steel between sharpenings. A honing steel, that mysterious rod that came with your knife set, will not sharpen your knife - rather, it maintains the edge by knocking off microscopic bits of steel that have curled the edge over time.

Using a leather strop or whetstone can seem intimidating, but often reduces the chance you’ll damage your blade during home sharpening.

We recommend you opt for professional sharpening at least once a year or as needed.

If you are unsure if your knife needs sharpened or honed, please never run your finger down the edge of the blade - try the paper test instead. Hold a piece of paper by the edge and cut through the edge of the toward the center. According to blade smith, Bob Kramer, if the paper cuts, but snags a bit or cuts with a back and forth sawing action, the blade needs to be honed. However, if the blade does not cut through paper at all, it needs both to be honed and sharpened.