The tools and cookware you use in your kitchen greatly impact the food you cook and how you maintain and clean them afterward. That's why it's essential that you at least know the basic cookware to use and for which dish.
First, you need kitchen tools and cookware that is durable, easy to clean, easy to handle and you should always use the right cookware specific to each food or dish you are preparing.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel has fast become the staple in almost every kitchen all over the world. It's durable, versatile and very affordable. Stainless steel pots and pans are best for braising and searing meats, sauteing and cooking sauces.
Aluminum
Aluminum cookware usually warps at high heat, so it's less recommended as a staple in the kitchen because then, you'd have to regularly replace it. That's why most households will only use disposable aluminum trays so you won't have to worry about cleaning and maintaining them.
Cast Iron
Cast iron skillets are incredibly durable and inexpensive. They are naturally non-stick after properly conditioning them and retains heat for longer periods of time. It can be used on stove tops or as a baking dish. It is incredibly versatile when cooking and baking however, it can be quite a bit heavy and prone to rust. So you would need to maintain it quite frequently.
Copper
Copper cookware is one of the more expensive kitchenware there is. It is a very good heat conductor and presents without any hot spots. It has been used on kitchens all over the world through the centuries and have mostly been used in boiling food, steaming, braising and sauteing.
Enamelled Cast Iron
Such as Dutch ovens are also incredibly expensive. However, their great heat conducting properties and heat retention make them the most preferred cookware nowadays. Just like copper cookware, enamelled cast irons are great for stove to oven cooking.
Non Stick Pots and Pans
Are by far the most affordable cookware and are usually the used in everyday cooking when schedules are hectic and you need to cook food quite quickly. Its easy to use as no oil is usually required to grease the pan. However, it cannot be used with extreme high heat so it is not as versatile as cast iron pans and Dutch ovens.
References:
https://www.nisbets.co.uk/cookingmaterialsinfographic