Drew Barrymore’s New 5-in-1 Skillet Is the Small-Area Cooking Gadget I Didn’t Know I Wanted

For these not acquainted, residences in New York Metropolis are, to place it properly, small. (To place it extra realistically, they’re comically tiny, and except you have got a spare key to the treasury, metropolis dwelling is normally a contact cramped.) Now, I’m fortunate sufficient to not have an condominium that will get a front-page therapy, however I do have a tiny range and minuscule kitchen. Despite the fact that my sink is so small, I like doing massive one-pot meals, and whereas Dutch ovens and braisers are nice, typically I don’t really feel like hoisting these heavy pots out from the cupboard, ready for them to warmth up, then having to always monitor the flame on my gas-powered vary so I don’t torch the underside of the dish (or burn my condominium down). I’m a giant fan of sluggish cookers, however the one concern with these are that they’re, effectively, sluggish. Plus, it’s nearly not possible to get a superb sear, and whereas they’re undoubtedly nice for stews and braises, I usually discover myself having to sear and sauté elements in a separate pan earlier than including it to the pot. Translation: extra soiled dishes and extra trouble. That’s why I used to be so excited after I heard concerning the Stunning Stainless Metal 5-in-1 Expandable Skillet from none apart from Drew Barrymore.

Now, I do know it’s within the identify, however this skillet is, in reality, stunning. (It’s additionally not too flashy, and having a low profile is unquestionably one thing I search for in my cookware.) Principally, it capabilities as 5 items of cookware without delay: a sauté pan, a steamer, a simmering pot, a sluggish cooker, and a pan to boil water in. It additionally has a 7-quart capability and options an expandable collar that rests on prime of the cooking floor, supplying you with a bit of additional depth for stews, soups, and sauces. It’s full with a extremely efficient, PFOA- and PFOS-free nonstick coating, and comes with a glass lid and detachable lid holder, which is available in clutch, since I’m working with minimal counter house. The steamer tray can also be an enormous plus, and takes the entire fuss out of knocking out wholesome weeknight meals. Simply toss in some seasoned proteins and veggies, flip it on to one of many 5 warmth settings, and growth — dinner is served. 

What I like most about it, although, is that it will get sizzling — quick. Like, inside 30 seconds of turning the easy-to-use temperature knob to “excessive,” I may nearly fry an egg on it. That’s precisely what I used to be searching for, too: one thing that I can sear meat in, then saute veggies, then simmer inventory, and at last slow-cook the entire thing for hours in only one pan. It’s just about every little thing you might ask for in a bit of cookware, and whereas I (fortunately) have a full range and oven, I want I had this dangerous boy after I was dwelling in a dorm room or my first condominium in New York, when all I needed to cook dinner with was a microwave and what was primarily an Straightforward-Bake Oven. Nevertheless, it’s not simply nice for small areas and tiny kitchens — I’ll undoubtedly be whipping this out to heat up soup, inventory, and different aspect dishes whereas I cook dinner on my range or prep elements. It’s additionally fairly sufficient to serve in, and for the reason that energy wire detaches from the bottom, there’s no trouble. 

In case you’re quick on house, or simply searching for a candy addition to your (hopefully) stocked kitchen arsenal forward of the vacation cooking season, there’s no extra versatile piece than this.