To make great meals, pots and pans need to adhere to the three H's: heat control (they should heat up evenly and quickly), heft (they should be durable and resist warping), and handling (they should be comfortable to move around from burner to burner, from stove to sink).

Here, then, is a look at how to use the six most popular kinds of cookware — cast iron, stainless, enameled cast iron, nonstick aluminum, copper, and hard-anodized aluminum — so you can determine which pans to keep in your cupboard. Plus, don't miss the cleaning and storing tips from the pros.