The One Item Everyone Needs In Their Kitchen, According To The Pioneer Woman

Based on food preferences, cooking needs, and someone's level of expertise in the kitchen, every cooking space can look a little different. This includes the layout and what you may find in the kitchen like appliances, tools, and supplies. For example, if you begin every morning with a cup of coffee, you may own a state-of-the-art espresso machine. Or if you're the next Giada De Laurentiis in the making, you may have an authentic pasta maker. Likewise, bakers typically collect an array of baking items such as whisks, measuring cups, mixing bowls, and so on.

Apart from the standard kitchen tools — cutlery, pots, and pans — there is one item Ree Drummond, otherwise known as The Pioneer Woman, thinks everyone needs in their kitchen: a cast-iron skillet. She tells Food Network, "Some people collect fine china. I collect iron skillets. Iron skillets are pretty much my life." Drummond even recommends it as the ultimate wedding gift.

Cast iron cookware dates back to 5th century B.C. China, but the modern American cast-iron skillet has been around since 1865 and was originally invented and distributed by Griswold Manufacturing, as explained by Southern Kitchen. However, it was Lodge Manufacturing who commercialized and made cast-iron skillets mega-popular. A Southern institution, the company was founded by Joseph Lodge in 1896 in Tennessee (via Lodge Cast Iron). To this day, the company is still a family-run business and one of the top sellers, if not the number one, for cast-iron skillets.

So, what makes cast-iron skillets so amazing? The inexpensive kitchen tool can be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert. On top of that, Ree Drummond tells Food Network that it can outlast any method of cooking whether it be baking, cooking, sautéing, or frying! "[Cast-iron skillets] are the best. They're indestructible," she cheered, adding, "You can do anything with them."

Cast-iron skillets come in all sorts of sizes, some even as small for frying a single egg. Like Drummond mentioned, they're not an expensive investment either. Depending on the size, cast-iron skillets generally retail for $20 to $50 and can be found online or at local retailers like Target, or even Cracker Barrel's Old Country Store!