Dinner with limited equipment

A small kitchen can still make a proper dinner.

The useful question is what can cook together in the pan you actually own. Start there, then check your ingredients and time.

If you have one burner

Look for a recipe that cooks its pasta, grains or vegetables in the same vessel as the rest of the meal. A dish served from one pan may still ask you to boil pasta in a separate pot. Read the method before committing.

Our one-pot collection lists the cooking vessel for every dish and links to the full original recipe. Basic prep tools and a serving plate may still be needed.

If you have a frying pan but no oven

Check for an oven or broiler step near the end. Some skillet recipes start on the stove and finish in the oven. The skillet shortlist stays on the stovetop.

Check depth as well as width. A shallow pan for eggs does not hold the same amount as a deep skillet full of rice and broth. If the recipe needs a lid, make sure yours fits.

If your counter is the limiting factor

Choose a recipe whose prep you can finish on one board, with a place ready for the chopped ingredients. Read the ingredient list before starting so a late instruction to grate cheese or drain beans does not interrupt a hot pan.

Clear enough space for the tools and ingredients the recipe calls for. Fewer cooking vessels can make cleanup easier, but it does not remove the need for a knife, board or spoon.

Before you choose tonight's dinner

1. Check the pan. Confirm capacity, lid and heat source in the original recipe.
2. Check the whole list. Broth, spices and sauces count too. A title naming three ingredients is not a complete shopping list.
3. Check the time. Prep, simmering, resting and any ingredients that must already be cooked all affect when dinner is ready.
4. Check the servings. Many recipes in our collection make four or more portions. Choose an amount that fits your pan and plans; we have not relabeled family recipes as single servings.