A customer walked into Kitchen Conservatory and asked about cookware.

“What kind of stove-top do you have?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Gas or electric?”

She had a blank look on her face. “I’m not sure.”

“Is the top of the stove smooth or is there a grate?”

“I’m really not sure,” she answered. She then asked about spatulas.

“Do you have these spatulas in any other color?” The turner in her hand came in red, black, or stainless steel. “I want my utensils to match my kitchen decor and my kitchen color is light orange.”

Yes, people are discovering their kitchen and doing more home-cooking, which can be very satisfying and delicious. The kitchen can be the most exciting room in the house! Yes, we can help find the right utensils to accessorize your kitchen. To learn more about using your stove’s potential, consider signing up for The Basics of Cooking, a four-part cooking class starting on March 23.

The reason we ask customers about their stove is because smooth-top electric stoves require specific cookware that is perfectly flat on the bottom of the pan. The whole pan must be in contact with the stove for there to be any heat transfer, so we recommend either Emeril stainless cookware or Berndes nonstick cookware. Those pans have a spun-disk bottom that does not warp with usage. Induction stoves also require specific cookware — cast iron (Lodge or Le Creuset) or All-Clad stainless (but not the other lines of All-Clad). Any kind of cookware can be used on gas stove, but less than half of our customers have gas stove-tops. If cooking on your stove is frustrating, the problem might be because the cookware has warped and thus is not adequately conducting the heat. Get a new frying pan and turn on the stove; cooking is fun!