Kitchen & Tableware

Kitchen and tableware

Kitchenware sits in two distinct categories that don't overlap much: cookware (the things you cook with on the hob and in the oven) and tableware (the things you eat off and serve from). Most British kitchens have a serviceable everyday set in both and a "good" set for guests; the question is what to spend on each.

Cookware: a basic British kitchen needs roughly seven pieces: a 26cm frying pan, a 20cm sauté pan, a small (16cm), medium (20cm) and large (24cm) saucepan, a casserole or stockpot, and a baking sheet. Materials matter: stainless steel for daily use (durable, dishwasher-safe, no non-stick worries), cast iron or carbon steel for long-cooking and high-heat work, hard-anodised or ceramic-coated non-stick for eggs and pancakes only. Avoid no-name budget non-stick, which loses its coating inside two years.

Tableware: a household serves four to eight on a regular basis, so dinnerware sets sized for six or eight cover most needs. Porcelain and bone china hold up best to the dishwasher; earthenware and stoneware look more rustic but chip more easily. Plain white sets work harder than patterned ones because they pair with anything; patterned sets get tired fast.

Glassware: separate sets for water, wine and spirits is the formal answer; a single set of all-purpose tumblers and a separate set of wine glasses is the practical answer most British households end up with.

Utensils and small kitchen: spend on the few you use daily (a quality chef's knife, a wooden spoon, a thermometer) and skip the gadgets you'll use twice. Knife sets in blocks always include three knives you don't need; a chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife is the working trio.

The brands and retailers we list

We pull around 5,200 kitchenware and tableware products across the UK retailer network.

Robert Dyas stocks the broadest selection across cookware, tableware and small kitchen appliances.

The Range covers the value-tier dinnerware and seasonal entertaining pieces.

Denby covers the upper-tier British stoneware tableware in matched dinnerware ranges.

Filter the grid above by category, colour or price to narrow things down. Prices update daily.