I always loved to cook but even so through the years I've had to go by trial and error to figure out what works and what doesn't in cooking.  Here are some of my tips on utensils and other things that work for me in cooking.

1.  Tongs - This seems pretty simple but without the right tongs in cooking you can be lost.  I like the thick metal ones with the ridges on the end the most instead of the thin ones.  I watched my mother use these and hesitated for years until I realized how well they worked from anything from picking up a steak in a hot pan or even tossing a salad.  Don't use a fork and that can become frustrating and dangerous especially when turning over meat.

2.  Fry pans - When I first got married years ago I thought about my way of cooking and what I would need.  I bought only the pieces that I would use.  I bought a good sized Revere Ware frying pan one big enough to put in hamburgers in case one of us wanted seconds or if we would be entertaining someone.  I also bought a small frying pan for days that I just wanted to make my husband or myself something.  Also a large cooking pot large enough to put in plenty of lasagna noodles, potatoes, or elbow macaroni.  You will also need a small pot for side dishes like corn, carrots, etc.  My few pieces are all Revere Ware because I love the fact that I can scrub the pans before I put them in the dishwasher and they are also lightweight and I like that brand.  My daughter recently bought me a heavier extra large fry pan that I can fit a lot of food in when entertaining which I love so you may want to add an extra large also a non stick pan.  I'm not that crazy about non stick pans because you have to be more careful but I still usually have one on hand.  I've tried the expensive and cheaper ones and took the advice of my mother when she said that the cheaper ones work just as well.  Whatever you choose the non stick pan is pretty much a necessity for making a good omelet or pancake.

3.  Baking pans - It's good to have a large baking pan.  I have a really large metal pan for making lasagna and a couple of regular sized metal pans for baking rolls among other things.  Make sure that you always use pam cooking spray when baking with a metal pan so nothing sticks.  A small square pan in either glass, metal, or teflon is also important.  A small square pan is especially necessary when baking brownies.

4.  Knives -  This may not be traditional but what works for me when chopping vegetables or cutting meat is the ridged type knife.  I have a few of these on hand.  I especially love my steak knifes and use them daily to chop and dice.   You may prefer the smooth edge but I've tried those through the years and I feel that I have better control with the jagged edged knives than the smooth blade.  Make sure that you always have a sharp knife for use and it is good to spend a little bit more money in purchasing a good knife or two.

5.  Collander -  A good collander is pretty much a necessity when cooking and you want to go large with this.  When draining things like spaghetti you want to have plenty of room.  There are also pots with a lock type lid on them where the lid has holes in it and these work great because you can drain the hot water right from the pan.  My son got me one of these and I love it.

6.  Oven mitts -  I prefer  the mit type to others. They are secure on your hand and  protect them more from burning versus the little square ones.

7.  Apron - Unless you want food splattered on you a good apron is definately a good investment in dealing with cooking.  I have the chef kind that covers me above and below but as messy as I am I'm still looking for an apron that covers up even more because most aprons still have gaps where food can still spray onto your clothing.  I would like to see a company come up with an apron that is comfortable, versataile, and attractive.  I could never understand why people sometimes wore the apron that only tied around the waste and didn't cover your chest.

8. Stirring spoons -  You need two types one with holes in it and a solid cooking spoon to stir gravys and other foods.  I use metal unless I am using a teflon pan then I use a teflon coated spoon.

9.  Spatula - I like the spatula with the holes in it and I also have one without the holes.  This utensil is good for flipping pancakes, eggs, among other things. 

10.  Mixing bowls - I have two metal mixing bowls that I use all of the time, a smaller one to mix smaller portions and a larger one for larger amounts of food.  I have other bowls because you can use these for storing leftovers also.

I hope that these tips are helpful to anyone who wants to try cooking.  If you have the proper cooking utensil when you are trying to tackle putting together a meal it can in can be quite valuable to you.