A cast-iron Dutch oven is the rugged cowboy of kitchen equipment. It's sturdy and pulls off no-fuss one-pot meals. No friend of dish soap, it just gets seasoned with age. The least consumptive cookware is the stuff you inherit from Grandma, but if you need to buy your own future heirloom, we recommend this seven-quart model from LODGE, a Tennessee company that has cleaned up a local stream. $90, lodgemfg.com