5 Pieces of Back-to-School Gear You Need

Change is hard. Full stop. But the shift from summer to fall? It’s brutal. It’s not just the loss of the glorious weather. It’s the jump from anything-goes meals to packed routines, tired kids and the nightly question of what you can make quickly that everyone will actually eat.

If that sounds familiar, we’re here to help. Yes, we keep our 12” Hybrid Fry Pan on hand for Pan-Seared Bavette Steak with Wild Mushrooms & Red Wine Sauce (a go-to cheeky date night after the kids are in bed), and our Hybrid Double Burner Griddle is always ready for weekend-warrior status. (Hello, breakfast sandwiches and stacks of pancakes.)

But these five less-obvious gear picks make getting delicious food onto the table, into lunchboxes or beside your laptop easier, more creative and straight-up more fun.

1. Hybrid Pizza Steel

We shudder to think of a back-to-school season without a Hybrid Pizza Steel. A weekly pizza night is essential, whether that means mini pizzas for the kids, a Neapolitan-style pie or Grilled Corn, Tomato, & Italian Sausage Pizza while summer produce is still hanging on. Plus, since the steel works just as well in the oven as it does on the grill, you can keep pizza night going wherever the weather takes you.

But pizza is only the beginning. The pizza steel is ideal for hand pies like our HexClassic Beef Empanadas  or Meatball Calzones, both of which happily do double duty as packable lunches. Then, as fall settles in, we’re baking classic Bavarian Pretzels with Obatzda Spread for Oktoberfest celebrations. The pretzels also happen to be the dream car snack for kids. A batch of Montreal Bagels for breakfast lox and schmear or hearty sandwiches are a must. Come October, we’ll be baking traditional Pan De Muerto ahead of Day of the Dead on November 1.

2. Hybrid Japanese Omelette Pan

It might seem like overkill to suggest a Japanese egg pan is an essential for easy fall cooking, but once you’ve mastered the lunchbox hero that is tamagoyaki, you’ll want it on-hand daily. The slightly sweet rolled Japanese omelette is a winner with kids and adults alike. And when you want to mix it up for breakfast at home, try it for Tamagoyaki Pan Shakshuka. When a craving for sweets hits, we’re whipping up Mini Chocolate Baumkuchen.

3. Small Hybrid Roasting Pan

Weeknight dinners in a roasting pan, you say? Why yes. German Beef Roulades are a surprising crowd-pleaser, a huge dish of homemade enchiladas is always a good idea and Ham & Cheese Noodle Kugel tends to disappear fast. Then there’s roast chicken, which works basically any night of the week, whether it’s our HexClassic Roast Chicken or Perfect Roast Chicken With Pine Nut & Currant Salad. On Sundays, go all in on a British Sunday Roast with Potatoes Au Gratin for a Crowd and rest easy knowing the leftovers have Monday night covered. Come Saturday, the same pan is ready for Brown Sugar–Cinnamon Crunch French Toast Casserole, best devoured with coffee for the grown-ups and cartoons for the kids. 

4. 12" Hybrid BBQ Grill Pan

If you’re not keeping the grill fired up come fall, then we’ve got great news for you: It’s possibly the best back-to-school secret weapon. And with our BBQ grill pan, there’s no worrying about things falling through the grates. Convince the kids that eggplant isn’t so awful with Grilled Italian Eggplant with Honey & Mint Vinaigrette, then move on to Honey-Garlic Shrimp with Blistered Green Beans or Spatchcock Chicken with Crispy Smashed Potatoes & Herb Sauce for kids who love BBQ sauce

Grilled Tri Tip with Blistered Heirloom Tomato Salad works as-is for adults and chopped up with buttered noodles for kids. For post-game fuel, grill up Sausage Hoagies with Grilled Giardiniera. And when the CSA box starts looking accusatory, consider the grill pan your fastest way through the pile.

5. HexClad 8QT/7.5 L Hybrid Stock Pot

Your stock pot is good for so much more than just homemade broth and boiling noodles. In fact, it’s pretty much always on our stovetop for family-sized batches of Creamy Pasta with Peas and HexClassic Cacio e Pepe (two things that area always a hit with kids). On Sundays, we’re simmering up Big Batch Sunday Sauce and as the temperature drops, a pot of Orange-Ginger Mulled Cider is a must.

Comfort-food staples like HexClassic Beef Chili and HexClassic Chicken Noodle Soup are without question on weekly rotation. Meanwhile, Thai-Style Coconut Mussels are an ideal option for an adult-friendly meal when the kids demand pizza…again. And for those who love traditional Mexican fare, fall is the ideal time to simmer up our HexClassic Pozole Rojo.

Okay, whew. We’re ready.