According to Sam Gugino, former chef and author of Cooking to Beat the Clock, there are a few must-haves every cook needs to have in their kitchen to help them get more cooking done in less time:

1. Large (preferably 12-inch) skillet. Gugino says this is a must-have for sauteing chicken breasts, fish fillets and medallions of veal or pork. Choose a nonstick surface to use less fat, he says.
2. Large (preferably 12-inch) saute pan. With a larger capacity than a skillet, Gugino says it lets you quickly prepare stews and soups.
3. A 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet. These are great for frittatas, Spanish tortillas, omelets, pan-fried steaks and pork chops.
4. A wok - Gugino says his wok sits permanently on his stove. Woks are good for stir-frying, sauteing, braising and steams. They’re also great for fast meals since they can be used as a mixing bowl. Invert the ring that comes with the wok so it sits closer to the flame, giving you greater heat intensity, he says.
5. Two saucepans - one with a two-quart capacity for rice and the like, and a larger heavy pan for polenta, risotto and pilafs.
6. An eight-quart capacity pasta pot - Gugino says this is an essential for any kitchen. Not just for pasta but for boiling, steaming, and poaching as well. Consider a pasta pot with its own colander insert, Gugino says.
7. A meat pounder - a flat, heavy piece of metal that may be round or rectangular and is attached to a handle. These are great for beating pork tenderloins or chicken breasts into medallions and cutlets for faster cooking.
8. A salad spinner whips moisture from salad greens through the slats of an inner chamber into an outer bowl, where it falls to the bottom. Gugino says it’s a must-have because it works much faster than draining in a colander.
9. A food processor - used for chopping, pureeing and making no-cook sauces and dressings.  Gugino says he uses the stainless steel blade 90 percent of the time, but also recommends using the shredding and slicing attachments.
10. A swivel-bladed vegetable peeler - peels everything except garlic and onions, but it still makes peeling a lot faster, Gugino says.