Cooking is pleasure: preparing food that not only tastes good but is good for you is one of my favourite activities. Okay, there are times when I do not want to cook and will do one of three things, take a meal, such as chili, out of the freezer and heat it up; two, my wife will cook or three and the least popular option order or go out.

I work from home and have the time to prepare meals. This does make a difference in the enjoyment factor. However, even if you work outside the home; there are two kitchen essentials that make cooking simpler.

One is the slow cooker. I have two and many recipes which are used frequently.

The other is the cast iron frying pan or skillet. This is the second cast iron pan I have owned over the past 25 years and the current one has been used for the past five years and has many, many, more meals left to cook.

Both my mother and my grandmother used a cast iron frying pan. I made my first meals, probably fried eggs in one that my grandmother had given my mother.

Why is this, oh so basic tool so useful? It is inexpensive, will last for years, if properly cared for, is easy to care for and when used as it is meant to be used, cooks food fast and thorough and is easy to clean.

You can buy a pre-seasoned one or season the pan yourself. Seasoning is simple enough. Follow the directions and the skillet will serve you for generations.

I use olive oil on my pan and never let it sit in the sink and soak or let water sit in it.

There is no need to purchase special tools or worry about scratching the surface.

You will need a good pair of oven mitts as the handle will get hot over time. However, I find the even heat distribution and the nature of the cast iron is a very effective cooking system that reduces the time the pan needs to sit on the burner which means less time spent cooking. The easy clean up also reduces time spent in the kitchen. Two pluses for this great gadget.

Pork chops, stir fried beef, steak, burgers, sausage and so much more seems to cook faster and taste better when prepared in the skillet.

Green fried tomatoes, egg plant, home fries also are quick to make. Stir fries and eggs of all kinds are done in little time.

These two tools, the slow cooker and cast iron skillet are musts for people who cook.