Cooking single servings isn’t just about scaling down recipes. It’s about having the right sized equipment, too. But because most recipes are made for more than one person, the dishes needed to prepare them are also made for more than one. No problem; us single cooks just have to get creative. Here are a few suggestions to make your kitchen equipment work for you:

Use 7-oz. ramekins to make single servings. This tip comes from a blogger who commented on Cheap Healthy Good. The ramekins are perfect for individual jumbo muffins, meat loaf, or peach cobbler. Just place them on a cookie sheet, and pop them in the oven. The blogger warns not to fill them completely when making muffins because they can’t support muffin tops like a regular pan can. They also cook more quickly so keep your eye on them the first few times you use them.

Use a toaster oven to bake single servings. I find a toaster oven is a much more useful and versatile piece of equipment than a regular toaster. I bake single cookies in it all the time and also use it for broiling marinated portabella mushroom caps. I even made my roasted asparagus in it. Sure, you could use a regular oven, but why waste energy heating up a larger space?

Purchase a small set of quality, stainless steel cookware. I bought a set of Cuisinart cookware on Amazon.com for around $70 that included one small and one large saucepan, a large stock pot, and a medium skillet. I already had a very nice, very large skillet left over from my sister’s wedding; she got two and gave one to me (score!). I researched brands and styles thoroughly, and suggest you do the same for your cooking needs. Reading customer reviews was probably the most helpful of all my research. One thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to purchase a whole set from the same brand. I could have also gone to TJ Max or a similar store and bought each piece individually. That way you get exactly what you need for your purposes.