5 kitchen tools that will help you lose weight

Use these cuisine essentials to keep you on the path to eating right and staying slim.

By Helen Racanelli

1. Cast iron frying pan

This is the original nonstick pan. It's a bit tricky to "season" it (click here for tips) -- in other words, to build up a natural nonstick surface by rubbing it with oil or grease and heating it. The upside: once it's seasoned, you need only a little bit of oil to cook meat, vegetables, etc. Plus, they're inexpensive -- starting from about $12. Your grandmother probably used one all the time!