Different Types of Cookware

Cookware consists of several different types of pots and several different types of pans, most with its own specific purpose depending on what kind of food preparation and cooking you plan on doing. First we'll look at a couple of the most common cooking apparatus and the types of foods they are often used to prepare.

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Sauce Pan

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This is probably your most common and versatile cooking device. Sauce pans can be used for boiling, steaming and heating liquid-based foods like sauces and soups. If you don't have a rice-cooker, sauce pans serve as a good replacement for cooking rice.

Skillet

Also known as a frying pan, skillets are flat cooking devices that are light in weight with low ides which makes it easy to toss and turn the food with or without a spatula. Skillets are quite versatile - they can used to cook scrambled eggs as well as saute a variety of foods including meat, chicken, shrimp and vegetables.

Next we'll look at more specialized, less well known types of cookware that are usually associated with cooking a specific type of food.

Stockpots

Stockpots are the largest types of pots and range in size from six quarts to twenty quarts. They have an upright appearance as they are taller than they are wide. These are used when you need to simmer a large amount of liquid, as the tall shape helps prevent the liquid from boiling or foaming over the top. Stockpots are ideal for cooking stock, chili and thick soups.

Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven pot is round or oval in shape and large in size. The capacity ranges from two quarts to six quarts. They work great for pot roasts, pastas, stews and large batches of soup. Dutch ovens can be used on the stove top or in the oven.

Double Broiler

A double broiler consists of two pots - one sitting on top of the other. The bottom one is slightly larger in diameter so the top pot slightly rests inside. This apparatus is often used for cooking sauces that have a tendency to separate when exposed to direct heat. Sometimes the top pot will have perforations on its bottom so the double broiler can serve as a steamer as well.

Stir Fry Pan

A stir fry pan has a wide top that slopes down so that the bottom of the pan is smaller in diameter. This pan is used for cooking rapidly at high temperatures. You can stir the food so that only a portion of it is exposed to the hottest area at the bottom at any given time which helps keep it from burning.

Roasting Pan

A roasting pan is a large rectangular pan with low sides and a grill rack insert. This is used to roast chicken, tenderloins and beef. The idea behind a roasting pan is that the meat will sit above the juices so it will brown as opposed to stew, and the steam of the juice will make its way into the meat to help tenderize it and give it added flavor. Along with the juice on the bottom you can add vegetables such as peppers and onions, and when finished cooking you can pour the juice and vegetables over the meat and serve it in its juices so that it will further absorb the moisture.

Griddle

Griddles have a flat surface with hardly any sides, usually just a small lip to prevent run-off of liquid, fat or oils. These are to be operated over stove top burners and conduct heat quickly. Griddles are commonly used to cook breakfast meals like pancakes, French toast and fried eggs.

This is a quick overview of some of the different types of cookware - some of them common kitchen items and others more specialized. If you are just getting into cooking you can start with basic cookware like sauce pans and frying pans and then delve into more specialized items as you expand your cooking horizons.

Different Types of Cookware

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