The saying "form follows function" applies especially to cookware. Pots and pans, the workhorses of the kitchen, come in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes to make sautéing, stewing, and stir-frying easier.
When selecting cookware, some cooks want to outfit a kitchen quickly. For them, it might make sense to purchase cookware in a set. Cooks who only want specific pots, pans and cookers for specific functions, on the other hand, can purchase individual pieces as the need arises. Either way, prices for cookware sets and pieces vary considerably based on what materials manufacturers use and how manufacturers construct their pots, pans and cookers.
What's the right choice for you? Read on for some guidelines for making buying cookware a breeze.
Key Decisions
- Are you looking to outfit an entire kitchen quickly or do you simply need a new saucepan? Knowing this will help you to determine whether it’s a better value to buy cookware by the set or the piece.
- How do you intend to use the cookware? A variety of materials are used to manufacture cookware making it ideal for browning, stewing, stir-frying, or all of the above.
- What is your threshold for care and handling? Are you willing to season a cast iron pan? Do you have the patience to care for copper pots? Maybe you just want something simple and easy to clean. Check the manufacturer’s information before buying cookware to be sure it will suit you.
Materials Used to Make Cookware
Materials used to make cookware differ by weight, responsiveness to heat, reactivity to foods, and tendency to pit, stain or rust.
Copper. Transfers heat rapidly and evenly, making it a preferred material for many professional cooks. Many foods can discolor copper cookware, however. To mitigate this problem, manufacturers often place liners inside copper pots and pans. Even then, you need to take special care to maintain cooper cookware, and because cooper is a precious metal, pots and pans made from the material can carry a precious price tag.
Carbon steel. Holds up under high temperatures and cools quickly. It is commonly used for making woks, which are designed for stir-frying food quickly over high heat. Be aware that carbon steel needs to be "seasoned" by melting fat into the surface of the metal, which essentially creates a natural nonstick surface. Seasoning is not difficult to do, but it does require some care, and you may need to repeat the process if you use a carbon steel pot or pan frequently or for many years.
Cast iron. Holds heat well and distributes it evenly; making cookware made from the material perfect for low, slow cooking. Because of their durability, you often see cast iron pots and pans on backyard grills and set over coals at campsites. Much like carbon steel cookware, cast iron pieces require seasoning and also need special care to ward off rust and pitting. As a material, cast iron is very dark. So while a cast iron pot is wonderful for jobs like preparing soups and stews, the same pot is a poor choice for tasks such as browning butter that require cooks to see food in the bottom of the pot. A final consideration is that compared with other cookware materials, cast iron is relatively heavy and cumbersome.
Ceramic. It also distributes heat evenly and is considerably lighter than cast iron. Made from clay, ceramic cookware may be glazed or unglazed. Unglazed ceramic surfaces are quite porous and will absorb and retain water, making them useful for steaming vegetables and other food items. Glazed ceramic surfaces are non-stick and relatively easy to clean. Most glazed ceramic cookware can go directly from the freezer to the oven, under the broiler, and in the microwave.
Stainless steel. This is a nonreactive material that does not rust, stain or pit. But while long-lasting, stainless steel conducts heat more poorly than other cookware materials. This combination of traits lead many manufacturers to use stainless steel as the inner and outer surfaces of cookware made from a better heat conductor, such as aluminum. When considering stainless steel cookware take note of descriptions like "18/10." The numbers refer to the combination of alloy metals used — in this example, 18 percent chromium and 10 percent nickel. The higher those numbers, the more resistant to damage and wear the stainless steel is.
Aluminum. This is one of the fastest conductors of heat. In fact, aluminum heats and cools so quickly that it can be difficult to control cooking times when using aluminum pots and pans. Aluminum is also a soft and reactive metal, so it wears down quickly and becomes discolored when exposed to acidic foods. Cookware made from anodized aluminum has been treated and tends not to react with food, last longer, and be easier to maintain.
Glass. This is non-reactive surface and allows for see-through cooking. Glass cookware has been tempered, or treated, to improve its strength and durability. It is quite versatile given that the same pan may be used to cook, store, freeze, and microwave food. Be warned, however, that although break-resistant, tempered glass can break when subject to severe temperature changes.
Materials used to manufacture lids and handles for cookware include tempered glass, silicone, various metals, plastic, and wood. Metal handles and lids conduct heat in the same way as the pots, pans and cookers to which they are attached. Glass handles and lids can also get hot, and they are prone to chipping and breaking. Plastic, silicone and wood are rarely used for lids, but handles made from these materials protect cooks from burns. Oven temperatures melt plastic and can char wood, however, and the materials get damaged more easily than metal. Not all handles and lids are dishwasher-safe, so read the manufacturers' product descriptions to be certain the materials meet your needs.
Elements of Cookware Construction
Pots, pans and cookware made with an aluminum core and stainless steel shell are described as “clad.” This sort of cookware holds up well under high temperatures and browns food nicely, which is necessary for creating “fond,” or the brown bits of fat, spices and thickeners that stick to a pan and contribute flavor to sauces. However, since stainless steel surfaces are not nonstick, you need to use fat and oil in clad cookware to prevent food from sticking permanently.
Similar to how clad cookware combines the responsiveness of aluminum with the convenience of stainless steel, cast iron cookware often comes with an enamel coating. The coating eliminates the need for seasoning cast iron, prevents rusting and generally extends the lifetime of cast iron cookware.
Nonstick chemical coatings in pots and pans have sparked some debate as to whether they pose a risk to cooks' and diners' health. The chemicals used to form nonstick coatings may release toxic, and even carcinogenic, gases and fumes when overheated. It is recommended that cookware with Teflon nonstick coating has a maximum use temperature of 500 degrees, which is surprisingly easy to achieve on the stovetop. That said, nonstick surfaces are generally safe at lower temperatures. These surfaces don't last forever, however. Replace any pot, pan or cookware item as soon as its nonstick surface starts to break down as evidenced by cracking, pitting or flaking.
The construction of handles varies, as well. Handles on pots and pans are typically riveted or screwed on, with rivets being stronger and longer lasting.
Common Cookware Items
When deciding which pieces of cookware to buy, consider this rundown of common cookware items and guidelines for when to use them.
Sauce pans. Have straight sides and a single long handle. Many cooks call saucepans "pots," and these pans are perfect for boiling or simmering.
Sauce pots. They are simply larger versions of sauce pan that have two looped handles so you can lift and carry them easily.
Stockpots. They are large pots with vertical sides at least as tall as their diameter. This shape makes stockpots perfect for simmering stock, soup and stew for several hours, as the reduced area of the heated surface prevents too much evaporation.
Dutch ovens. They are heavy, deep pots with lids that are often made of cast iron. Their construction makes them ideal for cooking soups and stews and for braising meat, fish and vegetables. Most pots, including Dutch ovens, are measured by volume, indicating the amount of liquid they can hold. Common pot sizes are 4, 6, 8 and 12 quarts.
Fry pans. Many cooks call them skillets. They have flat bottoms, single long handles and low, flared sides. Their shape promotes the evaporation of water, making them ideal for frying and searing foods over high heat. Fry pans are typically sold without lids.
Sauté pans. These flat-bottomed skillets have straight sides and a single long handle that typically come with lids. Their vertical sides make them better for cooking foods at low heat. Fry pans and sauté pans are measured by diameter, with 8, 10, and 12 inches being the most common sizes.
Omelet pans. These pans are shallow skillets with very short, flared sides. Typically 6 to 10 inches in width, the shape of an omelet pan makes it easy to slide the finished product onto a plate.
Grill pans. They are typically square and have ridges in them that allow fat to drain away from the food. They are typically sold without lids.
Pressure cookers. These are airtight metal pots that use pressurized steam to cook food quickly, typically reducing cooking times by 60 to 70 percent. Pressure cookers make short work of cooking beans, rice and meat; however, they do not brown meats.
Roasting pans. They are large, shallow, rectangular pans of varying sizes with medium-high sides used for roasting meats or baking.
Broiling pans. Consist of two parts — a large, flat tray and a rack or grill inset. The slotted inset allows fat and grease to drip into the tray below when broiling meat in the oven. The tray may also be used alone for roasting or baking.
Casserole dishes. These are shallow dishes with low sides and are particularly well-suited for all sorts of roasting and baking tasks. They come in a variety of shapes including oval, round, square, and rectangular, and may or may not include lids. Made from a variety of materials, casserole dishes are typically sold by volume — 1, 2, or 3-quarts, and so on.
Woks. These are bowl-shaped pans with either a single long handle or two looped handles. Their shape allows a small pool of oil to get very hot at the bottom, which makes quick frying in high temperatures possible while the rest of the working surface remains cooler. The cool sides prevent food from overcooking.
Manufacturers often sell cookware in sets, in which every piece gets counted. For example, a 10-piece cookware set may include four pots, four lids, and two fry pans without lids. While it is often less expensive to purchase cookware by the set than to purchase the same items individually, you may not need all of the items included in a given set. However, purchasing a set is an economical way to outfit a new kitchen. More established cooks may prefer to purchase cookware items individually. Explore your options and get the most for your money by purchasing the cookware you plan to use.
Caring for Cookware
As noted, some cookware surfaces require special care. With copper, avoid using abrasive scrubbers such as steel wool so you don't scratch the surface. Also, copper tarnishes easily and requires occasional polishing.
Cast iron and carbon steel cookware require seasoning. Avoid using abrasive scrubbers or cleansers on these surfaces. Scratching cast iron or carbon steel creates ridges where rust can form. After washing, cookware made from these materials should be dried immediately and kept well-oiled.
Nonstick surfaces get scratched and flake when you use metal utensils, heat them while empty, and run them through your dishwasher. Ensure the longevity of all your pots, pans and cookware by using only wooden spoons, rubber spatulas, and washing them by hand.
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