January 31, 2010
Make an Informed Decision about Essential Cookware
Cookware is what’s commonly known as the pots and pans used to prepare food on a stovetob or hob. It stands to follow that bakeware, the subject of another article, is, properly speaking, the vessels used for preparing food in ovens. So, things like roasting trays, a roasting rack, terrines and baking dishes could very well be considered bakeware. However, the foods created in those vessels, such as roasted meats and vegetables, pates, casseroles, etc., aren’t what most consider baked goodsmeaning cakes, breads and pastries. With that in mind, we will include baking dishes, roasting racks and other such items when discussing cookware.
If you had to choose just one piece of cookware to have in the kitchen, which would be the most suitable? Like the members of The Fellowship of the Ring, you’d probably take a larger frying pan. If there had to be a Big 3 of cookware, then they would be the frypan, saucepan and stockpotgood, old-fashioned pots and pans. All of this is just to create some sort of hierarchy of utility when it comes to cooking ware.
A larger sauce pan is what’s named a stock pot (or stew pot in some culinary circles). Stockpots are similar to saucepans in that they are used to boil or heat recipes rich in sauce or liquid, however they are generally over 6L and feature 2 handles for ease-of-use. Pasta pots are essentially a slightly smaller version of a stockpot. They are perfect for cooking large quantites of pasta due to their higher sides than a standard saucepan.
This overview is designed to give you the basic information needed to make an informed purchase of essential cookware. As can be imagined, there are a variety of specialised pans out there: chef’s pans, crepe pans, egg poachers, grill pans and saute pans, to name some of the more well-known ones. The same can be said for saucepans. Among the special-duty pots are double boilers, mussel pots and wokswhich occupy a space somewhere between pot and pan. Knowing the uses of these items will go a long way towards bringing out your inner chef.