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5 more types of pots and pans to cook with

Last week, I shared some popular pots and pans that should and can be included in your kitchen. Today, I want to cover some more options for useful cookware.

The Wok (not the same as the stir fry pan) is a bowl shaped version of the stir-fry pan (see? I told you!). It’s great for quick cooking over high heat. While you can get a wok with a flat bottom, most woks will have a very small flat surface area at the bottom center. They come with either one long handle, or two handles on either side of the belly. They are usually made of carbon steel, cast iron, or metal with a non-stick coating.

The Stockpot is a deep, tall, straight-sided pot with two big, loop handles. It is used for simmering large amount of liquid, such as stock, soup and stews, but also works well for thick soups, chili and for boiling pasta. Some stockpots will come with a pasta insert – made of stainless steel perforated insert that fits inside a stockpot and acts as a colander for draining pasta. Growing up, my mom used one to make home made sand hill plum jelly.

Grill pan - this is a heavy metal pan like cast iron, that has ridges spaced evenly across the bottom inside of the pan. These closely simulate the grilling process. You’ll find grill pans with both shallow or deep sides, and in different shapes and sizes. Just pick one that will cover the bulk of the size of meat you’ll be grilling most of often.

Double boiler  - It’s actually two pans – one inside of the other. The bottom pan holds hot water and the top pan holds the ingredients that are being cooked. This is generally used for making delicate sauces that have a tendency to separate if cooked on direct heat. Double boilers can be made of stainless steel, enameled steel, glass and aluminum.

The Fondue pot used to be made fun of but has made a comeback in recent years with chocolate and fruit fondue. A fondue pot is a pot to melt something like cheese or chocolate. It has a heat source below the pot that can be plugged in, or may use a candle to keep the food in a liquid state. The whole idea is to be portable and commonly used at parties. You use skewers to stick in pieces of bread, or cut up pieces of fruit.

 Pots and pans with metal handles allow for more versatile cooking and movement between stovetop and oven. Just beware; they get hot, so use mitts!

Four types of pots and pans to cook with

When I think of cookware, I think of pots and pans. However, there are a lot of different types of pots and pans made for various types of cooking and different methods of creating culinary goodies.

I really don’t care to cook much and is probably because I really don’t know much about how to cook. So, I’d like to share some information that I found online about different types of pots and pans, and what they are used for.

Skillet – also known as the frying pan; as in “mama hit daddy over the head with the fryin’ pan!”. Okay, maybe that’s just my family. A typical skillet is made of material that is responsive to heat, like lined copper or stainless steel with an aluminum core. Anodized and my person favorite, cast iron, are also popular. These come in several sizes, often with a lid.

Roasting pan - generally a rectangular shape with low sides. This allows heat from the oven to expose the entire surface of the meat. Often a short rack is placed inside the roasting pan to keep the meat out of it’s own juices. Yes, this is what makes “au jus” for dipping your roast beef sandwich in. These pans are made of a variety of materials including stainless steel, aluminum with non-stick surface, clay and granite.

Saucepan – This post might call the kettle black. It’s a round pot with high straight sides and a flat bottom. It can be used for several purposes like cooking soup, stew or making sauces. There are, however, some special saucepans. Here comes the complicated, cook like you know what the hell you are doing in the kitchen, pans.  Windsor, sides that flare. Saucier, sides are rounded. I didn’t find out why or what they are specifically used for.  Saucepans come in several sizes and usually have a lid.

Stir-fry pan - a round, deep pan that may have straight sides with a slightly rounded base or more commonly a round base that slopes out and upward. Sizes and handle length can vary to match the cooking process. Heat is evenly distributed across the base while the sloping sides make it easier to stir and turn the ingredients.

Tip: Basic pot set: Large pot for cooking pastas and boiling potatoes, medium and small sauce pans, frying pans in at least 2 sizes