Cooking 101: Equipment Identification - Cookware

August 22, 2008

This post is part of a series called Cooking 101, which introduces the basics of cooking. The series follows the book Culinary Fundamentals, with supplements from The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America. Check out the previous posts here.

Unit 7: Equipment Identification

Part 1: Cookware and Bakeware

Part 2 of Equipment Identification covers cookware and bakeware, so when a recipe tells you to pull out a saucepot, you’ll know what that is. I’ve already covered cookware materials here if you are interested.

Cookware

Stockpot

Stockpots are very large, have straight sides and are taller than they are wide. This shape helps create a convection current when making stock, so impurities rise to the surface. Some will have a spigot at the bottom (although those are probably seen more in professional kitchens I would imagine).

Saucepot

A saucepot is the next size down from a stockpot. It is also fairly large, but may not be taller than it is wide. It has straight sides and two loop handles.

Rondeau and Brasier

A rondeau is a large, shallow pot that is used on the stove and in the oven. If they are made of cast iron they can be called “griswolds”. I don’t know what makes a brasier different from a rondeau except the fact that it might be square.

Does anyone have either of these? What are they used for?

Sauté Pans: Sauteuse and Sautoir

A sauteuse is a shallow sauté pan with sloping sides and a single, long handle. A sautoir has straight sides with a long handle - also known as a skillet or fry pan. And yes, you must call them sauteuse and sautoir now.

Omelet/Crêpe Pan

These pans are smaller than normal saute pans and have very shallow, sloping sides. They are usually made of blue steel. Ok, we can’t have blue steel without Mugatu.

Griddle

A griddle is flat with no sides.

Double Boiler and Steamer

A double boiler is special pot nested inside another. The bottom pot is filled with water and heated, and the steam then gently warms the pot above. A tiered steamer works in a similar way, but the top piece is perforated on the bottom and it has a tight fitting lid to steam the food.

Bakeware

Pans for oven cooking are made from a wider variety of materials, some of which will have slightly different effects on your cooking. The thickness of metal pans will change how evenly things cook, and glass and ceramic bakeware hold heat well but do not transfer it well.

Roasting Pan

Roasting pans have medium-high sides and usually come with a rack to elevate foods for even heating.

Sheet Pans

Sheet pans have very low or no sides. Think pans for baking cookies.

Casseroles

I’m not sure what really defines a casserole dish, but I always think square or rectangular with medium-high sides. It can be made from a variety of materials.

Cake Pans

Cake pans are circular normally, with medium sides.

Loaf Pans

Loaf pans are normally used for baking bread and have fairly high sides.

Other Baking Pans

There is a wide variety of baking pans that you’ll use occasionally, but don’t need to be covered now. I’ll be sure to point them out if I use them in future recipes.

Posted in Cooking 101, Equipment |