Cookware Glossary & Cooking Terms

Braisers: A kettle or pan used for braising - a cooking method in which meat or vegetables are browned in fat, then simmered in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container.

Casserole pans: Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, a casserole pan is a large, deep, covered pot or dish. It can be used for baking, browning, marinating, and poaching. They can go from the oven to the table for serving.

Chefs pans: Featuring a long handle and a tight-fitting cover, chefs pans are deep enough to allow for easy turning and stirring of food while sauteing or frying. The pan's wide surface area promotes rapid evaporation for the reduction of liquids and sauces.

Crepe pans: A crepe pan is a shallow frying pan typically made of steel. It heats rapidly and cooks the crepe quickly. Sloped sides make flipping and removing the crepe easy.

Double boilers: A double boiler is used to cook delicate sauces, melt chocolate, or cook custards. It consists of an upper vessel (which contains the food) situated above a lower pot of water. When brought to a boil, the steam produced in the lower pot transfers heat to the upper pot.

Dutch ovens: A relatively deep, cast-iron pot with a heavy, tight-fitting lid. Used for outdoor cooking, a camp-style Dutch oven typically has three legs, a wire bail handle, and a slightly concave, rimmed lid so that coals from the fire can be placed on top, as well as below. This provides more uniform internal heat and lets the inside act as an oven. They can be used for stews, braised meats, soups, and other dishes that benefit from low heat and slow cooking. A kitchen-style Dutch oven is designed for use on your stove or in the oven. They're sometimes called "French ovens."

Egg poachers: A special pot or pan, similar to a double boiler, featuring a removable insert with a number of circular cups that each holds one egg. They can include a domed-glass lid so you can see when your eggs are ready.

Fry pans & skillets: Ideal for frying meats, vegetables, eggs, and more, fry pans feature a large, flat heating surface and shallow sides. Although similar to a fry pan, a skillet may have a lip on one or both sides for easy pouring. Fry pans with a gentle, rolling slope are sometimes called omelette pans.

Griddle & grill pans: Griddles and grill pans are typically wide with low sides. They can be round, square, or rectangular and can fit over one or more stove burners. A griddle has a flat surface, making it ideal for pancakes. A grill pan has a ribbed surface that cooks burgers, steaks, pork chops, and other foods, while allowing fat to drip away.

Paella pans: A paella pan has a wide, flat bottom, rounded sides, and usually, loop handles. Originally, this pan was used for cooking the Mediterranean dish paella. Any sauteed dish or casserole can be prepared in this pan, and its elegant design and shape are perfect to serve at the table.

Pressure cookers: An airtight metal pot that uses steam under pressure at a high temperature to cook food quickly.

Roasting pans: Roasting pans usually have upright handles on each end to make lifting and handling easy. A 16- to 18-inch-wide roasting pan is perfect for roasting most meats, chickens, turkeys, and hams. A larger pan may be required for a large turkey or standing rib roast.

Saucepans: Used for simmering or boiling, saucepans have vertical sides about the same height as their diameter. They generally have one long handle. A kitchen essential, these pans can be used for preparing everything from soups to sauces. They can range in capacity from less than a quart to about 6 quarts.

Saute pans: Saute pans have a large surface area and low sides to allow steam to escape as you stir the food. Saute pans often have straight vertical sides, but may also have flared or rounded sides.

Stock pots: Stock pots are large pots with sides at least as tall as their diameter. This allows stock to simmer for extended periods of time without reducing too much. Stock pots are typically measured in volume and come in a variety of sizes.

Woks & Stir Fry Pans: Woks are wide, bowl-shaped vessels with one or two handles. They're made of stainless steel, copper, or aluminum, but carbon steel is generally the material of choice. Woks are typically used for stir-frying, but they can also be used for steaming or deep frying. The curved, concave shape allows a small amount of cooking oil to pool in the center so that food is cooked quickly at a high temperature. The outer areas of the wok are used to keep food warm after it's been cooked.

Baking dishes: Ideal for everything from apple cobbler to homemade macaroni and cheese, baking dishes come in variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and materials. They can be use for baking and serving.

Brownie & cake pans: Typically square in shape, these pans are perfect for baking brownies and cakes. Usually made out of metal with straight, sturdy edges, brownie and cake pans often have a nonstick surface for easy release and cleanup.

Cake molds: Cake molds make it easy to bake and decorate a cake without having to design and shape it yourself. Popular for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions, cake molds come in a variety of shapes and themes, including animals, flowers, cartoon characters, and more.

Cookie sheets: Usually made with aluminum or stainless steel, cookie sheets have at least one flat side, making it easy to slide cookies and other baked goods off of them.

Cooling racks: Cooling racks come in a variety of sizes and are usually made out of metal. Small bars run across the rack, allowing air to circulate above and below your baked goods. Ideal for cooling cookies and cakes, these racks provide a handy place to hold your baked treats until you're ready to serve, frost, or store them.

Jelly roll pans: These pans have a continuous lip around all four sides to help prevent juices or liquids from spilling over the sides. It's versatile enough to bake a sheet cake or roast meat and vegetables. Some include air-tight covers to help maintain freshness.

Loaf pans: With their tall sides and rectangular shape, loaf pans are ideal for baking yeast breads, quick breads, pound cakes, and meat loaf. They can be made from ceramic, stoneware, or metal with a nonstick surface for easy release and cleanup. Some loaf pans have inserts with small holes to allow fat to drip through.

Cupcake & muffin pans: Designed for baking cupcakes, these pans - also referred to as muffin pans - are usually made out of aluminum or silicone to safely withstand high temperatures in the oven. They generally have 12 individual cups per pan.

Pie pans: Designed for baking pies, pie pans are flat-bottomed and flare-sided. They can be made of glass, metal, or porcelain enamel. They're also great for quiches.

Pizza pans: A pizza pan is designed to bake fresh or frozen pizza in your oven. They're usually round, but can be found in a variety of shapes and materials. Some have straight sides to accommodate deep dish pizza.

Springform pans: Specially made for cheesecakes and other desserts that need a gentle release from the pan once baked, springform pans have a removable bottom plate so you can lift your baked goods out without disturbing the sides.

Tagines: A tagine has two parts: a flat, circular base with low sides and a cone-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The shape is designed to retain moisture, sustain a high temperature inside the tagine, and concentrate cooking liquids. It can be taken to the table for serving.