Cooking Pans and Cooking Pot
Depending upon your cooking needs and how much you are willing to spend, will decide what kind of cooking pans and cooking pot you need to stock.
You could either opt for a cookware set or alternatively buy individual cooking pans and pots. Starting with a few basic ones, which will take care of all your chores.
You can choose to have one of each kind from the following
Sauce Pans
Sauce pans are one of the most versatile pots of your kitchen. They are available in a wide range i.e. different shapes and sizes. They can be used for preparing almost anything, from making sauces, cooking smaller portions of food, reheating or even steaming.
When buying a sauce pan look for ones, which have a round base, flat bottom having flared or rounded sides, and a comfortable long handle. Or, alternatively you could opt for ones with two side handles such as Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid
Saute Pans
Saute Pans are ones which large, flat heating surface, with straight shallow sides, a long handle with a fitted lid such as Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid
Stock Pots
Ones, which have a round base, tall straight sides and come with a fully fitting lid, are the classic sauce pots Cuisinart Classic Stockpot
It is ideal for making soups, stews, stocks, pasta and are also handy for cooking large quantities of food.
Fry Pans or Skillets
Fry Pans have a large flat heating surface with flared sides, a long handle and no lid. They are best for pan frying browning and searing foods.
When buying a fry pan be careful not to confuse it with a saute pan, because a lot of fry pans are sold these days as saute pans. All-Clad Stainless-Steel Fry Pan
Woks
Woks are used mainly for stir frying and both shallow and for de-frying. They are native to Oriental cuisine but are extensively used for cooking world over. Breville EW30XL Electric Gourmet Wok
Crock Pots
It is an electrical cooking appliance working at relatively low temperature for hours.
The crock pot body is of porcelain or ceramic with a metallic surrounding. It has a transparent lid and a temperature regulator.
It is suitable for cooking jobs like roasting, making stews etc. Even raw foods and liquids like water can be placed in crock pots.
Crock pot is also known as a slow cooker because it requires unattended cooking.
If you intend to buy a quality crock pot try Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
While choosing cooking pans and pots look out for these additional features
Lid
If you buying a pan which comes with a cover, it is preferable to have a lid which fits tightly and is transparent so that you can see the food being cooked. It is ideal if you want to retain the food’s moisture while cooking or want to prevent heat from escaping out to hasten the cooking process.
Handle
You should always choose a safe sturdy pan with a long secure handle, which is attached to the pan.
Having a handle has several advantages.
It is essential for activities like sauteing, tossing or moving ingredients in a pan.
At times you need to pick or place pans on the burners or in the oven for cooking etc.
A weak or loose handle could lead to an accident. But a pan with a sturdy handle will only make you feel secure.
Now days, you also get heat resistant handles, especially wooden ones, which are always a better choice.