Cookware and bakeware

Cookware and bakeware are types of food preparation containers, commonly found in a kitchen. Cookware comprises cooking vessels, such as saucepans and frying pans, intended for use on a stove or range cooktop. Bakeware comprises cooking vessels intended for use inside an oven. Some utensils are both cookware and bakeware.

The choice of material for cookware and bakeware items has a significant effect on the item's performance (and cost), particularly in terms of thermal conductivity and how much food sticks to the item when in use. Some choices of material also require special pre-preparation of the surface - known as seasoning - before they are used for food preparation.

Both the cooking pot and lid handles can be made of the same material, but will mean that when picking up or touching either of these parts oven gloves will need to be worn. In order to avoid this, handles can be made of non heat conducting materials, for example bakelite, plastic or wood. It is best to avoid hollow handles because they are difficult to clean or to dry.

A good cooking pot design has an 'overcook edge' which is what the lid lies on. The lid has a dripping edge that avoids condensation fluid from dripping off when handling the lid (taking it off and holding it 45°) or putting it down.

History

The history of cooking vessels before the development of pottery is minimal due to the limited archaeological evidence. The earliest pottery vessels, dating from 7004196000000000000♠19600±400 BP, were discovered in Xianrendong Cave, Jiangxi, China. The pottery may have been used as cookware, manufactured by hunter-gatherers.^[1] Harvard University archaeologist Ofer Bar-Yosef reported that "When you look at the pots, you can see that they were in a fire."^[2] It is also possible to extrapolate likely developments based on methods used by latter peoples. Among the first of the techniques believed to be used by stone age civilizations were improvements to basic roasting. In addition to exposing food to direct heat from either an open fire or hot embers it is possible to cover the food with clay or large leaves before roasting to preserve moisture in the cooked result. Examples of similar techniques are still in use in many modern cuisines.^[3]

Of greater difficulty was finding a method to boil water. For people without access to natural heated water sources, such as hot springs, heated stones ("pot boilers") could be placed in a water-filled vessel to raise its temperature (for example, a leaf-lined pit or the stomach from animals killed by hunters).^[4] In many locations the shells of turtles or large mollusks provided a source for waterproof cooking vessels. Bamboo tubes sealed at the end with clay provided a usable container in Asia, while the inhabitants of the Tehuacan Valley began carving large stone bowls that were permanently set into a hearth as early as 7,000 BC.

According to Frank Hamilton Cushing, native American cooking baskets used by the Zuni (Zuñi) developed from mesh casings woven to stabilize gourd water vessels. He reported witnessing cooking basket use by Havasupai in 1881. Roasting baskets covered with clay would be filled with wood coals and the product to be roasted. When the thus fired clay separated from the basket, it would become a usable clay roasting pan in itself. This indicates a steady progression from use of woven gourd casings to waterproof cooking baskets to pottery. Other than in many other cultures, native Americans used and still use the heat source inside the cookware. Cooking baskets are filled with hot stones and roasting pans with wood coals.^[5] Native Americans would form a basket from large leaves to boil water, according to historian and novelist Louis L'Amour. As long as the flames did not reach above the level of water in the basket, the leaves would not burn through.

The development of pottery allowed for the creation of fireproof cooking vessels in a variety of shapes and sizes. Coating the earthenware with some type of plant gum, and later glazes, converted the porous container into a waterproof vessel. The earthenware cookware could then be suspended over a fire through use of a tripod or other apparatus, or even be placed directly into a low fire or coal bed as in the case of the pipkin. Ceramics conduct heat poorly, however, so ceramic pots must cook over relatively low heats and over long periods of time. However, most ceramic pots will crack if used on the stovetop, and are only intended for the oven.

The development of bronze and iron metalworking skills allowed for cookware made from metal to be manufactured, although adoption of the new cookware was slow due to the much higher cost. After the development of metal cookware there was little new development in cookware, with the standard Medieval kitchen utilizing a cauldron and a shallow earthenware pan for most cooking tasks, with a spit employed for roasting.^[6][7]

By the 17th century, it was common for a Western kitchen to contain a number of skillets, baking pans, a kettle and several pots, along with a variety of pot hooks and trivets. Brass or copper vessels were common in Asia and Europe, whilst iron pots were common in the American colonies. Improvements in metallurgy during the 19th and 20th centuries allowed for pots and pans from metals such as steel, stainless steel and aluminium to be economically produced.^[7]

Cookware materials

Pottery

Pottery has been used to make cookware from before dated history. Pots and pans made with this material are durable (some could last a lifetime or more)and are inert and non-reactive. Heat is also conducted evenly in this material. They can be used for both cooking on stove-tops and for baking in the oven.

Metal

Metal pots are made from a narrow range of metals because pots and pans need to conduct heat well, but also need to be chemically unreactive so that they do not alter the flavor of the food. Most materials that are conductive enough to heat evenly are too reactive to use in food preparation. In some cases (copper pots, for example), a pot may be made out of a more reactive metal, and then tinned or clad with another.

Aluminium

Aluminium is a lightweight metal with very good thermal conductivity. It is resistant to many forms of corrosion. Aluminium is commonly available in sheet, cast, or anodized forms,^[8] and may be physically combined with other metals (see below).

Sheet aluminium is spun or stamped into form. Due to the softness of the metal it may be alloyed with magnesium, copper, or bronze to increase its strength. Sheet aluminium is commonly used for baking sheets, pie plates, and cake or muffin pans. Deep or shallow pots may be formed from sheet aluminium.

Cast aluminium can produce a thicker product than sheet aluminium, and is appropriate for irregular shapes and thicknesses. Due to the microscopic pores caused by the casting process, cast aluminium has a lower thermal conductivity than sheet aluminium. It is also more expensive. Accordingly, cast aluminium cookware has become less common. It is used, for example, to make Dutch ovens lightweight and bundt pans heavy duty, and used in ladles and handles and woks to keep the sides at a lower temperature than the center.

Anodized aluminium has had the naturally occurring layer of aluminium oxide thickened by an electrolytic Process to create a surface that is hard and non-reactive. It is used for sauté pans, stockpots, roasters, and Dutch ovens.^[8]

Uncoated and un-anodized aluminium can react with acidic foods to change the taste of the food. Sauces containing egg yolks, or vegetables such as asparagus or artichokes may cause oxidation of non-anodized aluminium.

Aluminium exposure has been suggested as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The Rondeau, Commenges et al. article cited below states "These findings support the hypothesis that aluminium in drinking water is a risk factor for AD [Alzheimer's disease]."^{[9][10][11][12]} The Alzheimer's Association states that "studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer's. [Today] few [experts] believe that everyday sources of aluminum pose any threat."^[13]

Copper

Copper provides the best thermal conductivity of common metals and therefore results in even heating (see: Copper in heat exchangers). Pots are formed from thick copper sheets. In some cases unlined copper is desirable, for instance in the preparation of meringues and foams. But copper is reactive with acidic foods which can result in copper toxicity. This was discovered in the new world when tomatoes were cooked in old world copper pots.

The solution was to line the pot with a thin inner layer of tin. A tin lining prevents copper from reacting with acidic foods. Lead-free and cadmium-free tin linings are susceptible to tin pest. Tin-lined copper pots are expensive, require re-tinning and, when made with thick copper plates, are heavy.

Copper cookware lined with a thin layer of stainless steel is beginning to appear. This cookware is more expensive and slightly less conductive than tin lined, but stainless steel is non-reactive and more durable than other types of lining.

With modern metallurgical techniques, such as cladding, copper can be incorporated into the constructions of cookware, often as an enclosed heat spreading disk (see Coated and Composite Cookware below).

Cast iron

Cast iron cookware is slow to heat, but once at temperature provides even heating. Cast iron can also withstand very high temperatures, making cast iron pans ideal for searing. Being a reactive material, cast iron can have chemical reactions with high acid foods such as wine or tomatoes. In addition, some foods (such as spinach) cooked on bare cast iron will turn black.

Cast iron is a porous material that rusts easily. As a result, it typically requires seasoning before use. Seasoning creates a thin layer of oxidized fat over the iron that coats and protects the surface, and prevents sticking.

Enameled cast iron cookware was developed in the 1920s. In 1934, the French company Cousances designed the enameled cast iron Doufeu to reduce excessive evaporation and scorching in cast iron Dutch ovens. Modeled on old braising pans in which glowing charcoal was heaped on the lids (to mimic two-fire ovens), the Doufeu has a deep recess in its lid which instead is filled with ice cubes. This keeps the lid at a lower temperature than the pot bottom. Further, little notches on the inside of the lid allow the moisture to collect and drop back into the food during the cooking. Although the Doufeu (literally, "gentlefire") can be used in an oven (without the ice, as a casserole), it is chiefly designed for stove top use.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is an iron alloy containing a minimum of 11.5% chromium. Blends containing 18% chromium with either 8% nickel, called 18/8, or with 10% nickel, called 18/10, are commonly used for kitchen cookware. Stainless steel's virtues are resistance to corrosion, non-reactivity with either alkaline or acidic foods, and resistance to scratching and denting. Stainless steel's drawbacks for cooking use is that it is a relatively poor heat conductor and its non-magnetic property, although recent developments have allowed the production of magnetic 18/10 alloys, and which thereby provides compatibility with induction cooktops, which require magnetic cookware. Since the material does not adequately spread the heat itself, stainless steel cookware is generally made as a cladding of stainless steel on both sides of an aluminum core or an aluminum/copper/aluminum core to conduct the heat across all sides, thereby reducing "hot spots", or with a disk of copper or aluminum on just the base to conduct the heat across the base, with possible "hot spots" at the sides. In so-called "tri-ply" cookware, the central aluminum layer is obviously non-magnetic, and the interior 18/10 layer need not be magnetic, but the exterior 18/10 layer must be magnetic to be compatible with induction cooktops.

Carbon steel

Carbon steel cookware can be rolled or hammered into very thin sheets of material, while still maintaining high strength and heat resistance. This allows for rapid and high heating. Carbon steel does not conduct heat as well as other materials, but this may be an advantage for woks and paella pans, where one portion of the pan is intentionally kept at a different temperature than the rest. Like cast iron, carbon steel must be seasoned before use. Rub a fat on the cooking surface only and heat the cookware over the stovetop. The process can be repeated if needed. Over time, the cooking surface will become dark and nonstick. Carbon steel will easily rust if not seasoned and should be stored seasoned to avoid rusting. Carbon steel is often used for woks and crêpe pans.

Non-stick

Non stick pans were first created in 1893

Steel or aluminum cooking pans can be coated with a substance such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in order to minimize food sticking to the pan surface.

There are advantages and disadvantages to such a coating. Coated pans are easier to clean than most non-coated pans, and require little or no additional oil or fat to prevent sticking.

On the other hand, some sticking is needed to cause sucs to form, so a non-stick pan cannot be used where a pan sauce is desired. And non-stick pans must not be overheated (see below). Nonstick coatings tend to degrade over time. In order to preserve the coating, it is important never to use metal implements or harsh scouring pads or chemical abrasives when cleaning.

There is some potential risk in the use of PTFE-based coatings, though decomposition of the coating does not occur at normal cooking temperatures (below about 465 °F/240 °C),^[14][i.e. 500 °F/260 °C and above].

The main difference in coating quality is due to the formulas of the liquid coating, the thickness of each layer and the number of layers used. Higher-quality non-stick cookware use powdered ceramic or titanium mixed with the non-stick material to strengthen them and to make them more resistant to abrasion and deterioration. Some non-stick coatings contain hardening agents. Some coatings are high enough in quality that they pass the strict standards of the National Sanitation Foundation for approval for restaurant use.

Coated and composite cookware

Enameled cast iron

Enameled cast iron cooking vessels are made of cast iron covered with a porcelain surface. This creates a piece that has the heat distribution and retention properties of cast iron combined with a non-reactive, low-stick surface.

Enamel over steel

The enamel over steel technique creates a piece that has the heat distribution of carbon steel and a non-reactive, low-stick surface. Such pots are much lighter than most other pots of similar size, are cheaper to make than stainless steel pots, and do not have the rust and reactivity issues of cast iron or carbon steel. Enamel over steel is ideal for large stockpots and for other large pans used mostly for water-based cooking. Because of its light weight and easy cleanup, enamel over steel is also popular for cookware used while camping.

Clad aluminium or copper

Cladding is a technique for fabricating pans with a layer of heat conducting material, such as copper or aluminium, covered by a non-reactive material, such as stainless steel. Some pans feature a copper or aluminium layer that extends over the entire pan rather than just a heat-distributing disk on the base.

Aluminium pans are typically clad on both their inside and the outside surfaces, providing both a stainless cooking surface and a stainless surface to contact the cooktop. Copper is typically clad on its interior surface only, leaving the more attractive copper exposed on the outside of the pan.

Some high-end cookware uses a dual-clad process, with a thin stainless layer on the cooking surface, a thick core of aluminium to provide structure and heat diffusion, and a thin layer of copper on the outside of the pot that provides additional diffusion and the "look" of a copper pot. This provides much of the functionality of tinned-copper pots for a fraction of the price.^[15]

Other Non-metallic cookware

Non-metallic cookware can be used in both conventional and microwave ovens. Non-metallic cookware typically can not be used on the stovetop, although Corningware and Pyroflam are some exceptions.

Ceramics

Glazed ceramics, such as porcelain, provide a nonstick cooking surface. Historically some glazes used on ceramic articles contained levels of lead, which can possess health risks; although this is not a concern with the vast majority of modern ware. Some pottery can be placed on fire directly.^[16]

Glass

Borosilicate glass is safe at oven temperatures. The clear glass also allows for the food to be seen during the cooking process. However, it cannot be used on a stovetop, as it cannot cope with stovetop temperatures.

Glass-ceramic 

Glass ceramic is used to make products such as Corningware and Pyroflam, which have many of the best properties of both glass and ceramic cookware. While Pyrex can shatter if taken between extremes of temperature too rapidly, glass-ceramics can be taken directly from deep freeze to the stove top. Their very low coefficient of thermal expansion makes them less prone to thermal shock.

Stone 

a natural stone can be used to diffuse heat for indirect grilling or baking, as in a baking stone or pizza stone, or the French pierrade.

Silicone

Silicone bakeware is light, flexible and able to withstand sustained temperatures of 360 °C (675 °F). It melts around 500 °C (930 °F), depending upon the fillers used. Its flexibility is advantageous in removing baked goods from the pan. This rubbery material should not to be confused with the silicone resin used to make hard, shatterproof children's dishware, which is not suitable for baking.

Types of cookware and bakeware

The size and shape of a cooking vessel is typically determined by how it will be used. Cooking vessels are typically referred to as "pots" and "pans," but there is great variation in their actual shapes. Most cooking vessels are roughly cylindrical.

Cookware

• Braising pans and roasting pans (also known as braisers and roasters) are large, wide and shallow, to provide space to cook a roast (chicken, beef or pork). They typically have two loop or tab handles, and may have a cover. Roasters are usually made of heavy gauge metal so that they may be used safely on a cooktop following roasting in an oven. Unlike most other cooking vessels, roasters are usually rectangular or oval. There is no sharp boundary between braisers and roasters - the same pan, with or without a cover, can be used for both functions. In Europe, a clay roaster is still popular because it allows roasting without adding grease or liquids. This helps preserve flavor and nutrients. Having to soak the pot in water for 15 minutes before use is a notable drawback.

• Casserole pans (for making casseroles) resemble roasters and Dutch ovens, and many recipes can be used interchangeably between them. Depending on their material, casseroles can be used in the oven or on the stovetop. Casseroles are commonly made of glazed ceramics or Pyrex.

• Dutch ovens are heavy, relatively deep pots with a heavy lid, designed to re-create oven conditions on the stovetop or campfire. They can be used for stews, braised meats, soups and a large variety of other dishes that benefit from low heat, slow cooking. Dutch ovens are typically made from cast iron or Natural Clay and are sized by volume.

• A Wonder Pot is an Israeli invention that acts as a Dutch oven but is made of aluminium. It consists of three parts: an aluminium pot shaped like a Bundt pan, a hooded cover perforated with venting holes, and a thick, round, metal disc with a centre hole that is placed between the Wonder Pot and the flame to disperse heat.

• Frying pans, frypans or skillets provide a large flat heating surface and shallow sides, and are best for pan frying. Frypans with a gentle, rolling slope are sometimes called omelette pans. Grill pans are frypans that are ribbed, to let fat drain away from the food being cooked. Frypans and grill pans are generally sized by diameter (20–30 cm).

• Spiders are skillets with three thin legs to keep them above an open fire. Ordinary flat-bottomed skillets are also sometimes called spiders, though the term has fallen out of general use.^[17]

• Griddles are flat plates of metal used for frying, grilling and making pan breads such as pancakes, injera, tortillas, chapatis and crepes. Traditional iron griddles are circular, with a semicircular hoop fixed to opposite edges of the plate and rising above it to form a central handle. Rectangular griddles that cover two stove burners are now also common, as are griddles that have a ribbed area that can be used like a grill pan. Some have multiple square metal grooves enabling the contents to have a defined pattern, similar to a waffle maker. Like frypans, round griddles are generally measured by diameter (20–30 cm).

• In Scotland, griddles are referred to as girdles. In some Spanish speaking countries, a similar pan is referred to as a comal. Crepe pans are similar to griddles, but are usually smaller, and made of a thinner metal.

• Both griddles and frypans can be found in electric versions. These may be permanently attached to a heat source, similar to a hot plate.

• Saucepans (or just "pots") are vessels with vertical sides about the same height as their diameter, used for simmering or boiling. Saucepans generally have one long handle. Larger pots of the same shape generally have two handles close to the sides of the pot (so they can be lifted with both hands), and are called sauce-pots or soup pots (3–12 litres). Saucepans and saucepots are measured by volume (usually 1–8 l). While saucepots often resemble Dutch ovens in shape, they do not have the same heat capacity characteristics. Very small saucepans used for heating milk are referred to as milk pans, such saucepans usually have a lip for pouring the heated milk.

• Ironically, the saucepan is not the ideal vessel to use for making sauces. It is more efficient to use saucepans with sloping sides, called Windsor pans, or saucepans with rounded sides, called sauciers. These provide quicker evaporation than straight sided pans, and make it easier to stir a sauce while reducing.

• Sauté pans, used for sautéing, have a large surface area and low sides to permit steam to escape and allow the cook to toss the food. The word "sauté" comes from the French verb "sauter", meaning to jump. Saute pans often have straight vertical sides, but may also have flared or rounded sides.

• Stockpots 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. Stockpots are typically measured in volume (6-36 l). Stock pots come in a large variety of sizes to meet any need from cooking for a family to preparing food for a banquet. A specific type of stockpot exists for lobsters, and an all-metal stockpot usually called a caldero is used in Hispanic cultures to cook rice.^[18]

• Woks are wide, roughly bowl-shaped vessels with one or two handles at or near the rim. This shape allows a small pool of cooking oil in the centre of the wok to be heated to a high temperature using relatively little fuel, while the outer areas of the wok are used to keep food warm after it has been fried in the oil. In the Western world, woks are typically used only for stir-frying, but they can actually be used for anything from steaming to deep frying.

Bakeware

Bakeware is designed for use in the oven (for baking), and encompasses a variety of different styles of baking pans as cake pans, pie pans, and Bread pans.

• Cake tins (or cake pans in the US) include square pans, round pans, and speciality pans such as angel food cake pans and springform pans often used for baking cheesecake. Another type of cake pan is a muffin tin, which can hold multiple smaller cakes.

• Sheet pans, cookie sheets, and Swiss roll tins are bakeware with large flat bottoms.

• Pie pans are flat-bottomed flare-sided tins specifically designed for baking pies.

List of cookware and bakeware

• Baking pan
• Beanpot
• Chip pan
• Cookie sheet
• Cooking pot
• Crepe pan
• Double boiler
• Doufeu
• Dutch oven
• Food processor
• Frying pan (also called Skillet)
• Griddle (also called Tava or Tawa)
• Karahi
• Kettle
• Pan
• Pressure cooker
• Ramekin
• Roasting pan
• Roasting rack
• Saucepan (described in current article)
• Saucier (described in current article)
• Sauté pan
• Splayed Sauté pan
• Soufflé dish
• Springform pan
• Stockpot
• Tajine
• Tube pan [types include angel food cake pan and Bundt cake (Kugelhopf) pan]
• Wok
• Wonder Pot

See also

• Cauldron
• Food storage
• Gastronorm sizes (standard sizes of container)
• Kappabashi-dori
• Kitchenware
• Kitchenware Brands
• List of food preparation utensils
• Multicooker
• Stoneware
• Vacuum filler

References

Bibliography

Further reading

• Bridge, Fred; Tibbetts, Jean F. (1991). The Well-Tooled Kitchen. William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0-688-08135-5. 
• Reay Tannahill (1988). Food in History. Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-517-57186-2.