The Differences in Cooking Pots and Pans

Cooking pots and pans come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Typically, the shape and size of the pots and pans are generally determined how they are used. There is an immense difference in their actual shapes and their structures are identified for particular cooking purposes.

Saucepans are pots with vertical sides about the same height as their diameter. They are used for simmering or boiling. Saucepans generally have one long handle. Small size saucepans used for heating milk and usually have a lip for pouring. 

Sauté pans are used for sautéing. They have a large surface area and low sides to allow steam to escape and make it easy to toss the food. Sauté pans often have straight vertical sides, but may also have flared or rounded sides. 

Sauce pots are also called soup pots.  They are larger saucepans which generally have two handles close to the sides. Although most often sauce pots resemble Dutch ovens in shape, they do not have the same heat capacity features.

Stockpots are large pots with sides at least as tall as their diameter. This feature allows stock to simmer for an extended period of time without reducing too much. Stock pots come in a large variety of sizes to meet any need from cooking for a family to preparing food for a big event.

The Differences in Cooking Pots and Pans

Braising pans and roasting pans (also known as braziers and roasters) are large, wide and shallow, to provide space to cook a roast. 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 stovetop following roasting in an oven. Roasters are usually oblong or oval. 

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, simmered meats, soups, and a large variety of other dishes that benefit from low heat, slow cooking.

Frying pans, fry pans, or skillets provide a large flat heating surface and shallow sides, and are best for pan frying. Fry pans with a gentle, rolling slope are sometimes called omelet pans.

Grill pans are fry pans that are ridged, to let fat drain away from the food being cooked.

 The Differences in Cooking Pots and Pans

Woks are wide, roughly bowl-shaped pans with one or two handles at or near the rim. This shape allows a small pool of cooking oil in the center of the wok to be heated to a high heat 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. Woks can be used for stir-frying, and anything from steaming to deep frying.

With all the differences in shape and size, cooking pots and pans are structured to make cooking tasks easy and enjoyable. Whether cooking is an everyday task or just for occasions, understanding how it is used would certainly help to select the right pot or pan to fit your cooking preference.