- Saute pans sear, brown and evenly cook meats and vegetables. They are good for one-dish meals that make for easy cleanup. They range from 8 inches to 7 qts., but the standard to have on hand is the 8-inch size.
- Skillets come in all types of materials: aluminum, stainless steel, copper, metal and cast iron. Skillets can be nonstick (infused anodized metal or made with Teflon® nonstick coating). There are also omelet pans, paellas, frying pans, crepe pans, deep fryers, woks and electric pans. Many people prefer their griddles in cast iron or electric with a nonstick coating. In the past, cast iron cookware had to be "seasoned" by rubbing in cooking oil and heating the pan over a high temperature for a few moments, then letting it cool and cleaning it. The entire process actually took several months of consistent use, or years if the skillets weren't used often. Today, most cast iron pieces come "preseasoned," meaning the same process is done for you (with oiling and a high-temperature oven) and the cookware is ready to use right out of the box.
- Sauce pans can be made of clear glass or what is sometimes referred to as "Corning," a special trademarked brand of translucent glass cookware. Sauce pans typically vary in size from 1 to 7 quarts and are used for just about every kind of cooking imaginable, including "double boiling," where one pan is placed inside another, with only boiling water in the bottom part. The double-boiler sauce pans are usually used to melt things like chocolate or cheese. There are also special kinds of sauce pans called "sugar" (or heat induction) pans, used for reducing sugar crystals to liquid sugar; and also fondue pans. Some sauce pans are made with "lips," special openings for pouring off liquids without having to open the pot to use a strainer.
- Stock pots are used for making soup stock, stews and for simmering large quantities of liquids when making dishes like crab legs, crabs, shrimp or mussels. A pasta pot is actually a stock pot, except that it's taller and has a colander insert for draining vermicelli and macaroni. Some pasta pots have lids with holes in them for draining. Dutch ovens are metal pots with thick walls and tight-fitting lids. A "chuck wagon" has three legs and a flat-rimmed lid for coals. Dutch ovens are used for searing and for long, slow cooking.
- A roaster is used to bake or broil foods inside an oven. Roasters range in size from 1 to 14 qts., come in different shapes (oval, rectangular, square), and are typically made of stainless steel, ceramic, porcelain, cast iron, aluminum or anodized metal. Most come with tight-fitting lids and are usually deep and long for holding large cuts of meat, plus side items like potatoes and vegetables. Some roasters, however, are shallow---depending on their use. An "open" roaster is simply one without a lid. There are roasters made specifically for cooking poultry, and many come with racks to keep meats out of their own liquids or juices as they cook.
