Cookware
No kitchen is complete without a great set of cookware. Nowadays there's a wide variety of cookware on the market, from basic sets to complete commercial outfits, and finding just what you need for a functional kitchen can be a little confusing.
From no-stick pans to woks to standard saucepans, there's a little something for everyone in the world of cookware. A good set should last you for years, so it's important to make an informed decision when you buy.
If you're looking for information on cookware, you've come to the right place. Here at HomeFurnish.com, we've assembled a team of product experts to offer information on all aspects of cookware. From history to design to manufacturing, we've got everything you need to educate yourself on the many aspects of cookware.
Whether you're looking to purchase or just daydreaming about the perfect kitchen, HomeFurnish.com is sure to help. We're the leading site for valuable product information, and with our help you're sure to find just what you're looking for.
Cookware Tips & Facts
The most common cookware used on Civil War battlefields was made of tin. Cast iron pots and pans were readily available during this time but their weight made them impractical for use in the field. The blue or gray speckled enamelware that is often seen in reenactments is inappropriate as this type of cookware was not patented until the 1860s and was not commonly used until after the war.
The first non-stick coating for cookware was unveiled in 1964.
Avoid heat stains on the outside of your cookware by keeping gas flames low so that they cannot lick up the side of the pot.
Skillets are shallow pans with sloped sides and long handles. They are also referred to as frying pans. Skillets are used to sear and cook meats, saute vegetables, as well as make sauces. Learn more about skillets by reading the following articles.
Using a Dutch oven is a cooking method steeped in history. Traditionally, cooking in a Dutch oven is done over a camp fire or large barbeque grill. The tight fitting lid of the Dutch oven ensures tender meat and flavorful dishes. Find out more about the history of Dutch ovens and how to purchase the perfect one for you...
Using a pressure cooker to make food is practical, especially in the warmer months. A pressure cooker prepares food quickly with an added bonus of not raising the temperature of the kitchen. Find out more about preparing food in a pressure cooker by reading the following articles.
A stock pot is a cooking pot that is usually at least as tall as it is wide. The height of the sides of a stock pot make it better for liquids to simmer their way through bones, meat, fish or vegetables. Stock pots are ideal for soups and for making homemade stock. Learn more about stock pots here...
Casseroles are a staple of home cooking. These easy to prepare dishes usually combine several savory ingredients and are cooked in a casserole dish. They can hold between 1 to 5 quarts have lids to keep moisture in while cooking. To learn more about casseroles and casserole dishes, read more here...
A kettle in the U.S. is thought of as a lidded pot with a spout that is used to boil water for tea. With the invention of automatic coffee makers, you would think the kettle would be obsolete. But people love having a kettle on the stove and some will happily pay quite a bit of money to purchase a kettle they especially adore.
The wok is a concave cooking pot that originated in East Asia. More than just a pan used for cooking or frying, it is a method of cooking. This wok is cooked on using high heat and a little oil. Vegetables and thin strips of meat are quickly cooked; this keeps vegetables a little crisp and meat tender. Find out more about woks here...
Want to recreate that lovely seafood studded paella you had last night? Though it is the ingredients that matter most, having a paella pan, or "paellera," can turn good paella into great paella. A paella pan is an oval or round shaped pan with two handles. Find out more about paella pans here...
A griddle is the ideal pan for making pancakes, French toast, and grilled sandwiches. Griddles were traditionally made of cast iron, but now there are Teflon coated griddles. If you're looking for a traditional cast iron griddle and methods of cooking or are hoping to find the latest in Teflon coated electric griddles, read more here...
Using a double boiler is a perfect way to gently heat something. The process of double boiling involves a smaller pot which includes the ingredients to be heated resting inside a larger pot filled with liquid, usually water. Find out more about the process of double boiling and double boiler pots here.
A frying pan is a shallow pan with a long handle and sloped sides. They are also often called fry pans or skillets. Frying pans are used to saute ingredients, sear and cook meats, as well as make sauces and omelets. Read here to learn more about frying pans and their uses.
If you want the taste of grilled food without the time, mess, and expense of a full sized grill, an indoor grill is ideal. Whether you're looking for an inexpensive, small indoor grill or a much larger version with multi-heating options, you've come to the right place. Read these articles to find out more about indoor grills.
The poaching of eggs has been made easier by the invention of poachers. An egg poacher is a long handled pot with smaller inserts for a single egg. Water is boiled in the pot, gently poaching the eggs inside the smaller inserts. Find out more about this utensil here...
Create perfectly prepared roasts, chickens, and turkeys with a roasting pan. Roasting pans are high-sided, rectangular pans which generally have two handles. Many roasting pans include a roasting rack, which is a shaped, grated rack that sits inside the roasting pan. Find out more about roasting pans here...
Cookware sets provide a collection of cooking essentials. These sets are generally between five and twelve pieces and include pots, pans, and lids. Buying a cookware set ensures the lids purchased will fit the pots and pans snugly, which is vitally necessary when cooking. Find out more about cookware sets here...
Though the tradition of Fondue started in Switzerland hundreds of years ago, it regained popularity and has been a social mainstay at parties in Europe and the U.S. since the 1970s. This is when fondue sets became popular. These sets include a pot for melting, a heating unit, and long handled fondue forks. Find out more here...
Making a beautiful omelet takes either skill or a specially designed omelet pan. Omelets can successfully be made in either a 10-inch frying pan or in a specially designed omelet pan. To find out more about omelet pans, read the following articles.
Creating multiple batches of perfect pasta is made easier with a pasta insert. This perforated liner fits snugly inside a large stock pot before adding water and pasta. The pasta insert is removed when the pasta is finished cooking, leaving the boiling water ready for another batch. Read the following for more information about pasta inserts.
The combination of a roasting rack and a roasting pan creates perfectly prepared roasts, chickens, and turkeys. A roasting rack is a shaped, grated rack that sits inside a roasting pan. The grates of a roasting rack allow juices and fat to collect in the bottom of the roasting pan. Find out more about roasting racks here...
A saucepan is a round, deep pan with a long handle used for creating sauces, boiling, or stewing. Saucepans can have straight or flared sides. Saucepans vary greatly in size, from one pint to four quarts. Many materials are used for making saucepans. Learn more about saucepans here...
A saute pan is wide, with straight or slightly curved sides that are generally higher than those of a frying pan. Saute pans have a single, long handle. Heavier saute pans may have a sturdy loop handle on the opposite side for easier lifting. Find out more about saute pans by reading the following articles.
Steamer baskets can be made of metal or bamboo. Steamer baskets are perforated, grated, or woven to allow food to be steamed or cooked through evenly. Steamer baskets come in a variety of sizes, to accommodate many times of cooking pots. Find out what you need to know about steam baskets here...