Usually shallower than pots, with one long handle and either straight or sloped sides, pans are used for
general stove-top cooking, especially sautéing, frying, or reducing liquids rapidly, as well as for baking and for
holding food.
Pan used strictly to sauté items; the original French sauté pan is slope-sided and made of thin metal for
quick heating.
Pots and pans that are essential tools in the professional kitchen; they are available in many shapes
and sizes and are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, cast iron, chrome, stainless steel, and
aluminum, with or without a nonstick coating.
A shallow, rectangular pan with medium-high sides and two handles, used to roast and bake
foods, such as meat and poultry.
Item with an upper pot and a lower pot that is used for melting chocolate or heating milk, cream,
or butter; the lower pot holds boiling or simmering water that gently cooks the food in the upper pot.
A heavy, thick pan made of cast iron, used to pan grill or pan-fry food like meat or vegetables.
A large pot for preparing stocks; some stockpots have spigots that allow the liquid to be poured out
easily without losing any of the solid ingredients.
Typically used for tasks such as pan-frying, stir-frying, and shallow poaching, the classic sautoir shape
has a wide bottom and straight sides.
Also called a rondeau, this medium to large pot, more shallow than saucepots, has straight sides and two
handles for lifting, and is typically made of heavyweight material with a thick bottom for good heat distribution. It
is used to braise meat and vegetables.
Pan used to hold prepared food in a steam table, hot-holding cabinet, or refrigerator; it can sometimes
be used for baking, roasting, or poaching, but because it is thin, it generally does not do well with proteins and
vegetables.