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Cookware and Bakeware

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakeware

Metal cookware

Aluminum is a lightweight metal with very good thermal conductance. It does not rust, and is resistant to many forms of corrosion. Aluminum can however react with some 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 aluminum. Since 1965 circumstantial evidence has linked Alzheimer's disease to aluminum, but to date there is no proof that the element is involved in causing the disease. Aluminum is commonly available in sheet, cast, or anodized forms.

Sheet aluminum is spun or stamped into form. Due to the softness of the metal it is commonly alloyed with magnesium, copper, or bronze to increase its strength. Sheet aluminum is commonly used for baking sheets, pie plate, and cake or muffin pans. Stockpots, steamers, pasta pots, and even skillets are also available from sheet aluminum.

Cast aluminum produces a thicker product than sheet aluminum that is suitable for saucepots, dutch ovens, and heavyweight baking pans such as bundt pans. Due to the microscopic pores caused by the casting process cast aluminum has a lower thermal conductivity than sheet aluminum.

Anodized aluminum has had the naturally occurring layer of aluminium oxide thickened by an electrolytic process to create a surface that hard and non-reactive. It is used for saute pans, stockpots, saute pans, roasters, and dutch ovens.
Copper

Classically in Western cooking, the best pots were made out of a thick layer of copper for good conductivity and a thin layer of tin to prevent the copper from reacting with acidic foods. Copper pans provide the best conductivity, and therefore the most even heating. They tend, however, to be heavy, expensive, and to require occasional retinning. They are now available with stainless steel rather than tin linings which last much longer. They are best for such high-heat, fast-cooking techniques as sauteing.

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

Cast iron is a porous material and requires seasoning before use. Seasoning creates a thin layer of fat and carbon over the iron that coats the surface and prevents sticking. Although cast iron cookware can be washed with soap, it should not be soaked or left wet.

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 equipment. Stainless steels virtues are a resistance to corrosion, it does not react with either alkaline or acidic foods, and it is not easily scratched or dented. Stainless steel's drawback for cooking use is that it is a relatively poor heat conductor. As a result, stainless steel cookware is generally made with a metal insert of copper or aluminium in the base to conduct the heat across the base.

Carbon Steel
Carbon Steel cookware can be made from thin sheets of material while still withstanding very high heat. This allows for rapid heating, but carbon steel does not distribute heat as well as other materials. Carbon steel is often used for woks and crepe pans.

Non-metallic bakeware

Non-metallic bakeware can be used in both conventional and microwave ovens.

Glazed ceramics, such as porcelain, provide a nonstick cooking surface. Unglazed ceramics, such as terra cotta, have a porous surface that can hold water or other liquids during the cooking process.

Borosilicate glass, such as Pyrex, are safe at oven temperatures. The clear glass also allows for the food to be seen during the cooking process.

Glass-ceramics are used to make products such as Corningware, 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 stovetop. Their near-zero coefficient of thermal expansion makes them almost entirely immune to thermal shock.

Silicone bakeware is light, flexible, and able to withstand sustained temperatures of 675°F (360°C) [1]. It melts around 930°F (500°C), depending upon the fillers used. Its flexibility is advantageous in removing baked goods from the pan. This rubbery material is not to be confused with the silicone resin used to make hard, shatterproof children's dishware, which is not suitable for baking.

Coated and composite cookware

Enameled cast iron is a cast iron cooking vessel covered with a porcelain surface. This creates a piece that has the heat distribution properties of cast iron combined with a non-reactive, non-stick surface.

Cladding is a technique for fabricating pans with a layer of heat conducting material, such as copper or aluminium, sandwiched between a non-reactive material, such as stainless steel. This provides much of the functionality of tinned-copper pots for a fraction of the price.

Modern cooking pans are frequently coated with a substance such as Teflon in order to minimize the possibility of food sticking to the pan surface. This has advantages and disadvantages for flavor and ease of use. A small amount of sticking is needed to cause flavorful browning (called a glaze); adding liquid to lift the glaze from the pot is called deglazing. Additionally, nonstick pans cannot be used at high temperatures. On the other hand, they are easier to clean than other types of pots, and do not often result in burned food. When frying in pans without such a coating, it is usually necessary to use vegetable or animal fat to prevent sticking.

Nonstick coatings tend to degrade over time, and require vigilant care and attention. In order to preserve the nonstick coating of a pan, it is important never to use metal implements in the pan while cooking or harsh scouring pads or chemical abrasives when cleaning. Also, use of nonstick cookware, such as Teflon and Silverstone, has been implicated in cancer.

Types of cookware

Cooking pans are typically circular, with handles, and come in a variety of sizesSmall pots with taller sides are called saucepans and are measured by volume (usually 1–4 quarts). As saucepans get larger, they are called sauce-pots or soup pots (3–12 quarts). Saucepots with sloping sides are called Windsor pans, which provide quicker evaporation than straight sides. Large pots that are wide and shallow are called braisiers; ones that are taller than they are wide are called stockpots (12-36 quarts).

Shallow pans with a single long handle are called saute pans, frypans, frying pans, or skillets, and are generally measured by diameter. Frypans with a gentle, rolling slope are sometimes called omelette pans.

A griddle is a flat plate of metal used for cooking. It may be permanently attached to its heat source similar to a hot plate or an electric frying pan.

People have used a variety of cooking pans and pots for food preparation throughout history. Other vessels for cooking include woks, double boilers, and bains-marie.

Types of bakeware
Baking pans are designed for use in the oven (for baking) and encompass a variety of different styles of bakeware such as cake pans, pie pans, and loaf pans. These are often made from light or medium gauge metal.

Cake pans can include square pans, round pans, and specialty pans such as angel food cake pans and springform pans often used for baking cheesecake.

Casserole dishes are commonly made of glazed ceramics or pyrex. They have high sides and usually have handles.

Roasters or roasting pans are a casserole variant with higher sides designed for roasting of meats. Roasters are usually made of heavy gauge metal so that they may be used safely on a cooktop following roasting in an oven.

Sheetpans or cookie sheets are bakeware with large flat surfaces.