Cookware Type Guide: Which Pan for What

Cookware Type Guide

Every kitchen needs a few essential pieces. Here’s what each type of cookware does best and when to use it.

Skillet / Frying Pan

The most versatile pan in your kitchen. Use it for searing steaks, frying eggs, sautéing vegetables, and making pan sauces. A 10-12 inch skillet is the sweet spot for most home cooks.

Dutch Oven

A heavy, deep pot with a tight-fitting lid. Perfect for braising meats, making soups and stews, baking bread, and deep frying. The heavy lid traps moisture and the thick walls provide even, steady heat.

Saucepan

A deep pot with a long handle, typically 2-4 quarts. Essential for making sauces, cooking grains, boiling eggs, and reheating soups. Every kitchen needs at least one.

Stockpot

A large, tall pot (8+ quarts) for making stocks, boiling pasta, steaming vegetables, and cooking large batches of soup. Tall sides reduce evaporation for long-simmering dishes.

Wok

The wok’s curved shape and high sides make it ideal for stir-frying, deep frying, and steaming. The concentrated heat at the bottom and cooler sides allow you to cook at different temperatures simultaneously.

Griddle

A flat, wide cooking surface perfect for pancakes, burgers, grilled cheese, and bacon. Great for cooking multiple items at once.

Cookware Set

A bundled set typically including skillets, saucepans, and a stockpot. Good for outfitting a new kitchen, but check that you’ll actually use every piece.

This guide is based on analysis of verified Amazon reviews and community discussions.