Cookware and bakeware

Cookware is the collective term for saucepans, frying pans and all the vessels that serve for preparation of hot dishes, with cooking equipment ( ovens or cookers ) that produce heat.

In the military arena is meant by the cookware Gamelle. This term is used only in Switzerland.

Principle of operation

Apart from the old method of cooking on a wood or charcoal fire there are three common methods for generating heat when cooking:

• The open flame
• The electric hob ( also ceramic hob )
• The induction hob.

The cookware must be suitable for the particular method and it gives the following backward compatibility ( no upward compatibility ):

• Cookware for induction cooktops
• Cookware for electric hotplates and electric ceramic cooktops
• Cookware for the open flame

Cooking on an open flame, the lowest requirements for the construction of the cookware - even in a tin can bring water or broth to a boil.

Cookware for electric or ceramic hobs requires a (ideally completely ) flat bottom, because an air gap between the dishes and the cooking plate significantly degrades the heat transfer. The bottom of the cookware is so strong that it resists deformation by heat. In the bottom of the cookware for induction cooktops is ferromagnetic material.

Materials

Because of the thermal conductivity are made cooking pots and frying pans usually made ​​of metallic materials. As the standard material for saucepans stainless steel has prevailed due to its corrosion resistance. Cooking pots made ​​of steel grade chrome - nickel 18/10 are considered low maintenance, strong and durable. Before the stainless steel pots have their present wide acceptance, pots and frying pans were often made ​​of enameled steel, carbon steel sheet. A disadvantage of enamelled saucepans simple design consists in susceptibility to damage. They are also not suitable because of the thin soil for hotplates.

Today, there are high-quality enameled cookware with consuming the constructed ground for all cooking methods. Such pots offer special guarantees against the release of trace elements in the food while cooking.

In skillets different materials apply: Except from sheet steel or stainless sheet steel frying pans are made ​​from aluminum sheet, cast aluminum or cast iron. More frequent than cookers fry pans have non-metallic coatings - especially coatings of Teflon and other nonstick coatings have been found in a large frying pans distribution. Covers are frequently made ​​of the same material as the associated lower part. Since the lid, the high thermal conductivity is not a special feature, there is also sometimes made ​​of heat resistant glass lid - is a disadvantage here, however, the risk of breakage.

In choosing the material for the handles of pots, pans and lids there is a conflict: If the cookware be robust and durable, the material for the handles is mostly identical to the corresponding pot, pan or the lid - so metal. The good thermal conductivity is the handle a disadvantage which is accepted because of the durability. Then Potholder be used for handling often. Handles made ​​of plastic, wood or other non-metallic materials offer because of the low thermal conductivity, although a distinct advantage in handling, but rarely have the same durability as a metal handle.

When cooking food in the oven to heat not only the bottom of a vessel, but all pages or in open vessels is supplied directly to the surface of the food. For this reason, there are baking molds often made ​​of ceramic or glass. Cake molds are usually made of sheet steel ( tinned or with non-stick coating ), because the formation of a condensation layer on the inside after baking for easier demoulding is particularly desirable.

Copper sheet was an important material for cookware since the beginning of the use of metals by humans, but has been largely replaced in modern times. Because of the extremely high thermal conductivity copper still comes as a material for high-quality cookware before (but then usually with coatings of other metals such as silver or tin).

Manufacturing Technology

For the production of cookware numerous manufacturing techniques. The most important ones are forming, if the cookware is made of sheet metal and the original form of art if it is made of cast aluminum or cast iron. In addition, various coating methods are used, for example, enamelling or coating with PTFE and various methods of joining technology, such as welding or bolting.

Special forms and applications

In addition to the standard application in the household, there are numerous special applications for cookware:

• Cookware for restaurants and professionals
• Pressure cookers for household and catering: Due to a slight positive pressure, the boiling point is raised by several ° C. This leads to the reduction of cooking time and power consumption.
• Camping and Outdoor Activities: To save weight is mostly used thin aluminum or stainless steel sheet. With such dishes you can only open flame cooking.
• Commercial kitchens use cookware appropriate volume.
• Military: The same volume and ease of transport.

• Cookware