Serves: 5

There are many useful and attractive pots and pans to choose from. These are some of the basic types and sizes that are particularly good to have in your kitchen.

For Cooking

Dutch Oven, Stockpot:
These are bigger pots, usually 4-quart size or more, and are perfect for cooking soup, stew and pasta.

Saucepans:
These come in a range of sizes from 1 to 3 quarts some have a nonstick finish. They’re used for cooking or reheating food on a stove top and should have tight-fitting lids.

Skillet, Frying Pan, Sauté Pan:
Used for frying almost any kind of food. They are normally identified by size such as 10- or 12-inch, or capacity such as 3-, 4- or 5-quart, and have a long handle. Although they often can be used interchangeably, some have sloping sides and some have straight sides, and they may vary in depth and capacity. In this book, we use the word skillet.

Specialty Pans:
There are any number of additional stove-top pans that often have a special purpose. Some of these are crepe pans, omelet pans, chicken fryers and pans for stir-frying and grilling.

For Baking

Angel Food Cake Pan (Tube Pan):
A round metal pan with a tube or cylinder in the middle. The bottom of this pan is often removable to make it easier to get the cake out of the pan. Used for angel food, chiffon and sponge cakes.

Baking Dishes:
These are made of heat-resistant glass and are usually round, square or rectangular. Although they can be used to bake cakes and other desserts, they are perfect for lasagna and other main dishes.

Baking Pans:
These metal pans come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are often used for cakes and other desserts.

Bundt Cake Pan:
A round, fluted pan with a center tube.

Casserole:
A covered or uncovered piece of cookware for baking and serving food.

Cookie/Baking Sheet:
This is flat and rectangular and may be open on one or more sides. The open sides allow for good air circulation in the oven when baking cookies, biscuits, scones and shortcakes. For more about cookie sheets, see Cookie and Bar Basics.

Custard Cups:
Small, deep, individual bowl-shaped dishes with a flat bottom. These glass, heatproof bowls can be used to bake popovers and individual custards.

Jelly Roll Pan:
A rectangular metal baking pan measuring 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch for sheet cakes or sponge cakes for jelly rolls.

Muffin Pan:
A pan with individual cups for baking muffins or cupcakes. The cups range in size from small (or miniature) to jumbo.

Pie Plate or Pie Pan:
A round glass or metal, heat-resistant plate or pan with a flared side, especially designed for baking pies.

Pizza Pan:
A round metal pan with low or no sides for baking pizza. Some are perforated to help crisp the pizza crust.

Popover Pan:
A dark pan with deep cups especially designed for baking popovers.

Soufflé Dish:
A round, open dish with high, straight sides and smooth interior especially designed for baking soufflés.

Springform Pan:
A round, deep pan with a removable side. Especially designed for cheesecakes and desserts that should not be inverted to remove them from the pan.


From "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker's Cookbook, 9th Edition Cookbook:
BUTTER, MARGARINE AND VEGETABLE OIL SPREAD FAT COMPARISON
COOKING TERMS GLOSSARY
HELPFUL HOW-TO #1 PEEL
HELPFUL HOW-TO #10 CRUSH
HELPFUL HOW-TO #11 SIMMER
HELPFUL HOW-TO #12 BOIL
HELPFUL HOW-TO #13 CUTTING AN ORANGE INTO SECTIONS
HELPFUL HOW-TO #14 PEELING AND CUTTING UP PINEAPPLE
HELPFUL HOW-TO #15 REMOVING THE HULL FROM A STRAWBERRY
HELPFUL HOW-TO #16 SEEDING A JALAPENO CHILI
HELPFUL HOW-TO #17 SEEDING A TOMATO
HELPFUL HOW-TO #18 SEPARATING EGGS
HELPFUL HOW-TO #2 SLICE
HELPFUL HOW-TO #3 JULIENNE
HELPFUL HOW-TO #4 CUBE OR DICE
HELPFUL HOW-TO #5 CHOP
HELPFUL HOW-TO #6 SNIP
HELPFUL HOW-TO #7 CUT UP
HELPFUL HOW-TO #8 SHRED
HELPFUL HOW-TO #9 GRATE
INGREDIENTS GLOSSARY
INTRODUCTION
MEASURING INGREDIENT--GRADUATED NESTING MEASURING CUPS
MEASURING INGREDIENTS--GLASS MEASURING CUPS
MEASURING INGREDIENTS--GRADUATED MEASURING SPOONS
MIXING INGREDIENTS
POTS AND PANS
STOCKING THE PANTRY