Cookware terms

Vessel roles

A skillet has relatively sloped sides for turning and sliding food. A sauté pan has straighter sides and usually a lid for liquids and larger one-pan dishes. Saucepans and sauciers handle smaller quantities of liquids. Stockpots and Dutch ovens cover larger-volume simmering, with different construction and weight.

• Compare skillet and sauté-pan shapes
• Compare saucepan and saucier shapes

Rim, base and capacity

Nominal diameter usually describes the top of the pan. Flat-base diameter describes contact with the cooktop. Stated capacity is a manufacturer volume; a geometric calculation is an estimate of brim-full space and does not promise a usable fill level.

Clad and coated

Clad cookware bonds metal layers. A coating is a distinct cooking surface applied over the pan body. Stainless steel alone does not prove induction compatibility; a compatible magnetic base or explicit product declaration is needed.

Vessel and lid limits

An oven temperature for a pan does not automatically cover its lid, handle sleeves or accessories. Broiler permission is a separate claim. Use the lowest applicable manufacturer limit and follow the exact manual.