Pots and pans are made of several different materials and how you cook will determine the which one you should buy. Cooper is the best at conducting heat from the stove top to the food but is easily dented and must be cleaned and scrubbed frequently to prevent discoloration. The aluminum pot or pan is also a good conductor of heat but can easily be scratched which can lead to toxins being transferred to the foods cooked in them. Stainless steel is very sturdy, easy to clean and hard to scratch. The downside to pots and pans made from stainless steel is that it takes longer to transfer the heat from stove. One of the oldest materials used to make pots and pans is cast iron. While cast iron is a fair heat conductor and a very sturdy material for cooking in, it is heavy and more difficult to clean. Some of the newer and better sets of pots and pans are made of composites with cooper bottoms and layered aluminum plus stainless steel and ceramic inner coating to make the surfaces non-stick and easier to clean. These combine the best qualities of all these materials but are more expensive.
Another consideration is what you cook. The saucepan is the most versatile and popular pot. It is used to boil or steam items and simmer sauces. It has a long handle for smaller saucepans or 2 small handles for the larger pans. The stock pot is used for boiling or simmering for longer periods of time. A sauté pan is smaller made to fry over high heat with little to no fat or grease. A skillet is a large fry pan with a large flat bottom and low sides made to fry foods using oil, grease, or fat. a griddle is a similar to a skillet with a ribbed surface to allow the fats to drain from the foods. The wok has a small bottom with high sides specifically designed for stir frying but may, also, be used to deep fry. A Dutch oven is used to cook meals that require low heat for long periods of time like stews or soups. It has a heavy lid to keep the heat and moisture inside. Another pot is the casserole pot which made to cook casseroles in and is also good for braised meats, soups and stews. It is usually cast iron and made to be used on top of the stove or in the oven.
