Cookware comes in a wide variety of different sizes and forms, and is widely available from a number of online retailers. cookware (Kochtöpfe) is a very inclusive term that can be used to describe a huge variety of kitchen products, such as saucepans, frying pans, kitchen utensils, storage containers, and much more. In some cases, the word bakeware is used alongside cookware, as a way to describe a particular sub group of cookware products that are able to withstand high oven temperatures.
Along with a variety of sizes and forms, modern cookware is also made using a variety of different materials, with many people having preferences for one material or another.
A great number of modern cookware products are made from metal, with a variety of different metals being used throughout history. However, because metal pots and pans have to conduct heat so well, they are actually made from a fairly narrow range of metals. It is also important that the metal being used is chemically unreactive, so that it does not alter the flavour of the food or alter it in any way. In modern times, aluminium has become one of the most widely used metals in cooking, due to its lightweight nature and good thermal conductivity. Some variations on the aluminium used include sheet aluminium, anodized aluminium, and cast aluminium. Apart from aluminium, some of the other metals that are commonly used in cookware products include cast iron, copper, stainless steel, and carbon steel. There are also a number of coated and composite cookware products available, with pots and pans often made from all of these different products.
Apart from steel products, ceramics, glass, and silicon can also be used for cooking purposes, with glass being especially popular as a baking and roasting vessel. Some of the most most common examples of modern cooking vessels include braising pans, roasting pans, casserole pans, frying pans, griddles, saucepans, saute pans, crepe pans, dutch ovens, bean pots, cookie sheets, Karahi, kettles, steamers, grills, stockpots, and woks. Some cookware items from non-western cultures have also become popular in the west, such as the Moroccan Tajine and variations on the Asian wok. Cookware products are widely available on the Internet, and can be purchased from specialist kitchenware retailers and large department stores.