The Types of Cooking Pots in a Commercial Kitchen

Professional chefs can use an assortment of cooking pots to execute their menu, whether it calls for simmering soups or melted chocolates. With different cooking pot sizes, shapes, materials, and other criteria to consider, it can be challenging to pick the right cookware for the job. Understanding the differences between each type of cooking pot and how to best use them in your kitchen is well worth the return on investment.

Types of Cooking Pots and Their Uses

Before we go into detail on each type of cooking pot, there are some general construction options to consider for all of the following units:

Stainless steel cooking pots stand up to wear and tear over time and resist corrosion. Many of these units are compatible for induction, and to ensure even heat distribution, stainless steel cooking pots with tri-ply bases are available.
Units made of aluminum are the economical alternative to stainless steel. Although they're desired for their ability to conduct heat, aluminum cooking pots with doubled thickness on the top and bottom are also durable.

This cookware is further categorized by its handles:

A cooking pot with riveted handles consists of metal pieces crushing smaller metal pieces – or rivets – into position, holding the two large pieces of metal together. Because cooking pots normally carry out boiling temperatures, there's a lower chance of grime burning onto the rivets when compared to riveted cooking pans.
Unlike riveted handles, welded handles can't work themselves loose over time. Welds are more hygienic than rivets because there are no crevices for bacteria to collect and they are easier to wash. The larger the number of welds, the more durable the handles, but it's difficult to weld units made of aluminum, so you're more likely to find them on stainless steel cooking pots.

Stock Pots

Great for preparing stocks and soups, stock pots are tall vessels that provide an even simmer and rapid heat.

Designed to hold between 6 and 120 quarts of product, small to medium units are ideal for commercial foodservice operations dealing with low- to medium-volume traffic, while large stock pots are suitable for high-volume facilities – such as hospitals and prisons – needing to prepare large batches of food at one time.

Braising Pots and Dutch Ovens

Used to soften tough cuts of meat for tender serving, braising is a wet-heat cooking method where meat is browned before adding liquid, and the meat fibers are broken down by cooking for long periods of time. Although both braising pots and Dutch ovens are known for low and slow cooking, there are key differences in size, shape, and functionality.

Available in the same materials as Dutch ovens, braising pots differ in shape, with shallower bodies and elongated lids to accommodate whole cuts of meat. As the name states, braising pots are designed to braise, and they're excellent for browning and searing. They can be used for a more specific type of cooking than Dutch ovens, though the end results are similar. Because braising pots are designed with a broad base, food has more contact with the heat source, evenly browning meats without moving them around frequently. The downside is you won't have as much room for liquids.

Dutch ovens cook foods for long periods of time and have taller sides than braising pots, so chefs can cook larger quantities and stir ingredients without worrying about any product splashing out. These units are best for simmering or cooking whole cuts of meat at a moderate temperature. Dutch ovens are great all-purpose cooking tools that can be used for a diverse range of kitchen tasks, from baking bread to boiling pasta. These units are spacious enough to accommodate large cuts of meat, such as chuck-eye roasts and bottom rounds. Dutch ovens have two handles, ensuring chefs are able to safely transport this large vessel even when it's still warm. They also include a lid that should remain sealed throughout cooking to ensure moisture retention.

Sauce Pots

Made especially for simmering sauces and liquids, sauce pots can also be used for boiling water to cook vegetables, rice, pasta, and more. These units evenly distribute heat, which is great for slowly cooked meals. Sauce pots have taller sides than saucepans, and their wide bases enable full contact between product and the heating surface. The size of the sauce pot determines the handle style. Small sauce pots are equipped with a single long handle because they can be moved easily with one hand, but larger versions have two handles because they're too heavy for single-handed transport.

Double Boilers

The double boiler is a great tool for applying gentle heat to delicate ingredients, which is why it's the go-to piece of cookware for tasks such as melting chocolate and making hollandaise sauce. These units heat foods in the gentlest manner possible, so they're excellent for heat-sensitive items that require slow, indirect heating. Double boilers help foods retain their emulsifying properties – retaining a uniform look and feel when being dispersed.

Below, we'll cover the steps for using one of these units:

Place the base pot on the burner and fill it with enough water to heat the top pot without touching it – there must be a gap between the water and the top pot, but there should be enough water in the base pot that it doesn't boil away.
Fill the top pot with ingredients and place it in the base pot.
Cover the top pot and let steam from the simmering water warm the contents until heated through as desired.

Pressure Cookers

Pressure cookers are a great choice for everything from frittatas and egg casseroles to pasta and tomato sauce. They consist of a sealed pot that heats water to create steam pressure, keeping generated steam inside the pot and enabling excess steam to release through vents, maintaining a consistent internal pressure. Pressure cookers reach temperatures beyond the boiling point of water to streamline cook times and force liquid into product, quickly tenderizing tough foods. Because of the extra-high heat, these units increase browning and caramelization to create complex flavors. For maximum safety, modern pressure cookers are constructed with reliable vents to prevent excess pressure from building up and may also have a secondary release valve that ensures steam doesn't get blocked inside.