The Cookware Glossary: Every Term Explained

Cookware listings are full of jargon. Here is what every common term means, in plain English, with links to the deeper guides.

Construction

• Clad / bonded: layers of different metals permanently joined. Fully clad means the layers run up the sides, not just across the base.
• Disc bottom (encapsulated base): a conductive plate attached only to the bottom of a stainless pan.
• Tri-ply (3-ply): stainless / aluminum / stainless. All-Clad D3 is tri-ply.
• 5-ply: five bonded layers. All-Clad D5 and Copper Core are 5-ply. See D3 vs D5 vs Copper Core.
• Copper core: a copper layer inside clad stainless for faster heat response.
• Hard anodized: aluminum with an electrochemically hardened surface. See nonstick vs hard anodized.

Materials and coatings

• 18/10 stainless: roughly 18% chromium and 10% nickel. Corrosion resistant and bright, used for cooking surfaces.
• 18/0 stainless: contains almost no nickel and is magnetic, so it is often used on exteriors for induction.
• PTFE: the most common nonstick coating.
• PFOA-free: made without PFOA, a chemical once used in making some nonstick coatings.
• Thermal conductivity: how fast a metal moves heat. Copper is highest. See the Material Lab.
• Heat capacity: how much heat a pan stores. Heavy pans store more.

Cooking terms

• Fond: the browned bits stuck to the pan after searing. The base of a great pan sauce.
• Deglaze: adding liquid to a hot pan to lift the fond.
• Leidenfrost effect: water beading and gliding on a hot pan, the sign a stainless pan is ready. See cooking without sticking.
• Heat tint: rainbow discoloration on stainless from high heat. Harmless. See removing discoloration.
• Thermal shock: a sudden temperature change that can warp a pan, like cold water on a hot pan.
• Induction: cooktops that heat the pan with a magnetic field. See best cookware for induction.

Shopping terms

• Open stock: pans sold individually rather than in a set.
• Piece count: the number of items in a set, with lids counted as pieces. See the set buying guide.
• Skillet / fry pan: sloped sides. Sauté pan: straight sides and a lid. See sauté pan vs skillet.
• Saucier: a saucepan with rounded sides for whisking.
• Helper handle: a small second handle opposite the main one on large pans.
• Flared rim: a rim that curves outward for drip-free pouring.

More terms: shapes and pan types

• Fry pan / skillet: a shallow pan with sloped sides for searing and flipping. The terms are interchangeable. See what size fry pan.
• Sauté pan: straight-sided and wider-based, with a lid; better for liquids and braises. See sauté pan vs skillet.
• Saucepan: a tall, straight-sided pot with one long handle.
• Saucier: a saucepan with rounded sides for whisking.
• Stock pot: a tall, narrow pot with two handles for boiling and stock. See the stock pot size guide.
• Dutch oven: a heavy, wide pot with a tight lid for braising and baking.
• Rondeau / braiser: a wide, shallow two-handled pan for braising and searing in quantity.
• Chef's pan / essential pan: a deep, sloped pan combining skillet and saucier traits.
• Grill pan: a ridged pan that makes grill marks on the stove.

More terms: heat and physics

• Thermal conductivity: how quickly a material moves heat. Copper is highest among common cookware metals, then aluminum; stainless steel is low. Try the Material Lab.
• Heat capacity / retention: how much heat a pan stores; thick and heavy pans hold more.
• Responsiveness: how fast a pan reacts when you change the heat.
• Hot spot: an area hotter than the rest of the pan, common in thin or single-layer pans.
• Leidenfrost effect: water drops bead and glide on a hot enough pan. This is the basis of the water test.
• Smoke point: the temperature at which an oil starts to smoke.
• Fond: the browned bits left in a pan after searing, the base of pan sauces.
• Deglaze: adding liquid to a hot pan to dissolve fond.
• Induction: a cooktop that heats magnetic pans directly via a magnetic field. See the induction guide.

More terms: finishes and care

• Brushed finish: a satin texture that hides fine scratches.
• Polished / mirror finish: a shiny surface that shows marks more readily.
• Heat tint: rainbow or blue discoloration on stainless from heat; removable with vinegar.
• Pitting: small pits in stainless, often from salt dissolving in cold water.
• Polymerized oil: oil that has bonded to a surface through heat. Desirable on cast iron, a sticky stain on stainless.
• Seasoning: a layer of polymerized oil on cast iron or carbon steel. See seasoning stainless.

More terms: buying

• Open stock: pans sold individually rather than in sets.
• Piece count: the number of items in a set, including lids.
• Helper handle: a short second handle on large pans for lifting.
• Oven-safe rating: the maximum oven temperature for the pan, handle and lid. See oven-safe temperatures.
• Custom set: a set you assemble piece by piece, like Capital Cookware's build-a-custom-set.

How to use this glossary

Each term links to the guide where it matters most. If you're shopping, start with construction terms (clad, ply, disc-bottom), then check materials (18/10, hard anodized) and finally the shopping terms (open stock, piece count). For hands-on understanding, our Material Lab and Heat Lab visualize conductivity and heat spread.

More materials terms

• Carbon steel: iron with a small amount of carbon; light, responsive and seasoned like cast iron.
• Enameled cast iron: cast iron coated in glass enamel; no seasoning needed.
• Ceramic nonstick: a sol-gel coating marketed as an alternative to traditional nonstick.
• Aluminum core: the conductive middle layer in tri-ply and 5-ply cookware.
• Hammered finish: a textured exterior, as on Lagostina Martellata.