TOOL GUIDE

Cooking Tool Guide

Check the features, suitable uses, selection criteria, usage, and management methods of cooking tools.

COOKING TOOL

Pot

A pot is the basic cooking tool for boiling water or broth, simmering or reheating ingredients, and performing relatively liquid-rich cooking in a stable way. It is suitable for dishes like soups, stews, porridge, and pasta/noodle boiling, where contents rise to a boil; using a lid can trap steam to speed cooking or reduce moisture evaporation. Even with the same pot, use depends on bottom thickness, diameter, and height. A wide, shallow shape cools moisture quickly and is good for reducing sauces, but may lack depth for boiling pasta or large amounts of broth. Conversely, a deep pot reduces boil-overs, but is less efficient for drying moisture when frying small amounts of ingredients. Because pots vary by material and coating, heating, heat control, and cleaning methods can differ, it is best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent warping or coating damage. During cooking, observe the boil level and moisture and adjust heat and lid use accordingly.

Suitable uses

Suitable for dishes that require maintaining ample broth, such as soups, stews, and hot pots. If large bubbles continuously rise from the entire surface, it is at a rolling boil, so lower the heat to gently simmer the edges if ingredients are prone to breaking apart.
Useful for foods boiled in water, such as pasta, noodles, dumplings, and eggs. If starch or foam fills quickly after water has boiled, the pot may be small, so use a deeper or larger pot next time, or do not reduce the water amount and lower the heat.
Can also be used for foods prone to sticking to the bottom, such as porridge, oatmeal, or sauces containing milk. If a thick film begins to form along the bottom edge, stir along the bottom and corners with a spatula to distribute heat.
Can be used for blanching vegetables or steaming as well; first check that a steamer rack or steamer insert sits stably inside the pot. If ingredients are submerged in water, it is boiling, not steaming, so keep the water level below the steamer rack.

Selection guide

Consider how many servings you are cooking and the size of your heat source together. If the pot is much wider than the burner, edge heating may be weak; if it is too small, broth or boiling water can overflow easily.
If the focus is broth dishes and boiling, a pot with sufficient height and a non-narrow opening is convenient. For reducing sauces or small-batch cooking, a wide, shallow pot makes moisture evaporation easier to monitor, but requires more vigilance against boil-overs.
A heavy bottom helps distribute heat more evenly for long-boiling foods like porridge or sauces, but residual heat can stay long, so it may be better to cool it quickly or turn the heat down a bit earlier for delicate cooking.
Check compatibility with heat sources (induction, gas, halogen, etc.) and the pot bottom. On induction, if the bottom is not magnetic or the contact area is uneven, heating may be uneven or not occur.
When selecting a lid, examine its steam vent, handle heat conduction, and how well it seals. A lid with strong sealing is good for moisture retention, but for foamy cooking it can cause faster boil-overs even with a regular pot, so sometimes leaving it slightly ajar or not fully covering is more appropriate.

Usage tips

Start by heating to medium and observe how the contents react. If bubbles rise strongly from one side, the pot bottom and burner center may not align or the heat may be too high; adjust position or lower the heat.
Do not fill the broth to the very edge; leave space for boiling. If foam surges after adding noodles or starch-rich ingredients, open the lid, lower the heat, and stir once or twice to disperse foam.
When covering the pot, use the lid according to the cooking goal. For quick boil or moisture retention, keep it on; to reduce broth or to vent odors/moisture, uncover or tilt slightly.
For thickened foods like porridge or cream sauces, stir more often once boiling begins. If small bubbles burst at the bottom and ingredients splash, move to a low heat and stir slowly with a long-handled utensil.
When removing boiled pasta or blanched vegetables, do not pour hot water all at once. If contents wobble or the handle is hot, transfer them to a colander placed above the pot to avoid burns.

Management tips

If the pot is very hot, plunging it into cold water can cause material deformation due to rapid temperature change. Let it cool to a safe touch before cleaning, following the manufacturer’s detailed care instructions.
Stuck-on stains can be removed after soaking with a soft sponge. If using abrasive cleaners would roughen the surface or damage coating, stop using those tools and follow recommended cleaning methods.
Wipe moisture from the bottom, handle connections, and lid edges after washing. If water spots or odors recur, it may indicate moisture remained; dry completely before closing the lid or stacking.
If the bottom is wobbling, bent, or the coating is peeling, heat distribution may be affected. Check with the manufacturer whether it is still suitable for use, and consider replacement if damage affects cooking.

Common mistakes

Boiling noodles with the lid tightly closed on high heat can cause starch-rich foams to rise and overflow from the lid opening. When foam nears the opening, open the lid and reduce the heat, then divide portions to fit the pot size.
Stirring soups or stews too aggressively can cause delicate tofu, fish, or potatoes to break. If worried about bottom sticking, gently move the pot along the bottom and once stable, reduce the heat.
Continuously covering to boil with moisture-reducing sauces can leave the sauce thin. If condensation on the lid drips back, consider opening the lid and transferring to a wider pot.
Keeping an empty pot on high heat for too long can cause discoloration, overheating, or coating damage. If smells are stronger than usual or you see smoke, turn off heat and inspect once cooled.
Holding a hot pot handle with bare hands can cause slips and burns. If the handle gets hot during cooking, use a dry glove or cloth; keep hands dry, as damp cloths can become hotter from steam.