Food: Cookware Sizes

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Cookware Sizes
Thursday, October 19, 2006

Christina VanGinkel

Giving cookware as a gift during the holidays, or any time really, is a great idea. Most people, even those who do not do a lot of cooking still appreciate a nice set of cookware. After having been married nearly a quarter of a century, I can relate that one of my favorite gifts of all time was a set of Pyrex cookware that my brother gave to me many years ago. As a young married couple my husband's and my budget stretched as far as we could get it too, but a good set of pots and pans never seemed to be included. When my brother presented us with the set of Pyrex, we were thrilled. My time in the kitchen was easier because of the quality cookware, and my husband, though not the kitchen type, commented more than once how much he appreciated the set because I seemed to be not so reluctant to try new recipes after getting it. A good set of cookware can make a kitchen newbie have the confidence to try new dishes, which a miss mash of poor quality cookware just never seems to do.

So recently, when a good friend asked me what I thought of her buying her newly single sister a set of cookware for this upcoming Christmas, I voted yes. I told her how much I liked the Pyrex set from my brother, and assured her that I did not think it was a bad gift at all, something she was worried about. She did not want her sister thinking she was no fun, and the gift boring as a gift could be. I told her if that was her biggest worry, toss in a small gift of lingerie for the newly single girl, or a gift certificate for a dinner out for her and a friend. As to the cookware, I voted a big yes, and said go for it.

I should have specified that the cookware was a good idea if, and only if, she knew exactly what she was purchasing. Though the holidays have yet to arrive, the set of cookware has. She ordered the set through a catalog, and while she picked out a stainless steel set that seemed to be a set anyone would be glad to have, she apparently never checked the various sizes included. It arrived, and wanting to check the quality of the set, she opened it to inspect it. On first inspection, everything seemed in good order. She pulled out a lid and the weight was there, signifying that the thickness was there and she was satisfied to find out that she had not paid for a stainless set that was paper-thin. The lid was small though, and she assumed it was for one of the smaller saucepans. Wrong! The more pieces she pulled out, she suddenly felt as if she had landed in the land of the Lilliputians!

The first lid was in actuality the largest lid in the set. Each piece was so small, she at first thought it must be a mistake of some sort, but for the life of her, she could not imagine what sort of mistake it would be. Cookware could not actually shrink like a sweater or a pair of pants. Maybe the set was manufactured as a display and they had sent it to her by mistake. It would have been funny save for the thought and planning that went into the gift to be. Ironically, for a single person, or a college student who happened to have not much more than a single burner with which to cook on, this would have been an ideal gift.

I told her to pull out the catalog she had ordered from to see if sizes were listed, as most sets specified things like a ten-inch skillet, or a 1 quart saucepan, etc. The description did not give any size specifications whatsoever, in inches, quarts, or any other form of measurement. It also did not say anything about being perfectly sized for those living alone or for someone with minimal storage space. For those, this would be the set to get.

As of last night, my friend was still undecided what to do with the set. The catalog she ordered from does not have a good return policy unless the item is defective. As to ordering cookware this holiday season, or any season, a lesson for all is to be learned, and that is to read the description carefully, paying attention not only to the material the cookware set is made of, but to the size of each piece, especially if you do not cook meals suitable only for one.

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