Types of Kitchenware | eHow

Some cultures use hands to deliver food to mouth, but many also employ tools to transfer their edibles. Tools that move food from serving dish to mouth and tools that manipulate the position of food during cooking are called "utensils." Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online defines a utensil as "an implement, instrument or vessel used in a household and especially a kitchen." Examples of utensils include familiar eating and cooking tools, such as forks, spoons and knives.

Tools and hardware used for cooking in a kitchen include pots, pans and dishes. Pots, pans and dishes act as a medium between heat and food -- food is not placed directly onto an oven rack, instead it's placed into a casserole or baking dish. Likewise, food does not go directly onto a stove's burner, it is first placed into a pot or pan. Kitchenware for cooking is made from materials as diverse as stone, as in a pizza stone; glass and ceramics for baking dishes; and metal, such as for pots and pans.

Storing foods under refrigeration in airtight containers slows the process of decomposition and keeps food edible for a longer time. Storage kitchenware keeps foods in airtight conditions or low-temperature conditions. As such, most kitchenware for storage features a lid that creates an airtight seal. This type of kitchenware appears as bowls or lidded boxes, sometimes bags or canisters. Materials used to manufacture storage kitchenware range from plastics to glass and ceramics.