Pots and pans have changed over time.
Round pots and pans have evolved along with changes in our cooking methods and forms of cooking. Even highly specialized pieces still bear the basic features of the earliest cookware. Does this Spark an idea?
History
Skins, animal bladders, gourds and woven baskets were used as early forms of cookware. The rounded shapes influenced later designs.
Significance
The mass and shape of a rounded pot allowed heat to spread more evenly to all sides of the cooking surface from the heat source, usually a fire, below.
Evolution
Just as flat bottoms have evolved to fit modern stoves, rounded pots were well-adapted to suspension over a fire. According to The Rusty Pot, with the development of cast iron cookware and the cauldron form, legs were added to allow pots to sit on the ground or in the fire without tipping.
Function
Rounded pans better fit some foods, allowing cooks to fit more in the pan. Flared edges on round pans make pouring and transferring liquids easier without spilling.
Benefits
Round-shaped cookware provides better access to food for stirring, blending and serving, as round pots do not have corners where food can become trapped.
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