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Once humans discovered and were able to control fire we have been looking for better ways to prepare food. The earliest of humans used to roast what they hunted over an open flame but over time we began looking for more innovative and tastier ways to cook. In order to do that our ancestors invented cookware.
Through the many years humans have been on this earth cookware have been made out of many materials. Depending on the location the people were living some used turtle and mollusks shells to heat water and other food. Some discoveries were made that the stomachs of animals hunted were used as primitive cookware to boil and store water. Some regions of the world their inhabitants carved large bowls out of stone that were permanently set into a hearth. This provided not only a way to cook but to serve the meals that were prepared.
As time passed we identified more ways to heat and prepare food one such way is pottery. Clay pots were developed by gathering and shaping wet clay and then heating, or firing, them at high temperatures. This process drew all the moisture out of the clay creating a heat resistant and water proof vessel to heat or cook food. Some of the earliest pottery to be discovered was from Ancient Japan dating back as far as 12,700 BCE. With much trial and error other types of pottery were discovered including stoneware and ceramics. These vessels were primarily used to slow cook food over long periods of time. Even today ceramics and stoneware are primarily used in the oven and not on stovetop.
When metalworking was discovered during the Bronze Age many new discoveries were made. Along with cookware consisting primarily of copper and tin came new more durable weapons and construction materials. But, even with this discovery of metalworking pottery and stoneware still was the primary cookware throughout the age because of its high cost. With the evolution of mankind came the evolution of metalworking. After the Bronze Age came the Iron Age. This primarily came about because iron was easier to find and easier to process. Iron pots didn't need a tin lining like their copper counterparts. Copper and tin were rarely found in the same region using iron eliminated the problem of transportation of these materials. Cast iron cooking pots were treasured in most kitchens during the onset of the industrial revolution because of their durability and ability to retain heat. Their heat conductivity properties made them more useful than stoneware or pottery and cheaper to manufacture than copper pots.
As technology improved so did iron working steel was developed. To date steel is the most popular metal used in a variety of areas. Steel was made by combining iron and a various other materials the most common is carbon. Steel was not widely used in cookware until the development of stainless steel in the mid 1900's. Today with the many choices of cookware stainless steel is one of the most popular choices. It is continually being modified and improved upon by adding copper inner lining to improve conductibility. The alloy has also been modified to add chromium and nickel to improve its rust proof abilities and durability.
Throughout time man has adapted and overcome many challenges including how to prepare and cook satisfying and tasty meals. As technology improves so will the materials and techniques of manufacturing cookware.
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