CooktopA cooktop (American and Canadian English), hob (British English), or stovetop (general) is a device commonly used for cooking that is typically found in kitchens and used to apply heat to the base of pans or pots. Cooktops are often found integrated with an oven into a kitchen stove but may also be standalone devices. Cooktops are most often powered by gas or electricity, although oil or other fuels are sometimes used.
CookerCooker may refer to several types of cooking appliances and devices used for cooking foods. TypesAGA cooker – a heat storage stove and cooker, which works on the principle that a heavy frame made from cast iron components can absorb heat from a relatively low-intensity but continuously-burning source, and the accumulated heat can then be used when needed for cooking.
StoveA stove or range is a device that generates heat inside or atop the device for local heating or cooking. Stoves can be powered with many fuels, such as natural gas, electricity, gasoline, wood, and coal. The most common materials stoves are made of are cast iron, steel, and stone. Concerns about air pollution have fostered efforts to improve stove design. Pellet stoves, for instance, are a type of clean-burning stove.
KitchenA kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator, and worktops and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a microwave oven, a dishwasher, and other electric appliances.
CookingCooking, also known as cookery, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or safe. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire, to using electric stoves, to baking in various types of ovens, to boiling and blanching in water, reflecting local conditions, techniques and traditions. Cooking is an aspect of all human societies and a cultural universal.
Central heatingA central heating system provides warmth to a number of spaces within a building from one main source of heat. A central heating system has a furnace that converts fuel or electricity to heat through various processes. The heat is circulated through the building either by fans forcing heated air through ducts, circulation of low-pressure steam to radiators in each heated room, or pumps that circulate hot water through room radiators.
Home applianceA home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation. The domestic application attached to home appliance is tied to the definition of appliance as "an instrument or device designed for a particular use or function".
BakingBaking is a method of preparing food or clay that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most commonly baked foods in 2025 were bread and rolls. Heat is gradually transferred from the surface of unbaked goods to their center, typically at elevated temperatures surpassing 300 °F (148 °C). Dry heat cooking imparts a distinctive richness to foods through the processes of caramelization and surface browning.
OvenAn oven is a tool that is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means of heating the chamber in a controlled way. In use since antiquity, they have been used to accomplish a wide variety of tasks requiring controlled heating. Because they are used for a variety of purposes, there are many different types of ovens. These types differ depending on their intended purpose and based upon how they generate heat.
BrazierA brazier () is a container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel for cooking, heating, or rituals. It often takes the form of a metal box or bowl with feet, but in some places it is made of terracotta. Its elevation helps circulate air, feeding oxygen to the fire. Braziers have been used since ancient times; the Nimrud brazier dates to at least 824 BC.
Heat transferHeat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems. Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as thermal conduction, thermal convection, thermal radiation, transfer of energy by phase changes, and evaporative cooling.
BiomassBiomass is material produced by the growth of microorganisms, plants or animals. Beyond this general definition, there are differences in how the term is used and applied depending on industry or subject-matter norms. For example, it may be more narrowly defined as just plant matter, or as a combination of plant and animal matter.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.