Christmas Cookware to Brighten The Holidays

As the holidays approach, Christmas cookware is one of the emblems of celebration in many modern homes. While it's fun to use pots, pans, Dutch ovens, trays and more that showcase motifs of winter holidays, some of these pieces make their appearance because you start cooking your Christmas specialties. Prepare to make all the soups, sautés, casseroles and cookies your family loves when you ensure you have all the cookware you need in advance. Update your holiday colors, fill in gaps in an ever-growing collection and give in to your craving for copper and--it's OK to admit it--a few classic pieces featuring Santa.

Holiday Cookware Basics for Family and Parties

Many people outfit their kitchen for a big holiday meal. While entertaining is certainly important, there's more to Christmas cookware than one dinner. The fun can start as soon as Thanksgiving weekend winds down.

• Upgrade your collection of stainless steel roasters. Check out an open roasting pan with a rack to raise large roasts, an oval pan with a cover to create a stewed texture or stovetop pots and pans to cook on all burners all season long.
• Choose new breakfast essentials. Christmas cookware can be used for a festive start to each day throughout December when you make warm, sweet or savory specialty meals, like abelskivers in a dedicated pan or individual souffles or tarts in bright red ramekins.
• Make sure you have everything you need for fun snacks. An old-fashioned popcorn maker with a crank handle or a fondue pot inspires a casual evening family session that defines the spirit of the holidays.

Christmas Cookware for Your Specialty Dishes

You probably have a few specialty dishes you make for Christmas. There are also probably a few you'd love to make for the first time or perfect after a few tries earlier in the season. Select the Christmas cookware that supports your visions of sugar plums or other culinary delights.

• Pick up plenty of bakers in red or white so you can make loaves, pound cakes and a signature fruit cake.
• Look for Dutch ovens with wintry motifs, like the large glossy pine tree on the lid of a Staub cast iron pot.
• Treat yourself to a hot chocolate pot and experiment with new infusions and mixes all winter long.
• Refine your feel for cast iron cooking with grills, griddles, pots, pans and Dutch ovens.

Start or continue beloved Christmas traditions when you stock up on Christmas cookware now.