The amount of food being cooked and the way in which the heat is used is generally dictated by the size of parabolic dish. Smaller dishes, which are generally around one meter in diameter, are intended to heat a traditional size pot or pan much like how you would cook on a traditional cooktop. The larger dishes, which can be as wide as five meters in diameter, are generally not used to heat a pot or pan directly, but instead are used to create steam by directing sunlight onto pipes carrying water. The steam is directed to cooking surfaces in a kitchen and is regulated by valves in order to offer control to the chef.