The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word FRYING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
F
R
Y
I
N
G
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Cookware" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cookware = frying.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FRYING mean?
FRYING verb- A method of cooking food.
- To be affected by extreme heat or current.
- The action of the verb fry.