Caching is used in Maya to speed up performance. There are many different types of caching, each with benefits and drawbacks, depending on what you are working: some caching techniques are used to speed performance with scenes that have heavy geometry, while another type of caching is used to reach faster animation playback.
The speed provided by using a caching process comes with a cost. Knowing which kind of caching to use depends on what benefit you want. The following short video explains the types of caching used in Maya and what they are used for.