Whether blackening fish or baking casseroles, the right pot and pan material can make all the difference. The materials used to make pots and pans are varied, each with strengths and weaknesses.
Stainless steel is durable and nonreactive, ideal for high-heat cooking like sauteing and braising. It also resists warping and can be dishwasher-, oven-, and broiler-safe.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel cookware is sturdy and durable. It’s also one of the most affordable kitchenware materials. It’s often clad with other, more heat-conducting metals to improve performance and reduce weight.
Several different grades of stainless steel are used in cookware, like those from GoodCook kitchenware. The most common is 18/10. It has 18% chromium and 10% nickel, making it corrosion-resistant. It’s also magnetic, which helps it to stick to the bottom of conveyor dishwashers and trash bins in food service settings.
Stainless steel is nonreactive, which means it won’t impart metallic flavors into foods like some other metals can do. However, it can leach chromium and nickel into food in low quantities. If you’re sensitive to these metals, consider looking for a different grade of stainless steel. A common alternative is 430 stainless steel, which contains very little nickel and chromium.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a versatile metal commonly used to make pots and pans. It’s a good conductor of heat, inexpensive, and lightweight. It’s also very durable and warp-resistant.
Uncoated aluminum can leach into food, but it’s not enough to cause health problems. If you want to avoid leaching, choose coated aluminum or hard anodized aluminum cookware.
Hard-anodized aluminum is treated with a chemical process that makes it harder and more resistant to scratches and corrosion. It’s typically used to create nonstick cooking surfaces or as the core material in fully-clad stainless steel pans. This type of aluminum cookware is also nonreactive, meaning acidic or alkaline foods won’t react with it and taint the flavor or color of your food. This makes it perfect for making soups, stews, eggs, and stir fry.
Cast Iron
Stainless steel cookware is durable and can be used in all cooking applications. It also has a superior heat transfer and is highly rust-resistant. Stainless steel can be scratched and dented, but it’s generally more durable than nonstick and is easy to clean and maintain.
Cast iron is produced by melting iron ore, coke, and limestone to deoxidize the iron. The molten iron can then be poured into molds and allowed to cool. Air holes, cracks, and cinders are all possible defects in these castings. To identify and evaluate these defects, non-destructive techniques are required. Cast iron is more dense and has a higher heat capacity than aluminum. This makes holding and maintaining a higher temperature much easier than aluminum cookware.
Stoneware
There are many different types of kitchenware, and deciding which type is best for your home can be difficult. This article outlines the different types of cookware materials and how they compare so you can determine which product is right for your home.
Stoneware is nonporous and can be made from a variety of clays. It is usually denser and more opaque than porcelain or China and can be glazed in various colors and textures. It heats up quickly and evenly, making it ideal for baking. It is also more durable than porcelain, less prone to chips, and less resilient to sudden temperature changes.
Copper
Copper is a soft, reactive metal. It reacts with acidic food to form verdigris. Most modern copper cookware has a tin or a stainless steel lining to prevent the reaction from occurring and stop copper’s metallic taste from leaching into your food.
Copper can scratch or dent even with a tin-coated surface. It should always be handled carefully. Copper also heats up and cools down quickly, unsuitable for high-heat cooking or searing steaks. The responsive material is ideal for delicate dishes such as fish or sauces. It can be used on gas or electric stovetops. The material is also beautiful and develops a rich patina over time, making it highly desirable.
