There are countless pots, pans, skillets, Dutch ovens and other cooking vessels on the market today. All have their specific uses and applications. How each container reacts to certain foods, the heating time and effectiveness, the surface itself, and of course, the price point are all factors to consider when purchasing your new cookware.

The materials used to manufacture cookware are of the utmost importance. How much you will be using the cookware, and for what culinary purposes should be your first thoughts about finding the best cookware material for your new acquisition.

What Factors Should You Consider When Buying Cookware? 

• Maintenance/Cleaning: If your cookware requires tons of effort to clean each time you make a fried egg, then it’s probably not worth the buy. Cookware materials are meant for different tasks. A stainless steel or non-stick pan will be easier to flip that omelet, remove it from the pan, and quickly clean thereafter. Whereas a cast iron skillet will sear that steak beautifully and be easily wiped clean with the cast iron’s ability to create its own non-stick surface via natural seasoning.
  
  Maintenance also varies between cookware materials. Cast iron does involve seasoning, aka oils and/or fats baked into the cast iron through high heat and use. Brands such as Lodge and Masterbuilt come gorgeously pre-seasoned for your first use to be flawless. Keeping copper cookware maintained is very important.
  
  
• Durability: The best cookware material should be durable. How long the cookware will last and perform correctly is paramount to your purchase. Stainless steel cookware is always a great choice.  This type of cookware will look and perform nicely throughout its culinary career. As the previous factor stated, maintenance is a two-way agreement with durability. 
  
  
• Safety/Reactivity: Some acidic food, such as wine, lemons, vinegar and tomatoes, are not good for some cookware materials. Non-reactive cookware like stainless steel and ceramic won’t pick up off flavors. Cast iron is considered reactive, but with a good seasoning and a quick splash of wine to deglaze will be fine. Think about what you cook most often and how, to choose the correct cooking material for yourself.
  
  
• Environmental Sustainability:  We all worry about our planet. Throwing away a pan in five years is not a good thing for Earth or your own carbon footprint beliefs. Keeping in mind the three factors above will lessen your need for new cookware. Quality counts when purchasing new cookware. All our cookware surfaces will retain their abilities for generations when kept and used as directed. 

Stainless Steel Cookware

Stainless steel cookware is an all-around best bet when looking to buy new cookware. 18/10 stainless steel is the highest quality. Adding chromium and nickel to steel creates a sturdy, shiny and multi-functioning pan. But, stainless steel on its own is a poor conductor of heat…Luckily, technology came along and created “cladding”. Sandwiching conductive materials such as aluminum and/or copper between the stainless steel allows for ideal, quick and even heat conductivity. 

The Benefits of Acquiring Stainless Steel Cookware Are Many!

1. The superior durability of stainless steel is due to the metals used. Oxidation and rust won’t happen. The strength of stainless steel safeguards against warping, adding to its toughness. Being scratch-resistant is another advantage of stainless steel.
2. Stainless steel doesn’t react with foods. Acidic foods can ruin your meal in some other cookware.  Stainless steel won’t hold odors, stains, or allow for off-putting flavors in your dinner when used properly. 
3. Stainless steel is affordable and keeps its gleaming, like-new appearance for years. 
4. Clean up is easy as most stainless-steel cookware is dishwasher safe.

The beauty in buying a stainless-steel cookware set is the ability to have all your pots and pans at the ready upon delivery. The home chef will love stainless steel cookware due to its multitasking abilities. Cooking on the stove or in the oven is a breeze with stainless steel. The versatility of stainless-steel cookware is endless. Frying an egg, searing, sauce making and noodle boiling can all happen with a stainless-steel pot or pan.    

Cast Iron Cookware

The old workhorse of the cooking world, cast iron, has fed North America since the 1800s. Slow to heat up, but wow, do they retain their heat! The older, antique cast iron skillets are a collector’s item that still work!  They worked for centuries due to the low technology of the cookware. Cast iron forged into cookware. This type of cookware can withstand direct fire and is obviously great for high-heat methods of cooking, such as searing.

Cast iron cookware is great for a multitude of uses. There are a few exceptions when cast iron wouldn’t be the go-to selection for tonight’s dinner. Acidic foods and cast iron don’t play well together. If you are in the mood for marinara, then choosing stainless steel would be much preferred. The iron can leach a bit into foods such as marinara, giving it a metallic taste. Not to worry, there are no health risks associated with a quick deglazing with wine, or a squirt of lemon on your chicken in a cast iron skillet!

Not convinced yet? Find out the most common misconceptions about cooking with cast iron and you will change your mind on this amazing material!

Aluminum Cookware

Aluminum cookware is great for many reasons. Aluminum is abundant, so producing cookware is less expensive, therefore less to the consumer. Aluminum cookware heats up very quickly and is very light. The longevity of aluminum cookware is spectacular. Aluminum cookware will not pit or rust. The disadvantage is that aluminum responds poorly to acidic foods…Aluminum will leak out into tomato sauces, pineapples, etc.  To prevent this, a method called anodizing coats the aluminum with aluminum oxide. This is fused into the aluminum, creating a superior, diamond-like hardness. Hard-anodized is an extra layer of protection available with some stainless-steel manufacturers. A non-stick coating can also be applied to aluminum cookware for added benefits.

Many home cooks and restaurants agree with us that the Thermalloy Aluminum Fry Pan is one of the most versatile pans a cook can own. NSF certified for safety, professional grade aluminum with stainless steel come together to perfect heat conductivity and durability at a great price! Thermalloy's commitment to aluminum cookware makes them the best in the aluminum cookware business!   

Copper Cookware

Copper is the king of cookware. For over 9,000 years people have used copper cookware for its excellent heating properties. Due to its superior conductivity, increasing and decreasing heat is rapidly achieved. This is paramount for sauce chefs around the world. Controlling heat evenly is what copper does best. Like a few of the other cooking materials, copper too can also give off impure flavors with acidic foods. Therefore, a tin or stainless-steel layer will be placed in between the copper. With some copper cookware before 1990, tin was the go-to material for sandwiching the copper core. Tin is great, but soft. After a while of cooking and cleaning, retinning will need to be performed. There are shops around that will help you with that chore or stop by and speak with us!

Copper cookware has advanced. Companies such as All-Clad have developed a five-ply construction containing stainless steel, then aluminum, then copper, back to aluminum, then stainless steel for your cooking surface. This allows for exemplary, even and swift heat conductivity. We love cooking with our Demeyere Atlantis Low Sauté Pan with Lid! The 7-ply Inductoseal base really can’t be beat. Beautiful heat distribution, dishwasher safe, and a 30-year lifetime warranty make this a true value to any home cook.  Stove to oven, any ingredient will be cooked to perfection using Demeyere.

Clay & Stone Cookware

Clay pots and stoneware were the first cookware sets. For today’s standards, not much has changed. This style of cookware is great to bake with! Before electric slow cookers, clay and stone cookware were the way to cook slow and low. The durability of this cookware is great since it’s a natural element. Clay and stone don’t react to acidic foods. Cooking a Moroccan chicken dinner in an Emile Henry - Fusain 3.5L Tagine will delight the crowd upon service! The beauty of this piece is phenomenal. Oven safe to over 520℉, all-natural materials, a scratch-resistant glaze, and a 10-year warranty ensure every meal cooked inside this gorgeous vessel will be perfect!    

Non-Stick Cookware

Last on our list of the best cookware materials to use is the newest to the culinary world, non-stick. Let’s just start by dismissing all the bad press about non-stick cookware. The concern with non-stick lies with the chemical compounds PTFE and PFOA. These compounds have all been discontinued for over five years. The risk is when these elements are over-heated beyond 550℉, the chemicals break down and release toxic chemicals into the air. There is no risk of this in today's world! Non-stick is the most popular choice for home cooks. The price point, ease of use, and quick clean-up make this form of cookware a standard in many kitchens. 

All food is acceptable in a non-stick pot or pan. Acidic foods are best prepared using non-stick cookware. On top of all our stoves currently is the Vollrath 7” Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan. This is the biggest value of a pan we offer! Vollrath’s patented CERAMIGUARD/TRIVENT non-stick coating is a breakthrough technology that lasts, well, almost forever when used properly. Never use metal utensils in non-stick cookware. Flip that fried egg with a Zwilling 13” Pro Silicone Slotted Spatula, and you will never scratch your non-stick pan! 

So, What Is The Best Cookware Material For Me?

This question comes down to your skill level, price point, what you cook most often, and how much you will be using your cookware. If you are highly skilled, and wish to run your own bistro, copper cookware would be a great investment! If you are going away to college, non-stick will suffice for this time in your life. If you belong to a church or large group that you cook for during the cold winter months, the clay and stoneware world would be up your alley as a first purchase.

Remember, you can always add to your cookware collection. Just start off with the basics of kitchen equipment, depending on what you like to eat and cook. From there, the correct cookware material will be found. Continue to try new food and recipes, and your knowledge of cookware and the needed materials for the job will be enjoyable to learn, growing your culinary expertise. Check out our options at Williams Food Equipment.