Here’s a quick overview of the various types of metals used to make the most standard types of cookware. There are non-metallic materials used such as ceramics, glass and silicone, but those will have to be addressed elsewhere.
Aluminium is lightweight, conducts heat well, resists corrosion and doesn’t rust. On the downside, it can react with acidic foods (meaning that it changes their taste). Big companies such as Scanpan, Cuisinart, Jamie Oliver and Swiss Diamond use a lot of aluminium in their sauce pans and fry pans.
Carbon steel is used in certain ranges of cookware primarily because of its heat resistance. Low conductivity is an advantage with woks and paella pans, where it helps to keep part of the pan at a different temperature from the rest, but would be a disadvantage elsewhere.
Cast iron has many fundamental flaws, but an even greater number of attributes that makes it one of the most popular types of cookware on the market. It’s heavy, is known to rust and heats slowly. On the other hand, it heats evenly, is durable and can withstand high temperatures. This makes it perfect for construction of French ovens, terrines, tagines and a variety of camping cookware. French-made Staub, Le Chasseur and Le Creuset are industry leaders in quality cast iron cookware.
Copper was considered to be the best material for pots and pans because of the metal’s superior conductivity, which resulted in the most even heating. The items also looked distinctive. The weaknesses? Copper is expensive, heavy and reactive with acidic foods. To fix the last issue, copper cookware used to be lined with tin, but pieces subjected to regular and heavy use would have to be retinned. Nowadays copper pots and pans are lined with stainless steel, so they last much longer. Copper is great for high-heat and fast-cooking jobs, such as sautéing. Scanpan’s Fusion CS5 range makes beautiful use of copper, and some other brands, such as Jamie Oliver, will use copper in the bases of its pots and pans.
All the aforementioned metals have their advantages and disadvantages. Often a combination of different metals works best, but depending on your budget and cooking needs, one particularly metal may far outweigh the others. A cookware set is often the best solution when purchasing cookware.
