The most important thing to remember when you select your stainless steel cookware is that it can seriously affect your meal. Why?
Because cooking is a science and science dictates that certain
metals heat better than others.
And since certain metals heat better or more evenly than
others, your meals will cook better in stainless steel cookware
designed with conduction-friendly metals.
However, many of
us have never purchased cookware of any sort ourselves. |
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Most of our pots and pans are comprised of hand-me-downs and gifts. So what should we look out for when we set out to purchase our very first set of stainless steel cookware?
The quality of stainless steel cookware is determined by three factors. The first is its nickel and chromium content, which is described by a fraction like 18/0, 18/8 or 18/10. The 18 stands for chromium, which is always the same; the 0, 8 or 10 is the amount of nickel.
The greater the nickel content, the better the stainless steel cookware. For instance, an 18/10 stainless steel pan is better than an 18/0 pan.
The second quality test for excellence is the thickness or gauge of the stainless steel cookware. In general, the lower the gauge number, the thicker the cookware.
A 10-gauge pan is generally accepted as the standard. The third and most important quality feature on stainless steel cookware is the thickness and quality of the disc on their base. |
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As stainless steel on its own is a poor conductor of heat, a copper or aluminum disc is essential to cook food properly.
Aluminum discs 3mm and larger are best. For a copper disc, a 1mm or larger base in the stainless steel cookware is best. If you wish to have heat control, you should choose copper. Aluminum is for retaining heat. There is tri-ply stainless steel cookware available that combines all three metals.
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