Cookware Buying Guide

In today's market, there is such a wide variety of styles available in cookware that it can be hard to choose which items best suit your needs. Prices, likewise, can vary greatly. In general, you can expect to get what you pay for. The wide range of prices reflects the difference in quality that one will find when buying cookware. For those who cook a lot, investing in good quality cookware is really worth the price tag. For those who cook less often, a lower priced set will usually be sufficient.


When choosing cookware, there are many points to be considered. Many assume that choosing non-stick cookware is a necessity, but this may not be true. It is as important, if not more so, to consider how the cookware conducts heat. The question of whether or not the surface is non-stick can be addressed after one has chosen the appropriate heat conductor.

While a matching set looks nice in a kitchen, no set is perfect. There are many sizes and shapes of pots and pans, and each type has its own use. No set will come with everything a particular user is looking for. It is a good idea, then, to supplement one's main set of cookware with individual pieces that will meet all of one's cooking needs. Sets, however, are a very good way to get started when buying for the kitchen because cookware sets come in a package price and are much cheaper than buying each piece individually.

The metal used for manufacturing cookware is the most important factor in determining how it will conduct heat.

Copper Cookware

Copper is an excellent heat conductor, and is the metal of choice for many professional kitchens. A copper pot will heat up evenly and quickly, and it will also not take long to cool back down.

For many every day users, though, solid copper cookware is much too expensive to consider. Most of the dishes that require copper's excellence in conducting heat are not the sort of thing that would be cooked on a daily basis, so many home owners find copper cookware an unneccessary expense. In addition, it needs to be maintained by polishing it regularly. For many users, this is enough of a deterrent to steer them away from solid copper cookware.

Fortunately, many other pots come with a copper surface in the core, allowing for the benefits of copper without the high price tag. Copper is often found in between layers on the bottom of stainless steel cookware.

Aluminum Cookware

Aluminum is another good heat conductor that is often used to manufacture high quality cookware. Aluminum is energy efficient since it holds heat longer than some other surfaces. It usually serves as the core for pots, and is covered by another metal, most often stainless steel.

Anodized aluminum is a harder, non-porous aluminum. It also heats up quicker than non-anodized aluminum due to its darker color. It makes a good sturdy pan, and will be useful for many years in the kitchen. Anodized aluminum doesn't chip, crack, or peel.

Stainless Steel Cookware

Cookware made entirely of stainless steel is not usually the best cookware. Stainless steel is not a very good conductor of heat when compared with other materials. Stainless steel cookware, then, is often made with a core of either aluminum or copper, which helps the cookware to heat food more evenly and faster.

Mixture of Metals

As noted above, the choice of metal determines the cookware's ability to conduct heat. Many pots and pans use a mixture of metals, with a better heat conductor serving as the core, while a cheaper material is used for the cookware's surfaces.

When looking for cookware with a copper or aluminum core, make sure and find one that has the entire core of the more conductible metal, as opposed to merely having a plate or base core of copper or aluminum. The stainless steel surface will cover a core of the more conductible metal all the way up the sides on better pans, whereas copper and aluminum will only be found in the bottom of cookware that only has a plate core of the more conductible metal.

Handle Attachments

There are three main types of handles used for cookware. Riveted handles are the sturdiest. The handles are permanently attached with rivets. These rivets need to be cleaned carefully to avoid food build-up on the interior rivet. Welded handles don't have this problem because the inside surface is smooth, with the handles being welded to the outside of the cookware. Welded handles, however, are not as sturdy as riveted handles. Screwed on handles are plastic handles screwed to an exterior portion of the pan. They are not as sturdy as riveted handles, but they do provide a smooth interior surface. If a screwed on handle becomes loosened, it can be tighted up again very easily.

Cooking Temperatures

For most good quality cookware, a small to medium fire should be used. The more conductible the metal is, the less a large flame is needed. High flames with a very conductible metal like copper or aluminum will result in burnt food.

Warranty Period

Some of the best cookware offers a lifetime warranty. This can be a very practical consideration when purchasing cookware. A lifetime guarantee means that your cookware becomes a one-time expense, thus justifying the high cost of some of the most expensive cookware available.

Non-Stick Cooking Surfaces Non-stick surfaces can be very useful in any kitchen. A non-stick surface on your cookware can make for very easy cooking. In addition, it is an aid to healthier cooking because there is no need to coat the surface (and the food) in oil. Every kitchen should have at least one non-stick frying pan, but it is not necessary that every pot and pan have a non-stick cooking surface.

Cast Iron Cooking Surfaces Cast iron cooking surfaces are good for foods that need to be cooked at high heat. It takes a while to heat up, but it holds the heat for a very long time. For this reason, it is very effective for foods that need to be cooked at high heat. It is not good, though, for cooking acidic foods. Over time, as a cast iron cooking surface is treated, it will become more and more stick-resistant. Cast iron skillets are inexpensive, and cooking in them can help increase one's iron intake slightly.

Enamel Cooking Surfaces Porcelain enamel cooking surfaces are often found on stainless steel pots and pans. Enamel heats unevenly and slowly. Enamel can chip, and is relatively easy to clean. Enamel is also used as a coating for the external surfaces of many pots and pans. It can make for appealing designs, and is often used to make kitchens brighter and attractive.

Anodized Aluminum Cooking Surfaces Anodized aluminum is not non-stick, and so is often overlooked as a cooking surface by many buyers. It can, however, be resistant to sticky matter if it is heated properly and is coated with oil. For best use, anodized aluminum cooking surfaces should only use low to medium fires, which will prevent sticky messes to be cleaned up.

Stainless Steel Cooking Surfaces Stainless steel also makes a good cooking surface. Like anodized aluminum, it is not non-stick, but it can be stick-resistant if used at a low to medium heat and coated with shortening.

It is best to buy the highest quality of cookware that one can afford, especially when buying a set. While some sets are very inexpensive and may seem like a good deal in the short term, it often turns out that a cheap set is flimsy and will fall apart down the road. This will mean replacing individual pieces, which will translate into higher and higher prices in the long run. It is good, then, to buy the best one can afford to buy when purchasing cookware.

Copper Cookware

Copper cookware comes with the highest price tag. All-Clad sells a 5-piece set for just over $400. Matfer's copper 9 1/2 inch frying pan sells for about $150, and their 1 1/4 quart copper saucepan with lid sells for just under $140. Ruffoni manufactures a rectangular copper roasting pan that sells for over $400. Their 2 quart copper saucepans sell for prices between $180 and $275.

Aluminum Cookware

Aluminum cookware is significantly less expensive than copper cookware, though aluminum also conducts heat very well. Trimontina's 16 piece non-stick aluminum set in metallic black color sells for under $70, and Acrosteel's 15 piece non-stick aluminum set sells for around $90. Not all aluminum sets will sell for prices as inexpensive as this, though. Continuum's 15 piece anodized aluminum set sells for just over $150. Precise Heat manufactures a deep frying pan that sells for just under $50, and Crestwell sells a 14 inch frying pan for Over $85.

Stainless Steel Cookware

The price of stainless steel cookware can vary greatly based on what material is used in its core. Chef's Secret sells sets ranging in price from $180 to $316. Riviera manufactures sets with price tags ranging from $80 to $350. WearEver sells a 10 inch stainless steel saute pan for just $20, and sells a set for prices starting at around $70. Continuum's 10 piece stainless steel set starts at just below $100.

Riviera
Chef's Secret
Continuum
All-Clad
Matfer
Ruffoni
Precise Heat
Tramontina
Crestwell
Acrosteel