Stovetop Cookware Metals

There are many cookware metals used in today's market, some are good and some not so. Just because something is durable and made with a good mix of metals does not mean it needs to be expensive. Take a look at the layers and how they construct it. Watch for cookware that is made with rivets and remember, you have to clean those rivets because food can become trapped around them…just a tip before we start our exploration of the main cookware metals.

Copper Cookware

Let's take copper for starters. It's a good heat conductor - the best- and hot spots are basically unheard of when cooking with copper cookware…plus, it's pretty to look at. So if you change the heat on the stove top, the heat transfers immediatley to the pot or pan. Sounds good and your ready to buy, right? Not so fast! Here are some disadvantages to using copper cookware: copper needs to be polished frequently or the copper will start to corrode; copper cannot be washed in the dishwasher; it will spot if not dried off right away and reacts with acidic foods; it's expensive, the most expensive type of cookware on the market. It sounds to me if you have the money and time, copper is the right cookware for you.

Stainless Steel Cookware

It use to be that the most commonly used and produced cookware was stainless steel. Some good advantages to stainless steel cookware are that it resists corrosion, is relatively inexpensive, its durable, scratch resistant, nice and shiny without the work, no reacting with foods and it's warp resistant. So, this sounds like the one. Wait a second! The biggest disadvantage to using stainless steel is that it's not a good conductor of heat. You would need our friend copper on the bottom to really help in that area. If you need inexpensive cookware, and heat conductivity is not high on your list, stainless steel cookware is the one for you.

Cast Iron Cookware

I would say this is one of the oldest metals used to cook with, as it dates back hundreds of years. So, cast iron has brawn plus experience. Cast iron cookware has a sort of a following behind it, those that cook with it will, without a doubt, speak of it's wonderful cooking ability. It does have good heat retention, it's extremely durable, relatively inexpensive, plus some foods just seem made for that iron pan. Okay, put down your keys and get back here…we have a few more things to discuss. There are some very noticeable disadvantages to using cast iron. For one, it reacts with foods unless the cast iron is pre-seasoned - no, not pepper. I am talking about working that iron pan. I can almost hear you asking me, a segue is in order. You stick your cast iron cookware in the oven. First, make sure to coat the pan with lard, even bacon grease will do, and only one of those two! Once the oven reaches 250 - 300 degrees, leave it for 15 minutes. Then, remove it and pour out any extra grease. Place it back into the oven for another 2 hours. Repeating these steps several times will give it a strong seasoned bond. Over time, you will need to re-season it or rust will form. Oh my, information overload. One last thing, it's heavy, more so than any other cookware. So, if you still want cast iron cookware then make sure to get it with an enamel coating, no pre-seasoning required. Rachael Ray makes a great line of Enamel Cast Iron Cookware. So what do you think? Are you ready to buy? Let's recap: if you like spending time caring for your cookware, and need a good workout, then cast iron cookware is for you.

Aluminum Cookware

This will be the last in our line-up, at least where this article is concerned. Aluminum is used by around 50% of cookware manufacturers today. It has excellent heat conduction and it's relatively inexpensive. It's a soft metal and therefore can scratch easily, and again, this one reacts with acidic foods. This has become one of those metals that are going to be combined with another. In comes stainless steel again…aluminum will generally be put in the middle of a metal, such as stainless steel, so that you get the best of both worlds. Most aluminum today will be treated through a process known as anodization. The process places a layer of aluminum oxide on the surface of the aluminum, making it scratch resistant, plus it doesn't react with foods. Maybe this would suit your cooking needs, as it seems to be the all around cooking metal.

So, in closing, the best type of cookware is up to you. You have to decide what is right for your needs - it's your kitchen, you're the boss in there. It makes sense to go with Aluminum, as long as it's mixed with another metal or treated. I like heavier cookware, but not cast iron, it's too heavy for my liking. It has it's applications, but not most of the time. Copper is pricey and entails a lot of work, but I would say it's the creme of the crop. Stainless steel is pretty to look at, but on its own it just does not fit the conductive heating bill. I hope you found this to be helpful and let me recommend the Rachael Ray Cookware line - it's not super expensive and the quality is there…her line is really worth looking at.