The Best Cookware Materials
If there’s one thing that you don’t want to get wrong when choosing cookware, it’s your choice of material.
Stainless Steel Cookware
Pros: Stainless steel cookware is long lasting, non reactive to all foods, widely available, wide range of prices, with/without non stick coating, many sets are induction ready.
Cons: Poor heat conduction unless combined with another material.
Best Brands: Cuisinart, Chefs Essentials, Demeyere. You can learn more about the best stainless steel cookware here.
Copper Cookware
Pros: Best heat conductor on the market, responds almost instantly to temperature changes.
Cons: Highly expensive, reactive to most foods unless lined with another material, often requires extensive polishing, may discolour over high heats, unsuitable for induction.
Best Brands: Mauviel
Ceramic Cookware
Pros: Heats evenly, retains heat well, aesthetically appealing, stain and odour resistant provided it’s coated in glaze or enamel.
Cons: Expensive, takes a while to heat up, not widely available, will break if dropped.
Best Brands: Revol, Emile Henry. You can learn more about the best ceramic cookware here.
Aluminium Cookware
Pros: Excellent heat conductor, lightweight, wide range of prices, comes both with and without a non stick coating.
Cons: Reactive to acidic foods if uncoated, especially lightweight pots may warp when heated, unsuitable for induction.
Best Brands: Tramontina
Hard Anodized Aluminium Cookware
Pros: Excellent heat conductor, highly durable, corrosion resistant, non reactive, usually suitable for induction.
Cons: Hand wash only, usually very dark and therefore unappealing to some.
Best Brands: Cuisinart, Calphalon, Mauviel
Cast Aluminium Cookware
Pros: Excellent heat conductor, stronger and thicker than regular aluminium, usually suitable for induction.
Cons: More expensive, reactive if uncoated, some users report hot spots, sometimes hand wash only.
Best Brands: Scanpan, Swiss Diamond.
Carbon Steel Cookware
Pros: Perfect for high heat cooking such as stir-fry’s, very good heat conduction, highly durable, almost non stick when correctly seasoned.
Cons: Needs to be seasoned, must be washed by hand, must be dried to prevent rust, reactive to acidic foods.
Best Brands: Lodge, Mauviel.
Cast Iron Cookware
Pros: Most durable cookware on the market, well known for being passed down from one generation to another, surprisingly affordable, heats evenly(albeit slowly), good heat retention, non stick when seasoned, ideal for high heat cooking, often used outdoors.
Cons: Very heavy, hand wash only, may rust if not carefully dried, reactive to acidic foods.
Best Brands: Lodge
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware
Pros: Heats evenly (albeit slowly), good heat retention, naturally non stick, often lighter than regular cast iron, suitable for induction.
Cons: Needs to be seasoned, reactive with acidic foods, usually hand wash only, may rust if not carefully dried.
Best Brands: De Buyer, Lodge