Cookware Materials

The material a pan is made from determines how it transfers heat to food — how fast it heats, how evenly it distributes energy across its surface, how quickly it responds to temperature changes, and whether it reacts with acidic or alkaline foods. The same electron-mobility mechanism that makes metals good electrical conductors makes them good thermal conductors, which is why all serious cookware is metal. But the metals differ enormously, and each involves tradeoffs between conductivity, reactivity, weight, and cost.