Shop by Material
If you’ve been cooking long enough, chances are you have your preferred cookware material, whether that’s nonstick aluminum, cast iron, copper, ceramic or stainless steel. You also may have cookware material preferences for certain recipes: nonstick aluminum for your Sunday morning omelets or Spanish potato frittatas, cast iron for your family’s favorite gumbo or quick, crusty breads, or copper for your red wine reductions or signature hollandaise sauces. Perhaps you have a little bit of everything on hand so your preferred cookware material of choice is available whenever it's needed.
What’s the Difference in Cookware Materials?
Not all cookware is great for all types of cooking. Here are the benefits of certain cookware materials:
- Stainless-steel cookware is long-lasting, durable and non-toxic. This all-purpose cookware can boil, bake and sauté your foods. Many cooks prefer stainless steel because of its shine and beauty and its easy care. It also cooks evenly, maintains heat well and doesn’t react with acidic foods.
- Cast iron is renowned for how well it maintains heat, making it ideal for certain applications like searing steak. However, its thermal conductivity makes it heat slowly and unevenly and can take some getting used to when first incorporating it into your cookware routine. Cast iron is virtually indestructible; continued use only improves its functionality.
- Nonstick cookware is great for beginners or for those who aren’t confident in their cooking skills. These cookware items are easy to clean, often wiping up with a quick swipe of a soapy dishcloth. However, nonstick cookware isn’t as durable as stainless steel and cast iron, and it can be scratched if used with a metal kitchen tool.
- Copper cookware is generally considered to be best for experienced cooks and professionals. It conducts heat well, is responsive and cooks evenly. However, it loses heat quickly. Copper is pricy and is a bit high maintenance: if you purchase copper cookware, there will be hand-washing and polishing in the future.
- Ceramic cookware can either be 100% ceramic or ceramic-coated. The latter is crafted with stainless steel or aluminum cores and is coated with a ceramic nonstick material. These types of cookware pieces are nontoxic, lightweight alternatives to nonstick pans, which may contain PFOA and PFAS materials that have been shown to pose health risks. Ceramic cookware is easy to clean and affordable. However, not all ceramic cookware is oven-safe and may require special care to prevent chips and discoloration.