Stainless Steel Cookware With Aluminium Core

[johns74]

What are the pros and cons of stainless steel cookware with aluminium core?

Some prefer the aluminium core because it's heated more evenly. Apparently though the famous magnet test doesn't work if there is an aluminium core.

*mods, please move this thread to the cookware subforum*

 

[jyb]

For my information, why would you care about a cookware being more evenly heated? I went to the local cookware shop the other day and noticed that all the fancy steel/aluminium cookware were much more expensive than the pyrex/glass cookware. Since the latter won't leach any iron/nickel/aluminium/teflon etc for sure, it didn't take me long to buy it. I doubt I would ever see any difference with things being slightly more evenly heated, I cook steak and slowcook gelatinous beef cuts.

 

[johns74]

Ok, so if you're making french fries, do you think it'll be fine?

Maybe you're right, maybe that's the one I should get instead.

 

[jyb]

In the past I tried frying some potato bits in coconut oil. But it never came out as crispy french fries, more like regular potatoes with a slight crisp. It's easier if you have a proper fries cookware. Maybe a pan if its very deep and with some thingy to dive the fries in the hot oil quick enough for the browning to occur and without you getting burnt by oil splashes.

 

[schultz]

Apparently though the famous magnet test doesn't work if there is an aluminium core.

I don't think this is true. I have thick copper cookware with an incredibly thin (8 thousandths of an inch) steel lining on the inside and a magnet sticks to it.

For my information, why would you care about a cookware being more evenly heated?

It more evenly heats the food. This is especially important for things that require a very specific temperature or when you don't want to scald a sauce. Bad quality cookware could create hot spots that burn something like a sauce on the bottom of a pot. Thick copper or aluminum will distribute the heat up the side of the pot warming the entire sauce or whatever it is you are cooking.

Another benefit is to copper and aluminum (and someone can correct me because I may be making this up) is that once it is taken off the burner it loses its heat very quickly but also absorbs heat quickly once put back on. So if you are about to burn something you can remove the pan or pot and save the thing from overcooking. You can also adjust the heat by simply raising the pot off the burning and hold it in midair above the flame. Also, when you throw a steak on there and the steak cools the pan, the pan will heat back up quickly! I used to use a cast iron pan and once it was hot it would stay that way from like half an hour. It held heat for a long time

 

[johns74]

schultz, do you happen to have a link to your brand/product?

Any difference between copper or aluminium core stainless steel?

 

[BingDing]

There is a thread about cookware here. Aluminum has better heat transfer than copper in tri-clad pots. 18/10 means 10% nickel, and is non-magnetic. A lot of clad pots have 18/10 inside and 18/0 on the outside, the magnetic outside makes it work with induction cook tops. I looked a lot and didn't find a single clad type cookware with 18/0 inside.

 

[schultz]

http://www.debuyer.com/

If you're going to get one with a core that is clad on both sides with steel I would go with aluminum because it's cheaper. I like the look of copper though but didn't want tin on the inside because it's more maintenance and steel is better at browning meats. My favourite is a saute pan with 4 inch sides and it's awesome! I use it basically as a frying pan but you can also use it like a dutch oven. Pretty slick!