How to Shop for the Best Stainless Steel Cookware - Made In
How to Shop for the Best Stainless Steel Cookware - Made In
If you asked us to build a kitchen setup from scratch, we can say for certain that stainless steel would be one of the first pieces added. Wonderfully versatile, long-lasting, and relatively low-maintenance, a great piece of stainless steel cookware is well worth the investment. But with the sheer number of stainless steel products—and huge range of prices—on offer, how do you choose the best one?
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Allow us to be your stainless steel guides. As producers of Award-Winning Stainless Clad Cookware, we know what makes for quality construction. From the types of metals used, to why a fully-clad pan is the best choice, here’s how to shop for your new stainless steel cookware.
What are the Benefits of Stainless Steel Cookware?
At its very best, stainless steel cookware is a joy to cook with—not only is it a great conductor of heat, but it’s highly durable and long-lasting as well.
Durability and Longevity
Not all stainless steel is created equal. Stainless steel cookware made from 18/10 Stainless Steel—the highest grade—is particularly strong and durable, due to the higher percentage of chromium mixed in.
Non-Reactive Surface
Stainless steel—especially high-grade stainless steel—is a non-reactive material, meaning that it’s more resistant to corrosion and rust than other types of metals.
This also means that your cookware won’t react with acidic ingredients like tomatoes or wine, which can produce metallic flavors in cast iron, carbon steel, or other reactive cookware materials.
Easy Maintenance
Cleaning stainless steel is fairly straightforward. Unlike materials like carbon steel or unfinished cast iron, you won’t need to worry about stripping the seasoning or scratching the coating (though you can scratch the finish with sharp-edged utensils or using a knife to cut ingredients in the pan). And you can pretty much always restore stainless to its original shiny finish, no matter how grimy or burnt-looking it is when you're done cooking.
Excellent Heat Distribution and Retention
While stainless steel is not a great conductor of heat on its own, stainless steel that’s “cladded,” or layered with more conductive metals like aluminum, conducts heat extremely well. This cladding also helps with heat retention and distribution, so your pan won’t develop hot spots or cook your food unevenly.
Key Stainless Steel Features to Consider
Here are a few key indicators of quality that can help you when shopping for the best stainless steel cookware.
Material Quality and Grade
As we touched on earlier, stainless steel comes in a range of different grades. The highest, 18/10, indicates a higher ratio of chromium to nickel, which not only makes for a more durable pan, but one that’s oven-safe as well—a huge reason why stainless is so commonly found in restaurant kitchens. Stainless steel also comes in other grades, such as 18/8.
Most high-quality stainless cookware also works on induction stoves. Make sure to look for the phrase “induction-compatible” on the packaging, or for the induction symbol, which looks like a coil of wire.
Cookware Ply
You’ll typically see stainless pots and pans described as “3-Ply” or “5-Ply.” The “ply” of a pan means that the steel has been layered with more conductive metals like aluminum—for example, each piece in our Stainless Clad Collection is cladded with pure aluminum, aluminum alloy, and 18/10 stainless steel. The number associated with ply indicates how many layers have been cladded together—in our case, 5.
5-ply stainless makes for a durable piece of cookware that’s more resistant to warping and dents and does a stellar job of distributing heat.
Handles and Lids
A stainless steel pot or pan should have a sturdy, comfortable handle, as well as a “helper handle” for larger sauciers and saute pans. Because stainless cookware often sits on the stove for extended periods, handles and lids can get dangerously hot—that’s why we added a Stay Cool Handle™ to our Stainless Clad Collection for an extra layer of safety.
How to Choose the Best Stainless Steel Cookware
Now you know what goes into a quality piece of stainless cookware, here’s how to shore up all that information with your budget and cooking needs.
Consider Your Cooking Style and Needs
Stainless steel is compatible with a wide range of cooking methods: use it to sear, stir-fry, braise, or even grill. For that reason, you don’t have to be a seasoned cook to justify bringing a piece of stainless into the mix. Plus, a great piece of stainless cookware can help level up your home cooking game.
That being said, you should absolutely invest in stainless steel if you do a lot of searing or other high heat cooking, which is where stainless steel excels.
Quality Indicators
A high-quality stainless steel pan should always have these basic traits.
- Made from high-grade stainless steel, ideally 18/10, which indicates a stronger, more durable material.
- Cladded with metals like aluminum for better heat conduction and distribution.
- Oven-safe and induction-compatible.
Budget Considerations
Stainless steel cookware tends toward the pricier side compared to other materials—especially for high-quality options. For a stainless clad frying pan or pot that’ll last you decades (if not a lifetime), you can expect to pay upwards of $100, and at least $200 for something like a stock pot.
If budget is a big concern, you can get a decent-quality stainless steel frying pan for about $50. You may not get quite the same level of polish, performance, or permanence, but you’ll still get to enjoy the great heat retention and durability of stainless steel.
For more information, please visit steel clad.
Stainless Steel Maintenance and Care Tips
Caring for stainless steel cookware isn’t nearly as tricky as you might think, especially if you're new to stainless. Here’s everything you need to know about proper care, cleaning, and storage to keep your stainless steel in tip-top shape.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Cookware
One of the great things about stainless steel cookware is that it’s fairly easy to keep clean. While more prone to sticking than materials like non stick, stainless steel pots and pans don’t have a coating or layers of seasoning to worry about—so you can get a little rough with them.
Here’s our guide to cleaning stainless steel cookware, depending on the degree of mess. You can also read up on how to prevent (and fix) a common rainbow stains cosmetic issue—aka heat tint.
How to Store Stainless Steel Cookware
Since stainless steel is both rust- and corrosion-resistant, you don’t have to worry as much about storage. Just make sure to place a Pan Protector, dish towel, or trivet between your pans if you plan on stacking on them, in order to prevent scratches. After each wash, make sure to immediately and thoroughly dry your pans with a microfiber cloth to prevent water spots.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even something as durable as stainless steel has its pitfalls. While these tend to be mainly aesthetic issues, such as stains, scratches, and heat tint, they’re also easy to avoid.
First off: Try to avoid abrasive cleaning products (such as bleach-based cleaners), steel wool, and harsh brushes when cleaning your pot or pan, as these can scratch the finish.
Second, always make sure to hand wash your pan. Even if your pan is labeled as dishwasher-safe, the harsh detergents can cause scratches and discoloration, as well as damage the aluminum layers in your pan—particularly if those layers are slightly exposed, like in our Stainless Clad cookware.
Thirdly, always make sure to salt your pan after heating it: Adding salt to a cold pan, or to water before it’s boiling can lead to tiny divots in your pan known as pitting. While these don’t affect your pan’s performance, they can’t be removed. Read up on how to avoid pitting in our dedicated guide.
Ready to Shop?
A good piece of stainless steel cookware will never let you down. And because we’ve seen everything this durable, versatile cookware can do—from searing a perfect steak to simmering chicken stock—we want to make sure you’re buying the best one.
Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon - Chefknivestogo Forums
Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
What are the advantages of a pure carbon knife over a stainless clad carbon knife?In theory, it seems like stainless clad carbon makes the most sense since it has a strong carbon edge with stainless protection against reactivity.
But a lot of my Japanese chef friends seem to prefer pure carbon knives, without ever providing a clear reason other than better "feeling."
What, if any, reasons might exist for someone to choose a non-stainless clad carbon knife?
Thanks,
Andrew
Mark Richmond
Co-Owner Chefknivestogo
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/newarrivals.html
Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
I agree with Andrew. My uninformed opinion is the iron cladding is iron because it was readily available, easy to work with and cheap. Now it's just "the way".Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
Stainless cladding has an inorganic feel on the stones when thinning it also does not always polish up as well as iron cladding or at least that has been my experience. Typically, though, the advantages to stainless outweigh the disadvantages if stain resistance is important to you. I don't find iron cladding, in a home setting, to be an issue as once a patina sets in there is no longer an issue with reactivity or staining.Honestly I prefer mono carbon for a number of reasons. Sure, a full thinning of the grind is not as easy but everything else I prefer. It takes a nice patina but is not wicked reactive, it feels organic on the stones, it sharpens up easily and it resonates better when it hits the board. Rather it has better tactile and audible feedback when cutting than clad knives, which sound and feel slightly dampened, to me. This is not a huge thing, though, and the difference is small.
Regardless, for me the question is really "What makes someone look at cladding as a reason to buy a knife"? It is the last thing I look at. Profile, length and many other things are much more important to me as opposed to what the knife is or isn't clad with.
Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
I've read it's easier to thin a knife clad in soft iron vs stainless, this may explain why more convex edged knives seem to be fully reactive or at least monosteel. I like watching patina change over time, there is something beautiful about an ugly old carbon. From a learning standpoint, a fully reactive blade will force the user into better cleaning habits as well as provide more opportunities for minor upkeep if the user wants to keep it looking shiny and new.Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
In my experience, a polished stainless cladding scratches more readily and can sometimes clog up stones quicker when thinning. I wouldn't say I have an iron cladding bias, but I only have 1 stainless clad knife at the moment, but it's one of my favorites. I also have an all stainless that I take camping for meal prep. I can't tell a difference in feel, but I like the way a reactive clad knife patinas.Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
I like mono carbon too. It's a shame there isn't more high end wa stuff out there. Sakai lasers and masamoto KS are like the only choices between $200-$600 out there as far a jknives go.Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
you can bend a clad knife and it will stay bent...a fully hardened mono steel blade will spring back to straight... definitely a different feel. Tim JohnsonOxford, MA
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”
--s. suzuki
Web: http://www.timothyjohnsonknives.com
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Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
The advantages of fully reactive knives are small, but noticeable as others already decribed. Slightly better tactile feel, easier thinning. They also force a user into learning better care as jmc noted. Again, though, small differences.I have fully reactive, clad, semistainless and stainless knives. My favorite knive is fully reactive, but my second favorite gyuto is stainless clad W#1 and my third favorite is a ginsan stainless. I think everyone should have a carbon edged knife and one stainless.
Sometimes I pick a knife because I want easier care on that particular day. Yet by and large I pick a knife to use for reasons other than easy care. What I am cutting ... what profile I need to best handle the tasks at hand ... or maybe I just want to use my purtiest knife. Jeffry B
Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
Organized wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 12:02 pm I like mono carbon too. It's a shame there isn't more high end wa stuff out there. Sakai lasers and masamoto KS are like the only choices between $200-$600 out there as far a jknives go.Yeah, I wish there were more options too. Tons of those misono/masamoto like mono carbons out there. All seem to be heavily asymmetric on grind and edge and fairly thick from the spine to the edge, too. Not much on the upper end without going custom western or Honyaki. Honyaki might be the route I take and sooner rather than later. I like my 180 Watanabe well enough that I have been thinking about going that route.
Re: Carbon Steel vs Stainless Clad Carbon
The company is the world’s best cladded plate supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
I have not studied the issue, but everything I have read suggests that - from a blacksmith's perspective - working with a stainless cladding is categorically different than working with an iron cladding.Since I don't study smithing, I don't know, but I would guess that this is because iron is MUCH closer to "carbon" in terms of how it reacts to heat than stainless. This means that, when treating the knife, the temperatures that are required to properly treat the inside are still somewhat in sync with those of the cladding, which means you can use your eyes to do the heat treatment. With stainless, I would guess that the temperature differential is quite an obstacle in all sorts of ways, which is why some master smiths have reported spending years learning how to do stainless claddings after doing carbon ones for decades—they are clearly worlds apart (remember that it is not just about heat-treating the core, but also the cladding, because the two must match enough to avoid warping during the process). I also think this may have something to do with why more stainless knives seem to be made using prefabricated billets, and others (such as some Sukenari stainless) are sent out for "professional" heat treatment probably using machines with precise temperature control rather than doing it using more traditional methods.
That said, I am not a traditionalist. I agree with the sentiments above: if there were a demand for stainless 400 years ago, the smiths would have mastered stainless and that is what we'd see now. But there wasn't for a variety of reasons, not least because stainless wasn't a thing, period. Now, you see stainless all over the place, and I venture that it is getting better and better, because that is what is in demand, and the Japanese culture, even at its most traditional, is not beyond the idea of demand or of judging mastery according to the dictates of taste, not science. I see no reason to think that a stainless cladding would necessarily be inferior at this point, and I can honestly say that the best heat treatment I have every experienced (a Nubatama) is a stainless-clad knife that I assume is forged using entirely traditional methods. So, to claim that iron cladding is "better" because it is more traditional or because it is "easier" or more in-line with the core is not my intention. But I do think most smiths have traditionally been trained on iron when working with carbon core, and for that reason, I do believe that most of the better clad carbon knives from older smiths at this time are probably iron clad (Ikeda, Konosuke Fujiyama, Kato, Doi, virtually all high-end slicers, so on and so forth...). But I also think that may change in the near future... ~J
Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and have tried dozens of brands over the years.