Whether you're a seasoned home chef or just starting out, there’s nothing more important than having quality tools in your kitchen. But before you start shopping, it’s essential to understand the differences between the types of cookware available.
Here, we’ll be focusing on the differences between ceramic and stainless steel cookware, two popular materials beloved by home chefs. Let’s dive in.
Understanding Ceramic Cookware
Ceramic cookware doesn’t refer to earthenware pots and pans that are fired in a kiln, but those constructed from metal and coated with a layer of silicon gel that mimics the no-stick properties of non stick cookware. This allows for an easy release of food, and is becoming an increasingly popular option over traditional coated non stick pans.
In practice, ceramic cookware differs wildly from brand to brand depending on the materials used during the manufacturing process. We've found that some brands (like the ones touting colorful pans on social media) wear out quickly due to using inferior materials like aluminum, or being advertised as high-heat capable when they're not.
Not all ceramic pans are bad—you just need to be cautious while shopping to ensure you're getting one that will last you longer than a handful of months.
What Is Stainless Steel Cookware?
A blend of various metal elements, including steel, carbon, and chromium, stainless steel cookware offers superior durability, heat conduction, and resistance to rust, stains, and corrosion. As a result, it's known to be a preferred choice for professional chefs worldwide.
Cladded cookware is a popular subtype of stainless steel cookware, where layers of different metals are combined to deliver exceptional performance and heat distribution (hence the name of our Stainless Clad Collection). The core of our Stainless Clad line is aluminum and aluminum alloy, but the outer stainless steel cladding ensures that each piece is induction compatible.
Ceramic vs. Stainless: Which Is Better?
Stainless cookware is preferred by both home and professional chefs, while ceramic has remained mostly an at-home cookware option. Here's why.
Appearance
While ceramic pots and pans may win when it comes to their unique color palette, stainless steel cookware offers a sleek, timeless aesthetic that fits in with a variety of kitchen décor. More importantly, stainless steel maintains its shine and luster over time, unlike ceramic, which is known to fade or discolor with age.
Construction and Materials
With its high-quality metal alloys, providing excellent heat distribution and durability, stainless steel is known for its superior construction, whether 18/8 or 18/10 construction.
Certain ceramic brands, on the other hand, can suffer from uneven heating and a lower level of durability over time thanks to the self-sacrificing nature of the silicon-based coating.
Cooking Applications and Experience
Stainless steel provides an incredibly versatile cooking experience suitable for a range of methods, recipes, and beyond. While ceramic cookware is easy to clean and non stick, its heat limitations and lack of durability can have an impact on its uses in the kitchen.
Durability and Longevity
When it comes to durability and longevity, stainless steel takes the cake. It's both easy to care for and highly resistant to chips, cracks, and wear and tear, while ceramic cookware is more delicate and needs to be treated with the same care as non stick to preserve the coating.
Most ceramic cookware is only known to last just a few years at most, while stainless steel can last several decades (or longer—there’s a reason these are often referred to as the workhorses of home and professional kitchens).
Ready to Shop?
While ceramic cookware may look pretty, it doesn't hold a candle to the reliability, performance, and safety that stainless steel cookware offers. Investing in high-quality stainless steel cookware is a decision that will certainly elevate your cooking and pay off for years to come.
We offer a range of premium Stainless Steel Cookware designed for exceptional cooking performance in both professional and home kitchens. Be sure to check out our variety of stainless pieces, built to last.
