Cookware materials head to head
Quick answer
How two materials differ in conductivity, heat retention and response, with the numbers behind it. There are 28 tables in this set, each one worked through for a specific combination rather than described in general terms.
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Tri-ply stainless clad vs bare cast iron
Tri-ply stainless clad spreads heat faster: its aluminium core conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 52 for bare cast iron.
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Tri-ply stainless clad vs carbon steel
Tri-ply stainless clad spreads heat faster: its aluminium core conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 50 for carbon steel. They hold heat about equally (medium).
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Tri-ply stainless clad vs enamelled cast iron
Tri-ply stainless clad spreads heat faster: its aluminium core conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 52 for the iron body of enamelled cast iron.
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Tri-ply stainless clad vs PTFE nonstick
Neither spreads heat faster.
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Tri-ply stainless clad vs bare or anodised aluminium
Neither spreads heat faster.
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Tri-ply stainless clad vs lined copper
Lined copper spreads heat faster: its copper body conducts at about 401 W/m-K against 237 for the aluminium core of tri-ply stainless clad.
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Tri-ply stainless clad vs plain stainless steel
Tri-ply stainless clad spreads heat faster: its aluminium core conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 16 for plain stainless steel.
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Bare cast iron vs carbon steel
They spread heat at much the same rate, about 52 against 50 W/m-K, which is too close to matter in a pan. Bare cast iron holds heat better (very high against medium).
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Bare cast iron vs enamelled cast iron
Neither spreads heat faster. Bare cast iron and the iron body of enamelled cast iron both conduct at about 52 W/m-K, so the difference between them lies elsewhere.
- Cookware
Bare cast iron vs PTFE nonstick
PTFE nonstick spreads heat faster: its aluminium body conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 52 for bare cast iron. Bare cast iron holds heat better (very high against low).
- Cookware
Bare cast iron vs bare or anodised aluminium
Bare or anodised aluminium spreads heat faster, conducting at about 237 W/m-K against 52 for bare cast iron. Bare cast iron holds heat better (very high against low).
- Cookware
Bare cast iron vs lined copper
Lined copper spreads heat faster: its copper body conducts at about 401 W/m-K against 52 for bare cast iron. Bare cast iron holds heat better (very high against medium).
- Cookware
Bare cast iron vs plain stainless steel
Bare cast iron spreads heat faster, conducting at about 52 W/m-K against 16 for plain stainless steel. Bare cast iron holds heat better (very high against low).
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Carbon steel vs enamelled cast iron
They spread heat at much the same rate, about 50 against 52 W/m-K, which is too close to matter in a pan.
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Carbon steel vs PTFE nonstick
PTFE nonstick spreads heat faster: its aluminium body conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 50 for carbon steel. Carbon steel holds heat better (medium against low).
- Cookware
Carbon steel vs bare or anodised aluminium
Bare or anodised aluminium spreads heat faster, conducting at about 237 W/m-K against 50 for carbon steel. Carbon steel holds heat better (medium against low).
- Cookware
Carbon steel vs lined copper
Lined copper spreads heat faster: its copper body conducts at about 401 W/m-K against 50 for carbon steel. They hold heat about equally (medium).
- Cookware
Carbon steel vs plain stainless steel
Carbon steel spreads heat faster, conducting at about 50 W/m-K against 16 for plain stainless steel. Carbon steel holds heat better (medium against low).
- Cookware
Enamelled cast iron vs PTFE nonstick
PTFE nonstick spreads heat faster: its aluminium body conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 52 for the iron body of enamelled cast iron.
- Cookware
Enamelled cast iron vs bare or anodised aluminium
Bare or anodised aluminium spreads heat faster, conducting at about 237 W/m-K against 52 for the iron body of enamelled cast iron.
- Cookware
Enamelled cast iron vs lined copper
Lined copper spreads heat faster: its copper body conducts at about 401 W/m-K against 52 for the iron body of enamelled cast iron.
- Cookware
Enamelled cast iron vs plain stainless steel
Enamelled cast iron spreads heat faster: its iron body conducts at about 52 W/m-K against 16 for plain stainless steel.
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PTFE nonstick vs bare or anodised aluminium
Neither spreads heat faster. The aluminium body of PTFE nonstick and bare aluminium both conduct at about 237 W/m-K, so the difference between them lies elsewhere.
- Cookware
PTFE nonstick vs lined copper
Lined copper spreads heat faster: its copper body conducts at about 401 W/m-K against 237 for the aluminium body of PTFE nonstick.
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PTFE nonstick vs plain stainless steel
PTFE nonstick spreads heat faster: its aluminium body conducts at about 237 W/m-K against 16 for plain stainless steel. They hold heat about equally (low).
- Cookware
Bare or anodised aluminium vs lined copper
Lined copper spreads heat faster: its copper body conducts at about 401 W/m-K against 237 for bare aluminium. Lined copper holds heat better (medium against low).
- Cookware
Bare or anodised aluminium vs plain stainless steel
Bare or anodised aluminium spreads heat faster, conducting at about 237 W/m-K against 16 for plain stainless steel. They hold heat about equally (low).
- Cookware
Lined copper vs plain stainless steel
Lined copper spreads heat faster: its copper body conducts at about 401 W/m-K against 16 for plain stainless steel. Lined copper holds heat better (medium against low).
Common questions
Where do these figures come from?
Every number on these pages is calculated from the same material properties and published manufacturer specifications that the calculators use, so the two can never disagree. Each page is labelled as resting on either a published standard or a kitchen convention, and where no defensible figure exists the page says so rather than inventing one.
Why are there so many of these pages?
Because the useful answer is almost always specific. A page that tells you what size pan four seared portions need is far more useful than a page about pan sizing in general, and there are genuinely that many combinations worth working through. Each one carries its own worked table rather than a generic one.
Are the prices on these pages current?
Product prices come from live retailer data at build time and they move constantly, which is why every product card carries that warning rather than presenting a figure as fixed. The calculated figures, meaning areas, capacities, temperatures and hardness, do not change.
