The Disadvantages of Stainless Steel Cookware

Conductivity

• Compared to other cookware materials, stainless steel is a poor conductor of heat. Set a stainless steel pan, a cast-iron pan and a copper pan over heat at the same time. The copper pot will heat first, followed by the cast-iron and finally the stainless steel in a distant third. The copper heats 25 times faster and the iron heats three times faster than the steel, according to "The Science of Good Food: The Ultimate Reference on How Cooking Works." Choosing cladded stainless steel cookware with a layer of aluminum or copper in the middle of the steel enhances the conductivity of the pot, resulting in faster heating.

Pitting

• Stainless steel resists stains and scratches, but its surface can be pitted or show white spots with extended exposure to salt. Pitted stainless steel will be more likely to cause food to stick to it, so if you notice pitting on the cooking surface, discard the pan.

Scorching

• Stainless steel cookware's poor conductivity increases the chances of hot spots developing. These are places on the cookware that unevenly cook the food. Scorching of food is likely in pans made only of stainless steel. Cladded pans reduce the likelihood of scorching by eliminating hot spots. If you opt for stainless steel with a bottom core of copper or aluminum, choose a core that extends up the sides to avoid hot spots and scorching on the inside of the pan.

Sticking

• With stainless steel cookware, you get what you pay for. Cheap stainless steel pots and pans will likely have tiny pits in the metal that are almost invisible to the naked eye. Though miniscule, these pits will cause food to stick to the pan as you cook it. Combined with hot spots inherent in this metal and you will find cooking without burning difficult. More expensive cladded stainless steel is constructed with a tighter metal without pits and is less likely to stick. For delicate foods such as omelets or fish, opt for a nonstick pan.