COOKWARE MATERIALS — ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT CAST IRON, STAINLESS STEEL, ALUMINUM AND COATINGS
When choosing cookware, do you also use the material your pots and pans are made of as a guide? Then you’ll find a good guide here, as we explain which properties the different materials have and which advantages they bring. So you’ll be able to choose the right cookware material for your favorite dishes and maybe find a couple of favorites in our wide range of cookware products.
A ZWILLING product range that is quite large, but that can be directly divided into three smaller areas of material knowledge: 18/10 stainless steel, cast iron and aluminum. These are the substances that cookware dreams are made of, and between which your can choose when buying cookware from us. Now we’ll make the choice a little easier for you, by introducing you to the materials and their properties.
The basic raw materials of cookware made of 18/10 stainless steel are iron, chrome and nickel. Stainless steel is an alloy, a mixture of different elements, where 10% of the alloy is nickel and 18% chrome hence the name. While nickel ensures that the material is easy to shape during production and is also taste-neutral, chrome gives the material its high corrosion resistance. You can enjoy these properties with our products from ZWILLING and DEMEYERE.
The most important advantage of cookware from 18/10 stainless steel:
- superb corrosion resistance
- very robust
- easy to care for
SELECTED COOKWARE MADE OF 18/10 STAINLESS STEEL
Common to much of ZWILLING’s cookware is an aluminum core as this material has superb thermal conductivity and storage properties. The cookware from our BALLARINI brand uses even more aluminum – which, by the way, is also considered a pioneer in the field of coated pans. These products give pleasure through their special aluminum alloy, through rapid heat absorption when heating the cookware, thus ensuring energy-efficient cooking. In addition they are coated, which makes them real all-rounders in the kitchen.
The most important advantage of cookware made of aluminum:
- superb thermal conductivity
- Lightweight
SELECTED COOKWARE MADE OF ALUMINUM
Our STAUB brand is a specialist in cast iron cookware, in which you can conjure up French classics such as coq au vin or beef bourgignon, but also all your favorite dishes. The “magic formula” is in the special iron material, that has a particularly high carbon content. When cooking or stewing in cast iron pots — also called Dutch ovens or cocottes — the material’s properties are reflected in the particularly aromatic dishes. In addition, cocottes score points with energy-efficient preparation, good heat conduction and storage, even when serving on the table, and as durable, long-lasting products.
The most important advantage of cookware made of cast iron:
- very aromatic, nutrient-rich dishes
- extremely robust
- durable
SELECTED COOKWARE MADE OF CAST IRON
Regardless of the base material, it is not uncommon for coatings to be needed for really complete cookware. Coatings prevent, among other things, food from sticking to the bottom of the cookware. There are also material differences here. In our cookware product range you can choose between three basic types of coating.
This widespread type of coating is based on fluoropolymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), extremely low-friction and heat-resistant plastics that have been on the market and on non-stick coated cookware for decades.
Ceramic coatings are impressive with their extremely high resistance to mechanical loads. Ceramic coatings should only be heated up to 200 °C, otherwise they lose their non-stick properties.
See also: Heating cookware correctly
An enamel coating is similar to a ceramic coating in many respects. With ZWILLING cookware, it is made from glass and is exceedingly scratch-resistant, smooth and non-porous. An enamel coating seals the cookware and can be manufactured in different colors. In daily use, the enamel coating is characterized not only by its high scratch resistance but also - like all coatings - by its neutral taste.
