{"id":42861,"date":"2022-11-03T03:20:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T03:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ceramiccookwarehub.com\/?p=42861"},"modified":"2023-04-05T05:51:31","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T05:51:31","slug":"ceramic-vs-stainless-steel-cookware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceramiccookwarehub.com\/ceramic-vs-stainless-steel-cookware\/","title":{"rendered":"Ceramic Vs Stainless Steel Cookware Made Simple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Stainless steel cookware is one of the most popular on the market when it comes to all-round cooking. How does ceramic cookware compare to using stainless steel? Here’s what to know, made simple…<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you were to buy a replacement set, what’s best to get, ceramic or stainless steel? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Read on for the details…<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s no metal in pure ceramic cookware. It’s one of the oldest forms of cookware and is therefore a tried and tested medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pure ceramic cookware is made from clay, molded and then fired in high heat furnaces. <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n See my article on how ceramic cookware is made<\/a> for a deeper dive into ceramic cookware manufacturer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To avoid confusion: This article is about pure (100%) ceramic cookware compared to stainless steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples of 100% ceramic cookware brands:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stainless steel is an alloy made chiefly of chromium and nickel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chromium (Cr) has an atomic number of 24 with a relative atomic mass of 51.996 while Nickel (Ni) has an atomic number of 28 with a relative atomic mass of 58.693. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like iron<\/a> and copper<\/a>, both chromium and nickel are ‘transition metals’ which are malleable and ductile and conduct heat to varying degrees (Gray, 2012<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chromium and nickel both contribute to rust-resistance but nickel contributes to the shine in the stainless steel makeup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n History: <\/strong>Stainless steel is a fairly modern resource for cookware. It was first produced in 1913 (Great Plains Stainless<\/a> 2018) and was originally called “rustless steel”. It started off as an iron and chromium alloy but by the 1920’s chromium and nickel were being experimented with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cookware made of stainless steel include these designs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The multi-ply or cladded type usually have a core of copper or aluminum sandwiched between outer layers of stainless steel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take for example Made In<\/em>‘s range. The cooking surface is 18\/10, which is 304 food-grade stainless steel. The numbers indicate the ratio of chromium to nickel in the product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The 430 layer is 18\/0 stainless steel, meaning it has no nickel. It is all chromium. Unlike the food-grade one, this stainless steel is magnetic since chromium has unique magnetic properties<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Having this 430 layer in the base makes the cookware suitable for induction cooktops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some brands of stainless steel cookware are nickel-free all over. This is the 21\/0 type that I cover in my ultimate guide to buying stainless steel cookware<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Low chromium stainless steel is one to avoid as it is prone to corrode and leach metals into foods when cooking with the likes of tomatoes and lemons and other acidic foods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fun fact: Did you know there are over 100 grades of stainless steel?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cost<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can go on Amazon and get a straight out stainless steel skillet that’s far less expensive than a 100% ceramic skillet<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ceramic is non-compatible with induction cooking<\/a>. Whereas certain stainless steel cookware have a layer with ferrous or other magnetic material in its composition to make it suitable for an induction cooktop<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Handling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ceramic weighs similar to stainless steel depending on the cladding and layers involved. Multi-ply stainless steel is heavier than single layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stainless steel can discolor, however. See my article on how to remedy this<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ceramic can crack if dropped or mishandled, including thermal shock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a good idea to hand wash ceramic and then hand dry. Putting ceramic through the dishwasher will risk damage from knocks in the dishwasher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both materials can be disposed at facilities for recycling cookwares<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both materials display low thermal conductivity compared to aluminum or copper, although stainless steel is higher than pure ceramic (see table). <\/p>\n\n\n\nAbout ceramic cookware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
About stainless steel cookware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
How ceramic and stainless steel cookware differ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How they are similar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n