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 What
is Stainless Steel? |
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Here comes the science bit!
Stainless steel is an alloy. An alloy is a combination
of two or more metals. The two that we need to know
about are here are chromium and nickel.
Before it can be called Stainless Steel, the alloy must
consist of at least 11% chromium. It is the chromium
which gives the stainless steel cookware its durability
and resistance to both rust and corrosion.
Nickel also gives extra protection from rust, makes the
alloy hard and gives it a high shine.
Copper Bottom Stainless Steel
Although stainless
steel has a host of positive features it does need to be
pointed out that is not a good transmitter of heat.
Although it is a great material for searing, it requires
a copper base to ensure even cooking without hot spots.
This is why most stainless cooking sets come with a
thick layer of copper or aluminum at the bottom of the
pan. This layer eliminates the uneven heating problem
while preserving the overall durability and versatility
of the cookware.
When you are ready to buy a stainless steel cooking set,
check that the conductive layer on the pots are thick –
multiple layers are even better.
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Isn’t All This Metal Bad For Me?
- It is thought
that leaving acidic or salty food in a stainless steel
container or pan for a long time may cause some elements to
leach out from the stainless steel. The same can be said
for cleaning it with a metal pad. Both of these would also
eventually cause pitting which would compromise the durable
surface.
- Chromium is
actually beneficial to health in small amounts. The safe
amount to intake is between 50 and 200 micrograms a day. One
meal cooked in stainless steel cookware would give you about
45 micrograms – well within the safe range.
- You would need
to cook four full meals a day, totally in stainless steel,
for it to come even close to causing potential adverse side
effects.
- Scientific
studies have shown that the amount of nickel ingested from
stainless steel cookware is negligible.
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What is 18/10 Cookware? |
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Stainless steel pots and pans often have numbers such as
18/8 or 18/10 imprinted on the base. This is an
indication of the mix of metals that go into the steel
alloy.
The metal is actually iron blended with chromium and
nickel. The first number indicates the amount of
chromium in the mix, and the second refers to the amount
of nickel. In both cases, the higher the number, the
better the steel.
CHECKLIST:
• Always buy the best that you can afford – anything
else is false economy.
• You can use slightly lower quality for oven cooking
since the pan will be inside the even heat of the oven –
but always go for best quality for stovetop cooking.
LOOK FOR:
• Minimum grade of 18/8 but 18/10 is even better
• Lifetime guarantee
• Metal handles
• Heavy, heat diffusing base
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