Quick Course in Restaurant Cookware:

New pots and pans for the commercial kitchen can cost anywhere from $15-$50 each, depending upon the type of pan.  But not only do your restaurant’s pots affect your pocketbook—they also affect the flavor of your food.  Each type of restaurant cookware construction offers different benefits:

Cast iron is a very heavy choice of material.  It heats slowly, but cooks evenly and holds its heat for a long time.  It can also withstand very high temperatures, but requires a bit of upkeep.  Cast iron pans need to be seasoned before use and have to be washed and dried carefully to avoid rust.  Also, cast iron is a slightly reactive metal and can have chemical reactions with highly acidic foods.

Cast iron can also be found with an enamel coating.  An enameled cast iron pot or pan does not need to be seasoned, but is not able to handle the high temperatures of standard cast iron cookware.  Because of the enamel coating, however, it is easier to clean and can be found in various colors.

Stainless steel—unlike cast iron—is virtually immune to corrosion and is simple to care for.  It is very strong and is not a reactive metal, so you don’t need to worry about a stainless steel pan tainting the flavor of your favorite dish.  However, stainless steel is not a great conductor.  For that reason, many stainless steel pots and pans have a copper or aluminum core in the bottom.  The more copper or aluminum in the pan, the better heat transfer you will have.

Like stainless steel restaurant cookware, carbon steel (also called mild steel) cookware is not great and conducting heat, and like cast iron, it should be seasoned before use.  Some types of pans, however, are well suited to carbon steel (like woks and paella pans).  It is a strong material that can be safely heated to very high temperatures.

Aluminum is lightweight and it is a good heat conductor, but not all aluminums are created equal.  It is a reactive metal that can damage the taste of acidic or alkaline foods.  To protect food, some aluminum cookware is coated on the inside with a less reactive material such as an anodized coating or stainless steel.  (This is similar to stainless steel cookware that has an aluminum core, but in this cookware, the aluminum covers the entire outside of the pot or pan.)  Anodized aluminum requires a bit more careful washing to avoid damaging the finish, but provides the added benefit of being a nonstick surface.

Besides being a dazzling color, copper provides excellent conductivity and very even heating; unfortunately, it is a highly reactive metal and has to be “clad” (coated) with something more food-friendly to make it safe for cooking.  This coating is often a tin, silver, or stainless steel.  This coating (especially tin) might need to be replaced during the life of the pot or pan.  Copper pots and pans work well in high-heat conditions, but require vigilant care to prevent corrosion.  (The metal even interacts with the air!)   

Teflon (and similar nonstick coatings) is often applied to metal pots and pans.  Though nonstick-coated cookware cannot be heated to very high temperatures, it is easy to clean and protects food from burning.  Care must be taken not to damage the coating with metal utensils when cooking or using abrasive scrubbing materials when cleaning.

Each material for cookware construction presents some advantages and some disadvantages.  The cookware’s intended use, your restaurant’s budget, and your personal taste will affect how you choose your pots and pans.  Serv-U will help you find just what your restaurant needs.