Question
John McGregor
I'm seeing a bunch of advertisement about Titanium fry pans being better than stainless steel. Is there anything to this or is this just a marketing fad? What do you recommend for home chefs?
Answer
Let's see. So titanium pans. I'll start by saying that I have never used a titanium pan of any sort. My awareness comes from reading about them, and then also from watching other folks provide commentary on YouTube, both of which I recommend you do as well to help inform your decision around a possible purchase or avoidance of a titanium pan. Titanium cookware comes in different types or different styles, of course, as any cookware does in a given category. My understanding is that titanium pans were introduced some years ago now, but over the last couple or so years have become more mainstream in their availability and also prevalence as companies have increased and products have increased. And by and large, titanium pans have a titanium coating, a titanium oxide coating. And the construction is somewhat similar to other pans in that there are layers of different materials to make up the pan itself. Often stainless steel on the outside and layers of aluminum on the inside with a titanium coating of some sort on the inside where this claim of non-stick quality is made. Okay. All the reviews that I've come across recommend sooner or later the use of at least a little bit of oil to help maintain a nice slick surface as you cook, especially finicky foods like eggs, and then also high-starch foods. Potatoes are an example. If you happen to put pasta in a pan, that will tend to stick as well pretty easily. So, in this context, a little bit of oil tends to help. I don't know anything about the longevity. I haven't seen any reliable commentary on the longevity of these pans. Like a lot of other non-stick pans that have a layer of non-stick applied, whatever type of coating that is, there is a tendency for them to wear off or wear through, at least in spots over time. And they either wear through or they acquire what I call micro scratches, and they lose their non-stick ability. And at some point, at least in my experience with other types of cookware, they become disposable. And so when it comes to cookware, at least for me at this point, again, not having gotten my hands on titanium, certainly not for any length of time yet, I still lean toward the tried and true materials, and that would be stainless steel, also cast iron. Copper is another option, but copper is also lined with either tin or stainless steel. Tin does wear through. I have a couple of pieces. And I'm aware that they do get thin spots that need to be retinned. That the stainless steel-lined copper pots are much more durable. I've used them, but I don't own such a pan, so I can't comment on the longevity of that. But again, when it comes to titanium, take a look at some of the commentary out there and look at the specifications and understand if it is lined with titanium oxide or if it's a thicker layer of titanium. I have come across some commentary that speaks to titanium being used more substantially, in which case another benefit is a lighter weight when compared to stainless steel, should this be important to some cooks. But I, at this point, lean toward the longevity of a decent quality stainless steel pan as an all-purpose recommendation, with other options out there, including cast iron. Okay. I hope that's helpful in some small way to you, John, and as always take a look at the reviews and the specs in the context of what is most important to you. Thank you.
