| Stainless steel cookware sets and individual pots | | | | thickness is called gauge. Gauge can be hard to |
| and pans purchased at the Bargain-Marts may or | | | | understand. The measurement in gauge works |
| may not actually be bargains. Sure you will know | | | | the reverse of normal thinking. The larger the |
| the price you paid for the product, and how that | | | | number of gauge the resulting material will be |
| price compares to the other Marts in town, but | | | | thinner. A 16 gauge material is 1.3 MM thick, an 8 |
| did you get a deal? The only way to know the | | | | gauge material is 3.25 MM thick and a 4 gauge |
| value of your stainless steel cookware set | | | | material is 5.18 MM thick. |
| purchase is to know the basics of cookware | | | | We have now talked about all three |
| language. In this article we will discuss material | | | | measurement systems, inches thick in |
| thickness and how this translates to quality in the | | | | thousandths, millimeters and in gauge we will see |
| pot or pan. After you get the very basics of | | | | where these units are used. If you are buying |
| cookware terms, you can then make better | | | | aluminum cookware or cast aluminum cookware |
| purchasing choices. The information we will cover | | | | the thickness will be in gauge. Most stamped |
| in this article includes stainless steel cookware, | | | | aluminum cookware in the mass market is 10 |
| aluminum cookware and cast aluminum cookware | | | | gauge on fry pans and a thinner 12 gauge on |
| whether purchased in sets or individual pots. | | | | saucepans. Better quality aluminum cookware |
| Sometimes the Marts due in fact have very good | | | | would use a heavier 8 gauge on fry pans and 10 |
| deals on quality cookware products. This may not | | | | gauge on other pieces. Cast aluminum cookware |
| always follow the brand name rules that at first | | | | is equivalent to 6 gauge. Consumers are moving |
| come to mind. Most brand name products have | | | | up to more durable fry pans in recent years - |
| different product lines, and these lines usually are | | | | either 6 gauge or a very heavy 4 gauge. Bargain |
| of different level of quality. The good news is if | | | | basement lightweight fry pans with "generic" |
| you buy brand name products, even the low cost | | | | non-stick coatings are usually 12 gauge or 14 |
| lines, you will be getting a product that is normally | | | | gauge. This is too thin to provide any length of |
| much better quality that the better or the best of | | | | time in service. The first time the heat is high |
| the non-brand name cookware. The brand name | | | | under these fry pans the bottoms could warp, |
| producers do not want you to associate their | | | | the contents burn or both. If you are buying |
| name with low-quality products. If this association | | | | stainless steel cookware the measurement of |
| happens you will not be a repeat buyer of that | | | | thickness will be in millimeters, (if the |
| brand. If you go into a store or even a web site | | | | manufacturer is in the USA it may be listed in |
| and the manufacturer's name is not readily seen | | | | thousandths of an inch). The standard for top of |
| or advertised, the buyer should be cautious. | | | | range stainless steel cookware is 0.6 MM. Premium |
| Manufacturers of quality products want the | | | | department store brands will have stainless steel |
| consumer to know their name. | | | | cookware in the range of 0.7 MM to 1.0 MM thick. |
| Now let get started on some cookware terms | | | | Low end stainless steel cookware is generally 0.5 |
| and the very basic knowledge you will need to | | | | MM thick. If you have the choice between two |
| know. As I mentioned above, we will begin with | | | | pots one is 2.59 MM thick (0.102 inches or 10 |
| thickness of a pot or pan and the terms used. | | | | gauge) and the second is 5.18 MM thick (0.204 |
| Metal thickness can be stated in inches | | | | inches or 4 gauge) the best pot for even heat |
| (thousandths), millimeters, or gauge. Since many | | | | distribution is the 5.18 MM pot. |
| manufactures are now in Europe, they sell to | | | | If you look at the bottom of your stainless steel |
| Europe as well to the USA; those brands will be | | | | cookware or your aluminum cookware and you |
| rated in MM or millimeters. Do not let metric | | | | see discolored, almost black shaded areas on the |
| measurements scare you; 1.0 MM is 0.0394 inches | | | | surface. If the pot does not set flat due to being |
| thick, a 0.5 MM is one half that thick or 0.0197 | | | | warped, the likely cause is the utensil has had too |
| inches thick and 2.0 MM is twice that thickness or | | | | much heat applied for its' thickness. Once the |
| 0.0787 inches thick. The higher the MM rating the | | | | utensil is warped it will never be able to transfer |
| thicker the utensil will be. The next term for | | | | heat uniformly. |