[Sca-cooks] Pots n Pans

[Phlip]

We're having a discussion on metal pots and pans on one of my smithing
Lists, and I thought somew of you might find it of interest. They initial
question was from a lady who had gotton a set of the waterless cookware many
years ago, and, when it needed a bit more cleaning, would put a bit of lye
in it- it cleaned things up just fine. She suggested this to someone else,
and their modern pan dissolved, so she was trying to find out what the
differences in the likely metals were.

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> The old  stainless pans may have been 18 and 8 ( the term at the
> time) They  might have been 18 and 10.   This means   18 % chromium
> and 8 % nickel  or 10 % nickel.  These would be austenitic   ( not
> magnetic to keep  it simple).. They would have been  relatively thick
> and well made  of US made material.. this would be similar to  todays
> series 304 or 305 respectively.
> Actually this may predate you a  bit but the stuff would still have
> probably been US made.    This is still a  very good material.
> Revere copper clad  was probably this material but my daughters  have
> all that now so I have none to look at.  Today most of the stuff
> comes out of India (first)  and now China.    It is very thin very
> hard and what I have seen is magnetic indicating  that it is
> ferritic.  Below 13 % chromium with  no nickel.  A typical grade is
> 403.,. Generally it would not contain aluminum but  grade 405 does.
> It is  relatively stainless.  Good for many  uses but the Asian
> quality can be very poor.  The Indian -Chinese stuff  base material
> quality  can be inconsistent  and the way it has been worked is
> worse.  It is not unusual to see the material develop stress cracks
> not too long after purchase. no matter what it is supposedly made
> of.  It may not  stay that way  because the Japanese stuff had
> problems back then and now among  is the best in the World.  The
> super quality stuff we used for piping in the semiconductor factories
> often came from Kobe Steel in  Japan.
>
> Good quality stainless steel will last  forever but it ii  is not the
> best material for cooking pots. It is a very poor conductor of heat.
> Revere added the copper bottoms.  Al-clad makes  pans with stainless
> steel inners clad with aluminum  (cheapest )  Stainless steel  outers
> and inners with aluminum  in between ( in between in cost) and the
> Pretty ones with copper outside then aluminum then stainless steel
> inside ( expensive and they need polishing to  keep the look)..   I
> think these are pressure welded stock bit they might be explosive
> welded.
>
> For some cooking cast iron is still best -- La Cussete from France
> with pretty enamel   coatings. costly but cheaper here than in
> Paris.   The plain  pretty cheap Lodge cast iron from near Chattanooga.

Saint Phlip,
CoD

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....