Tri-ply stainless, cast iron and carbon steel, in the sizes people actually reach
for. We publish the base thickness, the weight and what each pan asks of you before
you buy it.
No material wins everything. These are the trade-offs we would explain across a counter.
Tri-ply stainless
An aluminium core bonded between two layers of stainless steel, so the whole pan heats rather than just the spot over the burner. It will not rust, it takes acid and tomato without reacting, and it needs no seasoning. Food sticks to it more readily than to a non-stick pan. That is technique, not a fault.
Cast iron
Heavy, slow to heat and slow to let go of heat, which is what makes it good for searing and cornbread. Bare cast iron has to be seasoned and kept dry or it will rust. Enamelled cast iron skips the seasoning but the enamel chips if you knock it, and a chipped rim cannot be repaired.
Carbon steel
Lighter than cast iron and quicker to respond, which is why woks and restaurant pans are made from it. It arrives raw, it needs seasoning before first use, and it will rust if you leave it wet. In return it builds a slick surface that improves for years.
Handles and rivets
Riveted handles hold better than welded ones over a long life and can be re-tightened; the trade-off is two rivet heads inside the pan to clean around. Stainless handles go in the oven, silicone sleeves usually do not. Each product page states the oven limit for that specific piece.
How we buy
Four rules the range is chosen by
01
Publish the thickness
Base thickness in millimetres decides whether a pan scorches or holds a steady temperature, and it is the number most brands leave off the box. Every piece here lists it, along with the weight, because a 3 kg skillet is a different object to live with than a 1.2 kg one.
02
Sizes people actually use
A 24 cm frying pan and a 2 litre saucepan do most of the work in most kitchens. We would rather stock those in one good specification than run fourteen sizes and have you guess which one matters.
03
Riveted, so it can be fixed
Handles are riveted rather than welded or glued. Rivets can loosen over a decade of use and they can also be tightened, which is more than can be said for a handle that has snapped off a spot weld.
04
Say what it asks of you
Carbon steel and bare cast iron need seasoning and will rust if left wet. Enamel chips. Stainless sticks until you learn to preheat it. None of that is hidden in the small print here. It is on the product page, above the add-to-cart button.
Everyday care
Four habits that keep a pan working
01
Preheat
Two to three minutes on medium before anything goes in. Most sticking in stainless is a cold pan, not a bad pan.
02
Oil late
Add fat once the pan is hot, then the food. Oil poured into a cold pan sits and polymerises into a sticky film.
03
Deglaze
Water or stock into the warm pan lifts the fond in seconds. It is faster than scrubbing and it saves the flavour.
04
Dry it
Towel dry cast iron and carbon steel straight away, then a thin wipe of oil. Wet storage is what rusts them.
