Broke my favorite saute pan during service, now I tell everyone to weigh them

Last Saturday I dropped my go-to 12-inch stainless pan while transferring it to the pass at our Portland kitchen, and the handle just snapped clean off. It was a cheap brand I'd used for years, but I never checked the weight until I picked up a replacement at a supply store. Turns out the old one was nearly 3 pounds lighter than a decent French-made pan, and that thin metal is why it warped and stressed the handle over time. Now I keep a small kitchen scale in my locker and weigh any new pan before I buy it, but has anyone else noticed a huge difference between pans that look identical on the shelf?

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jade2214d ago

That line about the old one being nearly 3 pounds lighter hit home. Pans that look the same on the shelf can be way different once you pick them up. A thick base holds heat and stops the warping that kills handles over time. Next time bring a magnet too, if it barely sticks the metal is thin junk. Weigh it, feel the balance in your hand, then decide.

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uma_reed264d ago

Weighing a pan in the store tells you almost nothing useful. A heavy pan can still have a paper thin base once you get past the handle, and a light one might be cast aluminum that holds heat fine. Magnet test only works on certain metals anyway, so it'll fail you on aluminum and glass top stuff that cooks great.

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