In my search for bargains, I come across a lot of stainless. It’s almost always 3 ply, which is fine, but every now and then I see 5 ply, and it’s never priced differently. And eventually, I got the same piece, by the same manufacturer, in both 3- and 5- ply.
Calphalon. 5 ply on the left, 3 ply on the right. The 5 ply comes with a more substantial lid. The side walls are exactly the same, the only difference is in the base.
In heft, the 5 ply is pretty obviously heavier, by about 6 ounces.
Interestingly, the lids weigh pretty much the same. The lid for the 3 ply is 2 grams heavier!
In practice, they work the same. I did some time-to-temperature tests, using one cup of water and a ThermoWorks Chef Alarm. This was as controlled as it needed to be for the experiment; I used the same (electric, non induction) burner on max high, heated the bottom of the pot to the same temperature (measured with a ThermoWorks IR gun), and poured in a cup of cold tap water. The 3 ply hit 208° in 34 seconds, the 5 ply hit 208° in 53 seconds. This makes sense, I think. 3/5 = 0.6, 34/53 = 0.642. Figure thermal stuff is going on there with all those plys. And anyhow I wasn’t trying to be accurate, the similarity might be coincidental. I was looking for either really close, or really far apart, and the answer was “really close”.
The 3 ply is easier to work with, not just because it is lighter, but because I’m just used to 3 ply cookware. I’m used to the weight, and I’m used to how it works. But in practice the 5 ply is obviously better. It simmers more slowly, and more evenly. Reaction time is slightly slower, but it might not be on a gas stove.
If I were paying full retail, I’d buy 3 ply and never look back. But if you’re buying from thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, fb marketplace, etc, and you see the good stuff, it’s worth the $8-$12 a piece that this stuff usually goes for.
Calphalon. 5 ply on the left, 3 ply on the right. The 5 ply comes with a more substantial lid. The side walls are exactly the same, the only difference is in the base.
In heft, the 5 ply is pretty obviously heavier, by about 6 ounces.
Interestingly, the lids weigh pretty much the same. The lid for the 3 ply is 2 grams heavier!
In practice, they work the same. I did some time-to-temperature tests, using one cup of water and a ThermoWorks Chef Alarm. This was as controlled as it needed to be for the experiment; I used the same (electric, non induction) burner on max high, heated the bottom of the pot to the same temperature (measured with a ThermoWorks IR gun), and poured in a cup of cold tap water. The 3 ply hit 208° in 34 seconds, the 5 ply hit 208° in 53 seconds. This makes sense, I think. 3/5 = 0.6, 34/53 = 0.642. Figure thermal stuff is going on there with all those plys. And anyhow I wasn’t trying to be accurate, the similarity might be coincidental. I was looking for either really close, or really far apart, and the answer was “really close”.
The 3 ply is easier to work with, not just because it is lighter, but because I’m just used to 3 ply cookware. I’m used to the weight, and I’m used to how it works. But in practice the 5 ply is obviously better. It simmers more slowly, and more evenly. Reaction time is slightly slower, but it might not be on a gas stove.
If I were paying full retail, I’d buy 3 ply and never look back. But if you’re buying from thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, fb marketplace, etc, and you see the good stuff, it’s worth the $8-$12 a piece that this stuff usually goes for.
