Cookware Buying Guide

No home chef cooks the same way, and everyone's cookware needs are different. To help you find the perfect Stellar cookware range for you, we've put together a comparison so you can select the best range to suit your needs. 

Tri Ply – is a marriage of three different metals. The inner and outer layers are different grades of stainless steel, sandwiching a heat-conducting metal such as aluminium or copper. Stellar's Eclipse cookware is designed with a blend of induction-ready stainless steel for the base, a high-flow aluminium core, and high-grade stainless steel for the lining of the pan.

Stainless steel – is durable and hardwearing; it will usually have a disc of another material like aluminium hidden or fully encapsulated to aid with heat conduction. The best stainless steel for cookware is 18/10. This refers to the chrome and nickel content i.e. 18% chrome and 10% nickel which gives the optimum rust and stain resistance.

Aluminium – excellent for cookware in that it is a good conductor of heat however it is relatively soft and will not last as long as stainless steel. Uncoated aluminium is very rare these days and will not work efficiently on ceramic or halogen hobs. Nowadays aluminum commonly has a non-stick interior and either a paint or enamel coloured exterior.

Hard Anodised – is aluminium that has undergone a special electro chemical process which makes the outside much harder. In fact it is said to be harder than stainless steel. The interiors are normally coated with a non-stick coating to prevent food sticking.

Gas – all cookware will work on gas, which is very fast and efficient. The only thing to be mindful of is the amount of heat that can come out from under the pan as this could make the handles hot or even damage them.
Electric Radiant Ring & Solid Hot Plate (Solid Fuel or Electric) – as with gas, all cookware will work on this type of hob but heavier pans with flatter bases will be more efficient.
Ceramic – A ceramic hob is a sheet of glass over electric heating elements on which heavier flatter pans will give the best performance. Be mindful that uncoated aluminium bases may mark the glass of the hob. If this should happen, look for specialist cleaners for ceramic hobs.
Halogen – Although similar to ceramic hobs, halogen hobs use a halogen heat lamp below the glass instead of a heating element. Like electric and ceramic hobs, heavy base pans are best but also be careful that the base is not shiny as this will reflect heat back from the lamp reducing the efficiency. Most cookware, including stainless steel cookware, have a matt finish on the base for this reason.
Induction – Similar in appearance to ceramic, induction hobs use a magnetic field to heat the pan itself rather than the surface of the hob. They are very fast and efficient with the added safety feature that the hob remains cooler which in turns means fewer burnt on deposits. When using induction hobs, extra care is required in selecting your cookware as only certain pans will work. The following are suitable; cast iron & Enamel on Steel. Others can be made suitable for induction provided they have a special base or disc fitted e.g. stainless steel, aluminium, hard anodised.