The Best Pans for Gas Stoves

Trying to choose the best pots and pans for gas stove cooking is relatively easy when you know what to look for while shopping. Whether you're hunting on Amazon or browsing around your local kitchenware shop, it's essential to know a couple of things before you invest in a new cookware set. You may want to purchase that adorable set that will look perfect sitting in your cupboard, but when it comes to the game of cooking, quality and the right material always come first.

If you've ever used an electric stove before, then you know that cooking on a gas stove is a lot different — in a good way, though. If you're not used to cooking on a gas stove, you'll like that gas stoves tend to heat up quicker than an electric stove. On the other hand, electric stoves tend to heat more evenly.

One of the biggest grievances some may find is that while most cookware works with any gas stove, certain types work better than others. If you're looking to purchase the best cookware for gas stove cooking, you're going to want to buy copper fully clad by stainless steel, aluminum fully clad by stainless steel, or stainless steel with a copper disk on the bottom.

The basic properties of the best pots and pans for gas stove sets are that they heat up quickly on the cooktop, they heat evenly without hot spots and that they react well to quick heat changes. One of the most annoying things about cooking, besides the prep work, can be waiting around for ages while your cookware is heating up. A good cookware set will heat up relatively quickly, especially since gas stoves already heat up quicker than electric. The reason why you also want cookware that will heat up evenly with no heat spots is that your meal might be ruined if you don't.

The heating patterns on gas ranges can be condensed to one area, so you need cookware that will spread the heat over the entire cooking surface. You also need cookware that reacts to heat changes because when cooking, you're most likely continually adjusting the heat changes. If your pan reacts slowly, your food can be over or undercooked.

Read more: How to Use a Gas Stove

Gas stoves can work with a variety of materials, so when trying to find the best equipment to work with, the most important thing you need to take into account is the ability of the cookware to conduct heat uniformly. According to Consumer Reports, there are a few metals you can choose from, including copper, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron and carbon steel. Although carbon steel is an option, use caution when purchasing because the material is cheap and heats unevenly.

Copper cookware can be expensive because it has one of the best heating properties. Not only does it heat evenly, but it also heats quickly and responds well to temperature adjustments. The only cons about copper are that it can be reactive, quite heavy and scratches easily, so try to find copper cookware that is impact-bonded or coated with stainless steel, tin or nickel.

Anodized aluminum is another material that works well with the uneven heating of a gas stove. When buying anodized aluminum pans, make sure you don't get pure aluminum pans. According to Cooking for Engineers, pure aluminum is known to warp, but anodized aluminum will make the pan as hard as stainless steel. These pans also have nonstick surfaces, so they're easy to cook with and clean.

If you're going to buy stainless steel pots and pans, make sure that they're clad with copper or aluminum. According to Corrosionpedia, metal cladding is the protective coating where the protective material is bonded by applying heat and/or pressure. This helps with corrosion and wear protection in the long run. Cladding will make pots and pans easier to clean, turn them into nonstick and you can put them in the dishwasher. One important stainless steel con is that the heat distribution isn't that great, which is why you want to get pots and pans that are clad with something else.

Cast iron conducts heat slowly, but it is often distributed uniformly. When using cast iron on a gas stove top, make sure you are always aware of the heating, and you should use a low flame to avoid overheating. Cast iron is a low-cost option, but the upkeep is a bit more intense than other materials. With cast iron, you have to season the interior with oil constantly. Seasoning the pan preserves the nonstick property because cast iron is a porous material.

Read more: Differences Between Nonstick and Anodized Cookware

Colored cookware may look the prettiest, but you should try and stay away from it if you have a gas stove. Over time the high heat from the gas stove will cause the paint to discolor, and you won't be able to clean your cookware easily. The initial excitement of having beautifully colored pots and pans will wear off and lead to dull cookware. In the long run, it may be a nuisance to try and keep these pots and pans clean because your items will always look dirty due to the discoloration.

If you're a bit overwhelmed at the number of options that you have, don't worry. There isn't a universal size that you should get for your pots and pans, and when it comes to the best material, you need to choose what's best for you. When it comes to choosing the best pots and pans for gas stove items, look at the size of the burners on the gas stove. You want to make sure that you match the burners with the pot size, so you get a better heat dispersal and so there isn't any discoloring on the sides of the pot.

When it comes to the material, you can choose a set that works for you, but hard-anodized aluminum always comes well recommended. It's the most affordable, a great heat conductor and easy to clean. The only negatives are that they aren't as durable, and in the long run, they may not be the best nonstick pans for gas stove burners. The reason is that the nonstick coating tends to flake. If you like cooking with nonstick pans, choose copper-stainless steel or aluminum-stainless steel clad cookware.

Read more: How to Restore Rusty Pans