When you decide to purchase new cookware, it can get pretty confusing for most people. There are so many options available, each with their own hype from their manufacturers, that it's difficult to know what the features and benefits of various types of cookware really are. At the cookware store, you will probably hear the term "tri ply" used often. But what really is tri ply construction, and how can it benefit my cooking?
Tri ply refers to cookware construction where a layer of a metal, usually aluminum or copper, that is an excellent conductors of heat is sandwiched between an inner and outer layer of stainless steel. The rationale of this type of cookware construction is that the desirable properties of aluminum and/or copper such as excellent heat conduction are often outweighed by their drawbacks. For example,aluminum is notorious for being a reactive metal in cookware. Reactive metals have chemical reactions with acidic or alkaline foods that can make the foods have an off, metallic flavor and can also change the color of the food to an unappealing shade of grey. By using aluminum or copper as an inner layer, their desirable properties such as even heating and excellent heat conduction is preserved, but their less desirable properties such as reactiveness, warping at high heats, and scratching easily are masked.
Stainless steel is used for an inner and outer layer in tri ply construction because it is a non-reactive metal, and therefore won't affect food flavor or color. It is easy to clean up, and does not stain or pit when acidic or alkaline foods are cooked in it. However, for all the benefits accrued from stainless steel, it has some very major drawbacks: it is a very poor conductor of heat, and is notorious for developing hot spots. Hot spots occur when certain areas of a pan heat up more rapidly than the rest of the pan does. Hot spots cause scorching and sticking of food, a cook's worst nightmare. By bonding the stainless steel to aluminum or copper, the desirable features of these metals are preserved, while the less desirable elements of the metals are mitigated.
Tri ply cookware construction allows the cook to enjoy the benefits of even heating and non-reactiveness with easy clean up. Tri ply construction is a very desirable feature in cookware; however, this type of cookware can be quite expensive to purchase. Only you can decide if you cook frequently enough to warrant this type of cookware. If you do, tri ply cookware should last for years of service before having to be replaced. Many home cooks who have made the investment in tri ply cookware report that their cookware is still in use after 25 years or more of service, so the initial outlay of money to purchase them is more than offset by not having to replace worn out pieces that have developed hot spots over the years.
