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Ok, strange question I know. I have a small Mauviel M cook roasting pan that I love, and in browsing for Christmas gifts (for me to suggest for DH to get me) I came across the larger sized one (which would be really nice to have sometimes). Anyway, to my surprise, it comes in 2 thicknesses.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/mauviel-mcook-stainless-steel/16-x-12-inch-roasting-pan-rack-p113565

1.6 mm vs 2.6 mm ($100 difference). I have no idea what my small one is, but if I had to guess I'd say the thicker (it is heavy, never warps, works on my induction range, browns beautifully, has good handles, and holds super even heat - nothing not to love but the price). But I'm curious whether 1mm of thickness is worth the extra cost. Any thoughts?

Carey,

I can't find it now, of course, but I remember a CI article on copper cookware which documented that thinner coatings of copper are worthless for conduction and are basically decorative. Can't find it now, of course.

Hi,

It is not copper. I cannot imagine fitting 5 layers of stainless, aluminum and magnetic stainless into 1.6mm. That's about 1/16" thick, sounds like it could warp.

There are plenty of roasters that are 1/4" thick for reasonable prices, including Calphalon, Le Crueset, Cuisinart, Chef's Essentials and even A/C.

The Mauviel M-Cook line is excellent but this is a bit too much.

Tim

Tim,

That was my thought too. I do love my small version though (which I've now been able to confirm is the thicker one), and it's tricky finding ones that work well on induction burners (which this one does). Some things that say that they are induction capable are significantly less effective than others (I have some pots that take 7 minutes to boil 4 cups of water on my rangetop, whereas others take <2 with the same burner and same amount of water - it's shocking the difference the type of pot can make on this type of burner). My small roaster gets used regularly (weekly during farmer's market chicken season), but sometimes having a bigger one would be helpful.

The reviews online for the thinner one are not positive. It looks like it was a promotion price piece for the holidays, so I think I'll probably save my money for the thicker version.

Strange thing I just found out - the Mauviel website does not list the 1.6 mm roasters. Maybe they really are on permanent clearance? And like Tim, I thought the prices were higher than many other heavy roasters of reputable brands.

True...the sticky part is induction capability. The A/C and Calphalon roasting pans will not work on induction stovetops (or so their websites say), nor will many other brands. Le Creuset would work, but I would not want a cast iron roasting pan because I am not sure I would want to lift it along with whatever is in it in and out of the oven. The Viking roasting pan will also work, but it is huge, I'm not 100% convinced that my oven has enough clearance for it, and I'm not sure I love the handles. Plus, I haven't found an online retailer that will ship one here. Many other brands that make induction capable cookware somehow don't make roasting pans...so my options dwindle. It's ok, except for this small inconvenience I have found that I really like many aspects of my induction stovetop.

Actually, the Le Creuset is a tri-ply stainless/aluminum pan that has a magnetic base but most likely is not effective on induction. They do not specify thickness and it's weight tells me it's not very thick. http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/290 ... large.aspx

FYI, Sur La Table is selling the thicker (I think?) Mauviel M-Cook for $160. http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-6 ... chen-Towel

Tim

I didn't realize Le Creuset was doing stainless now. Looks like a nice one. I had forgotten that SLT ships here too...opens up a ton of options. Thanks Tim!

Funny you should mention that about the different pans taking different times. For years I have been using a large, 8 qt pot (my pasta pot) to boil water for tea (I'm an iced tea addict), and had my timer preset to 14:20 and it would just start boiling on my induction burner. This was the main reason I got that burner, as the amount of heat I put into the kitchen in the summer just boiling water was incredible. I had been looking for a large tea kettle (the old one had a copper bottom) that was induction capable, and was wondering if the very thin bottoms on most kettles would make it take longer. Turned out that this one I finally got, with a thin bottom of the same diameter, took exactly the same time, for that same amount of water. I figure that the metal on the outer part of the sandwich on the pot must have been about the same thickness.

I figured the thickness of the magnetic part, as well as how magnetic the metal actually is, would matter in pans. There is no industry standard, yet you would think that if they are making things "induction capable" they wouldn't put something that is mildly magnetic out there. But then, we do have things from China, which worried me about the kettle.

Dave,

My AC SS is blindingly fast (<2 min for 4 cups to come to a full boil on a small burner). Henkels makes a fully clad frypan with a nonstick interior that is also super fast. Cast iron is also quick (I haven't noticed a difference between LC, Staub, or plain Lodge). My Fagor disk bottom pressure cooker is blindingly fast too, to the point where I have had the emergency pressure valve go off a few times when I wasn't paying close enough attention (I had thought it would take longer and was doing something else). Where things take a really bad turn is with most 'induction capable' nonsticks. They tend to be made of aluminum with an induction disk bottom (including my Swiss Diamond grill pan). It slows things down to the point it's like waiting for a regular burner to heat. I suspect it's an issue of the bulk of the pot not engaging in the induction heat generating process.

So as far as I can tell "induction capable" means that it will not flash an error message and refuse to heat; it's really not an indication that it will work well.