Why are stainless steel cooking pans fabricated with copper bottom ?

Stainless steel is a popular material for cookware due to its durability and resistance to corrosion; however, it has relatively poor thermal conductivity, rated at approximately 15 W/m·K [t2][t6]. In contrast, copper is an exceptional conductor of heat, significantly outperforming stainless steel [t2][t3]. By fabricating stainless steel pans with a copper bottom, manufacturers utilize copper's superior heat conductivity to ensure quick and even heat distribution across the cooking surface [t1][t2]. This design allows the pan to respond rapidly to temperature changes, which is essential for precision cooking [t1][t9]. While stainless steel provides a non-reactive and durable cooking surface, the copper base compensates for the alloy's inherent thermal limitations [t7][t8]. Copper is actually more expensive and difficult to mine than the components of stainless steel, making option 1 incorrect [c3][t4].

Sources

1. [1] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 9: Distribution of World Natural Resources > copper > p. 31