People who do serious cooking are very concerned about how their pots and pans behave when heated and how effectively they transfer heat to the food in them. three criteria that they are concerned about are: (1) having the pans heat quickly, (2) having the pans heat slowly and maintain their heat, (3) having the pans have a uniform temperature throughout. some swear by pots and pans made of cast iron, some by pots and pans made of copper. others like stainless steel for its finish and its ease of cleaning.