Titanium is a silver colored metallic material that has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all metals known to man. In other words, it is lightweight but has incredible strength and durability. Titanium is used in a variety of applications ranging from aeronautical equipment to eyeglass frames. In recent years, it has gained attention as an excellent material to produce cookware from.
Cast iron had been the gold standard of strong and durable cookware for centuries. It wasn't until the late 1990s that cooking innovators decided to try a new metal. Today, titanium cookware is known to be as durable as cast iron while providing a featherweight advantage that cast iron definitely lacks.
The lightweight nature of titanium is a draw for many types of people. Pots that previously required two hands to carry, when they were made of cast iron, may only require one. Cooks who have ailments like carpel tunnel and arthritis find relief in using titanium cookware. This benefit also has a great appeal to campers for whom tin has been the standard lightweight cookware. Tin is flimsy, flexible, and easily dented compared to the durability of titanium.
The metal itself has several advantages for its users. It is a quick heating metal, which means a pan placed on the stove will heat much faster than the same size pan of another material. Because of this, it is important to find titanium cookware with a thick cooking surface to reduce hot spots or burning of food. It is also non-porous, which means that the taste of the food stays in the food and the taste of the metal stays in the metal.
Titanium cookware is also usually nonstick, and many brands have a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating, which is the same chemical used to make Teflon®. This means that cooking requires less oil or butter and can therefore be healthier and lower in fat content. It also provides for an easy cleanup as no steel wool or heavy detergents are necessary. A simple wipe removes all food residue and leaves the pan shiny and ready for the next use.
Titanium cookware is known to be a long-lasting kitchen addition. It is scratch proof, dent proof and resists warping. The finish will remain shiny indefinitely, further enhancing the uses for cookware. Many a dinner host finds they are happy to leave dinner in the pot and save the trouble of a serving platter. While the price of titanium is much higher than the alternatives, users will probably never have to buy new cookware again.