I have both SS and Tin-lined copper pans from Mauviel. All told I must have 30 of them of most of the available sizes and shapes collected over a few years.
To me, after much use of both types, the tin lining is better but not because of durability. Stainless is worse but not due to lowered conductivity as I hear a lot about. It is not that big a factor.
The real reason I prefer tin: I get an easy release after a medium-brown finish, and just the right deglaze in the pan. The deglaze bits release easily, I get good gravies, nothing is burnt, and no chunks of food get stuck.
SS linings were probably created for American markets where people turn on the heat and walk away from an empty pan, which will melt the tin. They probably brought back a lot of cookware with melted tin, so the stores began dumping them to discount houses like Marshall's and TJ Maxx, where they fell into my hands to name one buyer. It is now hard to find any tin lined stuff at Williams-Sonoma, or Sur La Table, etc. You can still order tin-lined copper pans from Fante's in Philadephia, or Chef's Resouce, and lots of other online shops still have them. This isn't just for purists. Some cooks will still prefer stainless just because it takes a pounding without damage. But as for Re-lining, it is not needed as long as you don't do tomato or citrus, vinegar, etc in your pans, which would combine with the copper. Bamboo spatulas work fine with tin, as do some plastics but test first to ensure they don't scratch the tin.
Finally I hear a lot of misinfo about cleaning the pans. Simple physics would say to keep the sides a bit shiny to retain heat, but the bottoms let go black to absorb heat. If bottoms are shiny they repel heat from the stove by reflection and reduce efficiency of heat transfer. The tin linings should be left to go gray. Do not clean them, just wipe with water and sponge maybe some soap and a brush, but no detergents or powders like BarKeeper's Friend. The darker the insides are the more heat they will transfer to the food. Dark coarse surfaces transmit heat, shiny smooth ones retain heat. So your pot sides and lids can be cleaned once in awhile, but not that often as to be a burden or to wear them down. Not that much is changed by cleaning the pans. It was done historically in fine kitchens for the "cook's tour" and they had galley slaves to shine the copper. Don't be one, it's unecessary and silly. Once a year, at most.
Bob
To me, after much use of both types, the tin lining is better but not because of durability. Stainless is worse but not due to lowered conductivity as I hear a lot about. It is not that big a factor.
The real reason I prefer tin: I get an easy release after a medium-brown finish, and just the right deglaze in the pan. The deglaze bits release easily, I get good gravies, nothing is burnt, and no chunks of food get stuck.
SS linings were probably created for American markets where people turn on the heat and walk away from an empty pan, which will melt the tin. They probably brought back a lot of cookware with melted tin, so the stores began dumping them to discount houses like Marshall's and TJ Maxx, where they fell into my hands to name one buyer. It is now hard to find any tin lined stuff at Williams-Sonoma, or Sur La Table, etc. You can still order tin-lined copper pans from Fante's in Philadephia, or Chef's Resouce, and lots of other online shops still have them. This isn't just for purists. Some cooks will still prefer stainless just because it takes a pounding without damage. But as for Re-lining, it is not needed as long as you don't do tomato or citrus, vinegar, etc in your pans, which would combine with the copper. Bamboo spatulas work fine with tin, as do some plastics but test first to ensure they don't scratch the tin.
Finally I hear a lot of misinfo about cleaning the pans. Simple physics would say to keep the sides a bit shiny to retain heat, but the bottoms let go black to absorb heat. If bottoms are shiny they repel heat from the stove by reflection and reduce efficiency of heat transfer. The tin linings should be left to go gray. Do not clean them, just wipe with water and sponge maybe some soap and a brush, but no detergents or powders like BarKeeper's Friend. The darker the insides are the more heat they will transfer to the food. Dark coarse surfaces transmit heat, shiny smooth ones retain heat. So your pot sides and lids can be cleaned once in awhile, but not that often as to be a burden or to wear them down. Not that much is changed by cleaning the pans. It was done historically in fine kitchens for the "cook's tour" and they had galley slaves to shine the copper. Don't be one, it's unecessary and silly. Once a year, at most.
Bob
