Hurm - I've become rather fond of the anodized aluminum. The heat retention is quite nearly that of stainless, and the surface is fairly non-stick while still giving you a good ability to brown and caramelize.
Stainless is 'stickier' than aluminum or anodized aluminum, so it browns *beautifully* and quickly, but it also means you have to use quite a bit more oil, in my experience. (Of course, when thick and heavy, it's almost unbeatable for searing... cast iron has a slight edge here IMHO, but is more finicky for cleanup and maintenance.)
I'd suggest seeing if there's a cooking store in your area with classes - see if they'll let you comparison-cook with a couple of pans.
FWIW, I use the standard (not Teflon!) commercial Calphalon, the heavy duty stuff, for everyday use, and the cast iron for when I *REALLY* want a good searing on something. (Pop a cast iron griddle plate in the oven on 500deg, let it come up to temp, and toss a pepper-rubbed steak on it, 10 sec a side. Mmmmm.)
Anodized aluminum is like rock - you can beat on it all day long, and not hurt it. I love it. (There's one small ding in a saucepan edge where I caught it with... the lid.)
It eventually comes down to personal preference, really. There's no One True Way here.
Oh, and Mauviel is harder than hades to find a distributor for. I'd hit their website and look for a regional seller, depending on where you are.
Comments
Stainless is 'stickier' than aluminum or anodized aluminum, so it browns *beautifully* and quickly, but it also means you have to use quite a bit more oil, in my experience. (Of course, when thick and heavy, it's almost unbeatable for searing... cast iron has a slight edge here IMHO, but is more finicky for cleanup and maintenance.)
I'd suggest seeing if there's a cooking store in your area with classes - see if they'll let you comparison-cook with a couple of pans.
FWIW, I use the standard (not Teflon!) commercial Calphalon, the heavy duty stuff, for everyday use, and the cast iron for when I *REALLY* want a good searing on something. (Pop a cast iron griddle plate in the oven on 500deg, let it come up to temp, and toss a pepper-rubbed steak on it, 10 sec a side. Mmmmm.)
Anodized aluminum is like rock - you can beat on it all day long, and not hurt it. I love it. (There's one small ding in a saucepan edge where I caught it with... the lid.)
It eventually comes down to personal preference, really. There's no One True Way here.
Oh, and Mauviel is harder than hades to find a distributor for. I'd hit their website and look for a regional seller, depending on where you are.