Not all metals work the same, says Zito. The type and thickness of metal determine the pot's role, cost and what foods it will handle best. Stainless steel generates hot spots and doesn't distribute, conduct or retain heat as well as other metals such as aluminum. That's why there's a blackened ring on the bottom of the pot. If you cook on a ring-shape gas burner, the heat will penetrate stainless steel in that shape.
Heat comes through wherever there's a contact point in a stainless steel pot.
Nothing conducts heat as evenly as copper. Though copper is beyond most budgets, a pot with a combination lining is worth the cost. So it is possible to take advantage of stainless steel's durability and ease of movement, and make up for its uneven conduction, by selecting a pot with a heavy bottom sandwiched with another metal, such as copper or aluminum. But with the good pots in hot demand, Garibaldi often finds himself playing referee. The cooks love those pots.