It's also helpful to select cookware with handles that stay cool when in use on the stove and that are ovenproof. It should be lined with tin or stainless steel to keep it from reacting with the foods cooked in it. However, high-quality pieces are expensive and heavy. They also require frequent polishing and, eventually, retinning. Aluminum, like copper, is valued for its ability to conduct heat efficiently.
Stainless steel is lightweight and easy to care for but conducts heat poorly.
Therefore, this metal is often combined with aluminum or copper as described above. Cast iron has been used by cooks for hundreds of years. Cast iron must be seasoned before it is used. Once seasoned, the pan will have a natural non-stick finish. If the pan isn't seasoned or if the seasoning is removed, cast iron will react with foods such as dried beans, and it may absorb the flavors of the foods cooked in it.