"ranson" > wrote:
> The main limiting point with nickel is that is an allergen. It is
> perhaps the most common cause of contact dermatitis from jewelry. So
> having pans lined with nickel is begging to give someone a belly ache.

I'm aware of the problem with jewelry, but I don't know if there is any
correlation between that and the use of nickel to line pans. It's one thing
to have something with nickel in it against one's skin for hours or days at
a time, quite another to have food in contact with nickel for minutes to
hours, and then eating the food. That's one level further removed from the
nickel, and for a much shorter duration.

> I'm not really concerned with the lining material. It's been discussed
> a fair amount in the past, and I think know enough in this area. It
> would be nice to know more about how the construction of the pans
> compare, ignoring the lining material for the moment.

I think the main points on construction besides the lining are thickness,
type of handle, and whether the pan rim is flared. Handles come in brass,
cast iron, and stainless steel. Brass is quite conductive and the handles
get hot quickly. Cast iron and stainless steel are not so conductive and
stay cool longer. The better lines from Mauviel have thicker copper and cast
iron handles. Falk seems to have a single line, with heavier copper, flared
rims, and cast iron handles.

I think you might be getting a bit confused between manufacturers and
retailers. I'm not sure any retailer gets a specially made line from the
manufacturer. They just decide which of the manufacturer's standard lines
they wish to carry. Mauviel makes quite a few different lines, and Williams
Sonoma only seems to carry a brass handled, thinner line at present. By
comparison, Sur La Table seems to be carrying primarily Mauviel's cast iron
handled, thicker line.

You might want to look at the manufacturer's web sites as a start to see
what is made. The two that I know of are Falk and Mauviel:

http://www.falkculinair.com/
http://www.mauviel.com

There are a few other manufacturers (vs. retailers), Ruffoni of Italy being
one of them.

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