The Advantages of Poor Conductivity The
poor conductivity of ceramic materials is an
advantage if the cook needs to keep food hot.
Good conductors like copper and aluminum
quickly give up heat to their surroundings,
while ceramics retain it well. Similarly, ovens
with ceramic (brick) walls are unparalleled
for the evenness of their heating. The walls
slowly absorb and store large quantities of
energy while the oven is heated up, and then
release it when the food is placed inside.
Modern metal ovens can’t store much heat
and so must cycle their heating elements on
and off. This causes large temperature
fluctuations, and can scorch breads and other
foods that are baked at high temperatures.
Aluminum
Aluminum has been used in pots and pans for
barely a century, despite the fact that it’s the
most abundant metal in the earth’s crust. It is