Heating Up: Sourcing Cookware

Phase 2. A massive category.

1. Key Categories

• Cookware: Fry pans, Pots (Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Cast Iron).
• Knives: Damascus steel, Ceramic knives.
• Utensils: Nylon, Silicone, Wood.

2. Coatings (The Non-Stick Debate)

• PTFE (Teflon-like): Classic, cheap, effective. PFOA-free is the standard now.
• Ceramic (Sol-Gel): "Green", eco-friendly, but loses non-stick properties faster (6-12 months).
• HexClad style: Hybrid etched stainless steel. Very trendy.

3. Production Hubs

• Yongkang: Aluminum non-stick pans (pressed/forged).
• Yangjiang: The "City of Knives". 90% of Chinese knives come from here.
• Jiangmen: Stainless steel pots.

4. Handles

• The pan body is standard. The Handle is where you differentiate.
• Soft-touch (Bakelite with silicone coding) vs. Stainless Steel (Riveted).

Summary

For knives, ask about the steel hardness (HRC). A good kitchen knife should be HRC 56+. Cheap ones are HRC 52 and go dull in a week.