Something to consider when ordering commercial cookware is the shipping weight. This does not apply to all cookware, but it’s important to consider when comparing quality. Many types of cookware are made from materials where the weight is indicative of the overall quality.
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Have you ever picked up old stainless steel cookware made 30 or 40 years ago? It’s heavy! If the piece has been cared for, it’s probably still in good condition too. The quality of the steel was higher in many pieces of cookware then. The alloys made to use it were heavier.
Over time, that weight turned into a negative instead of a positive for ergonomic and cost reasons. This means that you need to find out if the weight of a piece has been reduced due to higher tech construction or just lesser quality materials. Is a stainless steel piece lighter because of thinner steel or has it been made with a copper or aluminum plies to decrease the weight in a quality way? You have to compare apples to apples, then look at the shipping weight.
Sometimes the supplier may do one better than the shipping weight and give the exact weight of the pieces, so look for this information in the specifications. Remember this is just one specification to check. If you find that a light piece is getting good reviews and it’s lightweight, there’s a chance that this is a nice higher tech piece.
Good commercial cookware is an investment that requires research and the weight is just one of the many considerations. A lightweight piece may mean inferior durability which drastically reduces the value of your investment. If a stainless steel piece is bent, this can cause a hot spot on the piece and ruin it and increase operating cost when you need to replace it.