"I dropped a cold steak on the surface, then checked the pan temperature under the steak after a few smoking minutes." This is wrong. Of course, temperature wi

"I dropped a cold steak on the surface, then checked the pan temperature under the steak after a few smoking minutes." This is wrong. Of course, temperature will even out after few minutes, but for steaks (and other food you want to sear) the initial temperature drop is important -- the higher it is, the higher chance that your steak will be steamed, not seared. Heavier pans retain more heat (that's why heavy copper, cast iron and stainless steel pans took longer to heat during the first experiment), but that's a good thing when making food. Also, what this article didn't mention, is that light, cheap pans tend to deform as soon as after few uses, what makes cooking food evenly nearly impossible on a flat surface. Cast iron and stainless steel pans, on the other hand, are nearly indestructible if used correctly, I know cases when people still use their >100 years old cast iron pans from their grand-grand fathers.