I don’t think so. But G5 is lighter. If you want to compare, the 8.5" G5 skillet weighs 672g. G5 is strange because (a) the graphite is only in the base (along with some aluminum), and (b) the graphite conducts heat better laterally than vertically.
My previous advice was based on your stated preference (now abandoned?) for ultimate response based on using sheet copper to even the heat under any pan. If that’s no longer the case, then I recommend buying the thickest copper you can afford. 3mm is close to ideal for things other than steaming and boiling. For trying straight gauge aluminum, you might look at the Point Two Five line from Allegacy Eagleware, or the Ballarini lines that run to 5mm thick.
If you’re back to where you started (using diffusers), then the Mauviel isn’t a bad choice. But there are all sorts of other makers and lines, e.g., ODI, Spring, etc. You might search for “table service grade” copper.
I don’t think so. But G5 is lighter. If you want to compare, the 8.5" G5 skillet weighs 672g. G5 is strange because (a) the graphite is only in the base (along with some aluminum), and (b) the graphite conducts heat better laterally than vertically.
You know what, I might just buy a G5 and D3 some delta T testing. And then resell one. Mu intuition is telling me the graphite is a gimmick and not thick enough to meaningfully transfer large amounts of heat laterally.
My previous advice was based on your stated preference (now abandoned?) for ultimate response based on using sheet copper to even the heat under any pan.
Mulling it over the last couple weeks, my preferences have changed somewhat based on what I’ve learned from discussions with you and others on this forum. (1) Downward responsiveness can be worked around by using another copper/aluminum diffuser plate as a heat sink when I need to bring the temp down fast and (2) upward responsiveness isn’t all that important (i.e. in what scenarios do you need to actually increase temp super fast? I don’t work in a professional kitchen, so if my cooking times slow down 10% or w/e that’s not a big deal).
So, basically, I have one use case left for a light plan and that’s flip sauteeing. Which isn’t strictly necessary but it’s fun to do once in a while.
For everything else, I’m gonna slowly do a mix of Demeyere, Fissler, Falk CC, and maybe eventually a couple of Duparquet or Mazzetti 3+ mm silver-lined copper pieces if I still have gas. Might get a Lagofusion Academia piece as well to check it out. Might also intentionally do some overlap, e.g. I’ll get a Fissler fry pan or roaster for when I want a really solid sear and a Falk CC fry pan for more responsiveness.
It may be gimmick-y, but graphite of this kind is a very, very conductive material, IIRC about 1300W/mK laterally. What may make this line gimmicky is that the pans may be too small to realize any discernable difference in terms of evenness. If you’re going to buy to compare A-B, I recommend you get the largest diameter test pieces possible. When I was working on the hyperconductivity project with greater effective conductivity, lateral transfer in a 10" diameter bottom was not a huge marginal gain. You would probably need an aerospace grade thermal imager to see any differences in evenness. Speed, maybe.
The more interesting question is whether G5 will ultimately debond. Viking tried the same thing and that line did. Maybe A-C skinned that cat, but you can see the deformed “dot” areas on the bottom of G5.
Yeah, I’ll see if I can get my hands on a 12.5" G5 and will report back here eventually. Another worry I would have (beyond the debonding) with the G5 is warping given that the pans presumably have less aluminum alloy than the D3 line (which itself I’ve seen warp in my friend’s kitchen).
