Originally Posted by
MinnMan
Gold would scratch too easily. Very soft.
True, it is no softer than Silver or Zinc, in fact all three metals are equally soft. Copper is marginally harder but not much. Tin, which is/was conventionally used to coat copper pots is much more soft, yet successfully used for a very long time.
In our family, we have always preferred Zinc ever since I can remember (grand-parents)… and from stories grand-mother told us, stretching back to the turn of the previous century. Zinc and Silver both look very nice esthetically, silver does tarnish and requires more maintenance work. When it comes to cooking at higher temperatures, silver has a distinct advantage over tin and zinc coating, tin being the worst.
I should have gotten a few pots electroplated when gold was $250/ounce. Now at about $2,000/ounce, it would be impossible.
I do remember once figuring out that an 8 quart pot, when electroplated at 10 micron on the inside and 5 microns on the outside, would need about 2oz of gold, assuming I could find someone to undertake the project. 😉
And one could pass such kitchen implements from generation, inspiring them to eat good and healthy.