Cookware having improved uniform heat transfer over the entire cross section thereof, the cookware formed from a multi-layered composite metal having a layer of stainless steel roll bonded at or near the core of the composite to act as a thermal barrier and provide more uniform heat distribution on the cook surface. A free radical scavenger can also be included in the process and composition. A plurality of first resistor contact strips and a plurality of second resistor contact strips are disposed on the resistor body along a first direction.