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. The stainless layer is roll bonded to layers of aluminum which, in turn, is roll bonded to layers of stainless steel or aluminum or copper. The layer of stainless steel adjacent to the cooking range may be a ferromagnetic grade of stainless steel if induction-type heating is desired. The cookware may include a non-stick surface applied thereto.