Every kitchen should have 8- and 10- inch skillets as well as a larger covered 12-inch skillet or straight-sided sauté pan. We give points to sets that include a 12-incher as it’s such a versatile pan for frying, stir-frying and one-pot dishes like paella or chicken with dumplings. And while you can always pick up a reasonably-priced small fry pan for eggs and crepes, filling in your set with a large pan, can set you back a bit. The top spot belongs to the Anolon Advanced Home Hard-Anodized Nonstick 11-Piece Cookware Set for its versatile assortment of pots and pans, durable construction, and overall nonstick performance. While long-lasting cuisinart knife are hard to find when shopping on a budget, the Tramontina Nesting 11-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set has everything you need and should last you for years. T-fal’s PerformaPro cookware solves the problems of cooking with stainless steel!
Nonstick surfaces are susceptible to scratches, so they require specific care, and the cookware is usually less durable overall. I love the weight of these pans and the solid lids that come with them. The deep sauté pan is great when making a mix of vegetables that cook at different rates.
To evaluate various pieces, we cook pancakes, fry eggs, boil water, and simmer tomato sauce. Sharon Franke has been testing and writing about kitchen equipment for over 30 years. Before becoming a cooking tools expert, she spent seven years working as a professional chef in New York City restaurants.
Nonstick skillets are a home cook’s must-have for turning out flawless omelets and pancakes and ensuring even, stick-free cooking of sautéed vegetables, like asparagus, and seared proteins, like salmon. Nonstick saucepans and stock pots are essential for heating soups, boiling pasta, making rice, and simmering sauces. A. When a set is described as ceramic nonstick cookware, the term is referring to the coating which is applied over a base metal such as aluminum. Ceramic coatings are durable, very stick-resistant, and free of metals and harmful chemicals. The best ceramic cookware sets will hold up to years of use with little to no peeling or chipping of the coating. The best stainless steel cookware sets generally cost more than anodized aluminum pots and pans, but they are very versatile and suitable for just about any type of cooking the average home chef wants to try.
Ceramic cookware is a newer nonstick alternative that’s ideal for anyone concerned about PFOA or PFTE, two health- and environment-hazardous chemicals that used to be found in some nonstick coatings. (The FDA has since required such materials to be phased out.) It’s a crowd-pleasing option because it’s beginner friendly and usually available in a variety of colors. Like nonstick cookware, ceramic can scratch, but newer market options are designed with durability in mind.
We use our 8-inch pan to fry crispy eggs in olive oil all the time. HexClad pans boast a patented hexagon design that’s laser etched onto the inside and outside of the pan. This layer provides the nonstick attribute, while still allowing the pan to get very hot and cook evenly thanks to its stainless steel base and aluminum middle layer. The design on the outside helps prevent staining and allows for easier cleanup.
For example, you might love non-stick cookware because it makes your foods come right out of the pan and doesn’t require using oil. Alternatively, perhaps you love the durability and cuisinart knife shiny look of stainless steel cookware. Then, you can enjoy culinary items with scratch-free surfaces designed to cook foods evenly for great-tasting results and fewer hassles.
At the top of our list is this brick red set from Caraway, which also comes in six other colors (sage, cream, navy, “perracotta,” marigold, and gray). The nonstick coating also works some kind of magic to make washing the pans a breeze. The Teflon-free nonstick coating on T-Fal’s pots and pans makes them foolproof when it comes to turning out crepes, frittatas and other sticky foods. Their handles stay cool to the touch, so they’re comfortable to use when cooking with a finger grip for extra control.