Some pots and pans perform better on gas stoves, while others, like ceramic pieces, are best for electric or glass top stoves. Teflon can provide a great nonstick coating but can also begin to flake off after a few years, depending on how well you take care of the pan. Ceramic is also nonstick and said to be better for the environment. Ceramic pans also have a higher heat tolerance than traditional nonstick pans.
Nonstick cookware is easy to clean by hand because pressure water application might damage the surface. You do not need a lot of oil or fat to cook food on nonstick cookware. The delicate coating can get damaged if exposed to harmful conditions. Complete your kitchen with nonstick hard anodized, stainless steel or durable aluminum pots and pans. While some prefer to curate their cookware collection piece by piece and, in some cases, that makes good sense, especially for experienced chefs who know exactly what they want in each piece.
To reduce the overall price of a set, most manufacturers include smaller pot and pan sizes. I also spoke with several home cooks, including members of our own staff, who have used cuisinart knife for years. If you’re lusting after professional-looking stainless-steel cookware but don’t have the big bucks to shell out, this is the set for you.
This set was one of the top performers in terms of the nonstick coating. Like other sets, there are rivets that attach the handle to the pan, but unlike many different sets, the rivets on these Cookware Sets are also coated in the nonstick coating. This set also earned a 5 out of 5 when it comes to ease of cleaning. The superior ceramic nonstick coating makes it easy to just wipe these pans clean.
We love that the folks at Wirecutter just so happened to pick an affordable set. They said that this one has the largest pots and pans — a 5-quart Dutch oven! — out of all the sets they tested, which made them feel like they were really getting something for their money. Don’t worry, though — the handles are all super comfortable, so they’re not too hard to hold or lift.
For an everyday cookware set that meets the needs of most busy home kitchens, we always recommend nonstick or stainless steel cookware. Stainless steel is extremely sturdy, long-lasting and non-reactive, making it perfect for everything from browning veggies and braising meats to making thick stocks. Nonstick pan sets are typically made with stainless steel or aluminum bases that are treated with a durable nonstick coating to make them easier to clean, offering the best of both worlds. No matter what you like to make, there’s a cookware set at Sur La Table to help you make more and gather often. This lightweight, nonstick 15-piece set offers great performance and includes all the necessary pieces while staying within a budget. When we tested it in our Lab, our testers noted that rice pilaf and sauce turned out beautifully with nothing left behind in the pan.
Since then, the brand has expanded their line to include nonstick and stainless steel pans, and, most recently, a bakeware line. Great Jones refreshingly forsakes the signature dusty shades of other DTC cookware brands in favor of vibrant colors and punchy patterns. The Yves Klein-esque blue Dutch oven is particularly eye-catching. Kendra is a fan of the Hot Dish, a groovy, 9-by-13-inch baking dish with angular sides and corners that make for perfectly-square pieces of snacking cake and lasagna.
The included lids are glass, so you can check on the food without releasing the heat, and the handles are generously sized, so they’re easy to grab and hold. The All-Clad D3 Stainless 10-Piece Set includes 8- and 10-inch skillets, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, a 3-quart sauté pan with a lid, and an 8-quart stockpot with a lid. The only drawback to this set is that it doesn’t include a 12-inch skillet.
I’ve included a few picks for smaller sets in case you’re after frying pans only and not the whole cookware kit and kaboodle. I recommend having at least one nonstick skillet — either Teflon or ceramic — for eggs and other sticky foods. That said, you’ll never be able to sear food using nonstick the way you can with other materials, so keep that in mind if you’re opting for a fully nonstick cookware set.