That said, some people may find the concave handle uncomfortable to hold. We also found the handles on the All-Clad lids easy to grab, unlike the tiny ones on the Mauviel M’cook pieces . In addition to making tri-ply cookware, most high-end manufacturers produce sets that are made from five or more layers of stainless steel, aluminum, and sometimes copper. In most of our tests, five-ply cookware didn’t heat as uniformly as regular tri-ply cookware, or the differences were negligible. One exception was the Demeyere 5-Plus 10-Piece Cookware Set, which heated impressively evenly.
We did notice that some tomato sauce dripped down the side of the stockpot while we poured, but there were no splatters on the counter. We did our best to avoid sets that aren’t fully clad (meaning the aluminum core doesn’t extend up the sides of the cookware), since the sides of the pan are prone to scorching. However, if you’re looking for a less expensive set, cookware with tri-ply disks welded to the bottom of the pan will distribute heat more evenly than pans made from a single piece of stainless steel. In our experience, pans with encapsulated bottoms performed better than those that had just a single layer of stainless steel, but we still wouldn’t recommend them for gas and electric stovetops. That said, if you have an induction stovetop, cookware with encapsulated bottoms will perform better than fully clad tri-ply cookware. You can read more about this type of cookware and its performance on induction in our guide to the best portable induction cooktop.
Ruiz and Cayne gave us the low down on the pros and cons and the differences between these materials—plus their best uses. Copper cookware is an elegant, unique cuisinart soup maker option often used in high-end French restaurants. Copper is an excellent heat conductor which heats quickly and evenly, but also cools down quickly.
Lids should fit well but somewhat loosely, with just enough wiggle room to allow steam to escape. Because of its even heat distribution, fully clad tri-ply stainless steel is the best option for both pros and home cooks. While cooking, testers found that the pan heated evenly and gave the scallops cuisinart griddler elite a nice hard sear with even browning. The frittata slid right out of the pan with very minimal sticking as well, with testers noting that the handles didn’t stay hot for too long afterward. This set is oven safe to 500 degrees and during testing, the temperature of the pan stayed pretty even.
After each test, I allowed the pans to cool and then hand washed them with warm soapy water to assess their ease of care. The series of tests I conducted assessed whether the pans could cook standard recipes within an expected time and resulted in the expected color, texture, and flavor. Each test was designed according to the pan shape, and I kept them as straightforward as possible to avoid significant variability. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
Unlike stainless steel, cast iron doesn’t get dented or easily scratched when using metal tools. Since cast iron is dense, it can also resist extremely cuisinart griddler elite high temperatures. Stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, copper, and enameled cast iron are the most common and traditional cookware materials.