20 Best Cookware Brands, Ranked

Laura’s work can be found on FoodNetwork.com, Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, and more. This piece was also reviewed by Sabrina Russo, RD, a registered dietitian with nearly a decade of experience in the field. If you’re looking to replace all of your cookware with a comprehensive set that’s free of toxins, the Cuisinart Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set is our top choice. This is a reliable, affordable set of high-quality cookware that is suitable for expert home cooks and beginners alike.

You can also purchase individual components to add to your Caraway collection. Caraway is at the top of our list for its value, quality, and versatility in the kitchen. Made In also manufactures copper Cookware Sets pans that are excellent even conductors of heat with a professional appearance to boot. Not to mention, all of the products in Made In’s line feature extra long, ergonomic handles to prevent burning.

Even better, there are 10 colors to choose from, so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding an option that suits your kitchen. Keep in mind that our product testers have noted that this pan is not completely nonstick. Metal pots are made from a narrow range of metals because pots and pans need to conduct heat well, but also need to be chemically unreactive so that they do not alter the flavor of the food. Most materials that are conductive enough to heat evenly are too reactive to use in food preparation. In some cases , a pot may be made out of a more reactive metal, and then tinned or clad with another.

This cookware ranked high on our list for its versatility but lower than others due to its price-tag. Copper cookware is not for beginners because of how malleable the metal is. All copper cookware, not just Mauviel, is known to scratch easy and dull without proper polishing. Before cooking with any piece of cookware, it’s important to consider that item’s maximum capacity for temperature. Almost every piece of cookware has a temperature that it shouldn’t exceed, and doing so could be harmful to your food and equipment. Before shopping for cookware, assess what you plan to cook, and more importantly, assess how you intend to cook it.

gotham steel cookware sets

Known for its durability and superior heat retention, this handy pan allows you to sear, sauté, bake, broil, braise, and fry a variety of different foods. It is seasoned with oil for a “natural, easy-release finish” that makes the pan easy to hand-wash. Cast Cookware Sets Iron pans are heritage items that can be passed down for generations, and Lodge makes some of the most reliable and affordable options available. These pans can safely transfer from stovetop to oven to broiler, and they’re even safe to use over a campfire.

Aluminum construction, triple-coated with our proprietary Ti-Cerama surface produces even heat for simmering risotto and sauces, pan-frying or slow-braising … Glass ceramic is used to make products such as Corningware and Pyroflam, which have many of the best properties of both glass and ceramic cookware. While Pyrex can shatter if taken between extremes of temperature too rapidly, glass-ceramics can be taken directly from deep freeze to the stove top. Their very low coefficient of thermal expansion makes them less prone to thermal shock. The coating is stable at normal cooking temperatures, even at the smoke point of most oils. For a period following the Second World War, copper cookware was electroplated with a nickel lining.