The nonstick coating makes cleanup a breeze, plus it comes with a storage rack and a canvas lid holder. Since nonstick does not allow food to adhere, you should only need a soft rag or soft plastic brush and nonabrasive cleanser to keep it clean. If you have stuck-on food with one of these surfaces, fill the pan halfway with water and bring it to a boil to loosen; do not use abrasive cleansers or scrubbers, as it will require re-seasoning. This cookware set from Cuisinart is petroleum-free and Teflon-free with a ceramic-based nonstick interior, while the handles are made from 70% recycled stainless steel.
“It’s incredibly versatile cookware that can help with almost any recipe in the kitchen.” Stainless steel pans can also be used on induction cooktops, adding additional flexibility. Stainless steel is great for all-purpose cooking—it can be used for braising and browning as well as creating sauces and soups. The non-reactive properties of stainless steel make it ideal for cooking sauces with acidic ingredients . Many stainless steel pieces are oven-safe, allowing you to finish a dish under the broiler if needed.
Versatile enough to be used with any recipe, a Cuisinart non-stick pan is a cookware essential for every kitchen. Use your Cuisinart frying pan for everything from scrambled eggs in the morning to easy one-pan meals at dinnertime. If you’re looking to move beyond traditional menu items, stock up on dish-specific Cuisinart pans and pots as cuisinart soup maker well. A pasta pot featuring a strainer insert makes draining noodles easier for spaghetti dinners, while a Cuisinart wok is invaluable for cooking up the best shrimp stir fry. Cook the main dish in a Cuisinart roasting pan, then while that’s in the oven, use Cuisinart bakeware, saucepans and a pressure cooker to work on the side dishes.
We prefer 10- and 12-inch skillets because they offer a larger surface area for cooking more food at once. But we’ve been disappointed to find more and more sets—including the All-Clad and Tramontina ones we recommend—moving toward offering only 8- and 10-inch skillets. This is partly what made us excited about our new budget pick, the Goldilocks set, which is one of the only sets we’ve seen lately that includes both 10- and 12-inch pans. The main incentive for buying piece by piece is that most sets come with smaller pan sizes. In early 2023, we’ll be testing more stainless steel cookware sets, both tried-and-true ones and newer models. Get inspired to whip up something tasty with these chef-approved cookware sets.
One exception was the Demeyere 5-Plus 10-Piece Cookware Set, which heated impressively evenly. That said, the pans in this set took longer to heat up than those in the All-Clad set. Five-ply cookware also holds onto more heat, so it’s slower to react when you lower the heat on your stove. Ultimately, cuisinart pots and pans set we don’t think five-ply cookware is worth the extra cost. Or perhaps you already own stainless steel cookware, but it’s dented, warped, or inclined to cook unevenly. In that case, we think upgrading to a stainless steel set is worth doing because it will last a lot longer—maybe even a lifetime.
One standout feature people really seem to love is that these pots and pans were clearly designed for easy stackability and storage. The 8-inch skillet performed well in the omelet test with no sticking, and the eggs rolled out easily. The 1.5-quart sauce pot was quick to simmer, although there was slight sticking in the grooves and on the sides after cooking. The rice cooked well in the 2.5-quart saucepan without sticking or burning, and the testers found the temperature was consistent across the pan surface. While testing the 8-inch skillet, our testers found that the eggs stuck to the pan’s rivets and sides.
While cooking, testers found that the pan heated evenly and gave the scallops 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. The temperatures ranged from 350 to 400 to 334 around the pan, which means when you’re browning meat or fish it’s going to be evenly cooked without a lot of fuss. We were curious to see if the Demeyere 5-Plus 10-Piece Cookware Set was worth its exorbitant price.