These pots and pans are built with lasting quality, convenient features, and timeless design, to fuel the creativity of kitchen creators and cuisine innovators. Available in a variety of materials – including hard-anodized nonstick and stainless steel – to suit all cooking styles and techniques, for endless possibilities in the kitchen. The pots and pans in this 12-piece cookware set from Cuisinart are easy to care for, as pretty much all food will slide right off the scratch-resistant, ceramic-based nonstick coating. It’s important to remember that all nonstick cookware will scratch to some extent, but some nonstick materials are more sensitive than others.
All-Clad has been a top performer in our cookware tests; it heats evenly, prevents food from sticking and browns meat well. While we haven’t tested this All-Clad set, we are pleased to see that the brand’s new nonstick line is oven-safe up to 500˚F. We’re also fans of sets like these that include small and medium sauté pans. However, when you cook directly in aluminum some of the metal leaches into your food, giving it a gray-ish cast. The vast majority of aluminum cookware has some kind of finish, either enamel or nonstick, to prevent this from happening and also make it easier to clean. Aluminum cookware can’t be used on an induction burner unless it has a layer of stainless steel in the base.
When I didn’t quite get the simmer temperature right on my rice test using the saucepan, I expected a sticky disaster. Instead, every single grain came out without any coaxing, and the pan ultimately forgave my mistake even better than a PTFE nonstick would. I struggled to get a nice fond during the marinara test since nothing could stick to scrape off, and the Cookware Sets burgers didn’t crisp up or caramelize the way I was hoping they would. The silicone grip handles on all the pans are also super comfortable, even when you have to hold something hot and heavy. The 4- and 8 -quart pots, and the 5-quart sauté pan, have silicone-gripped “helper handles”—small c-shaped handles that you can hold onto to help transport a full pan.
For more information, see our free cookware buying guide, which includes a primer on different types of cookware and the materials they’re made of. Below are the 10 best cookware sets from CR’s latest tests, both nonstick and stainless steel, listed alphabetically by type. CR members can jump to our cookware ratings for details on how each set performed, and even more options. Anolon is behind many of our favorite kitchen products (like its top-notch roasting pan), so it was no surprise that this set excelled during testing. Each pot and pan is comfortable to hold, easy to clean and we didn’t have any trouble with food sticking. In one fell swoop, but your collection of pots and pans will look cohesive as a little aesthetic bonus.
All in all, you’re pretty much covered for every possible cooking need. Tramontina can be placed in the oven up to a temp of 500 degrees F, which should be more than enough for everything from keeping a casserole warm, to braising a pot roast, to browning off an apple crisp. Like all stainless, this cookware is dishwasher safe but is prone to some discoloration over time.
This four-piece set will get you pretty far, but GreenPan also makes an 11-piece one, should you really want to go all out. If you don’t need an entire kitchen cookware set, you might think about nabbing one or two frying pans. I love All-Clad’s nonstick frying pans with comfortable handles and relatively tough PFOA-free coating. For quick stir-fries, omelets and reheating leftovers these are my go-to pans. In this set you’ll get the versatile 10.5-inch pan an the 12-inch for larger meals. These pieces feature a lustrous brushed-copper exterior and satin stainless steel interiors and lids, and they have an inner aluminum core for superior heat conduction.
If you are a fan of non/low fat cooking, then this set is worth checking out. Backed by a lifetime warranty, and very affordable – make sure you consider this awesome product. There is a pattern in the center which turns red when thoroughly heated, and the lids are made of tempered glass to seal in moisture while cooking. The items included are oven safe up to 500 degrees F and feature a limited lifetime warranty for your peace of mind.
The saucepan-heavy set comes with 1-, 2- and 3-quart saucepans plus a 5.75-quart Dutch oven with lid and an 8- and 9.5-inch deep skillet. This flashy ceramic cookware set gets points for being budget-friendly and stylish. The ceramic pots and pans also hold up well in tons of online buyer reviews.