Best Cookware Sets in 2021: Direct-to-Consumer Companies, Including Made In to Material

A six-and-a-half quart sauté pan is roomy enough for many meals worth of food—which means far fewer dishes. In 2019, design-firm-turned-lifestyle-company Pattern released Equal Parts, a line of “chemical-free” nonstick cookware . Equal Parts cookware originally came in all-black, but they recently redesigned their line in WGSN-approved muted Cookware Sets colorways like cream and light blue. Anyday was founded by Steph Chen, and as many great ideas start, this one began as an accident. A simple quest to roast a chicken, but to save time, was microwaved. Hard to believe, but with Anyday, you can make home-cooked meals in minutes, turning raw vegetables and chicken into delectable dinners.

Several members of our staff have also seen plastic handles crack after they spent time in the dishwasher. This fully clad tri-ply set performed better than any other set we’ve tested under $250. We like that it includes larger skillets, but the pans are heavier and don’t have the proven longevity of our other picks. Use this guide to choose the best nonstick cookware set for your kitchen. Sharon Franke has been testing and writing about kitchen equipment for over 30 years.

Cookware Sets

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 cuisinart knife 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.

The GreenPan SearSmart Hard Anodized Healthy Ceramic Nonstick Set also has one of the highest heat capacities on this list. You can pop them in the oven with total peace of mind knowing they’re safe for up to 600 degrees F. One thing to note, however, is that there are no “helper” handles opposite the regular long handle on these pans. On the larger pans, things can get heavy and harder to maneuver safely, especially at high temperatures. During our tests, we noticed that the temperature of the pans was a bit inconsistent, but our testers said it was not that far off. With an aluminum core and a copper ceramic coating, this Farberware Glide CopperSlide Ceramic Nonstick 12 Piece Cookware Set is the height of modern nonstick.

The battery life is fairly long, with up to 15 hours of video playback on a single charge. The tablet also comes with a built-in kids-mode with Google Kids Space, making it a great gift for children. Introduced in 2022, the 10.9-inch Apple iPad Air 5 is the latest in the lightweight iPad Air line. The iPad Air 5 offers performance up to 60% faster than the prior model, thanks to Apple’s turbo-charged M1 chip. The device boasts a 12 MP wide-angle back camera that supports 4K video. This smart robot vacuum uses floor-tracking sensors to clean in neat rows.

Unlike other cookware sets on the market, this one comes with four magnetic pan racks and a canvas lid holder that can be attached to the inside of your cabinets for convenient storage. They are oven- and dishwasher-safe, although hand washing is recommended to keep them looking their best . We also noticed that some pans from the Everyday line were polished around the rim and others weren’t, which suggests there may be an issue with quality control. The All-Clad representatives we spoke to said there may be slight differences in the finishes, depending on the type of machines used to manufacture the cookware. That means you may encounter similar inconsistencies with the rims on our upgrade pick, since it’s made from the same tri-ply cookware as the Everyday line. The different finishes on the rims are distinguishable when next to each other, but this is mainly an aesthetic issue and shouldn’t affect the way the pans perform.

The body of your pots and covers are dishwasher safe allowing easy cleanup. It is available in three different styles so you can pick according to your requirements. This cookware set’s induction base that delivers fast and even heating sets it apart from the rest of the products on our list. Moreover, this product is available in blue and copper colors, giving you an elegant variation.

If a set is almost perfect, but is missing a piece, most manufacturers sell open stock cookware, so you can get that huge stock pot or grill pan you’ve been coveting. Keep in mind that lids count as pieces, and some sets include inexpensive extras, like spoons and spatulas that add to the piece count. Uncoated cast iron cookware needs some special care and cleaning, but it often arrives pre-seasoned, so it can be used right away. Further cooking and seasoning will make it even more nonstick over time. Uncoated cast iron typically shouldn’t be used with acidic foods like tomatoes, but thoroughly seasoned pans can tolerate some acidic foods for short times.

We prepared small batches of caramel in the saucepans to check for hot spots. We sautéed chicken, made caramel, and simmered tomato sauce to test for warping, even heat distribution, and ease of handling. From trivets and handle holders to scrub brushes and seasoning spray, our indoor and outdoor accessories help you care for your cookware.