The Tramontina set we recommend is comparably priced , and unlike the Caraway set, it should last for decades if cared for properly. We opted not to test the Five Two Essential Cookware 11-Piece Complete Set because it comes with glass lids, and the stockpot is only 6 quarts. According to our research, ceramic coatings don’t last as long as PTFE coatings. We also liked that the pieces in this set felt weighty; they seem durable enough to withstand the rigors of daily cooking. The handles on the stainless steel lids were big enough to grab onto, even when we used a side towel or pot holders.
This material can also be more difficult to clean than stainless steel because it’s harder to tell whether you’ve scrubbed off every bit of burned-on oil. Sets with fewer but larger pieces let you cook more food at once (versus “filler” sets with smaller pieces, which can slow you down in the kitchen). To make cuisinart pots and pans set this list, she considered insights from product testers who rated each product based on design, durability, heating capabilities, and ease of cleaning. She also consulted Jason Santos, a chef, Will Gilson, chef and co-owner of Puritan & Company, and Mary Rodgers, head of marketing communications at Cuisinart.
So if your kitchen equipment is looking a little worse for wear, it may be time for an upgrade. Whether you just need to grab a new spatula or you’re looking to replace your entire set of pots and pans, now’s a great time to get a solid deal. The heat distribution is even throughout their thickness so they heat up quickly and evenly without hot spots.
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.
The tight-fitting covers are great at keeping in heat and juices, and everything is dishwasher-safe. We think this set is a really good choice if you don’t mind slightly heavier cookware or the fact that it stains slightly with use. It cooked on a par with the Tramontina and All-Clad sets we recommend. But because Goldilocks is a newer direct-to-consumer brand, we don’t know yet how it will perform over time (though we’ll keep using it and update this guide accordingly).
In spite of its low cost, these pieces are quite handsome with a dark blue exterior enamel surface and brushed stainless steel handles. Although the handles are attached with rivets for durability, they’re coated with the nonstick finish so don’t require any extra work to keep clean. The cuisinart pots and pans set lids are glass to let you check if your soup is simmering gently or boiling ferociously and then adjust the heat accordingly. One thing to note is that the pieces in this set are not exceptionally large. The Dutch oven is 5 quarts and the deep straight-sided sauté pan is only 2.5 quarts.