As my test results revealed, Cuisinart’s impact-bonded stainless steel cookware does not deliver consistent heat to the pan’s sides. If you’re looking to get the best performance from a stainless steel set, go with a fully-clad option like Cuisinart Multiclad Pro . If you want stainless steel at a lower price, opt for an impact-bonded option like Cuisinart Professional Series. Cuisinart offers a solid lineup of cookware collections, each with the versatility to handle the modern home chef’s needs. Cuisinart also offers stainless steel lids as a part of other collections that are also oven-safe (up to 500°F).
Not only are the pots and pans in this set versatile enough to make everything from soups and stews to chili and chicken breast, but they last a really long time, too. Stainless steel cookware sets each come with their own set of cleaning instructions, so it’s worth double-checking what the manufacturer recommends to ensure they’re staying in good shape. While cooking, it’s not ideal for your food to stick to the pan or pot you’re using. In addition to it being difficult to remove your food, it can also make cleaning more difficult as well. In fact, both cooked with a nice, even heat, and there was no noticeable warping when we dipped the pan into ice after cooking. The set was noticeably easy to clean, which is a plus given that it’s not recommended to put the pieces in the dishwasher.
In our tests, the pans heated incredibly evenly and didn’t discolor over high heat. However, the pans took almost double the time to preheat as our picks and were heavier than we’d prefer. We think this set is worth the steep price only if you’re looking for rivetless cookware. Since the skillets and stockpot in the All-Clad D3 Curated 10-Piece Set (sold exclusively at Crate & Barrel) cuisinart griddler elite are smaller than we recommend, we opted not to test the full set. However, we’ve tested similar pieces from All-Clad’s D3 Stainless Everyday line, which you can read about above. Several of our staff members also have All-Clad pots and pans in their own home kitchens , and they find that they continue to heat evenly and clean up well, even after years of persistent use.
My best answer is that this particular collection offers the best performance and durability, in my opinion. The stainless steel cookware is prone to staining, discoloration, and pitting. The polished stainless steel looks nice at first but shows fingerprints easily, requiring you to wipe it constantly to keep it looking good. The cooking surface of the Cuisinart fry pan was barely warm, and there was zero heat remaining in the sides of the pan. After recording the results of the heat conduction test, I poured out the boiling water and set each pan aside on a countertop. Five minutes later, I pressed the palm of my hand on the cooking surface to test its heat retention.
What chemicals and materials are used to make the pans resist stains, oil, and grease might be another consideration when choosing a nonstick cookware set. Popular marketing terms like “healthy, non-toxic, PFOA-free, PFAS-free, and Teflon-free” are often listed as a selling point. It’s advisable to keep nonstick pans on low to medium heat, avoid sharp or metal utensils on the pan’s surface, and always follow the brand’s care and usage instructions. Like most stainless steel cookware, the Goldilocks pots and pans will discolor slightly over high heat, but this won’t affect its performance. Compare the Goldilocks 12-inch skillet we used to sauté chicken with an unused Goldilocks 10-inch skillet .