Nonstick frying pans are best for scrambled eggs, pancakes, and delicate foods such as fish. And stainless is perfect for virtually any food that needs searing or browning. For a deeper dive, readThe Best Frying Pans for the Way You Cook. Even the stickiest foods, like fried eggs and pancakes, fall out of the pan, leaving the surfaces virtually spotless, even when you don’t use butter. While you may think of nonstick as best for frying, you’ll also appreciate how rice doesn’t stick to the pots. You can also count on these pots and pans to brown burgers evenly and simmer a tomato sauce steadily.
I’m a professionally trained baker with 15 years of cooking experience. I’ll admit, years of bad press about nonstick cookware producing subpar food, being shoddily made and even potentially harmful gave me pause on whether to recommend a brand at all. During the process, I also consulted gear pro and kitchen equipment tester, Sharon Franke, a 30-year veteran of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.
Our tester said the design had a “nice weight” and felt “balanced” when holding the pan. It also rinsed off with little effort, making cleanup a breeze. This set wasn’t particularly bad compared to the others; it just wasn’t as good or better than its peers.
The Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad Copper Set is a great intro to copper set, offering the heating abilities of copper and the accessibility of stainless steel. If you splurge on an All-Clad Stainless Steel set, your kitchen will be stocked with essential pieces that stand the test of time. By clicking on the links above, you consent to leave the KitchenAid brand website.
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.
Best of all, many multi-pots are programmable which means you can prepare your meals in advance and have a hot meal waiting for you the moment you walk through the door. The truth is, everyone needs one large universal pot in their kitchen. Some pasta pots are just like regular pots, but with the addition of a straining lid.
For $299, you’ll get two saucepans with lids, a saute pan with a lid, a stock pot with a lid, two skillets, and a stainless steel steamer insert. All of the pots and pans use Heat Surround technology for even heat distribution at the base and side walls, which ensures cuisinart knife even cooking. The handles are riveted and stay cool to the touch during cooking, and the rims are tapered to prevent drips and spills when pouring. You’ll likely find a nonstick cookware set in any kitchen these days due to its versatility and generally affordability.
With so many options on the market, it’s hard to know what set might best suit your needs. We enlisted the help of gear pro and kitchen equipment tester, Sharon Franke, a 30-year veteran of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute who specializes in cooking equipment. Here are the things to consider when shopping for a nonstick cookware set. When buying nonstick cookware, you should consider the materials of each pan and how long they will hold up overtime. She also loves a pan with a metal handle so that it can go in the oven, “if the manufacturer deems it oven-safe!” she says.