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After testing the Misen 3QT Saucier in our guide to the best small saucepan, we ruled out the cookware sets from Misen. Its five-ply construction made the pan slower to heat up, and its tubular handle was hard to hold onto. We’ve also watched Misen’s cookware go in and out of stock frequently. We didn’t test the Caraway Cookware Set for this guide, since it’s nonstick. However, we did do some at-home testing of its sauté pan as a point of comparison in our review of the Always pan; this testing confirmed our understanding that ceramic-coated pans don’t last long .
For those cooks who want a speedy clean-up after standing next to a hot stove, the ability to throw their pots and pans into the dishwasher is a major benefit. Chernoff adds that stainless steel is also lighter and more easily maneuvered than cast iron. If you have problems with your wrists or hands and don’t want to burden them by carrying around heavy dishes, stainless steel is a good choice. The stainless steel cookware is oven-safe to 800 degrees, the nonstick pan is oven-safe to 500 degrees, and the carbon steel is oven-safe to 1200 degrees. People like how evenly each piece distributes heat, how the handles are designed to be ergonomic, and how easily they clean up. The set is oven-safe to 500 degrees and can be used under the broiler.
However, if you are looking for top-quality, long-lasting cookware, I recommend brands like All-Clad, Made In, and Calphalon over Cuisinart. Not all Cuisinart pans have imperfections, but there’s enough evidence of it that it’s worth considering. Since then, the brand has expanded its offerings to include blenders, coffee makers, mixers (see my in-depth cuisinart griddler elite review), kitchen knives, and, of course, cookware. For best long-term results, all Cuisinart collections should be hand-washed in warm water with a mild detergent. However, the non-stick cookware is easy to clean and doesn’t require much maintenance at all. The handles are hollow and made with thin metal, so most of the pan’s weight is in its base.
“Stainless steel absorbs heat quickly and evenly, so food cooks evenly as well,” says Chernoff. The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro, 12-Piece has triple-ply construction that has unsurpassed heat conductivity. The pure aluminum core ensures maximum heat retention and even heat distribution, eliminating any hot spots. The Duxtop Tri-Ply Cookware Set, 10-Piece is also constructed with several layers that ensure there are no hot spots. The heat is distributed evenly along the bottom and sides of the cookware. The Cook N Home Cookware Set, 12-Piece is made of mirror-polished stainless steel with an aluminum disc bottom between layers of steel.
Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they’re worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn’t an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products and we let you know that we got it for free to remain as transparent as possible about our picks. This set from Le Creuset performed well during testing but testers felt the price point was a bit too steep in comparison to other similar styles. Testers noted that it cooked scallops well and clean up was about average, though some scrubbing was required.
You can reduce the “stick” of stainless steel by using oil while cooking, but a shiny stainless steel surface will not release as easily as a dedicated nonstick pan. The skillets in the Williams-Sonoma Signature Thermo-Clad Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set have a very small cooking surface. The handles on this set are also very long, which we found awkward—especially on a crowded range. At 3 pounds, 14.8 ounces, the Signature Thermo-Clad pan was a bit hefty for some of our testers.
If you find a brand that specializes in a certain kind of cuisine, you can get all the tools you need without thinking about it. If you enjoy cooking for yourself or a small group of people, you might not need a 17-piece set. For example, a ceramic pot won’t heat over an induction stove cuisinart griddler elite unless it has metal inside it. Check a cookware’s site description before buying to see where it works. The first thing you should consider when picking a cookware set is whether it works on your stove type. The handle is flawlessly attached to the pan with no gaps in between.
This wasn’t the case with the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic stockpot, which required frequent stirring to prevent the sauce from burning. Also, the 10-inch Tramontina skillet made perfectly golden-brown chicken breasts with extra-crispy skin. We dismissed sets with plastic handles, since even those made to withstand high temperatures can deteriorate over time. Ideally, we wanted cookware that could safely withstand oven temperatures of at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit; that ruled out most cookware with plastic components. Several members of our staff have also seen plastic handles crack after they spent time in the dishwasher.