Best Cookware Set: Pots and pans are a must-have in every kitchen, whether you cook a lot at home or just like to eat out. Buying a cookware set can be hard because there are so many different materials and ways to put the pieces together. Many sets come with different sizes of saucepans and frying pans, as well as large Dutch ovens or similar pieces like stock pots or casserole dishes.
We found that less is more when it comes to cookware based on our own experiences and conversations with chefs, food editors, and leaders of the Cookware Manufacturers Association. Buying a cookware set can save you time and money, just like getting the best knife set. Finding a versatile set will help you get all the essentials for your kitchen at once, so all you have to do is start cooking.
1. Tramontina 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Set
- Pieces: 10- and 12-inch fry pans, a 6-quart covered deep sauté pan, 1.5- and 3-quart covered saucepans, a 5-quart covered Dutch oven, and an 8-quart covered stock pot.
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Oven safe temperature: 500 degrees F
- Induction safe: Yes
- PFOA free: Yes
When we asked King Phojanakong, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education, which pots and pans were must-haves, he said a 5-quart Dutch oven, a 12-inch saute pan, and a 3-quart saucepan, all of which are included in Tramontina’s cookware set. The best thing about these pieces is how many things you can do with them. Phojanakong uses the saute pan to make chicken dishes or baby bok choy, and he uses the 3-quart saucepan to heat up leftover soups and sauces, cook rice, or make small portions of pasta.
One of the best things about the Tramontina set is that it comes in a wide range of sizes, with cookware that can be used for both small meals and large gatherings. Its durable construction is also a big plus.
“The most useful material is stainless steel. You don’t have to be gentle with it,” said Lisa Chernick, author of “Your Starter Kitchen.” Each piece in the Tramontina set is made of 18/10 stainless steel on both sides of an aluminium core. This three-layer design has the strength of stainless steel and the ability to conduct heat well like aluminium. Even though the set can go in the dishwasher, it will stay shiny longer if you wash it by hand.
You can buy each piece separately, but getting the whole set is the best deal. There are also smaller and bigger sets, but the 12-piece set has everything you need and nothing you don’t.
Pros: It has all the necessary parts and is made of three layers to make it last longer.
Cons: Low end of safe oven temperature
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2. All-Clad D3 Stainless Steel Cookware Set
- Pieces: 8-inch and 10-inch fry pans, a 2-quart saucepan with a lid, a 3-quart casserole dish with a lid, a 3-quart sauté pan with a lid, and an 8-quart stockpot with a lid.
- Dishwasher safe: No
- Oven safe temperature: 600 degrees F
- Induction safe: Yes
- PFOA-free
This All-Clad set is our best overall choice. It is also made of stainless steel, but it is less expensive and has many of the same benefits. But, if you cook a lot, the All-Clad D3 line may be worth the extra money because it lasts longer and is more durable.
The All-Clad D3 cookware set can go into an oven as hot as 600 degrees, which is the highest temperature in this guide. The casserole dish or stock pot works better as a substitute for a Dutch oven because it can handle such high heat. And, as Chernick said, more experienced cooks might want to brown something on the stove and then put it in the oven.
Even though these All-Clad pots and pans work well in the oven, you should wash them by hand instead of putting them in the dishwasher. This is something to think about if you want to spend as little time as possible cleaning up.
Pros: High temperature that can be used in the oven, thick aluminium core
Cons: Small fry pans that can’t go in the dishwasher.
3. Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad Copper Set
- Pieces: 10- and 12-inch skillets, 1.5- and 4-quart covered saucepans, 4.5-quart covered sauté pan, and an 8-quart covered stockpot with lid.
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Oven safe temperature: 450 degrees F
- Induction safe: Yes
- PFOA-free
Copper is the best metal for cooking because it heats quickly and evenly. Because copper is a reactive metal, most cookware is lined with tin or stainless steel, which are not reactive. The Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad Copper Set has an interior made of stainless steel, which makes it easier to cook acidic foods.
This set has everything we think is needed for a well-stocked kitchen, and the copper exterior is beautiful enough to show off when you’re not cooking. Thermo-Clad cookware can go in an oven up to 450 degrees, but you should never heat a copper pan that is empty. Check out our guide to copper cookware for more information on how to take care of your copper pots and pans.
Pros: Insulated lids with two walls and an interior that doesn’t react
Cons: Even though the copper isn’t the thickest gauge, the stainless steel lining keeps some of the heat from escaping.
4. T-fal All-in-One Hard-Anodized Cookware Set
- Pieces: 11-inch and 12-inch fry pans, 10-inch deep saute pan, 1-quart stewpot, 2-quart covered stewpot with fridge lid, 4.2-quart covered stewpot, and three cooking tools.
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Oven safe temperature: 400 degrees F, lids to 350
- Induction safe: No
- PFOA-free
All of the pots and pans in T-cookware fal’s set are made of hard-anodized aluminium, which is scratch-resistant. The insides of the pots and pans are coated with a nonstick coating and strengthened with titanium. We chose this T-Fal set as the best budget pick in our guide to the best hard-anodized cookware because of how long it lasts and how cheap it is.
James Brains, an insider reporter, has used a T-fal set like this since 2018. He said that the pieces have held up well even though they are used every day. To keep the nonstick coating on the fry pans, he suggests washing them by hand.
The biggest pot in this 12-piece set is only four quarts, but if you’re not having a party, that should be enough for pasta night. The set also comes with a serving spoon, a spatula, and a spatula with a hole in it, so you’ll be ready to serve dinner. And if you have leftovers, the 2-quart pot comes with a lid that you can put in the fridge to store them.
When the pans get hot, thermo spot indicators in the shape of a ring turn red. This can help less experienced cooks figure out how to properly heat the pans. When you’re done, it’s easy to put these pieces back together.
Pros: Large frying pans, can be cleaned in the dishwasher, stewpot can be used as a Dutch oven.
Cons: There is no pot bigger than 4 quarts, and the saute pan doesn’t have a lid.
5. Caraway Ceramic Coated Set
- Pieces: 10.5-inch fry pan, 3-quart saucepan with lid, 4.5-quart saute pan, and 6.5-quart Dutch oven.
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Oven safe temperature: 550 degrees F
- Induction safe: Yes
- PFOA-free
Even though this set isn’t very big. It has everything you need to start cooking. The 6.5-quart Dutch oven can be used to cook pasta or serve big meals. And the 4.5-quart saute pan is perfect for making a lot of fried food. I put the Caraway Home set to the test and found that each piece kept heat well. And had useful design details. But I don’t think the storage system that comes with the set adds much to it.
Caraway is known for its ceramic coating that doesn’t stick. Ceramic coatings are nonstick just like traditional ones, but they don’t have any PFOA, PFTE, lead, or cadmium in them. Caraway cookware has an aluminium core that heats quickly and evenly. The coating makes the surface easier to clean and reduces the amount of oil you need to use.
The Caraway Home set is shipped without any plastic bags, in recycled cardboard. Also, making the ceramic coating uses less CO2 than making other nonstick coatings. (But keep in mind that ceramic, like all nonstick coatings, is not as durable as stainless steel or other metals.) All together, this set is made to keep your kitchen clean, well-stocked, and free of clutter.
Pros: Includes a storage system and an aluminium core that heats up quickly.
Cons: There isn’t a bigger fry pan, and the ceramic coating isn’t as tough as stainless steel or other metals.
