However, after testing a number of ceramic pans, the GreenPan Paris Pro emerged as the clear winner. The pan heats evenly and has a Thermolon Minerals ceramic nonstick coating that’s PTFE- and PFOA-free. It’s scratch-resistant, induction-compatible, and oven-safe up to 600°F—a huge benefit if you often would like to transfer your nonstick pan from the stovetop to the oven (hello, baked eggs). (And we agree, which is why Made In’s stainless-steel skillet beat out All-Clad’s D3 skillet for our top recommendation in our stainless-steel skillet testing).
This is because the pans have pores, so to speak, that contract when heated; if you don’t heat your pan up enough, you risk your food being “grasped” by the open pores as they contract. A good skillet is the primary pan used in any Western-style kitchen. It’s used for everything from sauteeing vegetables to searing meat and reducing sauces.
These articles deep-dive into what cookware chefs use at work and in their own homes. The 3rd party should be able to tell you exactly where the product was made, and may even be able to give you a direct link to that information from their own website. There are instances where you can not get information from the ‘Brand’ itself as there a 3rd party may manufacture the product.
The PRO Series fry pan features a non-stick interior cooking surface. The 3-layer coating is black and offers a pleasant visual contrast to the bright aluminum exterior. Since Tramontina online discount store the skillets and stockpot in the All-Clad D3 Curated 10-Piece Set (sold exclusively at Crate & Barrel) are smaller than we recommend, we opted not to test the full set.
That being said, we understand that there are many home cooks out there who just want to make dinner on easy mode, and not have to stress too much about technique and clean up. Especially when cooking eggs in dishes like like crepes, omelets, and frittatas, nonstick properties are an undeniable boon. Most stainless steel pans are dishwasher-safe, though we still recommend washing by hand for longevity reasons, as stainless steel can rust in the dishwasher. It’s the job of a good skillet to even these out as much as possible. Heat travels very slowly through steel, but quite rapidly through aluminum. As soon as that core starts heating up, it quickly distributes the heat all around the base of the pan.
The different finishes on the rims are distinguishable when next to each other, but this is mainly an aesthetic issue and shouldn’t affect the way the pans perform. We’ll continue to monitor customer reviews to see if there’s an increase of complaints regarding the rims on either cookware line. For now, if you prefer skillets tramontina pans with rounded handles, we’d recommend getting the Tramontina set. The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set was our previous runner-up pick. However, after a new round of testing, we found the skillets warped over high heat. The bottom of the pans bowed so much that they wobbled on a flat surface.
The ideal weight and balance of cookware will be different for everyone. However, most of our testers preferred skillets that weighed between 2 and 3½ pounds; these were still light enough to toss ingredients in a pan without placing too much torque on their wrists. We took the advice of our pros and looked at many cookware sets in person before testing, to get a feel for the weight and actual size of the pots and pans. It’s difficult to get a sense of each set just by looking at pictures online. The pots and pans in the Tramontina Gourmet 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Cookware Set heat evenly and are a comfortable weight, so they aren’t cumbersome to lift.
We were impressed by the quality of the Goldilocks Cookware Set Plus, especially for its low price. Its fully clad tri-ply stainless steel heats evenly across the surface of the pans. This set also includes almost all of the pot and pan sizes we prefer, including a 12-inch skillet—a rarity in most sets. However, unlike the All-Clad and Tramontina sets, the Goldilocks set doesn’t include a 3- or 4-quart sauté pan with a lid (though a cast-iron skillet would work in lieu of it).