The 3 Best Cookware Sets of 2024 Reviews by Wirecutter
And if you’re partial to keeping your cookware bright and shiny, note that in our tests this set was one of the few that looked like new when we cleaned it—even after years of testing. If ceramic cookware is more your vibe, you’ll love Tramontina’s Ceramica Deluxe set. The entire set is free from PFOA, PTFE, lead, and cadmium, so you can cook easy knowing your food is safe. The Goldilocks pot lid handles, and those on the sides of the stockpot, are wide with a slight dimple (similar to All-Clad’s handles); this makes them easier to grasp and more comfortable to hold.
Prior to joining Wirecutter in 2016, I spent over 10 years working in various facets of the food and restaurant industry. At Wirecutter, we love that the Tramontina fry pan has even heat distribution, a slick nonstick surface, and a comfortable handle, and we’ve been cooking with this pan since 2016. We’ve flipped dozens of eggs, fried many pounds of hash browns, and whipped up countless crepes.
The Tramontina skillets produced perfectly brown chicken pieces with nice fond development, and the saucepans and stockpot simmered liquids without scorching. We found the wide handles on the cookware and the lids comfortable to hold. This cookware did discolor over high heat, but the effect was a common one among all the sets we tested in this price range. All of the pieces in this collection are induction-compatible and oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. We think this set is a really good choice if you don’t mind slightly heavier cookware or the fact that it stains slightly with use. But because Goldilocks is a newer direct-to-consumer brand, we don’t know yet how it will perform over time (though we’ll keep using it and update this guide accordingly).
When we prepared caramel, the dissolved sugar bubbled uniformly across the bottom of the All-Clad 3-quart saucepan; this wasn’t the case with saucepans in the other sets we tested. Also, because the All-Clad saucepan distributed heat so well, our testers didn’t have to swirl the sugar in the pan as frequently as they did in the other saucepans. While simmering tomato sauce, there Tramontina online discount store was no scorching in the stockpot, even with minimal stirring. We did notice that some tomato sauce dripped down the side of the stockpot while we poured, but there were no splatters on the counter. You’ll likely never have to replace the All-Clad D3 Stainless 10-Piece Set. It was hands down the best-quality cookware we tested in this price range ($700 at the time of publishing).
Goldilocks offers a lifetime warranty on its cookware, and it accepts returns within 30 days of your purchase. But even with the added shipping cost, this set would still be less expensive than similar-quality cookware. In 2022, Tramontina redesigned its 8- and 10-inch skillets so they have a slightly larger cooking surface with steeper sides, which we prefer. The pans are still nicely sloped to fit the curves of a whisk, and their lips are flared enough to allow moisture to evaporate when you are searing meat or sautéing vegetables. We found the higher angle provided more leverage when tossing vegetables, and it made the skillets easier to maneuver around the stovetop. The new pans are also about an ounce heavier than the older versions, but the slight weight difference wasn’t discernible in our tests.
We’ve always recommended washing any stainless steel cookware by hand, regardless of the manufacturer’s claims. The harsh chemicals in some detergents and the prolonged exposure to those cleaners over the course of a dishwashing cycle can damage pans (particularly the aluminum in the bonded cookware). Most people are inclined to buy sets because doing so is cheaper than buying pieces tramontina cookware individually, but sets involve a compromise. To reduce the overall price of a set, most manufacturers include smaller pot and pan sizes. Or perhaps you already own stainless steel cookware, but it’s dented, warped, or inclined to cook unevenly. In that case, we think upgrading to a stainless steel set is worth doing because it will last a lot longer—maybe even a lifetime.