Editor-Favorite Tramontina Cookware Product Reviews
Anything abrasive can scratch the pan’s surface and damage the nonstick coating, so you should also avoid using metal utensils when you cook. Goldilocks is a direct-to-consumer cookware brand that was formerly called Potluck. (We opted not to test the former Potluck set because it came with just seven pieces and included a 10-inch skillet only.) The set we now recommend was introduced after the company’s rebranding.
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. To avoid liability for damage caused by misuse, cookware manufacturers routinely advise against cooking over high temperatures. However, judging from our years of experience, as long as you reduce the heat after preheating your pan on medium or medium-high heat, you won’t damage your pans.
We also experienced some minor sticking while sautéing chicken in the skillets, but it was minimal. Overall, the Goldilocks set performed better than any other set we’ve tested in this price range. The Great Jones Family Style set is unusual among the cookware sets we looked at in that it includes a nonstick pan and an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. For one, when testing the Great Jones Saucy for our guide to the best small saucepan, we found the loop-shaped handles uncomfortable to hold. Also, the nonstick pan is only 8½ inches, so it’s not as versatile as the 10-inch pans we recommend in our guide to nonstick skillets.
This variant of the Tramontina Professional nonstick pan, made specifically for Walmart, functions identically to our pick, with minor aesthetic differences. We dismissed the Cooks Standard Multi-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 12-piece Cookware Set because the rivets weren’t secure on some of the pot handles, causing them to wiggle. Some skillets, such as this Viking Contemporary Frying Pan, have sharply angled sides that make tossing vegetables while sautéing difficult. This well-constructed, affordable, fully clad tri-ply set distributes heat evenly, and it’s durable enough to take some abuse in a busy household.
The Cuisinart 77-7 Chef’s Classic Stainless 7-Piece Cookware Set was our former budget pick. The single layer of stainless steel around the perimeter of the pan is too thin to evenly distribute heat and causes food to burn. In our test kitchen, we long-term tested an older (now-discontinued) version of this set for tramontina cookware set two years, and all of the pots and pans distributed heat evenly. The skillets became a bit more discolored after searing meat over high heat, but their performance remained the same. Don’t put this pan in the dishwasher, and don’t use a harsh scrubber (like the green side of a heavy-duty scrub sponge) to clean it.