The 7 Best Stainless Steel Cookware Sets of 2024
GreenPan and other companies continue to release newer more updated versions of ceramic nonstick cookware that boast more durable and long-lasting surfaces, and see how they fare in longterm testing. There’s little to tramontina pans complain about here, but it is true that ceramic nonstick surfaces simply do not last. While you can carry on cooking with them, It’s highly unlikely you will be able to pull off an oil-free “egg slide” after a year.
The non-reactive properties of stainless steel make it ideal for cooking sauces with acidic ingredients (think tomato sauce or meats stewed in wine). Many stainless steel pieces are oven-safe, allowing you to finish a dish under the broiler if needed. When purchasing a set of cookware, you’ll want to consider how many pieces you actually need, along with how much space to have to store them. We’ve tested more than 40 different stainless steel cookware sets in our Lab’s dedicated test kitchen over the past two years. We gathered this data, along with feedback from home testers, and gave each set a rating. Our top picks have been put through their paces more than once, proving time and again why they deserve a spot on our list.
If you don’t have the budget for a high-end set of cookware, this collection will fit your budget while it looks good on your stove. The pans have a mirrored finish inside and out, an encapsulated base for even heat distribution, and can be used on all cooking surfaces. Now that you have a high-quality nonstick pan picked out, you need to make sure to care for it properly. Here are a few tips to keep your cooking surface in top pancake-sliding shape for as long as possible. The weight was perfect and the handle felt very easy to work with, but it didn’t outperform the Zwilling and it cost more. The GreenPan Venice Pro performed similarly to the Paris pan, but thanks to its stainless-steel core, it’s noticeably heavier.
Overall, the skillet performed well in all its tests, heating evenly, responding to temperature changes similarly to other pans in the review, and cooking real food without trouble. It seared chicken breasts to an even golden hue, sautéd vegetables nicely, and deglazed as one would want. It too works on induction, for those who rely on that heating method. To test this, I whipped up a big batch of basic crêpe batter and then made a crêpe in each skillet.
The cooking surface has a starburst finish for stick resistance, and the pots have flared rims that make it easy to pour liquid from them. The ergonomic handles stay cool while cooking, though some might find them uncomfortable. Lids are made from stainless steel so you can’t see what’s cooking, but they’re unbreakable and you can use them in the oven along with the pots. As we mentioned above, we aren’t crazy about cooking on plastic nonstick coatings. They only last a couple of years, most are prone to scratching and wear, and there’s a lot we still don’t know about the overall safety of PFAS nonstick coatings.
Finally, we made scrambled eggs in a dry pan to check for even heating and to note how much food residue would get left behind. We also took into consideration the weight of the pans, how quickly they heated up and cooled down, and how easy they were to clean. Whether you’re putting together your first apartment kitchen or wanting to upgrade your mismatched pans to a more cohesive collection, a full set of cookware is a solid investment. It takes the guesswork out of picking out the pieces you need and is often a much better value than buying one piece at a time. Classic stainless steel is the material of choice for both amateur and professional cooks because of its durability, superior ability to brown meats, and oven-proof capabilities—you can go straight from stovetop to broiler. While stainless steel pans can require a little more elbow grease to remove stuck-on food, proper maintenance can keep them looking practically new for their entire lifespan.
The riveted stainless steel handles stayed cool when cooking, making it easy to grab pots and pans without having to search for a potholder. There can be some sticking from time-to-time, like when we cooked rice, but they are easy to get back to like-new with a little extra elbow grease. From pots and pans in stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel or steel and aluminum, there is a variety of choices that provide quick, easy heating along with good heat retention. Find stoneware, ceramicware and glassware in oven dishes that offer durability while being attractive as serving dishes. Ceramic pans are prone to lose their nonstick-ness more quickly and more thoroughly than standard PFOA-free pans, so in general we like cookware made from this material less than others.
When other food burned on a bit too much, a few swipes of steel wool got the surface back to shiny. We tested their durability by dropping piping-hot pieces into cold water and these never warped or cracked. The riveted handles were comfortable throughout the days of testing, though they did get warm when cooking over high heat.