A long-lasting DuPont™ Teflon® Plus non-stick finish coats the interiors for excellent food release, … The copper offerings are fully-clad with a copper exterior, aluminum core, and steel cooking surface. Stainless steel cookware is either fully-clad or single-ply with an encapsulated (cladded or impact-bonded) base to improve cooking performance and heat distribution. I’ve cooked with many stainless steel pans at all price levels, and Cuisinart, although it looks great, isn’t on the same level in terms of quality standards as brands like All-Clad and Made In.
That said, the Goldilocks skillet did a slightly better job at retaining heat than our other picks. We tested some of the best stainless steel cookware sets on the market, evaluating each one for overall feel, variety, efficiency of materials, and ease of cleaning. After careful consideration, we determined Calphalon’s Premier Stainless Set was our top pick, but a few others made the list as well. You’ll likely never have to replace the All-Clad D3 Stainless 10-Piece Set.
You can track the cooking process easily without lifting the lids. The lids fit the pots and pans tightly and do not let any heat escape ensuring a smooth cooking process. The handles are silicon and riveted, providing you with a tight grip.
These pieces can be used at temperatures up to 600 F which means you can run a skillet under the broiler to brown off a piece of fish. Stainless steel pots and pans are a great addition to every kitchen. They look gorgeous, last a lifetime, and can be used for everything from steaming rice to braising chicken to simmering soup. In our Lab, these pans heated quickly and maintained their heat well enough to provide a nice sear, and also performed well when making an omelette without sticking at all. For information on how to prevent food from sticking to your stainless steel cookware, check out our blog post on the subject. Never clean your stainless steel cookware with harsh chemicals, like oven cleaner, that could cause permanent damage.
100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Michael Sullivan has been a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter since 2016. Previously, cuisinart pots and pans set he was an editor at the International Culinary Center in New York. He has worked in various facets of the food and restaurant industry for over a decade.
The handles are hollow and made with thin metal, so most of the pan’s weight is in its base. That makes it feel unbalanced, especially when you’re transferring a full pan from the stove to the oven. As my test results revealed, Cuisinart’s impact-bonded stainless steel cookware does not deliver consistent heat to the pan’s sides. The cooking surface of the Cuisinart fry pan was barely warm, and there was zero heat remaining in the sides of the pan. So, if you’re looking for more durable, higher-performing non-stick cookware, go with a Cuisinart collection coating featuring Quantantium or traditional PTFE coatings.
18/10 stainless steel is the standard for the cooking surface of high-quality cookware. It’s durable and non-reactive so it’s safe to use with any ingredients. The Chef’s Classic and Professional Series look good, but the Multiclad Pro line is a cut above. The seamless construction and stainless steel lids look like professional-quality cookware.
Not only does the copper base heat up quickly and evenly, but its stunning color, combined with the polished stainless steel, is also aesthetically pleasing to the eye. If for any reason your stainless steel is not as shiny as you like or it develops stubborn hard-to-remove spots, nothing beats the powdered version of Bar Keepers Friend for restoring it. Any areas that are particularly difficult can be tackled by making a paste with the cleaner, applying it to the pan, and allowing it to soak in for several hours or even overnight. To prevent scratches, avoid using abrasive steel wool or other scrubbing pads.
We like the Tramontina Gourmet 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Cookware Set for its even heat distribution, durable construction, and reasonable price. 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.
It’s not the flashiest cookware, but it’s not dull and boring either. It’s the type of cookware that goes well in any kitchen and could be mistaken for a premium brand like All-Clad or Made In. Cuisinart is one of the most recognized kitchenware brands in the world, best known for food processors, blenders, coffee makers, and other small appliances. JCPenney’s cookware closeouts clearance offerings include sets from Gotham Steel, Taste of Home, BergHOFF and more.