2024-11-22
Cookware-The best cookware sets of 2024, tried and tested
Few items in a home will see as much use as cookware, which you may be handling up to three times a day. And considering how you’re using it — open flames, scalding temperatures, grease, scrubbing pads, just to name a few of the regular rigors pots and pans are subjected to — it’s no wonder that choosing a cookware set can be so complicated.Cookware can be a significant investment, and if you spring for an entire set, you want it to meet your needs and last for a very long time. However, with so many materials, designs and price points, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why we scoured the options and put them through their paces in a real kitchen to determine which sets were worth it.It might be surprising that we named such an affordable set the overall winner, but this cookware has it all. The set includes a nice variety of pieces, with both 8- and 10-inch frying pans, a 6-quart saute pan with lid, three different size saucepans (1.5-, 2- and 3-quart) and a stockpot, which covers all your basic kitchen needs and then some. Having smaller pots and pans can be nice for sauces and other small-batch recipes.All the pieces are aluminum clad with 18/10 stainless steel, which makes it induction-friendly. Tri-ply construction means you get the best of both worlds in terms of heat conductivity and durability, so these pans weather temperature changes without warping. The 8-inch skillet passed our warp test of plunging a hot pan into ice water without a shudder.The pans have a solid, no-frills design that’s in line with what you might expect to find in professional kitchens: very clean and classic, without a lot of branding. The stainless finish resists fingerprints and looks attractive, if slightly utilitarian (you could ding a point for the stockpots not having any taper or pouring spout).