Stainless steel pans used to have a deservedly poor reputation. Stainless is a terrible heat conductor, leaving hot spots in the pans and making heat control futile. But then came cladding, the process of making a stainless steel "sandwich" by layering stainless with a more conductive metal like copper, aluminum, or another alloy, followed by one more layer of stainless. Typically, the cladding is a minimum of three to five layers of stainless and other metals. Because of this process, the heat from the burner gets disbursed more evenly across the pan, alleviating hot spots, and the pans are more responsive to increases or decreases in temperature. While you can select the individual pieces you need for your kitchen, buying a cookware set readies you for a variety of tasks and typically saves money. The sets we chose to test have, at a minimum, ten pieces, including lids. They consist of a fairly standard selection of two skillets, a sauté pan, a saucepan, and a stock pot, with some variation. From there, they vary in size, capacity, handle length and design, and weight. Learn which sets rated highest, plus what to look for in stainless steel cookware.The Tramontina Gourmet set is ideal for cooks of all skill levels and is a good choice for all conventional heat sources, including induction. Some pieces like the sauté pan have a medium weight to them, while the stock pot felt somewhat heavy. As such, some people with mobility or strength issues may find some pieces easier to use than others. The handles stay cool or neutral to the touch, and the lids fit snuggly. Unlike the handles, the lids become hot, so exercise caution when handling them. 

To find the best frying pans on the market, we asked chefs, food writers, and cookware professionals for their thoughts, and then put the standout items to the test in The Telegraph kitchen.

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