EmailBest Reviewed
Cookware
- Best stainless steel cookware All-Clad Stainless *Est. $570
- Budget stainless steel cookware Cuisinart Chefs Classic Stainless *Est. $150
- 12-inch nonstick skillet WearEver Premium Hard-Anodized Skillet *Est. $30
- Traditional cast-iron skillet Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned 12-Inch Skillet *Est. $20
- Budget enameled Dutch oven Lodge 6-Quart Color Enamel Dutch Oven *Est. $50
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Best stainless steel cookware
- Excellent balance, maneuverability
- Aluminum core
- Easy to clean
- Stay-cool handles
- Oven-safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
- Expensive
Editors at Cook's Illustrated magazine include All-Clad Stainless in nearly every cookware test; in fact, an All-Clad Stainless skillet is the standard to which "bargain" sauté pans are compared. To see what owners have to say about this cookware, we turned to Amazon.com and Cooking.com.
In reviews and tests, All-Clad Stainless is consistently identified as the best stainless steel cookware. This well-designed cookware is balanced, and the ergonomic handles stay relatively cool. All-Clad Stainless bonds an aluminum core, which conducts heat superbly, to two layers of stainless steel, which resist warping. This process is known as "cladding," and while it may help you avoid overcooking a delicate fish filet, experts say that a fully clad 12-quart stockpot (*est. $330) is probably overkill. This is especially true when you're simply using the pot to cook pasta or ears of corn. Given these concerns, you might consider buying individual All-Clad Stainless pots and pans, rather than a set. If you want a set but your budget is limited, reviews say that the 10-piece stainless steel Cuisinart Chef's Classic set (*est. $150) is a good choice.
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Our Sources
1. Cook's Illustrated MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Editors put seven skillets to the test with a variety of tasks and use rings of solder to test the evenness of heating. The All-Clad 12-Inch Fry Pan is one of the included skillets.
Review: All-Purpose Skillets, Editors of Cook's Illustrated, Nov. 2008
2. Cook's Illustrated MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Editors test saucepans ranging in size from 3 to 4 quarts in this update of their 2002 testing. In the earlier test, only saucepans costing $100 or more received a rating of "recommended" or "highly recommended." An All-Clad Stainless saucepan in included in this roundup.
Review: Large Saucepans -- Updated, Editors of Cook's Illustrated, June 2007
Food safety expert Marian Burros searches for functional, Teflon-free cookware, testing eight skillets in the process and consulting expert chefs. She used only a thin film of oil in each skillet. Food stuck to the bottom of the All-Clad Stainless pan.
Review: In Search of a Pan That Lets Cooks Forget About Teflon, Marian Burros, June 7, 2006
4. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
This detailed ratings chart tests 28 sets of cookware in areas such as even cooking, cleaning ease and safety. More than half of the tested cookware gets the same overall rating of "very good" to "excellent." Two All-Clad lines are tested, the Copper Core and the Master Chef 2.
Review: Cookware: Top Picks in Pans, Editors of Consumer Reports, Jan. 2008
5. Epinions.com
More than 40 users hold the All-Clad Stainless Steel cookware set in high regard for its ease of use and durability. Only the price is cited as a drawback.
Review: All-Clad Stainless Steel 9-Piece Cookware Set, Contributors to Epinions.com
6. Amazon.com
The All-Clad Stainless cookware set receives an average of 4.5 stars (out of five) in more than 50 reviews. Many call it the best cookware around, but others say the pans are difficult to clean. Some complain about the cost and say the quality doesn't justify the expense.
Review: All-Clad Stainless 9-Piece Cookware Set, Contributors to Amazon.com
Cookware Runners Up:
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
