Cookware Review

Types of cookware

Cook's Illustrated magazine provides the most comprehensive cookware reviews we found. Editors have tested nearly every type of pot and pan, from skillets and saucepans to Dutch ovens and roasting pans. Editors clearly explain their rankings, making it easy to see why a particular pan succeeded or failed in tests. The magazine's latest evaluation covers cast-iron pans, which are making a comeback as an alternative to Teflon-coated cookware. Cook's Country, Cook's Illustrated's companion magazine, recently updated its reviews of enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens.

Although Consumer Reports' latest review includes 38 lines of stainless steel and nonstick cookware, editors don't say much about each brand's performance. Furthermore, more than half the lines achieve almost identically high ratings. We are pleased, however, that Consumer Reports has included cookware sets from Costco and Sam's Club in its reviews.

Editors at Real Simple publish two contradictory articles, one positing that heat conduction is the best indicator of cookware performance, and the other arguing that "the right pan for the right task can make all the difference." While the former suggests that a nine-piece set of All-Clad Master Chef cookware (*Est. $570 ) can suit all your needs, the latter recommends cast-iron cookware for stovetop-to-oven cooking, stainless steel for browning, and nonstick aluminum for low-fat cooking.

We were surprised to find that some celebrity cookware performs nearly as well as top-rated brands, but this may be because respected brands back up the celebrity name. For example, Emerilware is made by All-Clad. Martha Stewart cookware, which isn't backed by a major cookware manufacturer, doesn't perform as well in expert testing. The Martha Stewart Everyday 3.3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan (*Est. $30) sautŽed a bit too fast in one professional test, and its shape allowed quicker evaporation, which can lead to scorching.

We were also surprised to find that a component of a well-reviewed cookware set did not live up to the overall positive consensus for the whole set. Testers at Cook's Illustrated found that the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 12-Inch Skillet built up heat in its aluminum disk bottom that made the temperature climb too quickly, scorching onions. While owner reviewers can't match the scientific testing of Cook's Illustrated, we did find a percentage of users at Amazon.com who also felt that the skillet could get too hot, especially when frying eggs. What's interesting about this observation is that the Cuisinart Stainless line as a whole gets good reviews, but as with all cookware sets, you may end up with one piece that's not as great as the rest. For that reason, even though it's more expensive, some experts recommend building your cookware collection piece by piece rather than buying a complete set.