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In this report

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Cookware: Ratings of Sources
Total of 17 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. Cook's Illustrated
Nov. 2008
All-Purpose Skillets
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors explain the history, pros and cons of cast-iron cookware, which has been around since the sixth century. Advantages include price, versatility and durability, while the downsides include the care required and weight. Editors provide tips for caring for cast iron. Eight pans, both coated and uncoated, are tested.
2. Cook's Illustrated
Nov. 2008
Omelet Pans
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors of Cook's Illustrated test six 8-inch nonstick omelet pans by cooking French omelets. They pick two pans: an overall favorite and a best buy.
3. Cook's Illustrated
Sept. 2007
Testing Cast-Iron Skillets
by Lisa McManus and editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Editors explain the history, pros and cons of cast-iron cookware, which has been around since the sixth century. Advantages include price, versatility and durability, while the downsides include the care… required and weight. Editors provide tips for caring for cast iron. Eight pans, both coated and uncoated, are tested. A short video buying guide to cast-iron skillets is also available on this website.

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4. Cook's Illustrated
Jan. 2007
Dutch Ovens
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The Dutch oven is known by many names -- stockpot, round oven, French oven or casserole -- but the editors here agree it is a kitchen necessity. A Dutch oven is heavier and thicker than a stockpot, which… allows it to hold and conduct heat more effectively. There is excellent, detailed information about how the testing was done (everything from preparing a beef stew to making frozen french fries in canola oil to test heat retention and conduction) and a great comparison chart of results.

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5. Cook's Illustrated
Sept. 2006
Should You Buy A Bargain Saute Pan?
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Nine saute pans are tested in a variety of tasks ranging from pan-searing strip steaks to cooking crepes. Editors also rate for design factors including the shape and seal of the lid, the weight of the pan and the shape of its handle.
6. Cook's Country
Apr. 2008
Nonstick Skillets
by Editors of Cook's Country
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors review eight low-cost (under $60) nonstick skillets, preparing a variety of foods, as well as assessing build quality and the size of the cooking surface.
7. Cook's Illustrated
Mar. 2006
The Little Nonstick Saucepan That Could
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Nine small nonstick saucepans are given the treatment in a series of tests including making pastry cream and rice, as well as speed sauteing (starting with a cold pan and then cooking onions). There's excellent detailed information about the tests and why they are important in evaluating the quality of a saucepan.
8. Cook's Illustrated
June 2007
Large Saucepans -- Updated
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors evaluate six saucepans ranging in size from 3.3 to 4 quarts, all of which cost $100 or less, and compare them with a much more expensive 4-quart saucepan. Reviewers cooked three different kinds of food -- onions, pudding and spaghetti sauce -- and also evaluated the design of each pan.
9. The New York Times
June 7, 2006
In Search of a Pan That Lets Cooks Forget About Teflon
by Marian Burros
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Food safety expert Marian Burros embarks on a quest for Teflon-free cookware, testing eight skillets in the process and consulting expert chefs along the way. She uses only a thin film of oil in each… skillet, so foods frequently stick to the pan bottom. All-Clad and Calphalon pans both fail these tests. Citing cleaning as "the kitchen job I like least," Burros seeks an easy-to-clean pan, and says she has found it in the Le Creuset skillet. She prefers it for its imperviousness to acidic foods and its ability to cook with little fat. Two other cast-iron pans also fare well, but Le Creuset has the edge in the cleaning department.

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10. ConsumerReports.org
Jan. 2008
Cookware: Top Picks in Pans
by Editors of Consumer Reports
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This detailed review tests 28 sets of cookware in areas like even cooking, safety and ease of cleaning. This review is notable because, along with major traditional brands, editors test cookware from… Costco. Although it's great to see so many pots and pans tested, the report itself is not very detailed. Editors don't disclose how each type of pan (skillets, sautŽ pans, etc.) performs relative to others. More than half of the tested cookware gets the same overall rating of very good to excellent.

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11. Cuisine at Home
Feb. 2007
Choosing a Nonstick Skillet
by Editors of Cuisine at Home
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Reviews in this magazine are a little strange in that they are written in the first person, but no author is named. Twenty-two nonstick skillets were tested for this report, but only the top five are… mentioned (in order of price). Editors say that because nonstick skillets eventually wear out, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money. There is a nice sidebar on the different grades of Teflon, but no discussion of the Teflon controversy. Rated as the Best Value is the Cuisinart Chef's Classic 11.5-inch nonstick skillet, which has a titanium-reinforced nonstick coating and is oven safe to 500 degrees.

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12. Food & Wine Magazine
Nov. 2008
Testing Skillets To Find The Best
by Kristin Donnelly
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Food & Wine editor Kristin Donnelly tests cast-iron, nonstick and stainless steel skillets and makes recommendations in each category. Donnelly details what to look for in each category and recommends three… pans of each type. Testing methodology isn't detailed, however. For cast iron, the Lodge Logic, Emerilware and Le Creuset iron handle pans make the list. For stainless, the All Clad French 13-inch, Healthy Kitchen from Weil, and Mauviel M'Cook 12-inch are the recommended pans. For nonstick, one interesting development noted in the article is the advent of PFOA-free pans such as Cuisinart's GreenGourmet 12-inch skillet, which is recommended by Food & Wine. The other two that make the list are the Calphalon One Nonstick and the Anolon Ultra Clad (available in February 2009).

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13. Real Simple
May 2004
Which Pots to Stock: Cookware 101
by Editors of Real Simple
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment With "the right pan for the right task" as their motto, editors list the pros and cons of cast iron, stainless, enameled cast iron, nonstick aluminum, copper and hard-anodized aluminum pans. They select a favorite pan in each category, suggest uses for it, and provide cleaning tips. There's excellent information here on materials, but editors don't test or compare specific cookware.
14. Amazon.com
As of Dec. 2008
Cookware & Bakeware
by Contributors to Amazon.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This site is a good place to read reviews from owners, and there are more reviews here than at Target.com or Epinions.com. Amazon.com carries a large number of cookware items, so chances are good that at least a couple of people have commented on each brand or line.
15. ConsumerGuide.com
As of Dec. 2008
Cookware
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Consumer Guide assigns some cookware with a rating for performance, but there's no evidence that any testing was performed. Several cookware lines are rated as a Best Buy, but no explanation of the methodology behind the endorsements is provided. Detailed reviews are offered for some cookware lines, but no critical data is offered.
16. Cooking.com
As of Dec. 2008
Cookware
by Contributors to Cooking.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Owners post reviews and rate cookware here. Reviews are limited to brands that Cooking.com sells, but most of the major brands such as Calphalon and All-Clad are represented and have a good number of reviews. Critiques tend toward the positive, but there's still some helpful information here once you have an idea of what you want.
17. Target.com
As of Dec. 2008
Cookware
by Contributors to Target.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This site doesn't have many reviews of cookware, but there are a good number of comments on the more popular brands. Like Amazon.com and Cooking.com, Target is a good place to check for user reviews.

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