Cookware Confidence
Consumer Reports buys and tests stainless and nonstick cookware sets, Dutch ovens, woks, and a variety of frying pans, including nonstick, stainless, cast iron, carbon steel, and copper ones. Undecided about what you need in your kitchen? Consider the information below before you start shopping.
Sets vs. Open Stock
Take inventory of the pots and pans you own to determine what has to be replaced or which new pieces you’d like to have. Individual pots and pans—called open stock—are widely available. If you need to swap out only a scratched frying pan, open stock is a cost-saving way to go, and it’s the most common way cookware is sold.
If you decide that you want a new cookware set, make sure the pieces in the set you choose complement your cooking style so that you aren’t storing pans you rarely use.
Consider What You Cook
Think about what you cook frequently; this will influence your choice of pots and pans. For example, if you sear meat often, you’ll want a cast-iron skillet that facilitates even browning. Nonstick frying pans are best for scrambled eggs, pancakes, and delicate foods such as fish. And stainless is perfect for almost any food that needs searing or browning. To help you decide, read “Best Frying Pans for the Way You Cook.”
A stock pot is great for soups or boiling pasta, but if you like to cook stews or sauces low and slow, consider a Dutch oven. A Dutch oven can brown, braise, boil, and bake bread, and moves easily from the oven or stovetop to your table. In fact, you can cook almost anything in a versatile Dutch oven. For inspiration, see “Why Every Home Cook Needs a Dutch Oven.”
Match Your Cookware to Your Cooktop
Last, consider how your new cookware pairs with your cooktop. Flat-bottomed pans that don’t warp are essential for a smoothtop range. Gas ranges are a little more forgiving, but you still want good contact between the bottom of the pan and the burners. Cookware with magnetic properties is a must for an induction cooktop. Bring along a magnet when you shop. If it sticks to the bottom, it’ll work with an induction range or cooktop. In our ratings, we note which pans are induction-compatible.
8 Reasons to Use a Dutch Oven
A great Dutch oven can bake, braise, simmer, and sear, with excellent results. You might consider using one instead of a variety of expensive countertop appliances. Here's how.
The Parts of a Pan
Coating vs Cladding: What’s the Difference?
Hard-coat anodized is a fancy way of saying that the soft surface of nearly pure aluminum has been changed to a hard surface. It has nothing to do with the nonstick coating, which allows food to brown without sticking to the pan.
Cladding refers to the layers of metal fused together to create the cookware. So while the outer and inner layers of the pan may be stainless steel, the inside layer may be aluminum or copper, or another conductive or magnetic material. Clad can also mean a material was added to the bottom of a stainless steel pan, enhancing heat transfer.
Familiarize yourself with cookware terminology to make the best choice for your cooking style.
Illustration: Chris Philpot Illustration: Chris Philpot
Shopping Tips
High-quality cookware is at the heart of any serious cook’s kitchen. You need a variety of pots, pans, and casseroles, maybe even a few specialty items. Will a $500 set of cookware make your meals twice as tasty as a $250 set? Not necessarily. Here’s how to build the perfect culinary collection.
Choose Your Pieces
If you’re building a set of a cookware from scratch, you will want an assortment of skillets and pots, a stockpot, and lids suited to how you cook and how many people you cook for. In boxed sets, manufacturers count a lid as a piece, and it might fit more than one piece of cookware in the set. A set that contains more pieces might not be the smartest choice if you use only a few and the rest just take up space in your cabinet. Note: Manufacturers may count utensils and even a cookbook as pieces of a set.
Pick It Up
Most of us shop online, but if you can, handle the cookware at a retailer. See how it feels in your hand. If it’s heavy, think how much heavier it will feel when it’s full of food. Make sure the handles are easy to grasp, the pot or pan is well-balanced, and handle attachments are tight and sturdy. Read the packaging to see whether the manufacturer says the cookware can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
Glass Lids
These allow you to see what’s going on inside the pot without having to lift it off, letting steam escape. But they add weight and can break, which could be a problem in a household with young children.
From Stove to Oven
If the box says the cookware is oven-safe, be sure to check the specifics. At what temperature can this cookware safely be used? Some cookware can be used in ovens set to 350° F, and others can withstand higher heat—up to 500° F.
Picks & Pans: Cookware Types
Choose a cookware material that suits the cooking techniques you use. For example, sautéed foods turn out best in pans that transmit heat quickly. Braised foods need pans that retain heat over long periods. And you shouldn’t cook white sauces or tomato sauces in unlined copper or aluminum cookware because those ingredients react with the metal.
Stainless Steel
Long-lasting, classic, uncoated stainless steel is a good choice for browning and braising. Often sold in sets, stainless cookware can be a kitchen workhorse, tackling everything from pickling to pasta sauce.
Pros: Durable, easy to care for, does not react with foods. Provides rapid, uniform heating. Often magnetic and compatible with induction cooktops. Dishwasher-, oven-, and broiler-safe (depending on the handle material).
Cons: Sometimes tough to clean. If you choose uncoated, you might still want a nonstick pan or two, and vice versa.
Frying Pans (Nonstick)
Nonstick cookware has a ceramic or synthetic chemical coating that prevents foods from sticking and makes cleanup easier. Good nonstick coatings are durable and effortlessly release even delicate foods, including eggs and pancakes. Because little or no oil is needed, nonstick pans are a good choice for low-fat or nonfat dishes.
Pros: Exceptionally easy to clean. Need less oil for cooking, which reduces fat in your diet. Depending on the primary material—typically aluminum—most pieces are ideal for use on any type of cooktop, including induction. Most pieces are oven-safe to 500° F, but take into account the handle material.
Cons: Concern has been raised about the chemicals used in nonceramic nonstick pans, particularly the presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which have been linked to health risks. Some pans scratch easily, although some manufacturers now claim their pans are safe for use with metal utensils. Food doesn’t typically brown well in them. And though they are touted as dishwasher-safe, the high heat of a dishwasher and harsh detergent can shorten the life of these pans.
Enameled Cast Iron
Great for searing, sautéing, browning, and frying, these classic, colorful pieces transition seamlessly from stovetop or oven to your dining table. Covered pieces, like Dutch ovens, are also perfect for braising, stewing, slow cooking, and roasting meat.
Pros: Heats slowly and evenly and retains heat well. Durable coating doesn’t react with acidic ingredients. Dishwasher-safe, corrosion-resistant, and oven-safe to 500° F.
Cons: It’s heavy, and it gets even heavier when filled with food. Small handles on a Dutch oven can make transporting it from stovetop to oven a bit cumbersome. Enamel can chip.
Uncoated Cast Iron
A great alternative to nonstick cooking surfaces. Lodge, America’s oldest family-owned cookware manufacturer, has referred to its cookware as “natural nonstick.” Cast iron is extremely durable and can be preheated to temperatures that will brown meat. It will also withstand oven temperatures well above what is considered safe for nonstick pans.
Pros: Durable, classic. Moves easily from stovetop to oven, so you can sear a roast, for example, and then continue cooking it in the oven. Some uncoated cast iron pans are available preseasoned.
Cons: Must be seasoned (rubbed with multiple coats of oil) to avoid rusting. Some cast-iron pans cook unevenly. Cleaning them can be a challenge at first, but seasoning makes the task easier. Must be reseasoned with oil from time to time. Not dishwasher-safe. If left unseasoned, they can rust in a damp environment.
Carbon Steel & Blue Steel
These pans are favorites in professional kitchens because they’re extremely durable and efficient, and designed for high-performance cooking.
Pros: Carbon steel is ideal for use on any type of cooktop, including induction, and is the preferred material for woks, omelet pans, and crepe pans. Wipes clean with paper towels. It’s lighter than cast iron and can be used in the same way.
Cons: Pans are often designed for a single purpose. Not dishwasher-safe. Must be seasoned (rubbed with multiple coats of oil) to avoid rusting. Hand-wash only with mild soapy water and a soft brush.
Copper
Real copper cookware provides quick and even cooking, and cools down quickly, providing maximum control. Look for heavy-gauge copper (1⁄16- to 1⁄8-inch thick) for longest wear.
Pros: Ideal for everything from high-heat searing, sautéing, and frying to gently simmering delicate sauces. Offers nice kitchen-to-table presentation. Heavy models with iron or brass handles are safe for oven use.
Cons: Pricey. Can dent easily. Copper is a reactive metal, but today’s pans are usually lined with a nonreactive metal such as tin or stainless steel that makes them safe to cook in. Not compatible with induction cooktops. The outside of a copper pan can take on a patina over time that requires removal with a copper cleaner. Hand-wash only.
Woks
These pans are designed so you can toss and cook meat and veggies at a rapid rate on high heat. While you can find woks made of cast iron or with nonstick surfaces, the preferred material is carbon steel, which is lighter than cast iron and conducts heat better than nonstick. If you love Asian cuisine, consider adding a wok to your collection. “Confessions of a First-Time Wok Buyer” will help you choose the right one.
Pros: With its high sides, a wok holds more than a skillet, and you can move the food around faster without it spilling over the sides of the pan. You can use a wok on any type of stove, and the flat-bottom woks designed for residential ranges get you good results.
Cons: Home ranges and cooktops can’t approach the level of heat you’d see at your local Chinese restaurant, where the cooks can dial up the temperature much higher than you can at home. And, like carbon steel frying pans, carbon steel woks can be a bit tricky to clean until they develop a patina from frequent use and occasional seasoning.
Cookware Brands That Matter
The cookware industry consists mostly of large corporations that manufacture several brands. For example, Meyer manufactures Anolon, Circulon, Farberware, and Rachael Ray brands. The industry has seen several consolidations in the recent past as the Global Home Product brands Mirro, Regal, and WearEver became part of Groupe SEB, which also includes All-Clad and T-Fal. Use these profiles to compare cookware by brand.
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