The best cookware sets of 2024, tested and reviewed

When we asked King Phojanakong, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education, which pots and pans were must-haves, he listed a 5-quart Dutch oven, 12-inch saute pan, and 3-quart saucepan, all of which (or similar versions of) are included in Tramontina's cookware set. The versatility of these pieces is the selling point: Phojanakong uses the saute pan for chicken dishes or baby bok choy, and takes out the 3-quart saucepan when he needs to heat up leftover soups and sauces and cook rice or small portions of pasta. 

Not only is the Tramontina set's practical range of sizes — with cookware scaled for both individual meals and large gatherings — one of its major assets, but so is its durable construction. 

"Stainless steel is the most universal material. You don't have to treat it gently," said Lisa Chernick, author of "Your Starter Kitchen." Each piece in the Tramontina set is made up of an aluminum core sandwiched between 18/10 stainless steel layers. This tri-ply construction gives you the excellent heat conductivity of aluminum with the strength of stainless steel. 

You can purchase the individual components separately, though the set offers the best deal. There are also smaller and larger sets, but the 10-piece has all the essentials and no unnecessary extras. While the set is dishwasher safe, hand washing your cookware will maintain its shine longer.

Our best overall pick, which is also stainless steel, is less expensive and offers much of the same benefits as this All-Clad set. However, the longevity and durability of the All-Clad D3 line may make it worth spending the extra money, depending on your cooking needs. 

The All-Clad D3 cookware set has the highest oven-safe temperature in this guide: 600 degrees. The ability to withstand such high heat also improves the performance of the casserole dish or stock pot as a substitute Dutch oven. And as Chernick mentioned, more experienced cooks may want to brown something on the stovetop and then put it in the oven.

We should note that while these All-Clad pots and pans hold up in the oven, you're better off hand-washing them than putting them in the dishwasher, which is something to consider if keeping cleanup time to a minimum is important.

After a new round of testing for the best nonstick pans, we fell in love with the Le Creuset cookware set. The brand is best known for its cast iron (a set is even featured in this guide), but the Toughened Nonstick Pro line is just as impressive.

When we tested the skillet, sunnyside-up eggs slid out of the pan without any oil or risky shaking — the yolk was undisturbed. The nonstick surface is slick and heats up quickly. We found the Toughened Pro material to be one of the fastest to boil water and maintain an even temperature.

This set features three skillets (8, 10, and 12 inches) for ultimate versatility. The saute pan and larger saucepan have helper handles that make it easier to move pieces from the stovetop to the oven to the table.

Our main qualm with this set is the presence of PFAS. If that's a dealbreaker for you, consider our previous top pick: the MadeIn Nonstick Set. We also have a guide to the best ceramic nonstick cookware.

The exteriors of all the pots and pans in T-fal's cookware set are hard-anodized aluminum, a material resistant to scratches, while the interiors are glazed with nonstick coating and reinforced with strengthening titanium. This durability (plus the low price point) is part of the reason why we named a similar set by T-Fal the best budget pick in our guide to the best hard-anodized cookware.

Business Insider reporter James Brains has used a comparable T-fal set since 2018. He said that the pieces have held up well through daily use, though he recommends hand washing the fry pans to preserve the nonstick coating.

The largest pot in this 12-piece collection is only five quarts, but if you're not hosting a party, that should be big enough for pasta night. Plus, the set includes a serving spoon and a slotted spatula, so you'll be ready to dole out dinner. 

Ring-shaped thermo spot indicators turn red when the pans get hot, which can take some of the guesswork out of properly preheating — especially for less experienced cooks. 

Check out our guide to the best hard anodized cookware sets.

In our guide to the best ceramic cookware, we selected an Our Place Set as our top pick. Since we still love Caraway and value the Dutch oven and versatile lids, we're keeping the set in this guide as an alternative to Our Place.

Though this set is on the smaller side, Caraway's set has everything you need to get cooking. The 6.5-quart Dutch oven can be your pasta pot or serving dish for large meals, and the 4.5-quart saute pan is perfect for large fry-ups. I tested the Caraway Home set and found each piece to have excellent heat retention and useful design details. However, I don't think the included storage system adds much to the set. 

Caraway's signature, and part of why it earned a spot on our list of the best cookware sets, is its ceramic nonstick coating. Ceramic coatings offer the same nonstick properties as traditional ones, but contain no trace elements of PFOA, PFTE, lead, or cadmium. Caraway cookware has an aluminum core that ensures rapid and even heating, while the coating decreases your need for oil and makes the surface easier to clean.

The Caraway Home set is shipped in recycled cardboard with no plastic bags. Plus, the ceramic coating releases less CO2 when manufactured than traditional nonstick coatings.  (Though keep in mind that all nonstick coatings, including ceramic, are less durable than stainless steel and other metals.)

Read our full Caraway Home Cookware Set review.

Le Creuset has been a household name for over 100 years, and the brand's cookware set offers a combination of approachable pieces to get started with cast iron cooking. Cast iron pans are incredibly versatile, allowing you to sear meats, make hash browns, and even bake bread.

This set comes with a Dutch oven, one small saucepan, and a large skillet. We've tested the skillet and the Dutch oven, and both pieces are top picks in our guides. The Le Creuset Dutch oven can be utilized on the stovetop for big pots of soup or stew, as well as in the oven up to 500 degrees, whether you're baking homemade sourdough or prepping braised pot roast. All of the lids are safe for oven use as well, so moving from stovetop to oven is easy. 

With the enamel coating, there's no need to season the cast iron. Each piece in the set is easy to clean and can be washed either in the dishwasher or by hand. Plus, you can choose from a wide variety of colors to match your kitchen's design. The brand also offers an 11-piece set, but this smaller set offers the best overall value for essential cast iron pieces.    

Check out our guide to the best cast iron skillets we've tested.

Copper provides the most efficient and even heating of any metal used in the best cookware. Since copper is a reactive metal, most cookware is lined with a nonreactive interior like tin or stainless steel. The Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad Copper Set has a stainless steel interior, so you can worry less about cooking acidic foods. 

This set includes all the pieces we think are necessary for a well-stocked kitchen, and the 1.2 mm copper exterior is striking enough to display when you're not cooking. The Thermo-Clad cookware is oven-safe to 450 degrees, but you should never heat up an empty copper pan.

For more guidance on how to take care of your copper pots and pans, check out our guide to the best copper cookware.

Pieces: The first thing we did was establish a list of essential pieces all cookware sets should have. Our three experts agreed that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to cookware. Chernick, Battiliana, and Phojanakong each suggested a pared down list of essential pieces. 

Cooktop compatibility: Most kitchens come with gas or electric stoves, but the best induction cooktops are becoming more and more popular. We looked for sets that work on the largest variety of stovetops, giving extra points to those that worked on induction. 

Materials: We identified the pros and cons of different cookware materials, which you can see here. Chernick recommended stainless steel for cookware sets because it can handle the wear and tear of a busy kitchen, and we agree. Stainless steel is durable, doesn't require special maintenance, and cooks most things well. 

Construction: We considered the construction of each cookware set. Besides cast iron, most cookware is made by layering different metals. This increases the heat conductivity of less conductive metals; for instance, stainless steel pans often have aluminum cores because aluminum heats up much quicker. Having multiple layers also makes the cookware more durable. Battiliana said there is a connection between performance and quality, as thinner metal pans will wear out faster than better-constructed pans.

Should I get nonstick cookware?

Nonstick cookware is great if you want to cook with less fat or procrastinate on clean-up. The slick coating is easy to clean and limits your use of oil or butter. However, nonstick pans don't brown food as well as cast iron or stainless steel, and you shouldn't expect a nonstick pan to last more than a couple years before the coating starts to come off.

Check out our guide to the best nonstick skillets if you want to try one before buying a set. If you're looking to get a good sear on a piece of steak or crisp up potatoes, choose a different material.

When should I get rid of a pot or pan?

If the handles start to wiggle, you need to tighten them or throw out the piece. Chef Phojanakong said to look at the rivets and welding on the handles for signs of looseness.  It's not safe if you can't handle your pan with ease. 

Most nonstick coatings will scratch if you regularly use metal utensils on them. It's up to you whether or not this means you have to throw the pan away. For Chernick, once a nonstick pan is scratched, it's time to say goodbye: "It might not be toxic, but I don't want to eat pieces of Teflon."

What makes cookware induction safe?

Cookware needs to have magnetic properties in order to work on an induction stovetop, according to the Cookware Manufacturer's Association. If the cookware material is not magnetic, a magnetic plate is applied to the base in order to make it induction safe. The manufacturer will clearly label the induction capabilities of the cookware.

How to care for my cookware set

Proper care of a cookware set depends on the material each piece is made from. Washing and drying pots and pans according to the manufacturer's recommendations will help extend the life of your set. Pots and pans with a coating, such as nonstick or enamel, require a gentler approach to cleaning. For these materials, it's best to avoid abrasive cleaning tools like steel wool.