That means you get the heating benefits of the core material throughout the entire piece of cookware. To make this list, she considered insights from product testers who rated each product based on design, durability, heating capabilities, and ease of cleaning. She also consulted Jason Santos, a chef, Will Gilson, chef and co-owner of Puritan & Company, and Mary Rodgers, head of marketing communications at Cuisinart. The Goldilocks pot lids are noticeably lighter than those in the All-Clad set. However, considering this set’s remarkably low price, we don’t think this small flaw should deter you.
In our Lab, our testing confirmed all of this—fairly even heating, easy to cook with, and beautiful, even crusts when searing, with very little sticking, even with eggs. It has a hard anodized aluminum exterior, a pure aluminum core for fast, even heating and an inner non-stick Quantanium layer. Anodized aluminum is considered twice as strong as stainless steel so this makes the set very durable.
The stick handles on the Anolon Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set were too short and not as comfortable to hold as the wide, longer handles on the Tramontina cookware. The Goldilocks Cookware Set Plus is the best budget cookware we’ve tested, and it performed almost as well as our other picks. It heats evenly, cleans up well, and costs under $250 at the cuisinart soup maker time of publishing. You can still file a claim even if your pans haven’t been damaged by dishwashing but were purchased between the aforementioned dates. To be clear, we’re not concerned about the quality or durability of our All-Clad picks, as long as they are cared for properly. This Tramontina set comes with a lifetime warranty that covers manufacturer defects.
The Multiclad Pro set’s upper-temperature limit in the oven stretches a full 110 degrees higher than that, which is impressive. Cuisinart offers multiple cookware collections made of stainless steel, aluminum, hard-anodized aluminum, and copper. Its non-stick pans are coated in both traditional and ceramic materials, depending on the collection. For more information, see our cookware buying guide, which includes a primer on different types of cookware and the materials they’re made of.
Our journalists combine independent research with over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right . We previously tested the 12½-inch skillet from the Breville Thermal Pro line for our guide to the best skillet. The Breville weighed almost 5 pounds and retained too much heat due to its thick base, which made temperature control difficult. Based on those results, we opted not to test the Breville Thermal Pro Clad Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set in this roundup.
It is, admittedly, slightly taller and narrower than other sets, and this feature is noticeable when you place the pot on a large burner. That said, I found there was still enough surface area at the bottom of the pot to make an excellent fond on the marinara, which is the true test of a good pot. If you have a large kitchen stove or want to batch-cook often, you may want just a hair more room. A gleaming set of stainless steel cookware is a beautiful sight to behold, and Cuisinart’s stainless steel offerings deliver in that regard. By properly preheating your cookware and using enough fat, you can cook anything without it sticking.
Be sure to browse Cuisinart bakeware and kitchen appliances as well as Cuisinart knives. You will get digital access to reviews and ratings for over 8,500 products and services to help you make better choices for life’s big moments and the everyday ones in between. After each test, I allowed the pans to cool and then hand washed them with warm soapy water to assess their ease of care. Cuisinart® bakeware, baking tools and equipment allows you to bring the bakery home. Try your hand at homemade cupcakes, bundt cakes, mini pies, or mini loafs.