We guarantee a lifetime of healthy cooking with Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Non-Stick Hard Anodized Cookware. The food you cook in it will not be impacted by or react with the stainless steel surfaces. The triple-ply construction and Heat Surround technology are what really make this stand out as the best Cuisinart cookware set, though. ✓ The Heat Surround technology ensures even distribution and no hotspots in the pots and pans.
“I like heavy just because I think common sense would say the heavier they are, the slightly better quality they are,” says Jason Santos, a chef. “I’ve seen really cheap stainless steel pans that you can basically bend. So I think a heavy set is good. It’s safe to say it’s probably decent quality.” “Heavier pans tend to have thicker vessel gauge which will help to even heat,” a representative for the Calphalon research and development team explained to us. Testers liked that the handle of the pan remained cool to the touch even with high heat, an ideal safety feature especially if you have small children at home.
Soaking them in hot water is essential to remove food stuck to the bottom. ❌ The tapered rims can be quite sharp so you have to be careful when handling the pots and pans. 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. This set from Le Creuset performed well during testing but testers felt the price point was a bit too steep in comparison to other similar styles. Testers noted that it cooked scallops well and clean up was about average, though some scrubbing was required.
Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they’re worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn’t an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products. The overall rating was determined by averaging the scores of each category. The seared scallops did leave a mark however it was easy to remove with the help of Bar Keepers Friend.
In fact, both cooked with a nice, even heat, and there was no noticeable warping when we dipped the pan into ice after cooking. The set was noticeably easy to clean, which is a plus given that it’s not recommended to put the pieces in the dishwasher. It’s worth noting that since the lids aren’t glass, you’ll have to lift them to check on your dishes as they cook. However, all of the pieces are dishwasher safe, so they’ll be easy to clean in case anything spills over.
In terms of design, testers noted that the pan handles had a nice feel and found that the squared-off lid handles fit comfortably in their hands. The bigger pans and pots have a helper handle for ease of holding anything heavier or hot as well. Overall, they felt that the set had a substantial feel that helped justify the price point.
Our testing team, led by our Kitchen & Cooking editor (who is also a professional chef) assessed this cookware set by putting each piece through a variety of tests. Investing in a cookware set that’s going to (hopefully) last for years to come can feel like a daunting investment. And while chef-approved brands like HexClad and Hestan may be fantastic, they cuisinart soup maker come at high costs that can be unrealistic for the average home cook. The Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless Steel Set earned our vote for the best value set in our tested analysis of the wider stainless steel cookware market. Ahead, learn more about the set’s features and why we’d quickly recommend it to anyone searching for budget-friendly cookware.