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As much as brands would like you to believe that you can get by in the kitchen with just a single “do-it-all” pan, the best cookware sets will quickly have you realizing that it takes more to whip up a good meal (for yourself or a party). When it comes to mealtime, a cookware set needs to be as useful as it is attractive—we eat with our eyes first, after all. That said, high-quality pots and pans aren’t just a luxury but a necessity, and if cared for properly, they can last a lifetime.
The Best Cookware Sets, According to GQ
You want a cute set of pots and pans that will prep a delicious meal and fully outfit your kitchen? Skip all the scrolling and get straight to our picks for the best cookware set for every lazy brunch, Sunday supper and everything in between.
- The Best Overall Cookware Set: All-Clad D-3, $1,160
- The Best Budget Cookware Set: Tramontina, $230
- The Best Splurge Cookware Set: Hestan Nanobond, $1,800
- The Best Designed Cookware Set: Caraway, $395
- The Best Non-Stick Cookware Set: Made In, $529
- The Best Hybrid Cookware Set: Hexclad Hybrid, $700
- The Best Cast-Iron Cookware Set: Staub, $500
“Good cookware lasts a very long time,” says Michelin-starred chef Michael White of Mirabella at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. “I think it's good to spend a little extra in the beginning on some high-quality and trusted brands. Then, you won't have to think about it again down the road.”
With so many cookware options, the choice isn’t always clear. That stunning copper set may make your wall look like a French château, but is it handy enough for you to stop reaching for that non-stick egg pan? Enameled cast-iron cocottes now come in a swatch of Pantone colors of the year, but not all are made equally. The great news is that there is a set out there for everyone, so ready your stove, because it's time for an upgrade. From excellent beginner options to those coveted by chefs with enough Michelin stars to have their own constellation, these are the best cookware sets we've tested and reviewed.
The Best Cookware Set, Overall: All-Clad D3
The All-Clad D3 Everyday Stainless-steel is impressive: It has a large and evenly heated cooking area, durable tri-ply construction (the brand did invent the damn thing), and an easy-to-grasp handle that stays cool even during high-heat cooking. Considering the price point and number of pots and pans included in the set, this is a great choice for anyone looking to quickly and easily overhaul their cookware in one go.
Overall, this set exceeded expectations with multiples of all of the skillets, saucepans, and stock pots I'll ever need, with lids that fit tight to trap heat. This super-shiny set helped make a seriously delicious Sunday supper—red sauce included—on a very gray day and was super easy to clean afterward. The small skillet has been great for my favorite crispy, gooey grilled cheese lunch of choice. And because the cookware is safe up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, you can easily sear a stove-top steak and finish it off for a perfect cook in the oven or get some broiled cheese action (did I mention my love of grilled cheeses?). The cookware is technically dishwasher safe, but I prefer to hand wash it to prevent pitting or discoloration, ensuring it lasts for as long as possible.
The Best Budget Cookware Set: Tramontina
Starting a kitchen arsenal from scratch feels like an ordeal, and it is (which explains why you're here). Not only is it hard to find a set that performs well, but you also need to take into account your budget because buying a bunch of pots and pans at once is hard on the wallet. Luckily, we were blown away by this $230 set from the legacy cookware brand Tramontina. We were shocked by how easy the pots and pans were to clean and use and massively impressed at how quickly they heated up to temperature over fire with few hot spots or uneven heating. Even frying eggs on one of the stainless steel pans was doable (though I did need a YouTube tutorial to refresh my memory on the proper method).
This is a solid set at a very reasonable price point. It has all of the basics and more (like that teeny saucepan). Handles and lids can get a little warm to the touch when cooking over high heat, so grab with caution. The set works just fine on an induction cooktop, as well. For those who don’t like hand washing, that low price point means you can make some concessions and pop these right into the dishwasher when you’re done cooking.
The Best Splurge Cookware Set: Hestan Nanobond
If you’ve got the urge to splurge, the Hestan Nanobond is well worth the price. It’s a gorgeous, shiny set that is actually lighter than expected, with steady, consistent heating from an aluminum core and stainless steel body. Hestan uses “Nanobond” technology, which the brand says bonds thousands of titanium-based nanolayers to the stainless steel surface. All of this is a fancy way of saying that the pots and pans have a non-stick surface that won't be easily scratched or damaged by metal utensils. Unlike other non-stick cookware, this set is oven-safe up to a whopping 1,050 degrees Fahrenheit. While most conventional ovens top out at around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat resistance makes these great cookware for use with a grill.
One subtle detail that I really love about this set is how the rivets are flush to the pan, which makes clean-up way easier with less chance of any food build-up. Plus, all that reinforcement makes the pans dishwasher safe and hard to beat in the price bracket.
The Best-Designed Cookware Set: Caraway Non-Stick
What if you could have a chic cookware set decorating your stovetop with its own aptly named color palette of perracotta (basically terracotta mixed with pink), sage, or marigold that also happened to be good cooking food? Design-forward cookware brand Caraway makes a non-stick ceramic set that's easy to clean, use, and enjoy on the eyes. The stainless steel handles are easy to grab, and the surfaces are even scratch-resistant while still being free of PFAs, PFOA, PTFE, and heavy metals—or basically all the icky things that we typically hate about non-stick cookware. Eggs cook up just as easily as a veggie sauté without the worry of non-stick coatings flaking off into your dish. Also, unlike other non-stick cookware, these are safe up to 550 degrees, so fire that broiler up.
This set is attractive and functional, making it a great gift for yourself or another design-obsessed home cook. Bonus: Storage is even easier with the provided modular pan racks and a canvas lid holder ready for installation inside your cabinet door. I kind of loved how they looked, gracing my stovetop even when I wasn’t actively making food.
The Best Non-Stick Cookware Set: Made In 7-Piece Non-Stick Set
Nothing beats a nonstick set for easy all-around use. This brushed metal set from Made In is 100% non-toxic and has all of the benefits of fast, even heating and quick food release without PFOAs. The pots and pans are solid with a stainless-clad base for durability, so they won’t be sliding all over the place on the stovetop and can stand up to any grill press for extra browning on steaks and, my favorite, grilled cheese sandwiches. A safety notch indicates where to grab to avoid any chance of burns, and there’s a beveled lip for easy pouring. Best for stovetop use and the occasional broil, this set is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit but works just as well on any induction stovetop. The nonstick surface is also super easy to clean with grease and grime coming off with one fell swoop of a sudsy sponge.
The Best Hybrid Cookware Set: Hexclad Hybrid 12-Piece Set
Why choose between features when you don't have to? A hybrid pan combines the strength and durability of stainless steel with the ease of a nonstick surface. The technology behind Hexclad is in the name. These pans are laser-etched hexagonal over nonstick material with a tri-ply steel base. The inner aluminum core makes them light and maneuverable, while the base makes them ideal for induction cooking. They do need a bit of oil to aid in the food release, but they are very efficient, heat up evenly, and can be used with any utensil you like, including metal. The saucepans, in particular, were deeper than other sets, which made them easy to use, and we appreciate their high heat resistance (up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit) and cleanup took no time with a quick hand wash and air dry. I’ve made some serious messes while testing these over the years, and if anything sticks, simply fill them with water and let them boil—all of the accumulated gunk will come right off, leaving them good as new.
The Best Cast Iron: Staub Stackable
Nothing brings more Ina Garten vibes than an enameled cast-iron cookware set gracing any kitchen. The Staub set makes for the best cozy dinner party accompaniment and can easily go from oven to stovetop to table. The super glossy set includes a Dutch oven and multiple stackable sizes for whatever you’ve got cooking, with one universal, heavy-duty lid that fits every pan. Special interior spikes on the lid effectively turn the pan into an enameled self-baster that funnels the juices back down for extra moist braises. The grill pan was surprisingly effective, and my surf and turf steak and shrimp seared up like a dream. The pans stack together for easy storage, and the enameled interior has bits of quartz, which makes the cooking surface slightly rough and is great for browning.
What to Look for in a Cookware Set
According to White, the most important thing to consider with a cookware set is figuring out what you'll realistically be cooking. “Look at what the set includes and think about what pot and pans you will be using the most,” he says. “Some sets include extra things that you will probably never use.” Some sets have the basics, which means four or five pieces, as well as lids, and a fully equipped cookware set, can have up to 12 pieces with multiple sauté pans, saucepans, a stock pot, and more. (Keep in mind that most sets count lids as separate items.) White suggests you get a cookware set with frying pans of various sizes—between 10 and 14 inches—a large stockpot, a medium-sized sauté pan, and a tiny sauce pot.
What Cookware Material Is Best?
When it comes to cookware, we are all Material Girls. What your pans are made of matters, and how they are made, all factor into use, durability, cleaning, and storage.
Nonstick pans are an easy sell. They are easy to clean and use, and they can sometimes be a less expensive option. They are especially great for everyday cooking. There are two main types of nonstick pans: synthetic-coated and ceramic. Synthetic-coated pans tend to scratch very easily when using metal tools or rough cleaning. Ceramic-coated pans can break down after too much use at high temperatures.
Cast iron is one of the oldest and most romantic cookware options, and for good reason. According to White, it distributes heat evenly, making it great for searing proteins. It stays hot evenly and for a remarkably long time, can transition from stovetop to oven, and even grace that outdoor grill. Cast iron is a bit fickle, though, as well as reactive to acids, and requires care and seasoning for those cute pots to bypass the rust and go straight to rustic. Many of the most popular versions have enamel or other coating, which makes clean-up and storing easier.
Stainless steel cookware looks great and, as long as it’s well cared for, can last for a very long time. “I use stainless steel because it can be heated to higher temperatures than non-stick pans and is also lightweight for tossing and moving around,” White says. Stainless steel is probably the most versatile material for cookware; if you were to buy a set made up of just one material, it should be this.
Copper pots and pans are universally celebrated for conducting heat quickly and efficiently, hence the hefty price tag. The biggest downside is that copper is reactive and can change the color of anything acidic, from tomato sauce to chicken piccata. If this is a concern, look for copper pans that have a stainless steel or tin layer.
How We Tested
We surveyed the most popular cookware sets out there and then used as many of the full sets as possible. While there are a ton of options out there, we narrowed our list down to seven—including non-stick, cast iron, and hybrid—that included a range of highly sought-after features like ease of cleaning, versatility, and overall construction. We boiled, sautéed, and fried using various heats and temperatures to gauge which held up the best for overall use. We found that it was essential to look for small differences between oven use and stovetop use and incorporated tests that indicated efficient heat retention and distribution, as well as any design features that make them easier for home cooks to use and store.
About the Author
Alissa Fitzgerald is a chef, recipe developer, and food and spirits writer with over 15 years of experience in the food industry. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Forbes and VinePair. Most days you can find her alternating her time behind a cutting board and a computer.