The Best Cookware Sets

Thursday, September 19th

2024 Cookware Set Reviews

Cuisinart

Cuisinart is likely a name most are familiar with when it comes to cookware. They were introduced to the public in 1973 and have been growing their massive selection of cookware, bakeware, appliances, and cutlery ever since. There is a good variety of non-stick and stainless steel choices for people here, all fairly priced. Cuisinart's cookware has a 30-day return policy and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Customers have given these products high ratings and the Better Business Bureau gives Cuisinart an "A-” rating. This is a great brand and they've earned our top rating.

HexClad

HexClad doesn't mess around when it comes to the durability and performance of their cookware. This company, backed by Gordon Ramsay, boasts that they make the most superior cookware that cooks perfectly, is easy to clean, holds up over time, and is safe for metal utensils, ovens, and even induction stovetops. You'll pay up to four times as much for cookware here as you might at a low level, run of the mill company that makes cookware, but HexClad has a lifetime warranty and their customers say these pots and pans are some of their most prized possessions. If you don't want to replace your cookware in a few years, it would be worth it to just buy HexClad upfront and get amazing cooking performance. This is a great option for those willing to spend the money and they've earned one of our highest ratings.

Caraway

Caraway has revolutionized the home cooking sphere by creating beautiful non-stick ceramic pots and pans. The company was built out of a desire to move away from teflon-coated pans and other harmful chemicals that are often emitted from cooking materials and leached into foods. Caraway's cookware sets come in lots of bright, gorgeous colors and include storage as well. Customers can take advantage of their 30-day trial to make sure they're happy with their purchases. Afterwards, Caraway only offers a 1-year limited warranty, so it's not as extensive as what you'll get from some rival brands. Caraway has tens of thousands of customer reviews, most of which are extremely positive, so they've earned a very high rating from us.

GreenLife

GreenLife is a small but mighty company on a mission to provide cookware for customers that is easy to clean, easy to cook with, beautiful, and also free of PFAS, PFOA, and other toxic chemicals. Their prices are affordable ranging from $65 to just $285 for a 23-piece set. GreenLife has a 60-day return policy, 2-year warranty on their non-stick coating, and a lifetime warranty on the body of their pots and pans. We like that you can read honest reviews from customers on their products before making a purchase. There isn't a huge selection of different cookware sets here, but we like how simple it is to shop, so GreenLife has earned a solid rating from us.

Xtrema

Xtrema is a company dedicated to making pure ceramic pots and pans to eliminate the toxic load often produced by other types of cookware. They sell sleek, minimalistic, black cookware that comes in small sets ranging from $270 to $453. You may have to mix and match a couple of different sets to get a full spread of pots and pans you'd use in your kitchen, which makes this a potentially expensive place to buy cookware. However, Xtrema offers a 30-day trial period, forever replacement program, and 10-year warranty on their products. Customers have good things to say about the quality of Xtrema's cookware, so this is a good option for durable ceramic cookware sets.

Anolon

Anolon has only 24 sets of cookware, but all of them have good features and you won't spend over $700 on any of them, even for a 12-piece set. You'll find stainless steel and non-stick options from Anolon, with their AnolonX brand being one of the most popular. It's dishwasher safe, oven safe up to 500 degrees, and even works on an induction range. Anolon has a limited lifetime warranty on their cookware and a 30-day return policy. This is a good place to look for affordable, functional, but still high quality cookware.

Circulon

Circulon is operated by Meyer Corporation, a company that also owns Rachael Ray Cookware, Pots and Pans, Farberware, and Anolon. Circulon is most proud of their ScratchDefense line of pots and pans that comes with a lifetime warranty for performance. Their other sets are made of a mix of aluminum and stainless steel. Circulon has 21 cookware sets listed on their website, with the most expensive 11-piece set being only $350. There are unfiltered reviews on the site, which is fantastic, but there are slightly mixed reviews. There isn't much about the history of Circulon, but we see that they make good, basic cookware sets. If you don't want to spend too much on non-stick, give them a shot.

All-Clad

All-Clad has been in the cookware business since 1971. They come from the heart of the American steel and aluminum industry in Pennsylvania. All-Clad creates bonded cookware made with a combination of stainless steel and aluminum. They also have some teflon, non-stick pan options in their array of 40 cookware sets. All-Clad has a 45-day return policy, a lifetime warranty on their sets, unfiltered customer reviews, and frequent sales. However, they only have a "C” rating from the Better Business Bureau and their customer reviews aren't exactly reassuring. All-Clad seems to have issues with customer service, honoring their warranty, and keeping quality up on their products. Because of this, they've earned an average rating here.

Tramontina

Tramontina is a Brazilian company that has expanded into over 120 countries. They sell mostly cookware, but also have bakeware, cutlery, storage solutions, and some outdoor living and BBQ sets. They have a variety of cookware materials, which we are pleased with, all for under $350. There are insightful customer reviews on each product, which helps since the Better Business Bureau gives Tramontina an "F” rating. We also could not find warranty information for their cookware, which was disappointing. Tramontina could be a decent place for cookware sets, but it isn't one of our very favorite options.

Calphalon

Calphalon has been around since 1963 and specializes in hard-anodized aluminum cookware. However, some of their most popular cookware sets are made of stainless steel. Prices range from $36 to $729 and customers get free shipping when they spend over $100. Although Calphalon cookware sets have a 60-day return policy and a lifetime warranty on most products, customers complain that returns are difficult to do since customer service is poor. Quite a few people say that Calphalon's product quality is lacking and they've had bad experiences with pots and pans falling apart after just a few months. Overall, we are worried about how durable Calphalon's cookware is, so they haven't earned one of our top ratings.

Farberware

Farberware has a long history of making cookware sets and other kitchen supplies. That's why we were surprised to see that they have such a small selection. If you're purchasing a set, you only have 16 options, one of them being fully stainless steel. The others come in unappealing colors and don't have great customer ratings. The Better Business Bureau has an alert out for Farberware saying that they are selling products that become faulty and often don't honor their limited lifetime warranty. For multiple reasons, we aren't excited about this company.

T-fal

T-fal had a strong start in 1954 when they pioneered non-stick cookware. The company continued to innovate new household items and expand their line of kitchen supplies. However, T-fal's inventory has gotten small over the years, leaving only a few non-stick choices for cookware and leaving off their stainless steel and ceramic pots and pans from their website. Customers can't buy directly from T-fal, so they don't list prices or a return policy on their site. You'd have to search around for a good cookware set from another retailer, which we aren't up for. We aren't impressed with T-fal's "C” rating from the Better Business Bureau or mediocre customer reviews, so this is one of the last brands we'd buy cookware sets from.