Looking for a great cookware set for your friends that have already moved into a new house or perhaps for your kitchen in order to experience new ways of cooking?
Do you want to know why stainless steel cookware is the most recommended?
First of all, you should know that stainless steel is a nonreactive material and this gives you the possibility to cook any kind of food in stainless steel pots.
Also, stainless steel is durable, heavy, dishwasher-safe and inexpensive. Stainless steel pans are best for cooking at low temperatures or for holding steaming baskets when even heat is not as crucial.
Although there are poor heat transfer and distribution, this problem can be solved if you choose better quality and higher priced stainless steel cookware with an added inner core made of copper or aluminum, which improves the heat conductivity; this may be expensive, but you can be sure that it lasts a lifetime.
Then, cookware sets have a great price, but only if you need every piece of them. If you already have saucepans and just need skillets or vice versa, you can buy them individually, also for a decent price.
With cookware sets, you get matching items which is much more attractive than having a combination of different sizes and materials sitting on your stovetop.
For those who want to purchase a first cookware set, it generally makes more sense to go with a set especially if cost is a primary consideration. And of course, sets are also great gifts for friends and colleagues moving into their first home.
As not all the cookware sets work on induction, you have the following examples of sets that are induction compatible and may guide you before purchasing exactly what you need.
Select the products of the brand you like or the set that features all the necessary pots and accessories for you, your family, friends, etc.
1. All-Clad 401599 Stainless Steel Cookware Set
This All-Clad 401599 Stainless Steel Set includes 10-inch fry pan, a 3-quart covered sauce pan and a 3-quart covered sauté pan.
The 3-ply bonded construction consists of durable stainless steel encapsulating an aluminum core for even heating throughout and highly polished cooking surface with starburst finish that offers stick resistance and easy maintenance.
The products are made in the USA and provide a limited lifetime warranty to each buyer. This stainless-steel cookware offers warp-resistant strength and dishwasher-safe convenience, plus it can be used on any cooktop, including induction.
Having contoured stainless-steel handles permanently secured with stainless-steel rivets, capacity attached on base and flat stainless-steel lids, there are no worries.
This cookware is made by All Clad and is part of their tri-ply stainless steel collection. The tri-ply collection features pots and pans with a magnetic stainless exterior, an aluminum core, and a stainless interior.
This triple-layer construction provides you with greater heat conduction and easier cleans up. The handles do not get hot; however, the lid does get hot so it is good to use a hot pad when removing the lid.
This is high quality, well-made cookware; it is shiny and beautiful and feels heavy and sturdy. The handles are sized nicely, and the lids fit different pieces within this set.
The frying pans are shaped perfectly to do the little wrist-snap thingy to flip your omelet or to toss nuts you are toasting. You will have no problem with food sticking in the pan when it is preheated with oil or butter.
The pots are heavy without being difficult to lift the largest pan when full. They heat evenly and are heavy enough to allow for turning the flame down to low.
The pans and lids clean up with soap and water or in the dishwasher, and everything can go into the oven. They are an investment and will last a lifetime.
2. Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 10-Piece is another cookware set including 8-in. fry pan, 10-in. fry pan, 1.5-qt. sauce pan with cover, 2.5-qt. sauce pan with cover, 3-qt. saute pan with cover, and 6-qt. stock pot with cover.
Pots and pans set are covered by Calphalon’s full 10-year warranty.
The set is safe for the stove, oven, broiler, and dishwasher; the pots and pans are made from brushed stainless steel with impact-bonded aluminum bases for fast, even heating.
And long and ergonomic handles provide a secure grip even with full, heavy pans, stay cool even when the pan is hot, and are double-riveted by hand.
The lids are fine: turn the lid so the strainer is not at the pour spout.
When you cook rice, you bring the water, salt and butter to a boil and add the rice and stir. Then lay a folded paper towel over the top of the pan and put the lid on; and make sure the paper towel is not close to the burner.
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The sauce pans, in particular, are great: there are tick marks inside to show how much liquid you have poured in, and the lids have slots to make it easy to pour liquid out while keeping the lid on (and contents in).
The set is awesome and lighter than expected which is actually a great thing because having a heavy pot and then adding water makes it very difficult to lift.
The pans are heavy weight, clean up easily with stainless steel pads, and always cook evenly. You cannot go wrong with this set. It will last for years with the proper care and is the best type suited for ceramic cooktops.
3. T-fal E469SC Stainless Steel Cookware Set
You may also consider T-fal E469SC Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 12-Piece, Silver, a bonded tri-ply stainless, aluminum, stainless cookware set for optimum heat conductivity and cooking performance.
This stainless cookware is oven safe to 550 degrees F and suitable for gas, electric, ceramic glass, or induction stovetops.
This 12-piece set includes 8, 10, and 12-inch fry pans, 1.5, 2.5, and 3-quart saucepans with lids, a 6-quart dutch oven with lid, and a 3-quart steamer insert which gives you the ability to cook with different size of meals from frying an egg to searing couple steaks.
These pans are nice quality, the sizes in the set are perfect and you can cook anything you want with this variety.
This set is a lifetime set; once you buy a product of this quality you will never have to replace them. They are thick, do not bend during regular use, cleaning, or cooking.
The triply and multi-clad features allow for even distribution of the metals for great sturdiness and even cooking. The user’s guide suggests hand washing to avoid discoloration, but you can wash your pots and pans in a dishwasher: it will do not compromise the functionality of the pieces.
Because the entire piece is steel, you can go from the range top right into the oven to get a different texture on whatever you are cooking.
Although it does not have the nonstick features for easy cooking, a slightly oils will help to cook the foods with 100% release flavors and you do not have to worry about any chemical is added to the pan.
The handles on these pots and pans are solidly riveted and the thickness and feel of the handles are comfortable and substantial.
All lids are glass and the largest pot lid fits the middle-sized pan; if you have an extra 12″ lid sitting around from an old set of pans, it should work just fine with the large pan.
4. Cooks Standard NC-00210 Stainless Steel Cookware Set
This top continues with Cooks Standard Multi-Ply Clad Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set, a cookware set with 1-1/2-quart and 3-quart covered saucepans, 8-inch and 10-inch open skillets, 8-quart covered stockpot and covered steamer insert.
The brushed stainless-steel exterior resists scratches for long-lasting good looks, whether on the stovetop or hanging from a pot rack.
Beautifully designed, this three-layer metal cookware features an interior and exterior layer of premium-grade 18/10 stainless steel with a multi-element alloy aluminum core for fast, even heating and thorough heat distribution.
These pots are amazing: they heat up really quickly when you add the lid when boiling water. They have a beautiful reflective surface. You will find they come in good sizes when cooking for 4 people.
The handles do stay cool enough to pick up without protection, also can be used in the oven, are comfortable with rounded edges and everything works fine.
The pans have sufficient weight to stay balanced on the cooking surface and the multi-ply clad layers enable food to cook quickly and evenly.
They should always be preheated before putting your oil or cooking fat in the pan. This helps the food not to stick to the pan, but make sure not to let the pan get too hot before adding the oil.
Following simple stainless steel tips such as allowing the pan to heat fully before adding food, let the water come to a boil before adding salt to avoid pitting, using non-metal utensils, and hand washing and drying, these still look brand new.
If you are looking to purchase an absolute quality set of cookware, you do not have to have the money for the more expensive brands, or simply do not put that much priority on having brand names.
5. Farberware 75653 Millennium Stainless Steel Cookware Set
If your option is Farberware Millennium Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set, you should know that you are going to purchase 1-quart and 2-quart covered saucepans, 3-quart covered sauté, 8-inch and 10-inch skillets, and 8-quart covered stockpot.
These pots combine professionally styled polished stainless steel construction with gentle tulip shaped bodies and stainless steel bases in order to fully encapsulate a thick aluminum core for providing exceptional heat distribution.
The size of the pots is just perfect for whatever you want to cook and the fact that you can put it in the oven to bake is fabulous.
Stainless steel handles are securely riveted to the pan for added durability, while glass lids let you monitor cooking progress without releasing moisture or nutrients.
There are 3 lid sizes: large, medium and small. The large lids are made to fit on the stock pot and the sauce pan but can be used just fine on the large frying pan even though they are not made to. The medium and small lids fit on just the medium and small pots.
This is a great set of pots and pans for the price. The lids do get a bit warm when are on the stove for a long period of time, but that is not a big deal. You have to do the initial seasoning of rubbing oil on the bottom of pans before you begin but after that, it is just great for cooking. The handles get a little hot so use a hot pad when lifting the lid.
The Faberware pans are absolutely beautiful to look at and more importantly, they disperse heat really well; there is definitely no need for high heat with this cookware.
You will be amazed to be able to cook omelets and scrambled eggs without making a burnt on mess. You can make a fried egg slide around the pan. If you clean the pan with soap or water you will have to re-season it.
6. Duxtop Stainless Steel Cookware Set
With Duxtop Stainless Steel Induction Ready Premium Cookware you are going to have 10-inch fry pan, 3-quart saute pan with lid and handle helper, 1.6-quart and 3-quart covered saucepans, 6-1/2-quart saucepot with cover.
Having whole-clad Tri-Ply stainless steel construction, hot spots will be eliminated and even heat distribution ensured along the bottom and side walls of the cookware.
You can use this set on induction, electric plate, radiant, ceramic, halogen and gas stove.
With lifetime limited warranty against manufacture defects, you have nothing to worry about: layer bounded construction with one layer of thick aluminum core sandwiched between stainless steel layers, drip-free pouring rims, stay-cool stainless-steel perfect-grip handles riveted to the pan and stainless-steel lids with loop handle.
All the sauce pans except frying pans had lids. The three qt sauce pan’s lid can be used for covering the small fry pan, and one of the bigger lids for the bigger frying pan (though it might not sit at the top).
The handles keep their cool even when cooking at high temperatures. You need to be a little careful with the lids though at higher temperatures. Cooking food in these pans has been a breeze; food gets heated up quickly and evenly.
The shape and sheen of every pan in this set are gorgeous; and, yes, they cook evenly and really fast and even better they clean up so easy.
One tiny sprinkle keeps every pot in the set shiny and looking like new. The pots keep in steam very well, whether it is slow simmer or rapid boil, it is excellent at keeping in steam, you will not have to worry about food burning.
This is fine quality cookware at a very good price for such a product: if you are looking for impressive, but simple and sturdy pans, these are great; all the pans are useful sizes for cooking for a family of four or more.
7. Rachael Ray 77559 Stainless Steel Cookware Set with Red Handles
Rachael Ray 77559 Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set with Red Handles contains two non-stick frying pans that are 8 and 10-inch, two saucepans that are 1 1/2 and 3 quarts, a big pot that is 6 quarts and a sauté frying pan of 3 quarts.
With professional quality stainless steel interiors, such pots are safe for use with metal utensils.
Saucepans can be used for whisking a homemade sauce or cooking your morning oatmeal, the big stockpot for soups, stews or boiling pasta and the skillets (known the most used pans in any kitchen) will help you turn out perfect crepes or a simple grilled cheese sandwich.
The sauté pan is a wide, straight-sided pan that can perform many of the functions of a skillet but features deep sides for extra capacity, perfect for one dish meals.
Having this set, quick and even heating is achieved by a full cap base of aluminum, fully encapsulated by stainless steel, suitable for induction.
It is the right moment to watch your foods cook without having to remove the tempered glass lid to keep the heat and moisture locked in.
And do not forget the handles: the silicone handles of these pots provide a comfortable grip and are oven safe to 400 degrees F. The beauty of cooking with stainless steel is uniquely outfitted with a red-colored exterior, and this set is dishwasher safe so it is easy to clean.
At an exceptional value, this cookware set includes all of the pans needed to equip your kitchen with the most used cooking pieces.
If you wonder, you should know that this set is highly recommended because it works great with the induction cooktops and cleans easily.
8. KitchenAid KCSS10LS Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Looking for buying KitchenAid KCSS10LS Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set – Polished Stainless Steel? You are going to have: a 8″ skillet, a 10″ skillet, a 1.5-quart saucepan with lid, a 3.0-quart saucepan with lid, a 3.5-quart saute pan with lid, and 8.0-quart stockpot with lid.
The sizes of the pans are much bigger than a usual set. In fact, the large saucepan is almost too big to use for most things you would cook for a 3 person household.
The small saucepan is also larger than you would expect for other similar sets. The sauté pan is perfect; it is nice and deep with a Pyrex lid which is great for making paella or for a pan full of fried chicken.
The thick metal plate underneath these pans does a good job of dispersing the heat from the open flame on my stove. The 12” skillet works best-making omelets while the 10” skillet is handy for making scrambled eggs.
Cleaning the skillets is easy; you have to just use hot water and soap to wipe away any leftovers. You can hang these skillets or stack them up and place them under the counter.
All the pots and pans are good quality steel with steel handles and Pyrex glass lids. The bottoms are quite thick and machined flat on the bottoms.
The glass lids are very nice for monitoring the food inside. Another nice feature is that the pots have volume measurements attached on the inside; this is helpful for measuring liquid quantities.
The pans feel good in the hand, substantial but not excessively weighty. While cooking, they are responsive to heat adjustments.
They are usable on gas, electric, ceramic and induction surfaces. They are attractive and impressive and much more reasonably priced than some pans with comparable features.
You will see what difference it makes to have a super quality stainless steel cookware set.
Certainly, this set looks great, well polished and finished, with riveted joints, and since they are thick, the heat spreads evenly and you will hardly notice any bottom burning.
9. Cuisinart 77-17 Chef’s Classic Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Purchasing Cuisinart 77-17 Chef’s Classic Stainless 17-Piece Cookware Set offers you the chance to cook with 1-1/2-, 2-, 3-quart saucepans, 8-, 10-, 12-inch skillets, 4-quart sauté, 9-quart stockpot, 7-3/4-, 9-1/2-inch steamer inserts, with lids.
Although not every pot comes with its own lid, you can mix and match so you will find a lid that fits for each pot and each pan.
This is a great quality set; it heats up nicely and evenly. You have everything you need and can even place them in the oven. The rivets on these pans are consistent with other Cuisinart pots, they are durable and add the versatility of cooking both on the range and in the oven.
These pans are lightweight stainless steel with an aluminum core to allow for fast heat distribution. The instructions make it clear that these pans need to care for much more delicately than the standard heavy weight stainless steel.
In short, these pans need to be treated as the same way you would care for non-stick pans. So basically, you have to use non-scratch sponges, and wooden utensils and provide low to medium heat only.
The outside of the pans has a high shine finish that basically needs to be treated like silverware to keep it looking good.
If you have never cooked with stainless before, please be aware that it is much different than using non-stick. It heats evenly and has a few things you have to watch out for.
If you burn your food, it is not the pots fault; it is your fault for not reading the directions on how to cook properly with stainless.
This is an excellent cookware, and yes, some might be intimate by stainless steel to cook with; however, remember a person has to learn to cook on a gas or electric, or ceramic stove too. Each stove top cooks differently and you have to make adjustments to your cooking.
With a little bit of patience and learning how to use stainless and maintenance, you enjoy this cookware for life. Once get used to cooking with it, you will not want to use anything else.
Cuisinart cookware is a great deal for the money: the 17 piece set offers everything you will ever need.
10. Maxam KT17 Stainless-Steel Cookware Set
With Maxam KT17 17-Piece 9-Element Surgical-Stainless-Steel Waterless Cookware Set, you can take home a 17 piece collection of one of the highest quality Steam Control waterless cookware sets on the market today.
Waterless is such an awesome feature; you throw the raw meat in the pot, cover and let it simmer and juice coming from the meat is exactly the sauce that will be so tasty and so delicious.
It comprises 4 cooking pots of different sizes with lids (8 pieces) and one more cooking pot without lid. There is also an egg poacher with lid and with 6 parts to put the raw eggs into to poach (8 pieces); as you can see, there are enough pans of different sizes to meet the needs of most families.
This set includes stainless steel, very good quality stainless cooking pan, pots, cover, bowl, baking dishes. They are excellent and very quality products that you will use for many years to come.
The pans feel heavy and substantial and have an adjustable steam valve on the lids which is nice.
These pans cook everything perfectly each and every time.
The heating is maybe slightly slower than ordinary pots, but not by much, and once they are heated, they retain the heat longer than ordinary pots and perfectly evenly throughout.
They are best suited for waterless cooking, as advertised and you will see that they deliver healthier, tastier food and cuts cooking time as well.
This set of pans is designed with first class material, is perfect for cooking with little water and cooked food as healthy as possible to maintain the best nutrition possible one.
Be aware that these pots do not need nearly as high heat as regular pots; it only needs to be slightly above medium for water to boil when you are making pasta, for example.
Comparison table
Brands |
Total Pieces |
Material |
Handles/Lids |
Dishwasher Safe |
Oven and Broiler safe |
Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All-Clad 401599 Stainless Steel Cookware Set |
5-piece cookware set includes 10 inch fry pan, a 3 quart covered sauce pan and a 3 quart covered sauté pan |
durable stainless steel encapsulating an aluminum core |
Contoured stainless-steel handles permanently secured with stainless-steel rivets; flat stainless-steel lids |
Yes |
Oven- and broiler-safe up to 600 degrees F (without lids) |
USA |
Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel Cookware Set |
10-piece set: 8-in. Fry Pan, 10-in. Fry Pan, 1.5-qt. Sauce Pan with cover, 2.5-qt. Sauce Pan with cover, 3-qt. Saute Pan with cover, and 6-qt. Stock Pot with cover |
stainless steel cookware set with impact-bonded aluminum bases |
long, ergonomic handles provide a secure grip; glass lids with metal handles |
Yes |
Yes, safe for the stove, oven, broiler |
China |
T-fal E469SC Stainless Steel Cookware Set |
8, 10, and 12-inch fry pan, 1.5, 2.5, and 3-quart saucepans with lids, a 6-quart dutch oven with lid, and an 3-quart steamer insert |
bonded tri-ply stainless, aluminum, stainless cookware |
stainless-steel handles, tempered glass lids |
Yes |
oven safe to 550 degree F |
N/A |
Cooks Standard Stainless-Steel Cookware Set |
1-1/2-quart and 3-quart covered saucepan, 8-inch and 10-inch open skillet, 8-quart covered stockpot, and covered steamer insert |
premium-grade 18/10 stainless steel with a multi-element alloy aluminum core |
solid stainless-steel riveted handles, secure-fitting stainless-steel lids |
Yes |
Oven-safe to 500 degrees F |
China |
Farberware Millennium Stainless Steel Cookware Set |
1-quart and 2-quart covered saucepans, 3-quart covered sauté, 8-inch and 10-inch skillet, 8-quart covered stockpot. |
professionally styled polished stainless steel construction with gentle tulip shaped bodies |
glass lids; stainless steel handles |
dishwasher safe |
broiler safe |
Thailand and China |
Duxtop Stainless Steel Premium Cookware Set |
10-Inch Fry Pan; 3-Quart Saute Pan with lid and handle helper; 1.6-Quart and 3-Quart covered saucepan; 6-1/2-Quart saucepot with cover |
whole-clad Tri-Ply stainless steel construction |
stay-cool stainless-steel perfect-grip handle riveted to the pan, stainless steel lid with loop handle, drip-free pouring rims |
Dishwasher-safe |
oven-safe to 550 degrees F; Freezer-safe for food storage |
China |
Rachael Ray 77559 Stainless Steel Cookware Set with Red Handles |
two saucepans, a big stockpot, two skillets and a sauté pan |
quality stainless steel interiors and a full cap base of aluminum |
silicone handles, tempered glass lids |
N/A |
oven safe to 400 degrees F |
N/A |
KitchenAid KCSS10LS Stainless Steel Cookware Set |
8″ Skillet, 10″ Skillet, 1.5-Quart Saucepan with Lid, 3.0-Quart Saucepan with Lid, 3.5-Quart Saute Pan with Lid, 8.0-Quart Stockpot with Lid. |
18/10 stainless steel with colorfast finish and stainless steel base |
domed tempered glass lids, riveted stainless steel handles |
Dishwasher Safe |
oven safe up to 500° F |
Most parts are made in the US and Canada. Some parts come from China |
Cuisinart 77-17 Chef’s Classic Stainless Cookware Set |
1-1/2-, 2-, 3-quart saucepans; 8-, 10-, 12-inch skillets; 4-quart saute; 9-quart stockpot; 7-3/4-, 9-1/2-inch steamer inserts; with lids |
mirror-polished 18/10 stainless steel with inner core of aluminum |
riveted stainless-steel handles, matching 18/10 mirror-polished stainless-steel lids |
Brilliant stainless steel comes out of the dishwasher looking like new. |
Oven safe to 500°F |
China |
Maxam KT17 17 Element Stainless-Steel Waterless Cookware Set |
3 different size pots, 1 pot that fits inside another or can be used separately, 3 covers, 1 large pot with 1 cover which also fits 1 large frying pan, 1 egg poacher frying pan with side handles , 1 top that has 5 holes, 5 egg cups |
extra-heavy stainless steel construction, mirror finish exterior, satin finish interior |
superbly styled handles |
Yes |
All pans (not lids) are oven safe to 350°F. |
Korea |
Conclusion
Here you have a complete list with the 10 best stainless steel cookware set with reviews that may give you an overview before deciding to purchase a gift or a cookware set for yourself.
Being beautiful, extremely solid and well made, you are going to be very satisfied buying each one of these sets.
All you have to do is to use the information that you have already found in order to have a set that is worth the amount of money you are going to pay.
Discover wonderful quality and products that work as advertised; this makes what you think is the most efficient system for cooking in a pot available.
