Best Cookware Sets of 2022
Familiar names such as Farberware, GreenPan, Kenmore, and Tramontina do well in CR's tests, but so do a few newcomers
Cookware sets deliver essential pots and pans for most kitchens, and they eliminate the need to choose individual pieces of cookware.
By Mary H.J. Farrell
Is it time to replace your cookware? If the handles are loose or broken, or the bottom of a pan is warped (creating hot spots that burn food), it’s time to shop. And of course, when the coating of a nonstick pan is flaking, it’s got to go.
Cookware is typically sold in sets consisting of about five to 15 pieces, or as individual pots and pans. But a 12-piece set won’t have a dozen pots and pans. “In boxed sets, manufacturers count a lid as a piece,” says Marion Wilson-Spencer, CR’s market analyst for cookware. “Even utensils and a cookbook may be counted as pieces.”
We buy and test cookware sets from less than $100 to $600 or more, from well-known brands such as All-Clad, Anolon, Calphalon, and Cuisinart, as well as sets sold under the names of celebrity cooks like Ayesha Curry, Rachael Ray, and Martha Stewart. Of course, you can also assemble your own set. If you go that route, here are the basic pieces you need, plus why you should consider a Dutch oven.
In our tests, we evaluate heating evenness, speed of heating, sauté performance, nonstick durability, handle sturdiness, and more. To evaluate various pieces, we cook pancakes, fry eggs, boil water, and simmer tomato sauce.
For more information, see our cookware buying guide, which includes a primer on different types of cookware and the materials they’re made of. Below are the 10 best cookware sets from CR’s latest tests, both nonstick and stainless steel, listed alphabetically by type. CR members can jump to our cookware ratings for details and more options.
Best Nonstick Cookware Sets
Farberware Glide 11pc
CR’s take: For the price, the Farberware Glide set did surprisingly well in our tests. The copper-colored interior is ceramic nonstick and earned a Very Good score in our nonstick durability tests. The pans aced our cooking evenness and simmering tests, but when we tested to see how well eggs glide out of the pan, not all did so without a little nudging. The handles stayed cool to the touch but became loose during our sturdiness test. The 11 pieces are two frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, a stockpot, four lids, and a steamer insert.
GreenPan Reserve
CR’s take: With its pink blush exterior, white ceramic interior, and gold handles, the GreenPan Padova Reserve certainly makes a style statement. But how is it on substance? Not too shabby. In fact, its scores on all of our major cooking tasks were top-notch, including an Excellent for speed of heating. Its handles are sturdy and stay fairly cool to the touch. The nonstick coating is durable, although some of the nonstick pans we tested did even better on that test. The 10 pieces are two frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, a stockpot, and four lids.
Kenmore Arlington Metallic
CR’s take: The eye-catching 12-piece Kenmore Arlington Metallic set also stands out for its performance in the kitchen. Cooking evenness and speed of heating are top-notch. Our sauces simmered without scorching and the nonstick coating is durable, earning a Very Good rating in that test. The handles stay cool to the touch when cooking but could be more sturdy, typical of pans in this price range. The 12 pieces are two frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, a Dutch oven, four lids, and two wooden spatulas.
Le Creuset Toughened Pro
CR’s take: Known for its colorful enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens, Le Creuset also turns out a respectable set of nonstick cookware, the Le Creuset Toughened Pro. In our tests, cooking evenness, simmering, and speed of heating were all top-notch, but food release wasn’t as clean as some competitors. Still, this Le Creuset set earned a Very Good score. The handles tend to get hot when you’re cooking, so you’ll need a pot holder, but the handles are sturdy and the nonstick coating is durable. This 10-piece set has two frying pans, two saucepans, a sauté pan, a stock pot, and four lids.
Member's Mark (Sam's Club) Hard Anodized Aluminum
CR’s take: If you do the math, you’ll see that at $130 for the set, the pieces in the Member’s Mark Hard Anodized Aluminum cookware set from Sam’s Club cost less than $10 each. That might make you doubt that this set can measure up against pricier cookware, but it does. It aced our cooking evenness, simmering, and speed of heating tests and did almost as well on the food-release task, earning a Very Good (because a few eggs needed nudging out of the pan). The handles stayed relatively cool and held their own in the sturdiness test. The set has three frying pans, three saucepans, a sauté pan, a Dutch oven, a stock pot, and six lids.
Best Stainless Steel Cookware Sets
Fissler original-profi collection
Includes: 8 pieces, with a frying pan, three saucepans, a stockpot and three lids.
CR’s take: The 8-piece Fissler Original-Profi collection set earns a top mark of Excellent for cooking evenness and aces our tests for heating water quickly. The handles stay cool to the touch and are sturdy, so this set should serve you well for a long time. The pans do very well at releasing food but aren’t as impressive when it comes to sautéing or simmering. The 8-piece set has a frying pan, three saucepans, a stockpot, and three lids.
Kenmore Elite Devon Tri-Ply
CR’s take: This nicely priced 10-piece Kenmore Elite Devon Tri-Ply set should satisfy most of your cooking needs. The lids are glass, so you can watch what you’re cooking without letting any heat escape. Cooking evenness is top-notch, and this set earns Very Good ratings for both speed of heating and gently releasing eggs from the frying pan. The handles stay cool to the touch but could be sturdier. The 10-piece set has a frying pan, two saucepans, a sauté pan, a Dutch oven with a steamer insert, and four lids.
Made In Cookware The Starter Kit
CR’s take: With just five pieces—a frying pan, a saucepan, a stockpot, and two lids—the Made in Cookware Starter Kit is aptly named. But even a novice cook will appreciate the performance of these pots and pans. The stainless steel pan aces the cooking evenness test, meaning pancakes turn out evenly browned. Speed of heating is also superb, and we quickly brought 4 quarts of water to a near-boil in the 5-quart stockpot. Food release is impressive, earning a Very Good rating, though no uncoated pan measures up to a nonstick pan in that test.
Member's Mark (Sam's Club) Tri-Ply
CR’s take: It may be hard to believe that you get 14 pieces of cookware at this price and, admittedly, not every pan is a winner. Still, you can accomplish a lot with the Member’s Mark Tri-Ply set sold at Sam’s Club. Cooking evenness was top-notch, earning an Excellent rating. The set did very well at simmering, but you should still keep your eye on your sauce. The food-release score is on a par with the best stainless pans we test—only some nonstick earn an Excellent in that department. The handles are sturdy, which isn’t typical of pans in this price range. The 14 pieces are three frying pans, a sauté pan, two saucepans, a Dutch oven, a stockpot, a steamer insert, and five lids.
Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Item #80116/247DS
CR’s take: The Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad set has enough pans to satisfy most of your cooking needs while not taking over an entire kitchen cabinet. It excels at cooking evenness and simmering, and earns a Very Good on both the speed of heating and food-release tests. The handles stay safely cool to the touch and are very sturdy. The 8-piece set has two frying pans, two saucepans, a Dutch oven, and three lids.
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