7 of the Best Cookware Sets to Buy
On the hunt for the best cookware set?
With all of the latest COVID-19 circumstances currently underway, you’re probably doing more cooking at home than you’ve ever done before. You might also be realizing you’re due for some new cookware because those pots and pans just aren’t what you thought they were. 😏
Luckily, we’re sharing some of our favorite cookware sets (both budget-friendly & splurge-worthy) as recommended by our team and especially our recipe creators.
1. Rachael Ray Create Delicious 13-pc. Aluminum Nonstick Cookware Set
This 13-piece cookware set includes all of the cookware you need to make your favorite dishes. It even comes with a baking sheet so you’ll be set to throw in a batch of your favorite cookies after dinner. With the Platinumsheild Technology (which is 9x harder than titanium), you can be sure this set will last for years to come.
“I love this set that I bought a few years ago from Kohl’s. I was upgrading from a cheapie set that I had bought when I got married, and took some time to look around for a new set that was both reasonably priced and had good reviews. I’ve used at least one of these pots/pans a day for the last two years and they still look brand new.
I do hand wash them after use, but they’ve also been tossed in the dishwasher a time or two. I don’t have any issues with uneven heating or foods sticking to the pans (which happened a lot with my old ones).” – Chelsey
2. Calphalon Classic 10-Piece Nonstick Pots And Pans Set
- Buy on Wayfair (To easily find this Calphalon set on Wayfair search SKU: CPH2513 )
Cooking just got a whole lot easier with this non-stick set, especially with their built-in measuring marks and pour spouts. Whether you’re searing, simmering, frying, boiling, or all of the above, this 10-piece set will be treasured for many years.
“My parents love their Calphalon pans and still have them 30 years later! High quality and they cook evenly.” – Paige
“We have non-stick Calphalon and have had them for at least 13 yrs – and they are amazing!” – Michelle
3. Member’s Mark Nonstick 15-Piece Cookware Set by Tramontina
Sauté pans and saucepans and grills, oh my! With every size pot and pan you’ll ever need, this 15-piece set will make it easy to start whipping up a variety of delicious recipes. Best of all, they’re made in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty!
“We bought the Member’s Mark set from Sam’s Club when we moved from Florida to Kentucky – that was over a decade ago, and we just needed a basic set to cook with back then. It ended up being a really nice set and includes a bunch of different pieces we use daily.
For the price, I’m so impressed with them! My mom liked them so much that she even bought a set of her own.” – Liza
4. Curtis Stone Dura-Pan cookware
Cook like never before with this popular 11-piece cookware set that your kitchen-loving heart is dreaming about! It comes with a unique oval pan (normally only in professional chef sets), a grilling pan with pour spouts, a steamer that fits perfectly onto the sauté pan, and all other essential cookware.
“I use Curtis Stone for all my pots and pans. It’s sold at HSN. You would not believe the reviews – they are incredible and they certainly live up to the type – NEVER burn, wipes out easily, just incredible!” – Jennifer
5. Masterclass cookware
Made of cast aluminum with 2 layers of tough, chemical-free non-stick material, you can ensure you’ll always have fast, even cooking while keeping the pan scratch-free. We know you’re also a big fan of great deals, so once we get back to normalcy, you can scoop up steals on this cookware at stores like Home Goods and Marshalls!
“I love Master Class Pots and Pans! I get mine from Marshalls or Home Goods, but you can easily buy them on Amazon, too! I’m such a sucker for adding pops of color and these do just the trick and work amazing in the kitchen.” – Ashley
6. GreenPan cookware
If you’re looking for a brand that will take your cooking greener than ever, then look no further! And no, I’m not talking about Green Eggs and Ham…I’m talking no chemicals and actually made of sand — talk about eco-friendly!
With GreenPan’s innovative design, this brand uses a sand derivative as its main material and even cures each pan in the oven with 60% less CO2 emissions compared to traditional non-stick pans!
And in case you didn’t already know, most traditional non-stick pans when overheated release toxic fumes, whereas GreenPan is already eco-friendly and it even has a Thermolon technology which means it’s heat resistant up to extremely high temperatures. It’s also an outstanding heat conductor so you will cook on lower heat and ultimately saving your home on energy.
7. Le Creuset
It wouldn’t be a cookware roundup without including the most durable and legendary cookware known to all. Anyone who’s been around the kitchen knows that Le Creuset is the crème de la crème of all cookware and a few of us at Hip2Save are huge fans for obvious reasons.
Le Creuset has everything from cast iron to stainless steel and nonstick to stoneware. Known for their quality materials and collectible-worthy pieces, this cookware is not just durable for more than one lifetime, but they’re also a stunning statement piece that you won’t mind leaving out for decoration.
Plus, they have incredible warranties, so in the case you accidentally break a handle as Paige did above, you might be able to send it back for a replacement! Note that Le Creuset offers different warranties depending on the type of product so click here to find out what your piece qualifies for.
Hip Tip: Shop these best sellers for 20% OFF! No promo code needed!
Bonus Tip: Mix & match brands based on your needs.
Remember, you don’t always need to stick to a predetermined set if you want to shop based on your actual cooking needs. Lina, our amazing recipe creator, likes to mix and match for the perfect assortment of cookware!
“For me, I gravitate to the copper skillets (Copper Chef) as an all-purpose sauté pan, cast iron skillets (Lodge) for meat and sauté, and my enamel cast iron Dutch oven for stews and soups (Lodge). I also don’t believe in buying sets – buy the size pans you will truly use because most of the rest will just collect dust.” – Lina
And if you need a recommendation on how to clean your cookware…
“Brillo pads are a must-have cleaning tool for mine. It makes the copper shiny and the few stainless steel pans of mine stay shiny and new, too.” – Lina
Cooking with cast iron?
If your favorite way to cook is with cast-iron, Lina shares all the best tips on how to care for it on our sister site, Hip2Keto. From keeping it naturally non-stick to washing it the right way, you’ll want to know everything she shared so it’ll be sure to last for decades!
Check out these yummy recipes to test out that new cookware.
Awesome post and tips! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Clare! SO glad you enjoyed this list!
I had the Rachel ray set and my paint started to chip, I would be boiling water and notice paint pieces floating in my water, I got rid of it and upgraded to the calphalon stainless steel space saving set and couldn’t be happier! I don’t have a lot of room to store my pots and pans but the space saving of the tight stacking is awesome!! I also have a wolfe stainless steel set that was very expensive but it’s also amazing! Both sets I found for awesome prices with coupon codes- the Wolfe was on Bloomingdales and the calphalon on Macy’s
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us! Good to know which cookware has held up best for you!
I saw a lot of people online complaining about the paint chipping and peeling.
I have the same problem with Rachel Ray cookware. Not impressed.
The picture of the Rachael Ray cookware in this article is different than the set you see when you click the link. I have the one from the link and they pretty much suck. Every little thing scratches them and I only use plastic, silicone, or wood utensils. They are the most delicate cookware set I’ve ever owned. They are much lighter and easier to lift than my old set, but they just feel and act cheap. I can tell they will not last long.
Thanks for pointing that out, Kim! We updated the post to match the set that Chelsey got from Kohl’s!
We have the stainless steel simply calphalon and they are the best! Food tastes great. Most of all it’s non-toxic. I don’t trust any non-stick brands because they all start to chip. We have these for 7 years and they look great. We just have to pay a little more attention to the food as it may stick but it tastes so much better. So worth it.
What stainless steel brand would you recommend?
Simply Calphalon – with the rubber trimmed handles
I got a set of Circulon from Costco for Christmas from my parents. They are the absolute best pots and pans I have ever used. They wash up great, nothing sticks, and they have a nice weight to them. They make cooking enjoyable!
I second this! I love this set from Costco and the lids to the pots have holes to strain food so you don’t have to dirty a strainer!
We love our Lodge cast iron, made in the usa only. I had bad luck with cheap ‘imported’ cast iron. Once it builds up the patina, nothing sticks. Cooking with cast iron helps if you have iron issues/anemia, it’s amazing at retaining heat, and it can go stovetop to oven. Lasts a lifetime, or longer. The only issue is that it’s heavy.
My hubby bought me the Royal Queen set years ago. I love them. My mom’s set is over 60 years old and still going strong. Lifetime warranty. It’s not a cheap set, but worth every penny imo.
I whole heartedly recommend All Clad. I had a large collection of vintage Calphalon made in Toledo, Ohio and it was pretty great. Got it whilst in cooking school many years ago. The newer stuff just couldn’t hold a candle – so I went with All clad. d5 or d7. Also induction friendly.
I recommend Bar Keeper’s friend for cleaning. Not abrasive like Brillo – which could void some manufacturer’s warranties – such as Calphalon.
Thanks a bunch for the helpful recommendations, ev!
YES to All-Clad. I’ve gotten rid of all of my Anolon & Circulon cookware and converted to All-Clad. Bar none, the BEST out there. I also have a few Lodge cast iron pieces, but everything else is All-Clad, which I’ve scouted out (pre-COVID) at Marshalls and TJ Maxx at the best prices. Not cheap, but completely worth it 🙂
Yesss! Years ago I got my Le creusets in Marshall’s and TJMax, they were made in France and later on I went to see if I could find more but the ones they had were made in China. I found it super strange that Le Creuset would fabricate in China! Weird 😜
I love my Saladmaster pots and pans but especially the electric skillet. They have been worth every penny!
So how are these listed, 1-10 best or low-priced to high? I’m not sure what is splurge and what is not. Thanks!
These are in no particular order, KimNell!
Love Le creuset and the lodge cast iron! I tried to get a knockoff of Le creuset and the inside was great but the outside chips, I guess you get what you pay for! 😞Lodge cast iron is very affordable and cooks amazing, with low maintenance!
Yes good old reliable Calphalon cookware is ade in Toledo Ohio along with so many other wonderful products like Libby glass and Jeeps 😋
According to Amazon, the set listed here is made in China. 🙁
I still have my stainless farberware from, like, forever. Could you put some information on some top-rated stainless sets? I think All-Clad is the best but probably too pricey for me.
Thanks, MICHELLE! I’ll pass your suggestion along to the team!
I like T-fal.
I am happy this is being discussed but would love if we can recommend best product and include pricing.
I would love to see a note if any of these are made in the USA. That’s a huge selling point for me, now more than ever.
Calphalon is made in Toledo Ohio. I never heard of Calphalon made anyplace else. I guess check the specific package before making a purchase but I grew up close to Toledo and still am not far from there. Toledo makes Libby glass Jeeps and Calphalon. Sometimes they rent a large vacant store and have a magnificent sale and the parking lot is always full and people come from pretty away to go. We see license plates from Indiana and Michigan and Pennsylvania 😁
I love my tramontina set from sams club. Cook beautifully even, clean up like a dream & they’re very durable but not heavy!
Thanks for that recommendation, Meemarie!
I got engaged in 1975. Back in the day after an engagement was announced in the newspaper, door-to-door salesmen would make contact. I bought a set of stainless steel cookware called Lustre Craft by West Bend. I paid almost $400 for it. My father thought I was crazy. Maybe I was. It equates to about $1900 in today’s dollars! It was a 14-piece set and also included a bakeware set (square cake pans, round cake pans, pie pan, cookie sheets), a mixing bowl set, and a flatware set. It is 45 years later. I am still using it all today. I have never had an issue with anything. It cleans up beautifully. So maybe I wasn’t crazy??
That is a fantastic recommendation! 45 years is awesome! Thanks, Luann!
I love Wolfgang Puck pots. I’ve had an 18/10 stainless set for almost 20 years and it’s shiny, beautiful and very functional.
I love my Curtis Stone pans! The large square one is excellent for cooking spaghetti.
We have the blue Rachael ray set.. it is absolutely terrible. The blue gets on EVERYTHING!! From your stove to the pan you stack it on top of to your fingers, it’s terrible. The tephlon peels as well. The best pans I ever had was Paula dean and of course they don’t sell them anymore.
The Masterclass looks handy and has pieces I need right now. Is it actually good, or is it bad like the Rachel Ray cookware?