Waterless Cookware Blog

When Cook’s Illustrated sought the best set of cookware for under $250, they didn’t waste time on the cheap (Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Farberware, Circulon, Anolon, Silverstone & other department store brands).  Cook’s Illustrated went straight to the quality of multi-ply Stainless Steel cookware with only two outstanding concerns:

• under $250
• pot/pan types within the set.

“…Most sets bundle together a lot of pans we don’t need…pans in impractical sizes (1-quart saucepans good for little more than melting butter or 8-inch skillets that are only useful if you’re cooking for one). Why clog your cabinets with sauté pans (skillets with high straight sides), sauciers (rounded saucepans with wide rims), or “chef’s” pans (saucepans shaped like woks with domed lids). …a Dutch oven and other basic pans can do anything they can do and more?”

We at the blog couldn’t agree more.  “That said, buying pieces one by one gets expensive—particularly with high-end brands. If we could find a set that was a truly good value for the money, offering durable, high-quality construction and a selection on a par with our needs, we’d happily recommend it.”

And Cook’s Illustrated did!  “Our ideal set would include:

• 12-inch traditional skillet big enough to fit four chicken breasts;
• 10-inch nonstick skillet for cooking delicate omelets and fish;
• 12-inch cast-iron skillet for frying and searing;
• 4-quart covered saucepan for vegetables and other side dishes;
• 2-quart covered saucepan for heating soup or cooking oatmeal;
• 6- or 7-quart Dutch oven for braising, deep-frying, and even baking bread;
• Large stockpot (8+ qt) that can do double-duty for pasta, lobster, or corn on the cob.”

Pre-configured sets generally don’t mix compositions (cast iron and stainless for example) so a separate purchase of a piece of two is desirable to meet set configuration.

“A cursory search unearthed an All-Clad 14-piece assortment that included four of the pans on our list, along with four others that definitely were not, and all for an outrageous $1,899.95.”

“To get other sets priced under $250, we’d have to abandon fully clad tri-ply and go for the next best thing: disk-bottom pans. Here, manufacturers duplicate the three-layer effect on the pan bottom by attaching a disk of aluminum (or other ‘elements’) to the underside of a stainless steel pan, then covering it with layer(s) of stainless steel. We found three sets worth considering.”

It’s no secret: you can view the results at Cook’s Illustrated.  Here’s the best Stainless Steel Cookware set meeting criteria for under $250:  Maxam KT172 @ $209.10 — no waste, no frills, just the fundamentals of Quality, Durability, Beauty and Performance–warranted for a lifetime.