Stainless steel cookware sets are very among some of the most popular sets these days with professional and amateur chefs alike. No matter how much time you actually spend in your kitchen, a good stainless-steel set will steer your cooking down the right path.
Personally, I love stainless steel because it will always handle heat evenly and cooks just about anything quickly and to perfection even though I’m not the world’s best cook.
And another great thing about stainless is the cost. You can find a set to fit just about any budget. Copper cookware is arguably better in quality, but you can end up spending thousands of dollars on it without even trying.
Stainless sets, on the other hand, can be purchased for much less, sometimes even as little as $100! Of course, the more you pay, the higher quality you can expect (and the longer they will probably last), but even at the lower prices you can sometimes find a really decent set to work with.
Here are a few companies that sell popular 18/10 stainless sets:
- Cuisinart
- All-Clad
- KitchenAid
- T-Fal
- Gibson
- Farberware
- Calphalon
- Rachael Ray
- Emeril
- Jamie Oliver
- Martha Stewart
You’ll notice that the top half of that list is made up of popular cookware companies while the bottom half of the list is made up of celebrity chefs off of television who have produced their own line of cookware themselves.
I have a very strong opinion against celebrity cookware because I find it tends to fall apart rather quickly and even though it’s usually very inexpensive, I recommend that my readers stay away from it and instead focused on the higher quality sets offered by the pro companies who you know will be there for years to come.
So what should you look for in a set? Everybody has different needs but for the most part you’re going to want to look for a stainless set that has at least these pieces:
- 8 inch skillet
- 10 inch skillet
- 1 1/2 quart saucepan
- 3 quart saucepan
- saute pan
- large stockpot
Of course, there are lots of different variations on this basic set and not everybody will need all of those things and some people will require some other things, such as extra stock pots or pans, but this should give you an idea of a basic configuration.
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set
This is a very popular sets at the moment and for only $108, I can understand why! Usually I’m wary of such inexpensive cookware but even if it only lasts a year, you’ll get your money’s worth and more.
Made out of 18/10 stainless steel with a mirror finish that is beautiful to look at, this set is dishwasher safe and oven safe up to 550°F. It contains both an 8 inch and a 10 inch skillet as well as a 1 1/2 and a 3 quart covered saucepan and also a 3 1/2 quart sauté pan and an 8 quart covered stockpot. Out of 350 customer reviews I have aggregated a 95% A rating for this set.
KitchenAid Gourmet Essentials 10-Piece Brushed Stainless Steel Cookware Set
For a little perspective, take a look at this $125 stainless cookware set that contains a one, two, and three quart covered saucepan and an eight as well as a ten inch open French skillet and an eight quart covered stockpot. All made out of 18/10 stainless steel with aluminum disk bases and polished and brushed exterior finishes that are quite stunning looking. With 131 customer reviews I also give this a 95% A or 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars.
I’ve discussed two Stainless Steel Cookware Sets around the lower end of the price range, but you can easily find others that are more expensive and might last a while longer or contain more pieces. Be sure to check out customer reviews before spending more money and you should have no trouble picking out the set that that’s right for you.
