How We Picked the Best Clad Stainless Steel Cookware Sets
We put a huge selection of hours of research and testing went into selecting the best clad metal cooking sets.
The very first thing we did was narrow the field down to fully clad stainless steel cookware. Stainless steel cooking sets are the absolute most durable, versatile cookware in the marketplace, so we eliminated other forms of cookware--cast iron, nonstick, etc.--as well as disc-clad stainless cookware. While there are numerous high quality brands of disc-clad cookware available on the market, they're not popular in the US. Much of the disc-clad stainless cookware sold here is mediocre quality, so to simplify testing, we stuck to brands with full cladding. (If you don't know the difference between "full cladding" and "disc-cladding," we explain it below.)
Among most of the clad stainless cookware brands, we sought the very best quality using these criteria:
Heating Performance: How well does the cookware conduct heat? How even could be the heating? How responsive may be the cookware to temperature changes? How long does the cookware retain heat? In clad stainless cookware, heating performance depends upon the grade of the inner heating core, so we spend a fair period of time explaining how it works.
Durability: Could be the stainless of high enough quality to last a lifetime? Can they take a licking and carry on cooking? Design (ease of use in addition to aesthetics): Are these pans easy to handle? Will be the handles comfortable? Do the lids fit well? Are you able to pour without dripping? Are they a pleasure to consider and use?
Best Set Pieces: We picked cookware sets that individuals thought had the most effective pieces for the best value. Piece sizes may vary even among sets of the exact same brand, so make sure to check the piece sizes in any set before you determine to buy. Cost-per-year-of-use: You'll pay more at the start for clad stainless cookware (or at the least you should), but it's also advisable to consider the cost-per-year-of-use? Fore example, a $150 stainless steel skillet is a better deal when compared to a $30 nonstick skillet because you will replace the nonstick skillet every few years, but you'll never have to replace the stainless skillet. Warranty: Does this cookware come with a warranty, and is that warranty honored by producer?