Copper and cast iron have long since been the most common materials for cookware sets. However, new materials, including aluminum and stainless steel, were introduced to pots and pans, followed by nonstick and ceramic coatings.
These days, it can be tricky to shop for cookware when you have so many materials, designs, and technologies to choose from. Things like style, storage, and ease of cleaning are equally important as how well the cookware heats.
To help find the best cookware, I tested a variety of sets that can be used on different types of stoves, in ovens, and even on the grill. This included cooking different dishes and cleaning them by hand. I wanted to know how these pots and pans perform and ultimately who they would be a fit for. Keep reading to learn more.
The best cookware sets for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Caraway 12-piece cookware set: Was $534, now $399, Amazon.com
- Best for versatility – Our Place cookware duo: $229.95, Amazon.com
- Best ceramic cookware set – GreenPan essence ceramic non-stick 10-piece: $229.99, Greenpan.us
- Best stainless steel cookware set – Cuisinart 12-piece stainless steel cookware set: $377.99, Amazon.com
- Best for heat conductivity – Viking 3-ply hammered copper pots and pans set: $549.99, Amazon.com
- Best cast iron cookware set – Staub enameled cast iron stackable cookware set: $599.95, Amazon.com
- Best hybrid cookware set – Hell’s Kitchen hybrid 5-piece set: $399.99, Hellskitchenstore.com
- Best budget cookware set – T-Fal ingenio essentials nonstick: $129.99, Amazon.com
How I tested
I tested the cookware sets over the course of many weeks on a gas stove. By using the sets to cook a variety of foods from over-easy eggs to soup, asparagus, squash, steak, and even pork loin, I got an understanding of how quickly and evenly the cookware heated at low and medium temperatures.
I made sure to pay attention to how evenly the food cooked in the pans, whether the handles or knobs remained cool, if food stuck, and how easy it was to clean the sets by hand. This allowed us to see the overall value of the cookware sets and determine where they best fit in this list.
Best cookware set overall: Caraway 12-piece cookware set
Included in the set: Fry pan, sauce pan with 8in lid, saute pan with 12-inch lid, dutch oven with 10.5-inch lid
Material: Ceramic coated aluminum core, stainless steel handle
Oven-safe: Up to 550 degrees with lid
Why we love it
- Easy to clean
- Multiple color options
- Includes storage rack
- Oven safe up to 550 degrees
Take note
- Handwash only
When testing these sets, it became clear that I wanted to use Caraway’s cookware more often than any other. It only took a few minutes for the ceramic-coated pots and pans to heat evenly on medium-low heat. Whether I was cooking eggs, a grilled cheese, or chicken breasts and squash, the food never stuck to the surface (as it might with stainless steel sets) and didn’t have to be centered in the pot or pan to cook quickly.
The cookware is oven-safe up to 550F, which is higher than even the enameled cast-iron Staub set I tested. While you can’t stack and store this set as easily as the T-Fal ingenio essentials set, each set comes with a rack for easy storing. The only drawback is that the Caraway 12-piece cookware set is hand-wash only. However, I found these pots and pans very easy to clean.
Read the full Caraway cookware review now
Buy now £399, Amazon.com
Best for versatility: Our Place cookware duo
Included in the set: Pan, pot, wooden spatula, wooden spoon, steamer basket, steamer colander
Material: Ceramic coating with aluminum body
Oven safe: 450 degrees with lid
Why we love it
- Stackable
- Five color options
- Replaces up to 18 pieces of cookware
- Easy to clean
- Comes with a wooden spoon and spatula that fit on pot and pan
Take note
- Lacks a small pan
- Can’t be used in a broiler or cleaned in dishwasher
Considering the price and that it can replace up to 18 pieces of cookware, Our Place’s cookware duo is the most versatile set I tested. When testing, I braised, seared, steamed, strained, sautéed, fried, boiled, and baked with this pan and pot duo. Even the wooden spoons included in the purchase made flipping food without scratching the ceramic surface easy.
The pan worked wonders when cooking at low heat — I steamed broccoli with the steamer basket or seared salmon. And both the pot and pan heated quickly without any noticeable cold spots.
In terms of capacity, the always pan 2.0 can fit up to six chicken thighs. It was, however, a bit of an adjustment to figure out how to use this larger pan for smaller dishes, like cabbage pancakes.
Both the pot and pan can go in the oven up to 450 degrees. But most will struggle with the fact that you can’t throw these pans in the dishwasher. At least they’re easy to handwash, thanks to the ceramic nonstick surface.
Buy now £229.95, Fromourplace.com
Best ceramic cookware set: GreenPan essence ceramic non-stick 10-piece
Included in the set: Two frypans (8-inch and 10-inch), wo saucepans with lids (2.25 qt. and 3 qt.), stockpot with lid (5 qt.), silicone spoon, silicon solid turner
Material: Thermolon ceramic coated aluminum, silicon trimmed glass lids, wood print handle
Oven safe: 320 degrees
Why we love it
- Four color options
- Nonstick
- Dishwasher-safe
Take note
- Only oven safe up to 320 degrees
- Lids cannot be used in the oven
GreenPan’s essence ceramic non-stick 10-piece set is exceptionally attractive and includes variously sized fry pans, saucepans, pots, and utensils that can be used to cook everything from sweet potatoes to a stir fry.
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The cookware took a few minutes to heat on medium. The nonstick surface meant only a dash of butter or oil was required to cook food, and crucially, it didn’t stick.
It was easy to use the GreenPan essence set on the stovetop, but the 320-degree oven limit means this set is not particularly multifunctional. And the glass lids, trimmed in silicone, aren’t oven safe at all. At least you can put each of the pots and pans in the dishwasher (although handwashing is recommended).
Buy now £229.99, Greenpan.us
Best stainless steel cookware: Cuisinart 12-piece stainless steel set
Size: Two saucepans with lids (1.5 qt, 3 qt), one sauté pan with helper handle and cover (3.5 qt), stockpot with cover (8 qt), two skillets (8-inch, 10-inch), steamer insert with cover (20cm)
Material: Stainless steel with aluminum core
Oven safe: 550 degrees
Why we love it
- Reasonably priced
- Oven safe up to 550 degrees
- Lifetime limited warranty
Take note
- Takes time to learn how to cook with stainless steel
- Food can stick
Cuisinart’s set is the best stainless steel cookware I tested — it’s as shiny as it is conductive. If you’ve never used stainless steel cookware, the experience is a learning curve, as food can cook too fast if the heat is too high.
From experience, medium heat is all you need for a great char on your vegetables and meat, while a low heat is best for cooking most dishes. I found I needed to use more oil or butter when cooking with this stainless-steel set than I do with nonstick pans. I also noticed that food sticks if the heat is too high, and when I don’t wait to add food until the pans are fully heated (a few minutes).
Cooking and cleaning also required some patience. That said, it comes with six different pots and pans, as well as a steamer insert, and, like Caraway’s set, the cookware is oven-safe up to 550 degrees.
Buy now £377.99, Amazon.com
Best for heat conductivity: Viking three-ply hammered copper pots and pans set
Size: Two frying pans (8-inch, 10-inch), sauté pan with lid (5.25 qt), two saucepans with lids (2.25 qt, 3 qt), stock pot with lid (8 qt)
Material: Copper coated stainless steel, aluminum alloy, glass lids
Oven safe: 600 degrees, up to 400 degrees for glass lids
Why we love it
- Stylish design
- Lifetime limited warranty
- Compatible with all stovetops
- Heats along the sides of the pot or pan
Take note
- Lid handles get hot
- Hand-wash only
Copper is known for its exceptional heat conductivity, and I saw that firsthand with Viking’s three-ply hammered copper set. The construction features an aluminum alloy core, stainless steel interior, and a copper exterior. All three work together to prevent hot spots and make sure that even the sides of the pan or pot are heated completely. I didn’t need to use more than a low heat for these pots and pans to heat up quickly and evenly — perhaps more so than any other set on this list.
The downside is the price, but if you can swing it, you might find the Viking set easier to cook with than stainless steel, as the heat conductivity is unrivaled. Despite being hand-wash only, it only took a short soak to clean these by hand.
Buy now £549.99, Amazon.com
Best cast iron cookware set: Staub enameled cast iron stackable set
Size: Cocotte (5.25 qt), braiser (3.5 qt), grill pan (10-inch). universal lid
Material: Enameled cast iron
Oven safe: 500 degrees
Why we love it
- Stackable
- Dishwasher-safe
- Requires no seasoning
- Oven safe up to 500 degrees
- Can be used on grill and all stoves
Take note
- Handles and knobs can become hot
Cast iron cookware can be a hassle to season, clean, and store, but that’s not the case with the Staub enameled cast iron stackable cookware set. The three pieces – cocotte, braiser, and grill pan – don’t require seasoning, are dishwasher safe, and stack safely with the lid thanks to rubberized bumpers.
I did need to preheat the pans on low, but they were second only to the Viking copper set in how fast they heated up. Each cookware piece in the set can be used on any stove (including induction), in the oven up to 500 degrees, and even on grills, making this one a firm favorite.
The set is so versatile that I found myself braising a pork loin in the braiser and baking fresh bread in the cocotte. The moisture-retaining capabilities of the Staub enameled cast iron set were better than any other cookware I tested, too. The spikes on the lid resulted in phenomenal basting of meats.
In terms of drawbacks, enameled cast iron isn’t the easiest to clean, especially between the raised lines of the grill pan. Still, it’s worth the washing time to use the grill pan to achieve perfect seared lines on burgers, chicken, and vegetables.
Buy now £599.95, Williams-sonoma.com
Best hybrid cookware set: Hell’s Kitchen hybrid five-piece set
Size: One fry/skillet pan (11-inch), sauté pan (4 qt ), pot (7.5 qt), two tempered glass lids
Material: Stainless steel, ceramic nonstick, diamond reinforced nonstick
Oven safe: 900 degrees (lid is 500 degrees)
Why we love it
- Lifetime warranty
- Easy to clean
- Oven safe up to 900 degrees (lid 500 degrees)
- Benefits of stainless steel and nonstick cookware sets in one
Take note
- Searing could be better
Hybrid cookware is the latest trend in cookware sets, as it combines the benefits of stainless steel and nonstick cookware in one. And after lots of testing, I found the Hell’s Kitchen hybrid five-piece cookware set to be the best hybrid cookware set. Considering its high performance, it’s well-priced and comes with two pans and one pot.
The stainless steel of the pan peeks through the nonstick coating in flame shapes along the bottom and dots around the sides. The ceramic nonstick material is diamond-reinforced. The design means the cookware delivers the same quick and even heating I experienced with stainless steel sets, but without the concern that food would stick to the surface or need lots of oil.
With the Hell’s Kitchen hybrid five-piece set, you can ultimately cook meats and vegetables without the learning curve that is required when cooking on a stainless steel set (though, to be fair, you get a better sear with stainless steel cookware). Perhaps the most surprising thing about this set is that it's oven-safe up to 900 degrees. Even the glass lids can handle up to 500 degrees. That’s a huge win in my book.
Buy now £399.99, Amazon.com
Best budget cookware set: T-Fal ingenio essentials nonstick
Size: Two frypans (8.5-inch, 11-inch), sauté pan (10.5-inch), two saucepans (1.5 qt and 3 qt), 2 plastic lids, 2 glass lids, two detachable handles
Material: Aluminum and granite titanium nonstick
Oven safe: 500 degrees (without lids and handles)
Why we love it
- Easy to clean
- Stackable with detachable handles
- Heat indicator tells you when preheating is complete
- Can store food in pots and pans in refrigerator
Take note
- Contains PTFEs and PFAs
- Lids can’t go in oven
- Can’t be used on induction stovetops
T-Fal’s ingenio essentials nonstick set consists of 11 pieces, including two frying pans, a sauté pan, and two saucepans, ensuring you have every pan or pot you might need. It comes with two detachable handles, allowing you to stack and store the pots and pans in limited cabinet space. The lids fit tightly enough that you can store food in a pot or pan in the fridge without moving it to another container.
Unfortunately, the lids aren’t oven-safe, which means you’ll probably use the pots and pans more often on the stove (but they’re not suitable for induction hobs). It’s worth noting that, unlike every other cookware on the list, the T-Fal set contains PTFEs and PFAs. At least the pots and pans heat evenly and quickly in a couple of minutes on medium heat. In fact, the pans and pots have thermo-spot technology, which means that you’ll know the pan is fully preheated when the circle in the center turns a solid red color.
Buy now £129.38, Amazon.com
What is the best cookware set?
Whether you cook daily or just occasionally, the Caraway 12-piece cookware set covers all your needs from small to large meals and food cooked on the stove or in the oven. Chefs-to-be should consider the Viking three-ply hammered copper pots and pans set for heat conductivity. Those who love multifunctionality will rave over Staub’s enameled cast iron stackable cookware set.
