Whether you’re a professional chef or an amateur home cook, the utensils you use can make or break a dish. A good cookware set will help do some of the work for you, and make the entire cooking experience much easier.

But with so many brands selling kitchen accessories at varying price points and of varying quality, how do you know which products to invest your money into?

Good cookware, be it pots or pans, is going to conduct heat evenly and consistently. Better heat makes a huge difference in cooking better food. It’s also important that your cookware be well-made and of decent quality, so that your pots and pans don’t release potentially harmful chemicals into your food.

After all, a cookware set is something you’ll use all the time. It should be effective, durable, and safe.

The cookware market is so saturated that it can seem a massive undertaking to even know where to start shopping. But fret not, this article will help bring your attention to 10 of the best cookware brands available.

We’ll give you a sense of what all the best cookware brands are all about, and what they offer in terms of construction, functionality, and value, so you can make the most informed purchasing decisions possible.

#1: Cook’s Essentials 10-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set

Cook’s Essentials makes high-quality cookware tools for the at-home chef. With a selection of thoughtful products to make cooking less stressful, the brand is known for its durable, top-tier materials like stainless steel and silicone.

Sleek, high-quality cookware? Don’t mind if we do. One of our picks for the best cookware brands, it offers an array of gorgeous sets made from hard-anodized aluminum that include everything you need to create memorable meals.

Loved for its cookware that naturally fits within everyday cooking, expect to find quality details within its sets like tempered-glass lids and food and utensil-safe, non-stick materials. No need to shy away from metal spoons here.

Since many of the sets are oven-safe up to 500F, you can start your steaks on the stovetop and finish them off in the oven — in the same pan. Cleanup time is super easy too. Most pots and pans are dishwasher-safe. Bundles like the 10-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set cost $165.

Highlights

• Great selection of tools & pans
• Offers high-quality cooking sets
• Made with strong, durable materials
• Oven-safe up to 500F

#2: Made In Cookware

Made In cookware is one of the biggest names in the kitchenware game right now. The company claims that their products are made from “generations of expertise,” and it really does show.

Launched in 2016, Made In now creates kitchenware that is even used in Michelin-star restaurants. Drawing from their family’s century of experience in the kitchen supply business, founding brothers Chip and Jake developed a line of high-quality, stainless clad 5-ply, copper and carbon steel cookware that retails for a fraction of the price of similar professional products.

While a higher ply cookware doesn’t always guarantee a superior product, Made In constructs their products to maximize the benefits of multi-layered metals and create the most even heat distribution possible in steel clad cookware. And by keeping their business direct-to-consumer, they deliver better material for a more accessible price.

On the company’s website they write, “Everyone is capable of making restaurant-quality food at home – you just need the right tools to do it.” Made In’s mission to make those tools and make them accessible to every kitchen.

The 14-piece Executive Chef cookware set retails for $1,131, but is currently on sale for $848. They also have other sets at similarly steep discounts. This price point makes the company a must-include in any list of the best cookware brands.

#3: Misen

Misen is a brand dedicated to creating cookware with high quality, not high prices. They know consumers often struggle to choose between “premium” and low-cost brands, so Misen commits to being both of those things.

Founder Omar Rada knows just how shocking some market pricing for cookware can be. That’s why the avid home cook decided to create his own line. He started out by making a chef-quality knife at a reasonable price point, funding the project through Kickstarter. Seeing the demand – and the rave reviews of the Misen chef knife – Rada knew he could do more.

With the brand slogan, “No matter your skill level, quality kitchen tools will help you cook better,” Rada launched Misen in 2015 with a full range of knives, cookware, and prep tools.

According to Rada, he and the company have an “obsession with designing amazing tools that we can offer to you at honest prices.” By selling directly to customers and not through conventional retail channels, Misen brings affordable, functional products to passionate home chefs of any and all skill levels.

#4: All-Clad

All-Clad is one of the best cookware brands that has been revolutionizing kitchenware for half a century. Based in Western Pennsylvania, the company utilizes the local steel and aluminium industry to create their industry-leading products.

All-Clad bonded cookware heats food evenly and promises not to tarnish or bend out of shape with time. Their products are manufactured and quality assured to rigorous, transparent standards.

While stainless clad cookware is the core of their business, All-Clad offers a range of cookware lines, including stainless steel, non-stick, hard anodized, and ceramic. In addition to cookware, All-Clad also has an incredibly wide range of products, from bakeware, to kitchen electronics and tools, to accessories.

All-Clad sells several cookware sets containing multiple pieces for affordable prices. Sets like the D3 Stainless 3-Ply Bonded Cookware Set contain 7 pieces:

1. 10-inch fry pan
2. 8-inch fry pan
3. 2-quart sauce pan with lid
4. 3-quart sauce pan with lid
5. 8-quart stock pot with lid
6. 3-quart saute pan with lid

This set is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store, all for $800 (on sale from the regular price of $1,400).

#5: Rachael Ray Cucina

Rachael Ray is a huge name in the culinary scene, and her cookware line Rachael Ray Cucina lives up to the hype as one of the best cookware brands. Several of the Rachael Ray products have been praised as being some of the best cookware on the market, namely her hard anodized non-stick line.

The Rachel Ray Cucina brand has several product lines, including: cookware, bakeware, tools and gadgets, plates and platters, accessories, pantry goods, and food totes. From frying pans and skillets to knives and veggie peelers, this brand has it all.

All of the company’s products are high quality, thoroughly tested, and easy to use. In particular, sets like the Hard Anodized 12-Piece Cookware Set are extremely popular.

This set, which retails for $180 consists of four pots with lids, two pans, and a slotted spoon and spatula. The set can even be customized in three fun colours: pumpkin orange, agave blue, and cranberry red.

Most Rachel Ray Cucina cookware is suitable for use up to 400 degrees fahrenheit, making them great for everyday cooks, but not necessarily the best choice for more ambitious cooks who need ultra-high heat. Like with most cookware lines, some pieces are also dishwasher safe, while others are not. It’s important to read the care and use instructions for every item.

#6: Caraway

Specializing in ceramic cookware, Caraway’s products are non-toxic, easy to use, and designed with a home cook in mind. The brand also claims to be eco-friendly, writing on their website that the manufacturing process of their non-stick coatings releases 60% less CO2 into the environment than industry standard.

Perhaps most importantly, Caraway is also an ethical brand, meaning all of their workers produce their products in safe conditions, are paid fair wages, and are given benefits and regulated work hours.

The brand sells both cookware sets and individual items. Sets like the incredibly popular Cookware Set are both visually stunning and easy to use. Their unique flat lids and thoughtful shapes also make Caraway cookware incredibly easy to store.

Oven safe up to 550 degrees fahrenheit and suitable for all stove types, this 7-piece set normally retails for $495, but is currently on sale for $395. This set includes two pots, two pans, and three lids. It is also available in several stunning colours, including but not limited to cream, navy, marigold, and perracotta.

#7: HexClad

HexClad is all about “being ready when inspiration strikes,” according to their website. This company wants to be “The first and only pan or pot you grab, because you inherently know it’s going to get you to the plate, and it’s going to be delicious.”

HexClad continually tries to innovate and improve the current offerings in the cookware market, most notably through their hybrid stainless steel, non-stick products, which are created by using a proprietary laser etching technique on their tri-ply stainless clad material.

HexClad is best known for their “Hybrid Technology,” meaning they create cookware with the durability of stainless steel with the easy cleaning of non-stick.

Every piece of HexClad cookware is guaranteed to be non-stick, have excellent temperature control, be metal utensil-safe (which non-stick and stainless steel cookware fans will know is important), and be durable and easy to maintain.

Though sometimes pricier than other cookware brands, this company offers unmatched reliability and unique construction, and good deals on their sets. The 13-piece Hybrid Cookware Set with Lids is extremely popular among HexClad fans.

This set contains:

1. 12-inch pan and lid
2. 10-inch pan and lid
3. 8-inch pan and lid
4. 12-inch wok
5. 2-quart pot and lid
6. 3-quart pot and lid
7. 8-quart pot and lid

This entire set normally sells for $999, but is on sale right now for $599.99.

#8: Great Jones

Since 2018, Great Jones has “been on a mission to empower home cooks and help you feel prepared and proud in your kitchens,” according to their website. The company’s name is also a nod to Judith Jones, who published the work of several influential chefs, including Julia Child.

The company’s most popular offerings, like the Family Style cookware set, are designed to not only make you want to cook, but to make it easy to declutter your kitchen by being easily storable. The Family Style set features: three lids, two pots, two pans, and The Dutchess Dutch oven in your choice of trendy, kitchen-inspired colors including broccoli, taffy, blueberry, and mustard.

Great Jones designs their cookware to be easily storable, so sets like this are perfect for individuals with especially tight living quarters. And like most other Great Jones products, the Family Style set is multifunctional, PTFE and PFOA-free, scratch-resistant, and dishwasher-friendly. This set normally retails for $475, but is on sale right now for $395.

#9: Le Creuset

Any food lover looking for high quality cookware should consider purchasing from Le Creuset. Manufactured in France, this company is especially known for their colorfully enamelled cast iron cookware, ranging from cocottes (Dutch ovens) to fondue sets.

The company has grown their product range over the years, and has been a leading creator of cookware since 1925. That said, their enamelled cast iron cookers are iconic for a reason. They’ve been a staple in professional and home kitchens because of their unparalleled versatility, their exceptional heat management, and the hint of chic style they bring to any kitchen.

Le Creuset products are guaranteed to be life-long pieces and well-loved tools in your kitchen’s arsenal, and they’re priced accordingly. Their cookware sets are valued anywhere from $275 to $10,215. Individual items like fry and saute pans retail for $170 to $645. 

#10: Equal Parts

Equal Parts cookware is a part of the Pattern company, a trendy home goods brand based in the US. With a mission to “help you find more enjoyment in the everyday, starting at home,” this company knows how important a functional but welcoming home can be.

Started in 2019, this brand is focused on home organization, elevated kitchen tools, and non-toxic cookware for home cooks. They sell playful, colorful, eco-conscious equipment at very accessible prices, to bring personality into your kitchen while helping you cook with high-quality tools.

Though not a massive product line by any means, Equal Parts features knives, cutting boards, utensils, baking tools, pots, and pans. The Cookware Set in particular is especially popular. This non-stick set includes a fry pan, an essential pan, a sauce pan, a stock pot, and two universal lids.

Like most other Equal Parts cookware, the Cookware Set is oven-safe up to 450 degrees fahrenheit and created using a natural non-stick ceramic coating. The Cookware Set retails for $363, but is on sale right now for a discounted $325. It can be purchased in black and cream, as well as navy, light blue, and red.