We discuss the many aspects of how to choose cookware that's right for you, including budget, health and safety, cooking style, the best sizes to get, sets vs. open stock, where to get the best deals, and more.
By the end of this article, you will have a good grasp of the cookware market and what cookware will work best in your kitchen.
How to Get the Most Out of this Buying Guide
The first section below has a link to a printable worksheet you can use to help you figure out what you want to buy. It includes considerations like budget, type of stove (most important for induction), cooking style, how much cookware you need, cookware size, cookware type (e.g., stainless, cast iron, nonstick), and extras to consider.
You don't have to print it out and fill it out, but doing so will really help you to clarify your wants and needs.
But before you do that, read the rest of the article. It will talk you through all the important considerations when buying cookware, including cookware safety, pieces of cookware, different types of cookware, buying sets vs. buying open stock, and how to find the best deals.
We also look at some cookware to avoid so you can stay away from some of the buying traps that are easy to fall into.
As you read this, you may want to take notes: There's no way you can remember everything without notes, and when you go shopping, you'll have all the info right there in front of you if you write it down.
Printable Cookware Buying Worksheet
Here's a printable worksheet that will help you buy software.
If you don't want to print it, you can just open it and answer the questions--but writing them down will be a huge help. (There's a lot to remember.)
Cookware Health and Safety Considerations
Here are some of the health and safety issues to be concerned about when buying cookware. For a deeper look at cookware safety, see our article Safe Cookware: The Definitive Guide to Healthy, Non-Toxic Cookware.
Aluminum cookware: If the cooking surface itself is aluminum, then there are concerns about aluminum leaching into your food. Aluminum intake has been associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's, however, this claim is unsubstantiated. However, aluminum can impart a metallic taste to your food, especially acidic food, which is a good reason to avoid it.
Most aluminum cookware has a coated cooking surface. If the cooking surface is coated--such as with a nonstick coating--then the health and safety issues for that coating apply.
Anodized aluminum cookware: Anodized aluminum is much more durable and much more stable than un-anodized aluminum. However, most anodized aluminum cookware has a different cooking surface, usuallt nonstick--so go by what the cooking surface is. (There may be cookware with an anodized aluminum cooking surface, but we haven't found one yet.)
Cast iron cookware: Iron will react with acidic foods causing an off flavor, but it is not considered unsafe unless you have a condition that makes it hard for your body to break it down (hemochromatosis).
A well-seasoned cast iron pan won't react with foods unless you're using it for long braises or highly acidic foods (like tomatoes).
Carbon steel cookware: Carbon steel is very close to cast iron in composition and has the same issue: acidic foods can cause iron to leach. Thus the same rules apply: good seasoning prevents iron leaching, but long cooks of acidic foods can destroy the seasoning.
Clad Stainless cookware: Clad stainless cookware is extremely stable and non-reactive, so it's one of the safest cookware choices on the market. However, stainless steel can leach minute amounts of nickel into food, so if you or someone in your family has a nickel sensitivity, you may want to avoid clad stainless cookware.
There are brands that are nickel-free, however, nickel-free stainless isn't as corrosion resistant as other stainless steel so you may be disappointed with its longevity.
Probably the highest-quality option for people who want to avoid nickel is Hestan NanoBond, which has an extremely inert, and thus very safe, cooking surface.
Copper cookware: Copper can also leach into food, but since most copper cookware has a stainless steel or tin cooking surface, you should be more concerned about those. Tin is stable and non-reactive, though it has a low melting point and needs to be re-applied occasionally (which is expensive). Stainless steel is generally a safe and stable cooking surface with no health and safety concerns. See above for more info.
Enameled cookware: Most enameled cookware has a cast iron base with an enamel cooking surface. Some enamel can contain lead or cadmium (both toxic to humans), so it's important to buy a reputable brand of enameled cookware (such as le Creuset). Also, some colors are more likely to contain toxins than others.
The thing is, if there are any toxins in the enamel, it's almost always found on the outside. The inside is a different color--either beige or black--and it almost certainly does not contain any toxins. So overall, enameled cast iron is probably very safe, stable, and non-reactive--but it's important that you buy a reputable brand to avoid any possibility of toxins in the enamel.
Nonstick cookware: Both types of nonstick cookware--ceramic and PTFE--contain potentially harmful chemicals. Specifically, PTFE cookware can break down at high heat (above about 400F) and release toxic fumes that can make humans sick and are lethal to birds. Ceramic nonstick cookware contains titanium dioxide nanoparticles which have been associated with cancerous tumors; the jury is still out on this, however, so we can't say for sure that ceramic nonstick cookware is actually unsafe to use. This is a fairly new discovery and there isn't s lot of information to be found about it.
Nonstick cookware has the shortest life span of any other cookware, and while it can often be recycled, it most often ends up in landfills. If you want to be a good steward of the planet, you should figure out how to recycle your old nonstick cookware, or perhaps avoid using it altogether.
Finally, PTFE nonstick cookware has polluted the planet with toxic, carcinogenic chemicals. The label "PFOA-free" sounds like the cookware is safe, but it now uses a similar compound to PFOA. There are few regulations on these chemicals so makers are still polluting water supplies around the world with them (including the USA). It's an unethical industry, and we encourage people to avoid buying PTFE nonstick cookware.
For more information, see our article What Is PFOA? A Guide to Nonstick Cookware Chemicals.
Stone/Glass/Enamel cookware: Here we're talking about 100% pure glass and stone cookware such as Corningware Visions or Xtrema. Though these are technically different substances, they are all inorganic, stone-based materials that are extremely inert (they do not react with food at all). Many health bloggers promote stone/glass/enamel cookware as the safest on the market. However, all of these cookwares may have the same issues as enameled cast iron cookware above--that is, they may contain small amounts of lead or cadmium. However, this is unlikely to be a problem as long as the cookware is manufactured by a reputable maker.
For more information on nonstick and stone/glass/enameled cookware, see our article Stoneware Cookware: What to Know Before You Buy.
The 5 Basic Pieces of Cookware (That Almost Everyone Needs)
Now things start to get interesting! If you're not sure where to start, here are the 5 basic pieces of cookware that almost every cook needs. Other cooking and kitchen sites have a different list of basics, from as few as 2 to as many as 10.
We think these 5 pieces allow you to cook pretty much everything, even if they aren't perfect for every single task (e.g., you can stir fry in a skillet if you don't want to invest in a wok).
Here are the 5 basic pieces we think every kitchen needs.
Skillet. You need at least one skillet and ideally two or three in different sizes/materials: For example, you may want a nonstick skillet for eggs, a cast iron skillet for searing and deep frying (and possibly to replace a nonstick skillet for eggs, which we recommend), and a large clad stainless skillet for the vast majority of daily cooking tasks.
If you only have one skillet, it should be large enough to use for anything--we think a 12-inch is the most versatile size, but if you're only cooking for one or two people, you can get by with a 10-inch.
Sauce Pan. You need at least one sauce pan for boiling pasta, making rice, steaming vegetables, oatmeal, heating food, making small batches of soup or stew, and a thousand other tasks. Along with your skillet, you'll find that your sauce pans are your most used pieces.
Ideally, you should have one large (3 qt or larger) and one small (2 qt or smaller) for large and small needs. You do not need a nonstick sauce pan.
Dutch Oven. A Dutch oven is for braises, big pots of soup, chili, spaghetti sauce, stew...you will use it frequently in cold months, both on the stovetop and in the oven. It can double as a stock pot if you don't have one, so is an extremely versatile piece of cookware. (Conversely, a stock pot can NOT be used as a Dutch oven, which makes the Dutch oven our choice if you can only have one.)
The best Dutch ovens are enameled cast iron, for reasons we explain in this article. You will often get a Dutch oven (or small stockpot) in a set of clad stainless or nonstick cookware, and while great for many things, you cannot beat enameled cast iron for long oven braises.
Roasting Pan. A roasting pan--or other large, deep baking pan--is an essential tool for everyone who isn't a vegetarian. You need a pan to roast large cuts of meat, not to mention the Thanksgiving turkey. You will also use this pan for casseroles, lasagna, and perhaps baking cakes and bars.
We like clad stainless for its durability and versatility, but since this is an oven pan, its heating properties aren't as crucial as they are for stovetop cookware, so get what you like (you don't need a top-of-the-line roasting pan).
Avoid nonstick roasting pans. Yes, they're easy to clean, but high oven temps take their toll on the nonstick coating, so they don't last very long.
Baking Sheets. Baking sheets are cheap and super versatile. You should have a few in half and quarter sizes. From sheet pan meals to catching oven drips underneath a pie to roasting meat in a pinch, you'll be amazed at how often you reach for one.
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Note that while skillets and sauce pans are always found in sets, and quite often Dutch ovens, you will never find a set that contains a roasting pan or baking sheets. So you will almost never get everything you need in a set. So plan your budget accordingly. (More on sets vs. open stock below.)
A Few Specialty Pieces (That You Might Need)
Other pieces that are handy (depending on what you like to cook) include:
Sauciér: A sauciér is a curve-sided sauce pan. Sauce pans and sauciérs are considered interchangeable for most uses, however, a sauciér is specifically designed for whisking and faster evaporation, while a sauce pan is designed more for cooking liquids in general. See our article about choosing sauce pans for more information.
If you are a serious sauce maker, a sauciér is a necessity. If not, then you can choose a sauce pan or a sauciér.
Sauté pan: A sauté pan is a skillet with straight, slightly deeper sides. They can be used interchangeably, with sauté pans being better for braising vegetables and other tasks that require liquids. (See our article on the differences between sauté pans and skillets for more information.)
Skillets are measured by their diameter across the top, and sauté pans are measured by volume. A 10-inch skillet is equivalent to a 3- or 4-quart sauté pan and a 12-inch skillet is equivalent to a 5-quart sauté pan.
Some people prefer sauté pans to skillets because they have more cooking surface. But they are also heavier and bulkier, so they're not right for everyone.
Wok: If you like Asian cooking or do a lot of stir frying, a wok is a great tool to have. The best woks are carbon steel and are generally inexpensive; you don't need to spend a small fortune on a clad stainless wok, and you certainly don't need a nonstick wok--a wok you can't use high heat with is not a good purchase.
Like any carbon steel pan, the wok should be well seasoned and rinsed and dried thoroughly after every use; use soap sparingly. If you're using it on a stove top (not a wok burner) be sure to buy a flat-bottomed wok. For more information, see our article How to Buy the Best Wok for Your Kitchen.
Chef's Pan: A chef's pan is a large, versatile pan you can use for many different types of cooking, including frying, stir frying, sautéing, braising, steaming, and more. You may also see it called an essential pan or an everything pan.
If you routinely cook for large groups or like to meal prep, a chef's pan is a great option. We like clad stainless for its versatility, but you can find chef's pans in many different materials.
Deep Sauté Pan: A deep sauté pan is the straight-sided equivalent to a chef's pan, and we think it's even more versatile. Whether you think of it as a large sauce pan or a small stock pot, you can use it for all the things you can use a chef's pan for (although it won't be great for stir frying), plus it doubles as a stock pot. Get one that's at least 6 quarts for the most versatility.
About Cookware Materials
Now we look at all the cookware materials you can find. Above we discussed their safety. Here, we discuss their pros, cons, and uses.
Aluminum (Non-anodized)
Example: Vollrath Aluminum Sauce Pan
Pros: Lightweight, inexpensive, excellent heating properties (if thick enough)
Cons: Scratches easily, bare aluminum can leach into food, not induction compatible unless paired with a steel plate (such as T-fal Professional skillet).
Typical Uses: Inexpensive non-coated cookware (used mostly in restaurants), as a base for nonstick-coated cookware, as an interior layer(s) sandwiched between steel in clad stainless cookware.
Aluminum is the most popular type of cookware in the world. It's an inexpensive metal that provides great heating properties, so it is found in many different types of cookware, including nonstick cookware, clad stainless cookware, and inexpensive, non-coated aluminum cookware (as in the image and link above).
We do not recommend bare aluminum cookware for home use. Aluminum reacts with acidic foods (like tomato sauce), and there is some evidence that aluminum ingestion is associated with Alzheimer's, though this has largely been debunked.
Most cookware made for the home market has a nonstick coating, which we talk about below. (The cooking surface is what matters, not the exterior.)
You will also find cookware made from anodized aluminum, but this is typically only the exterior. Most anodized aluminum cookware has a nonstick cooking surface, and you may find a few brands with a stainless steel surface (like the now discontinued All-Clad LTD2). Anodized aluminum is much more durable and stable than regular aluminum, but since it is rarely used as a cooking surface, we won't talk about it any further.
Cast Iron
Example: Lodge cast iron skillet
(See also our article Cast Iron Skillets: How Much Should You Spend?)
Pros: Extremely durable, inexpensive, induction compatible, holds heat well so great for high-heat searing and deep frying, and when well-seasoned, the surface is almost as slick as nonstick.
Cons: Spreads heat slowly and unevenly, heavy, can react with acidic foods to impart metallic flavor.
Typical Uses: As a nonstick pan, for high heat searing, deep-frying, and other tasks that require holding heat. Many people love them as an all-around all-purpose skillet. They're also great for using over campfires as the fire won't discolor them.
Cast iron is an iron alloy with a carbon content of more than 2% (from Wikipedia). It is one of the oldest cookware materials in existence, and as such, you may already own a hand-me-down cast iron piece from your parents or grandparents.
Cast iron needs to be seasoned. This is a simple process. It's not really a drawback, but if you or someone else in your home neglects to care for the pan properly after each use--e.g., little or no soap, drying thoroughly, and applying a thin coat of oil to the cooking surface--the pan will rust and require re-seasoning.
Most home cooks benefit from owning at least one cast iron skillet. Their mass allows them to hold heat really well, so they're excellent for high heat searing (think crispy, juicy steaks). deep frying (fried chicken, anyone?), and oven baking where you want a nice crisp crust (corn bread, pizza, etc.).
When well-seasoned, they also have an almost nonstick surface. Not as slippery as Teflon, but the fact that they last forever more than makes up for that. If you're anti-nonstick, cast iron (or carbon steel, see below) is almost as good (again, when properly seasoned).
But for daily use, we recommend them only if the weight and bulk isn't an issue for you, if you're on a tight budget, or if you really dislike stainless steel for some reason.