The Top Stainless Steel Cookware Brands

How do you choose a top cookware brand of stainless steel cookware? How do you buy with confidence that you're getting a good brand for a good price? The market is huge, and the differences between brands can be impossible to see without an expert knowledge of metal, cladding, heating performance, and more. 

Here, we share our top brands of stainless steel cookware. Clad stainless steel is the best cookware for many reasons, and we'll help you find the best brand for you based on quality, durability, heating performance, and more. 

The best stainless steel cookware isn't always the most expensive, but you have to do your research. Our reviews will help you figure out exactly what you want.

Top 5 Brands of Stainless Steel Cookware at a Glance

Here are our top stainless cookware brands, with links to purchase from multiple sites so you can compare prices (or check other sites if one site is out of stock). Scroll down to the Reviews section for in-depth reviews.

NOTE: Table may not be visible in mobile view.

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Why Does Stainless Steel Make the Best Cookware?

If you don't want to read all of our criteria for choosing (it's a long article), this section offers an overview.

Clad stainless is the best all-around cookware on the market. It is the choice of many, if not most, professional chefs for two main reasons: 1) excellent heating properties, and 2) durability. 

Copper cookware has better heating properties, but it's more expensive and harder to maintain. 

Aluminum cookware is inexpensive and has terrific heating properties, but it is a soft metal that wears down easily and reacts with food. There is some evidence that aluminum isn't safe, and it can impart off flavors to food. However, aluminum cookware is usually coated with a nonstick coating, either PTFE (Teflon) or ceramic, so the potential dangers of aluminum aren't applicable. Most bare aluminum cookware is found in restaurant supply stores and is extremely reasonably priced. You can read more about possibly dangerous chemicals in nonstick cookware in this article on PFOA. 

Cast iron cookware is inexpensive and extremely durable, but it's heavy, slow to heat evenly, and can react with food, imparting off flavors. It also must be seasoned or it will rust. Seasoning is not difficult, but it does somewhat limit the versatility of the cookware. And, though a cast iron skillet is a must-have for many kitchens, you may not want cast iron sauce pans or stock pots because of both the weight and the fact that liquids eat away at seasoning. Thus, bare cast iron is best suited to skillets, but not a good choice for entire sets.

Enameled cast iron cookware eliminates the problems of both iron reacting with food and seasoning, but it's heavy and heats slowly and unevenly, so is not the first choice for a lot of people, particularly for skillets and sauce pans. Enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are ideal for braising and baking bread (and we believe every kitchen should have one), but again, not the best choice for entire cookware sets.

Nonstick cookware--most often found in the form of a coating applied to aluminum cookware--is mostly inexpensive, but it is fragile, requires delicate handling, and is short-lived. Many cooks have one nonstick skillet they use for sticky foods like eggs, but it's not a good choice for entire sets. (We know, we know: a lot of people disagree with us. But unless you don't mind replacing entire sets every few years, we recommend sticking to nonstick for skillets only.) 

Glass and ceramic cookware are poor heat conductors, heavy, breakable, and really all-around not great cookware (because glass and ceramic are insulators, not conductors of heat). People who use this cookware are primarily concerned with avoiding toxins, not with premium performance. Glass and ceramic bakeware can be great (again, because of their insulating properties), but for cookware, they're a poor choice.

This leaves clad stainless steel, which is cookware with a stainless steel exterior fused with internal layers of aluminum and/or copper (but usually aluminum). Clad stainless steel cookware is durable, safe and nonreactive, and provides excellent heating properties. Since it first went to market around 1970 (All-Clad was the first company to produce and sell clad cookware), clad stainless steel has become the cookware of choice for most serious chefs.

Since All-Clad's patent expired in the early 2000s, the clad stainless cookware market has exploded with competitors. Some are good; many are not so good. If money is no object, it's not a difficult choice: few people are ever disappointed in All-Clad. But which All-Clad line is best? And are there better options out there? (Looking at you, Demeyere.)

More importantly, if money is an object, and you want to buy as wisely and economically as possible, you need to do your research. 

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About Stainless Steel: What You Need to Know (Before Buying)

Stainless steel is a complex topic. Here is a summary, as it pertains to cookware. 

What Is Stainless Steel?

First of all a definition: "Stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French inoxydable, is a steel alloy, with highest percentage contents of iron, chromium, and nickel, with a minimum of 10.5% chromium content by mass and a maximum of 1.2% carbon by mass." (from Wikipedia).

It's called "stainless" because unlike iron alone (e.g., cast iron cookware), stainless steel is resistant to corrosion and rust. Both the chromium and nickel help to retard corrosion--so it follows that the higher the percentage of chromium and/or nickel, the more corrosion resistant the steel will be. 

Other elements can be used in place of nickel--as in the case of 200 Series stainless, described below--but in order to be classified as stainless, the steel must have at least 10.5% chromium.

There are hundreds of different types of stainless steel used in thousands of manufacturing applications, from surgical tools to kitchen sinks. For clad stainless cookware manufacturing, the types of stainless most often used are 200 Series, 300 Series, and 400 Series, defined as follows:

200 Series: 200 series stainless contains manganese rather than nickel for a corrosion inhibitor. Manganese is cheaper and its corrosion-resistant properties are not as good as nickel. Thus, 200-Series stainless is cheaper and more prone to rust. It is usually seen only in inexpensive clad stainless cookware, or stainless steel cookware advertised as "nickel-free." 

300 Series: 300 Series is the most common form of stainless in the world. It is also known by its chromium/nickel composition: 18/10 and 18/8 (which mean it has 18% chromium and either 10% or 8% nickel). You may also see it referred to as "304" stainless and "316" stainless. 304 is just another term for 18/10 or 18/8 stainless, both of which make excellent pots and pans.

316 stainless steel is a marine grade of 300 Series stainless which contains molybdenum and is even more corrosion resistant than 304 stainless (and also more expensive). There is also a 316 stainless steel used for cookware that contains titanium, called 316Ti (Heritage Steel uses this steel and is an excellent quality cookware made in the USA--see our Heritage Steel review for more information.)

You may also see the term "surgical stainless steel" used for cookware. "Surgical stainless" is a marketing term and basically means 300 grade steel--usually 316--that is highly resistant to rusting and corrosion. 

All 300 Series stainless steel is durable and nonreactive. The best stainless cookware has 300 Series steel for the cooking surface. However, many grades of 300 Series stainless exist, and the quality used will affect both the price and durability of the cookware.

400 Series stainless: 400 Series is Ferritic stainless, which means it is magnetic. It's also known as 18/0, for its chromium/nickel composition (i.e., it contains no nickel). 400 Series stainless is typically used on the exterior of clad stainless cookware to make it induction compatible and is often called "magnetic stainless steel." This All-Clad D3 diagram shows this:

400-grade is typically only used on the exterior because it is less corrosion resistant than steels that contain nickel (and/or other rust inhibiting ingredients). If cookware is made of all 400 grade steel, it is typically advertised as being "nickel free," which is good for people with nickel sensitivities, but not great for people who want excellent corrosion and rust resistance.

Possible Quality Issues with Steel in Clad Stainless Cookware

There is a huge variety of quality in stainless steel. If you've ever wondered about the huge price variance in stainless steel cookware, this explains it, at least partially.

We'll use 300 Series stainless as an example. It is, by definition, composed of 18% chromium and 8% or 10% nickel. That comprises, at most, 28% of the steel.

What's the rest of it made of?

Mostly iron. But the quality of that iron can vary immensely, and is one of the main reasons you should buy a reputable brand of clad stainless cookware. For example, recycled iron is cheaper to use in stainless steel production, but can also be more prone to rusting. 

The upshot is that not all 300 grade stainless is created equally. Manufacturers can lower prices and increase profitability by cutting corners on the stainless steel they use.

This quality difference is most evident in low priced Chinese-made cookware. Not all Chinese clad stainless cookware is poor quality, but it can be. If you're buying a Chinese brand of clad stainless, be sure to buy a reputable brand (we like both Cuisinart MC Pro and Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad). 

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About Cladding in Stainless Steel Cookware: What You Need to Know

Cladding is the key to why stainless steel cookware is so great: the durable-but-poorly-heating stainless exterior protects the soft-but-excellent-heating aluminum interior.

It was the genius invention of John Ulam, the metallurgist who invented the cladding process (and founded All-Clad cookware). 

Cladding comes in many forms and many levels of quality and heating performance. Here are a few basics to know before you buy.

Full Cladding Vs. Disc Cladding 

Full cladding means that the cookware has cladding all the way around the cookware, from pan edge to pan edge. This is shown in the All-Clad diagram above. 

Disc clad cookware, also called bottom-clad or impact-bonded, means only the bottom of the cookware has aluminum (and/or copper) to spread heat. That is, a disc of clad metal is fused to stainless steel sides. A disc clad pot is easily identified by the seam between the bottom and the sides, as shown on this Demeyere Atlantis sauté pan:

See the seam?

Disc clad cookware is cheaper to make, so it's seen in a lot of cheaper brands.

However, it is not true that fully clad cookware is always better. Some top-of-the-line brands, like Demeyere Atlantis, have some disc-clad pieces. The difference is in the thickness of the disc, the materials used, and in how the cladding is configured on the pan: good bottom cladding covers the entire bottom and extends slightly up the sides (as shown in the Demeyere Atlantis sauté pan above).

Here's a diagram of a mid-priced disc-clad pan Anolon Copper Nouvelle:

Here's a diagram of Demeyere's Atlantis sauté pan 7-ply cookware bottom cladding:

The upshot: Disc cladding doesn't automatically mean poor quality. However, for it to be good, it has to be considerably thicker than full cladding and should cover the entire bottom surface and overlap the sidewall slightly. 

If you're looking at a brand of cookware and the price seems too good to be true, it could disc-clad. A good example of this is Cuisinart Chef's Classic, which has a thin disc clad bottom: Cuisinart also makes fully clad cookware, like their Multiclad Pro we recommend here; they also make a line of disc-clad cookware with a much thicker disc called Cuisinart Professional, which is almost at inexpensive as Chef's Classic but with a much thicker layer of aluminum. 

See our Cuisinart Stainless Cookware Review for more information.

In this review, we will look at Demeyere Atlantis, which has some pieces with full cladding and some pieces with disc cladding. Otherwise, all of our top cookware brands are fully clad.

Tri-Ply Vs. Multi-Ply Cladding

The original clad cookware, invented by John Ulam for what was eventually to become the All-Clad company, was 2-ply (stainless on aluminum) and 3-ply (stainless-aluminum-stainless). 3-ply, also called tri-ply cookware or tri ply cookware (no hyphen), is still the most popular configuration of clad stainless cookware. 

In recent years, though, multiple plies of cladding have become popular. Many top cookware brands today have 5 or even 7 plies of cladding.

People assume that more plies automatically translates to higher quality cookware with better--more even--heating performance. But does it?

Not really. The more important measure is the actual thickness of the heating core.

Some multi-ply cookware actually has a thinner heating core than some tri ply cookware. A good example is All-Clad D5, which has internal layers of aluminum and steel, but is the same total thickness as D3, which has just aluminum. The internal layer of stainless in D5 slows down heat transfer, which some people believe improves evenness. But in our testing, the cookware with the thicker layer of aluminum performed better. You can read more in our comparison of D3 vs. D5. 

We discuss cladding in more detail in the product reviews below. 

The upshot: The number of plies is not as important as the total thickness of the heating core comprised of aluminum and/or aluminum and copper. 

(And yes, this can be hard information to find, and is why we include it in all of our clad stainless reviews.)

Quality of Cladding

There are several ways to take shortcuts when manufacturing clad stainless cookware. Here are a few of the ways manufacturers cut corners, and the problems that can result:

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Cladding of the Top Cookware Brands Compared

The best stainless steel cookware is going to have a thick heating core to provide even heating. It will also have enough stainless steel for excellent durability and resistance to warping. 

Here are how our top 5 picks compare to each other:

You may wonder how Cuisinart Multiclad-Pro and Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad differ from All-Clad D3 when they have the same configuration. Why not just buy one of the less expensive brands?  

Our testing has shown that both the Cuisinart MC-Pro and the Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad behave similarly to All-Clad D3 in daily cooking tasks, with slightly less evenness in heating. 

The differences are minimal, however, so if you're on a budget, you would do well with either Cuisinart Multiclad-Pro or Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad. Both are good brands of clad stainless steel cookware. You may see more warping and rusting in these brands over All Clad, but both offer a lifetime warranty and should be willing to replace any pans that don't last. 

Sets or Individual Pieces: How to Buy?

Whether or not to buy your pots and pans in sets or individually is really a personal preference, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. 

All the top cookware brands we review here have different set configurations. You may not be able to get exactly what you want in the brand you want. No sets have everything, so you will have to add to whatever set you buy anyway. For this reason, we recommend buying the smallest set with pieces you know you'll use, then adding to it with open stock as needed. 

Advantages of Buying Cookware in Sets

• You'll usually get the best price per piece.
• The best way to get a lot of cookware right away if you need it.
• You'll have a matching set of cookware.

Disadvantages of Buying Cookware in Sets

• You may not use all the pieces in the set.
• You may overpay for a piece that doesn't need to be of stellar quality (stock pot, for example).
• You almost certainly won't get all the pieces you need (e.g., an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, nonstick skillet, or roasting pan) so you'll have to buy more pieces anyway--even if you buy a large set.
• Most sets have smallish pieces, such as 8" and 10" skillets and 1-qt or 2-qt sauce pans. You will probably want to add larger pieces to your collection eventually, especially if you're cooking for several people or like to do meal prepping. Some sets include larger pieces, so buying one of these can save you money in the long run. The Demeyere Industry 10-piece set, for example, comes with an 11" skillet, which is a nice piece. And the Chinese Tramontina 12-piece set comes with two big skillets (10"/12") and a large stock pot. But these are both large sets, and you may actually save money by buying a smaller set and augmenting with the bigger pieces down the road. Only you can know if you will use all the pieces in a set. 
• Too-large sets in particular can have filler pieces--smallish or similar sized pieces to round out a set and make it seem like a better deal than it actually is (e.g., a 1.5 qt and a 2 qt sauce pan, both of which are small and you are unlikely to need two sauce pans this close in size). Pay careful attention to pan size when buying sets!

Buying Tips for Cookware Sets

• No set is going to have everything, so reserve some budget to get additional pieces (e.g., roasting pan, nonstick skillet, enameled cast iron Dutch oven, baking sheets).
• Make sure the pieces in the set are the sizes you want. We recommend at least a 10-inch skillet (larger is better) and a 3-quart or larger sauce pan. Don't buy a set with two small sauce pans (1-qt/2-qt)--unless you routinely make small batches of different things at the same time. (A 1-qt/3-qt is ideal.)
• Don't buy a clad cookware set with a nonstick skillet. The coating will wear out long before the rest of the pan and you will have paid too much for it. For more info, see The Best Nonstick Skillet: What to Know Before You Buy. 

See also our Stainless Steel Cookware Set Buying Guide

Buying Tips for Individual Pieces

• Splurge on a skillet because this is the piece that takes the most abuse: high heat, hot oil, and rapid temperature changes. It's also the piece that needs to heat the most evenly without hot/cold spots because there's usually very little liquid in skillet cooking to help even out temperature. Our top recommendation is the Demeyere Proline skillet.
• You may also want to splurge on a sauté pan IF you'll use it like a skillet. (See Should I Buy a Skillet or a Sauté Pan (Or Both)?)
• Save up and buy a good enameled cast iron Dutch oven if you do a lot of braising. Clad stainless steel Dutch ovens don't have the weight, especially in the lid, to braise well. You don't have to buy a le Creuset or Staub, although if you can afford it, you won't regret the purchase. 
• Buy larger pieces than you think you'll need, e.g., a 12-inch skillet and a 3-quart sauce pan. Remember: You can use bigger pans for smaller quantities of food, but you can't use smaller pans for larger quantities of food. 
• If you're on a tight budget, you can go lower quality on stock pots, sauce pans, and roasting pans. These pieces don't require top performance, as cooking with liquids and in the oven require less heat distribution from the pan itself. 
• Instead of standard sauce pans and sauté pans, consider buying versatile pieces you won't find in most sets. For example, instead of getting a 10-inch skillet (like you would in most sets), consider buying a deep sauté pan or chef's pan. These pans are large, and can be used for almost any cooking task you throw at them. They are pans you will fall in love with.
• Consider what you like to eat. Do you need a wok for stir frying? A steamer for veggies? A pasta pot? A large stock pot for big batches you'll meal prep or freeze? None of these are essential pieces, but if you'll use them, get them. 

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Cooking with Clad Stainless Steel Cookware

If you're new to clad stainless cookware, you should know that there's a learning curve to cooking with it, especially if your background is nonstick.

Here are some tips for cooking on clad stainless with minimal sticking:

• Heat the pan first, then add oil and heat until just shimmering, then add food. The oil creates a barrier that causes food to stick less. 
• Give food time to release naturally: when it's fully browned and ready to be turned or removed, it will release from the pan easily. Don't force it. 
• You rarely need to use high heat, and medium-high heat will produce a good fond--think pan sauce! Lower heat settings help food to not stick.
• Stainless steel cookware does not need to be seasoned, although some claim you can make it almost nonstick by doing so. 

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Caring for Clad Stainless Steel Cookware

No, clad stainless steel not as easy to wash as nonstick cookware, but if you use the right technique, it's not nearly as bad to care for as some people might think. 

• Let pans cool before washing. 
• Even if dishwasher safe, hand-wash for best results. 
• If soap and water doesn't get all the crud, or if a pan has spotting or streaking, use some Barkeeper's Friend to scour it clean. (The powder is better than the liquid.)
• Don't worry about scratching the surface. Use any utensils you want. The best aspect of stainless is that you don't have to coddle it, ever. 

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Criteria for the Best Stainless Cookware (How We Chose Our Brands) 

The array of clad stainless steel cookware brands is overwhelming. We were able to narrow the field a bit by eliminating cookware that failed to meet some basic criteria. 

For example, cookware with glass lids didn't make the cut* because the best stainless cookware has stainless steel lids. (Although we suspect that some brands may eventually switch to glass lids to keep manufacturing costs down. We have already seen this with some sets of Cuisinart Multiclad Pro and with Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad, unfortunately.)

Nor did gimmicky cookware like the overpriced "waterless" brands (FYI, you can cook this way with any stainless cookware--check out our detailed analysis of waterless cookware for more info.)  Most waterless cookware is high quality, but you'll pay too much for it.

And though a lot of stainless cookware sets contain similar sized pans, we gave special credit to sets with large skillets and/or sauce pans (we're looking at you, Tramontina).

In such a large field, it's easy to overlook some lesser known brands; please let us know if you think we missed one, and we'll be happy to check it out. 

Anyway, here are our criteria. 

*Cuisinart Multiclad Pro and Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad now make some sets with glass lids. If you don't want this, be sure before you buy that the set has stainless lids.

Lids and Handles

We eliminated any cookware that had glass lids and/or non-steel handles.

There may be good quality brands with glass lids, but we eliminated them for a couple of reasons.

First, glass lids are fragile. They're more prone to breaking, they're harder to store, and they aren't able to withstand as much high heat as stainless lids.

Second, glass lids often indicate a lower quality product. Glass lids are cheaper to make, which is why you see them so often on inexpensive cookware. (And probably why Tramontina and Cuisinart are, unfortunately, moving to glass lids.)

Double-walled lids: On some of the brands of Demeyere (such as the Silver 7, Sur la Table's version of Atlantis), the lids are double-walled. This accomplishes two things: 1) Keeps the lid handle cool, and 2) Provides better insulation for the food in the pot. This is a nice feature, but not an essential one.

As for handles, most clad stainless steel cookware has steel handles, but a few otherwise good brands have silicone handles (Vollrath, for example). Silicone will wear out way sooner than stainless, leaving you with a pot without a handle. They're nice while they last, but they don't last.

Also, like glass lids, silicone handles can also be indicative of a lower quality brand. 

Overall Quality (Heating Properties and Durability)

The overall quality has to be good. This primarily means 1) heating properties, and 2) durability.

Heating Properties. Not all clad stainless cookware is created equally, and in order to be considered of good quality, the cookware needs to have a certain amount of internal, heat conductive material, either aluminum and/or copper (but usually aluminum).

All-Clad tri-ply, the original clad cookware, has set the bar for how much is "enough." Their original tri-ply--the standard by which all other clad cookware is judged--has a 1.7mm layer of aluminum, which is enough to provide rapid, even heating throughout a pan, yet not so much that the cookware is heavy and hard to use.

A few top cookware brands have more aluminum (Demeyere), but most brands have less; some significantly less. Some inexpensive clad stainless cookware is so thin, in fact, that it barely has enough aluminum to conduct much heat at all. If you've ever used a pan that had hot and cold spots that never seemed to even out, you know what we're talking about. For example, as much as people love Calphalon cookware, our experience is that it is too thin to provide good, even heating (though we need to do more testing to provide exact results).

The inexpensive brands that made our top 5 have a layer of aluminum equal to All-Clad D3, or only slightly thinner. For a much lower price, they provide nearly similar performance. 

The more expensive brands in our top 5 have a thicker layer (or layers) of aluminum. They spread heat more evenly than All-Clad (and this is reflected in the price). 

Durability. Clad stainless steel cookware is pretty much unsurpassed in durability, except for cast iron (which is heavy and spreads heat slowly and unevenly). But just as with the heating properties, not all clad stainless is created equally. This is because of its stainless steel exterior, which is strong and also unreactive; exactly what you want in cookware. 

As we discussed above, however, there is a wide variety in quality of the stainless steel used in cookware. Manufacturers of inexpensive clad stainless use lower quality steel; they have to, or they couldn't make a profit. This is particularly true of cookware made in China. 

Lower quality stainless steel is more reactive. It's going to rust, pit, and discolor more easily. It probably won't be as highly polished either, which means food might stick to it more easily. If it's thin--as is common in less expensive cookware--it's also more prone to warping. It simply won't be as durable as higher quality stainless steel.

This doesn't mean you have to buy at the top of the price range to get a good set. What it does mean is that if you want an inexpensive set, buy a known brand like Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad or Cuisinart MultiClad Pro. The stainless may not be quite as good as on an American or European brand; then again, it might be: it's just hard to say with Chinese-made cookware. If you're on a tight budget, it's worth the gamble, in our opinion--as long as you go with a known discount brand.

Good Pieces in the Sets

Let's face it, no cookware set is perfect, and most of them are missing something. The pieces are too small, or there's one or two that you'll never use, or you just have to settle in one way or another. But you get the set because it's so much cheaper than buying all the pieces separately.

We mostly believe in buying a small set and supplementing with what you need instead of buying a big set and paying for pieces you may not use. 

So if a set has larger pieces--which, incidentally, are going to be more expensive when purchased separately--it gets bonus points. 

The Tramontina 12 Piece Set is our poster child for a set with spectacular pieces, although it's a lot of pieces, and you may not need them all. If you're on a budget, you'll spend less just getting the pieces you want (such as the 12-inch skillet).

UPDATE: Some of the Chinese Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad now has glass lids. So you have to decide: pay more for smaller pieces in the Brazilian set but get stainless lids, or pay less for the Chinese sets with the larger pieces and glass lids. The plus side is that the set with glass lids is about $100 less than the set with stainless lids, and you still get the big pieces.

No Nonstick Pieces

It's fine to own a nonstick skillet, or maybe two if you get a good deal on a set (like this one and this one, our two favorite nonstick skillets), but don't buy an entire set of nonstick, and don't buy a clad stainless nonstick skillet--and try to avoid buying a set of clad stainless that contains a nonstick skillet.

The nonstick coating is going to wear out long before the rest of the pan, and you'll need to replace it. Same for every other piece of cookware, which is why you should avoid sets of nonstick--that, and nonstick simply isn't necessary on stock pots, Dutch ovens, or even sauce pans. 

So go ahead and get a nonstick skillet, but get a cast aluminum one. It's not only cheaper, but it will heat just as well, probably better, and you'll be happy that you got 2-3 years of use out of a $30 pan (rather than 2-3 years of use out of a $100+ pan).

Tradeoffs

You may not find all the exact pieces you want, and this is true no matter how you buy. But of course, this is especially true if you're on a tight budget. Here are some of the typical tradeoffs you have to make when buying cookware:

• Price vs. quality
• Price vs. pan design
• Set vs. individual pieces

We tried to include as many options as possible that made those tradeoffs as painless as possible, particularly at the budget end. For example, the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro skillet has a better shape--i.e., more flat cooking surface--than the Tramontina skillet. But the Tramontina has a 12-inch skillet in its 12 piece set. If you're getting a set, these are both good options that offer a lot of variety (so you can get as close to exactly what you want as possible). 

Even with the more expensive brands, we chose sets that were not only stellar quality but had decent pieces as well. This isn't always possible, or you may have different preferences, but we did our best. 

Induction Compatibility

All of our picks are induction compatible (as most clad stainless cookware now is). 

You may not have an induction stove, but if you ever decide to buy a portable induction burner, you'll be glad to not have to upgrade your cookware.

For more about induction cooking, see our Induction page. 

Oven Safe to 500F

All of our picks are oven safe to at least 500F, including lids.

Performance

Of course, the cookware also has to perform well. While good quality cookware is apparent by its design, we also tested each brand to make sure it would be a good purchase. 

Our standard cooking tests for frying pans are eggs, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and a mixed vegetable sauté. For sauce pans, we make pasta (a thin liquid) and oatmeal (a thick one).

We've found that these tasks do a good job of showing how a pan is to cook with. By cooking the same foods in the different cookware, we are able to make good side-by-side comparisons of all the brands.

We look mostly for speed of heating and evenness of browning. We also test how the pan is to hold and maneuver. Are the handles comfortable? Is it easy to stabilize? Does it drip when pouring? Does it clean up easily? Does the lid fit well? Does the base stay flat when cooking?

For testing, note that we use a small amount of cooking oil or butter for eggs and vegetables, and no oil for the burgers or grilled cheese (except what's on the bread). If we also cooked leaner meats or fish, we used cooking oil for those. A little bit of fat is necessary for cooking with stainless steel skillets, but don't let this scare you away from these wonderful pans: you don't need a lot of it (just enough to coat the cooking surface), it adds wonderful flavor and browning--and, fat is essential for absorption of several important nutrients. 

These tests are meant to replicate regular kitchen use for clad stainless steel cookware. Because we did a good job researching the cookware, we got good results from all of the brands that made it to the test kitchen; they all performed very well and all very similarly. As expected, the Demeyere was easier to clean than other brands because of the Silvinox treatment, but overall, we were satisfied with the performance of all of these brands. 

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Review: Demeyere Industry 5

Demeyere Industry 5

See Industry 5 at Sur la Table

See Other Demeyere Industry 5 Cookware on Amazon

About Demeyere

Demeyere (pronounced de-MY-ruh), is a Belgian cookware company that's been around for more than 100 years. In 2008, they were purchased by Zwilling J. A. Henckels, a German kitchenware conglomerate that owns several cookware lines as well as other kitchenware products. In the US, Zwilling J. A. Henckels are probably best known for their knives. Even so, they are one of the top cookware brands on the market today.

All-Clad's patent on clad cookware expired in the early 2000s, which allowed other makers to get into the clad cookware market. While most of the competitors who got in the clad cookware game went cheaper, manufacturing their cookware in China to compete with All-Clad at a lower price point, Zwilling went in the other direction: they decided that if they were going to compete with All-Clad, they were going to make a better product at a premium price point.

Thus, the Industry 5 cookware line was born (or so we think): Demeyere's first fully clad line of cookware, probably created to compete with All-Clad in the US market. At first it was sold exclusively by Sur la Table, but you can now find it on Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, and elsewhere. 

You will find Industry 5 sold under different names (possibly because Demeyere is struggling to get a foothold in the US market). Since Industry 5 came out, it's been re-branded as Zwilling Sensation, Demeyere 5 Plus, and its latest iteration, just Industry. 

Except for some minor differences in handles and lid pulls, all the Industry pans have an identical build quality, offering excellent heating properties, with a significantly thicker layer of aluminum than All-Clad D3 (probably about 25% more). 

If you're looking for superb quality clad stainless cookware with excellent heating properties, the Demeyere Industry 5 is a top contender.

Industry 5 Features and Performance

This clad stainless steel cookware is marketed as 5-ply, but all three inner plies are aluminum. The heat-spreading core aluminum doesn't adhere to stainless very well, so it gets sandwiched between two micro-thin layers of aluminum alloy that bonds to the stainless steel. Whether you consider this 3-ply or 5-ply is really not important. What is important is the result: a durable pan with a lot of heat-spreading aluminum.

Features:

• All pieces fully clad
• 3mm thick side walls, with 2.1mm of aluminum (compare to 2.6/1.7mm of All-Clad D3)
• Rolled rims for drip-free pouring
• Tight fitting lids--Industry 5 has hermetically sealed lids
• Ergonomic, stay-cool polished handles
• Oven safe to 500F
• Dishwasher safe
• Limited lifetime warranty
• Induction compatible
• Silvinox coating for added durability and easier cleaning 
• Welded (rivetless), shot-blasted handles 
• Made in Belgium.

Demeyere Industry 5 10 Piece Set

(see it on Amazon)

• 9.5-inch skillet
• 11-inch Skillet (great piece!)
• 2-quart Sauce pan with lid
• 4-quart sauce pan with lid and helper handle (great piece!)
• 8-quart stock pot with lid
• 3-quart sauté pan with lid.

Demeyere Industry 5 14 Piece Set

(see it on Amazon)

• 9.5-inch skillet
• 11-inch skillet (great piece!)
• 2-quart sauce pan with lid
• 3-quart sauce pan with lid
• 4-quart sauce pan with lid  (great piece!)
• 3.5-quart saucier with lid
• 5.5-quart dutch oven with lid
• 8-quart stock pot with lid.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Top quality cookware w/lifetime warranty
• Good pieces in the larger sets
• Welded handles and Silvinox finish make for easier cleaning.

Cons

• Thick walls make these pans heavier than All-Clad D3
• Expensive.

Recommendation

If you want some of the best stainless cookware on the market, Demeyere Industry 5 is it, and it's only slightly heavier than All-Clad. If you want to save a few hundred, go for the Zwilling Aurora over the Demeyere Industry 5. If you want the rivetless cooking surface (worth every penny if you hate to clean), get the Demeyere. 

buy demeyere industry 5 Cookware:

Buy demeyere industry 5 skillet:

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Review: All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply

All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Set (Amazon)

Skillet (Amazon)

Skillet w/lid (Amazon) (Best Deal on this skillet!)

See more All-Clad D3 on Amazon

About All-Clad

All-Clad is an American company founded in 1970 by John Ulam, the inventor of metal cladding. As the first cookware of its kind and a high quality brand, All-Clad tri ply--officially called "D3"--sets the standard for premium cookware in the US and the bar for all other clad stainless steel cookware. All-Clad clad cookware is made in the US (in Pennsylvania). Their other products, including their cast aluminum nonstick cookware, is made overseas (mostly in China).

All-Clad makes several cookware lines. D3 is their tri-ply clad line and the one we review here. This All Clad tri ply has a total thickness of 2.6mm, with an aluminum interior of approximately 1.7mm. This amount of aluminum is the gold standard for clad stainless cookware, at least in the US. Very few cookware lines go thicker than this, and the vast majority of lower-priced cookware is thinner. This means it won't have the same heating properties and it may be more prone to warping. In general, All-Clad pots and pans are higher quality than most less expensive brands.

For more information about All-Clad, see our articles All-Clad Vs. Demeyere: Which Is Better? and The Ultimate All-Clad Review.

All-Clad D3 Features and Performance

• Full cladding with 2.6mm walls and 1.7mm of aluminum alloy for excellent heating
• Highly polished cooking surface offers stick resistance and easy maintenance
• Stainless steel handles are permanently secured with stainless steel rivets
• 18/10 stainless steel cooking surface will not react with food
• Oven and broiler safe to 600F (not including lids)
• Induction compatible
• Dishwasher safe
• Made in USA
• Limited lifetime warranty.

Sets

One of the best things about All-Clad is how many buying options you have. And while buying a set is the most economical way to go, you also have dozens of open stock pieces to choose from, including obscure pieces like woks, fish pans, pasta pots, and more.

See All-Clad D3 on Amazon

see all-clad d3 at williams-sonoma

Here are the most popular All-Clad tri-ply sets--but we're not necessarily recommending that you buy a set. If you do, we recommend going with the 5 piece or 7 piece set. The 10 piece includes two more small pieces--an 8-inch skillet and a 2-quart sauce pan--when you're more likely to want to supplement with larger pieces, such as a 12-inch skillet and a 4-quart sauce pan. To get these pieces in a set, you have to go with the 14 piece behemoth, and you're probably better off buying the individual pieces you want rather than getting all that cookware at once.

On the other hand, the 14 piece set has some really nice pieces, including a chef's pan, a 12-inch skillet, and a 6-quart deep sauté pan (yes--the one we mentioned above as one of our favorites). This more than makes up for this set's lack of a larger sauce pan. It's actually a very nice set, and the only filler-ish piece is the 2-quart sauce pan (though most people wouldn't consider that a filler piece). 

The 5 Piece Includes: (see it on Amazon)

• 10 inch skillet
• 3 quart saucepan with lid
• 3 quart sauté pan with lid.

The 7 Piece Includes: (see it on Amazon)

• 10 inch skillet
• 3 quart saucepan with lid
• 3 quart sauté pan with lid
• 8 quart stock pot with lid.

The 10 Piece Includes: (see it on Amazon)

• 8 inch skillet
• 10 inch skillet
• 2 quart saucepan with lid
• 3 quart saucepan with lid
• 3 quart sauté pan with lid
• 8 quart stockpot with lid.

The 14 Piece Includes: (see it on Amazon)

• 10 inch skillet
• 12 inch skillet
• 2 quart saucepan with lid
• 3 quart saucepan with lid
• 3 quart sauté pan with lid
• 6 quart sauté pan with lid (great piece!)
• 12 inch chef's pan (great piece!)
• 8 quart stockpot with lid.

SEE ALL-CLAD D3 ON AMAZON

SEE ALL-CLAD D3 AT WILLIAMS-SONOMA

About the D3 Handles

A lot of people complain about the All-Clad D3 handle design, which is U-shaped:

People say that it digs into their hands or arms when they pick up a heavy pot, that it is uncomfortable, and that it isn't well designed.

While we understand this logic, we respectfully disagree. In fact, we think the handles on All-Clad tri-ply are excellent. They provide a terrific amount of grip and traction, with the U-shape making it almost impossible for the handle to slip out of your grip no matter how you grab it. 

If the choice is between a handle that digs into your hand a little or one that's going to slip out of it more easily, we'll pick the one that digs in every time. In fact, the All-Clad D3 handle is our favorite of all the cookware brands in this review. 

All-Clad D3/tri-ply is still the best All-Clad line for the best price, and you will spend hundreds more on D5 or Copper Core without getting a lot more in the way of performance or durability.

Meaning: if you want All-Clad, you can probably live with the D3 handles.

Pan Design

One of D3's drawbacks is that not all the pans have flared rims for easy pouring. The skillets, sauté pans, and Dutch ovens have them:

The sauce pans and sauciers do not:

We actually prefer the looks of the lipless sauce pans and sauciers, and they pour pretty well, too. But if flared rims/lips are important to you, All-Clad D3 is not the set for you.

What About Other All-Clad Lines?

All-Clad tri-ply/D3 is our favorite line of All-Clad.

If you want to go a step up from the D3, we recommend Copper Core (or a Demeyere line).

Here's a quick summary of All-Clad's other popular lines (asterisks indicate a recommendation):

D5: A true 5-ply cookware with alternating layers of stainless steel and aluminum (s-a-s-a-s). But let's do the math: with the same wall thickness as D3 (i.e, 2.6mm) and an extra layer of stainless, that means less heat-spreading aluminum---and it's more expensive, too! Though very popular now and billed as A/C's "induction" line, not recommended. You're much better off with D3. (Or, if you want an expensive 5-ply, the Demeyere Industry 5 or Zwilling J.A. Henckels Aurora.) 

*Copper Core: Another 5 ply cookware with internal layers of aluminum and copper (s-a-c-a-s) with a 1mm layer of copper and thin layers of aluminum. All pieces have flared rims and a slightly revamped handle design. Excellent, lightweight cookware but very expensive. If you can afford it, go for it: it's beautiful, and it performs better than D3--but they're very close. Recommended, IF you have a big budget. The D3 is a much better deal. And if you want copper cookware and don't need induction compatibility, we recommend real copper cookware like Mauviel, which will have 2-3 times as much copper as the Copper Core.

For more info, see our review All-Clad Copper Core: Is It Worth It?

Fusiontec: This is All-Clad's newest line. It's enameled stainless steel and made in Germany. Though we need to do more testing, we don't recommend it over any of All-Clad's clad stainless lines.

For more details, see our Ultimate All-Clad Review. 

SEE ALL-CLAD D3 ON AMAZON

SEE ALL-CLAD D3 AT WILLIAMS-SONOMA

D3 Options

If you're tight on space, you can get D3 Compact (see it on Amazon). It's the same great cookware with a squatter design for easier storage. Some of the pieces are slightly smaller than found in the regular D3 set.

And we've mentioned this before, but we recommend that you don't buy any nonstick pans in clad stainless steel/tri-ply. They're out there, and they're just as spendy as the regular tri-ply. Instead, get a cheap nonstick skillet with a thick cast aluminum body. The All-Clad HA1 skillets are a fraction of the cost of a D3 nonstick skillet, are induction compatible, and provide excellent heating properties. Win-win-win.

Then, when the time comes to replace it in a few years, you can congratulate yourself for how smart you were.

D3 Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Great all-around cookware by every measure
• Limited lifetime warranty
• The original clad cookware and the standard against which all other clad stainless cookware is measured. 

Cons:

• No lips on the sauce pans and sauciers
• Some people don't like the handles (we love them)
• Expensive initial investment, but the cost-per-year-of-use is low.

Recommendation

Yes: All-Clad tri-ply/D3 is a big initial expense but it is some of the best stainless cookware on the market. And, if you consider your cost-per-year-of-use, it's actually a great deal because this cookware is going to last a lifetime (and if it doesn't, All-Clad will replace it, no questions asked). It's also going to be a pleasure to use, with its lightweight, nicely balanced pieces, and this also makes it worth its premium price. It is excellent all-around cookware, with enough internal aluminum to give it great heating properties, and enough external stainless to make it durable and warp-resistant. This is truly cookware you can love, and probably pass down to your children.

BUY ALL-CLAD TRI-PLY D3 COOKWARE:

BUY ALL-CLAD TRI-PLY D3 SKILLET:

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Review: Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel Cookware

See 7/10/12/13 Piece set on Amazon

See Multiclad Pro at Bed, Bath & Beyond

See our Cuisinart Clad Stainless cookware review

 12" skillet w/lid on Amazon (and helper handle):

About Cuisinart Multiclad Pro

Cuisinart is an American company founded in 1971. Cuisinart is best known for their original product, the  food processor (the first product of its kind). Cuisinart was sold in 1989 and is now owned by Conair (the blow dryer folks).

Under Conair, Cuisinart expanded into a full line of kitchenware products (e.g., grills, waffle makers, coffee makers, toaster ovens, etc.). Most of their products are made in China, including their Multiclad Pro line of clad stainless cookware. Cuisinart Multiclad Pro is one of the best stainless cookware lines made in China.

Cuisinart makes several lines of cookware, including several lines of clad stainless cookware. Their Multiclad Pro is their best, highest performing line. Their French Classic cookware is of similar quality, made in France and more expensive (but very pretty!). We prefer the Multiclad Pro for its equivalent performance and lower price point.

see cuisinart multiclad pro cookware on amazon

see cuisinart Multiclad pro cookware at bed, bath & beyond

Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Features and Performance

Of all the Chinese All-Clad knockoffs, Cuisinart Multiclad Pro is the closest in performance and design to All-Clad tri-ply (D3). It has the same sidewall thickness and approximately the same amount of interior aluminum. If you're on a budget and want good quality clad stainless cookware, this is the set to get.

Features:

• Triply-ply construction with 2.6mm sidewalls and pure aluminum core
• Polished cooking surface resistant to rust, corrosion, and discoloration
• Oven safe up to 550F
• Flared rims on all pieces for drip free pouring
• Tight fitting, "self-basting" stainless lids
• Stainless riveted Cool Grip™ handles
• Induction compatible and dishwasher safe
• Limited lifetime warranty
• Made in China.

SEE CUISINART MULTICLAD PRO COOKWARE ON AMAZON

see cuisinart Multiclad Pro cookware at bed, bath & beyond

Sets

Cuisinart Multiclad Pro sets are available in 7 piece, 8 piece, and 12 piece. (There is also a 10-piece set which you can see on the same Amazon page, but this set has glass lids, so we did not include it.)

Here's what you get in each:

The 7 Piece Includes: (see it on Amazon)

• 10 inch skillet
• 1.5 quart saucean with lid (too small!)
• 3 quart sauce pan with lid
• 8 quart stock pot with lid.

The 12 Piece Includes: (see it on Amazon)

• 8 inch skillet
• 10 inch skillet
• 1.5 quart sauce pan with lid (too small!)
• 3 quart sauce pan with lid
• 3.5 quart sauté pan with lid
• 8 quart stockpot with lid
• Steamer insert with lid (for sauce pans).

SEE CUISINART MULTICLAD PRO COOKWARE ON AMAZON

SEE CUISINART MULTICLAD PRO COOKWARE AT BED, BATH & BEYOND

Lids and Handles

If you dislike the All-Clad D3 handles, you will probably like these handles. They're flatter, yet still grooved enough to provide a nice grip. And in our opinion, they're a little bit prettier than All-Clad tri-ply handles, too:

The lids are great, providing a snug fit that does a great job keeping in juices. 

NOTE: Some Multiclad Pro pieces, including sets, have glass lids. If you don't want glass lids, make sure the ones you buy are all stainless.

Overall, the design of this cookware is great. Each piece has a flared rim for drip free pouring, and the larger pieces have helper handles, including the 3.5 quart sauté pan (which is about the equivalent of a 10-inch skillet).

Why Buy All-Clad D3 if This Is the Same Quality for Less?

If Cuisinart Multiclad Pro is nearly identical to All-Clad tri-ply D3, with nearly identical heating performance and a lifetime warranty, as well as flared rims on all pieces, then why in the world should you ever pay more for All-Clad tri-ply?

Well, there are a few reasons:

Stainless exterior: The stainless steel used by Cuisinart isn't as high quality as that used by All-Clad. This means it may rust, pit, and corrode more than All-Clad. However, our research and testing has shown very little difference between the brands, so we think Cuisinart Multiclad Pro is a top brand of cookware for the cost.

Performance: Despite having an almost identical configuration as All-Clad, the heating properties aren't quite as good. The difference is small, however, so if you want to save a few hundred dollars, Multiclad Pro is almost, very nearly, close to as good as All-Clad tri-ply (D3).

Warping: In our testing we had no problems, but a few reviewers complain that Multiclad Pro warps. This is certainly possible. 

If you get a pan that warps, give Cuisinart a chance to make it right. Contact customer service, and they should happily send you a replacement for free. Remember, this brand of cookware has a lifetime warranty, and it definitely covers warping.

Glass Lids on Some Pieces: Perhaps eventually all Multiclad Pro is going to have glass lids, we don't know if this is a shift they're making (no doubt to cut costs). But right now, some of the pieces, and some entire sets, come with glass lids. If you want stainless lids, you have to be sure to order the right product(s). Right now, sets on the same Amazon page can have both--so be careful! (The 10-piece set for sure has glass lids.)

In short, Cuisinart Multiclad Pro is a Chinese product, so product quality may not be quite as good as products made in the US, Western Europe, and Canada. 

We like Cuisinart Multiclad Pro, but it's not as high quality as the All-Clad brand. 

Pros and Cons of the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Brand

Pros:

• Great price
• Flared rims
• Skillet has a good design with a lot of flat cooking surface
• Good quality for Chinese clad stainless brand
• Build and performance very similar to All-Clad tri-ply D3 for a lot less $$
• Lifetime warranty will cover any manufacturing defects.

Cons:

• The quality won't be as good as All-Clad
• Some complaints of warping.

Recommendation

If you're on a budget and want clad stainless steel cookware, Cuisinart Multiclad Pro is the brand to get. If you want to invest in some pieces and save on others, we recommend a Proline or D3 skillet and sauté pan, and Multiclad Pro for sauce pans, sauciers, stock pots, and roasting pans. 

buy cuisinart multiclad pro cookware set:

BUY CUISINART MULTICLAD PRO SKILLET:

buy cuisinart multiclad pro skillet with lid:

buy cuisinart multiclad pro 4 quart sauce pan with lid:

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Review: Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Cookware

Tramontina 12 Piece Set (Made in China--now has glass lids, but has 10"/12" skillets):

Tramontina 12 Piece Set (Made in Brazil, stainless lids with 8"/10" skillets):

Tramontina 12" skillet:

See more Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad cookware on Amazon

See more Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad cookware at Wal-Mart

About the Tramontina Cookware Brand

See also our review of Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Cookware for detailed information and more buying options.

Tramontina is a Brazilian kitchenware company that makes cookware, utensils, mixing bowls, knives, and more. They are probably best known in the US for knives and cookware.

Tramontina was founded in 1911 and is privately owned, with several factories around the world. Tramontina has dozens of cookware lines, including nonstick aluminum cookware, ceramic nonstick, enameled cast iron, disc-clad stainless, and fully clad stainless. This review is for the Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad fully clad stainless cookware line. 

Tramontina's Tri-Ply Clad stainless steel cookware is manufactured in both China and Brazil. The quality of their Chinese and Brazilian cookware is identical, even though the Brazilian cookware is more expensive. The biggest difference is the lids: Chinese Tri-Ply Clad now comes with glass lids, while the Brazilian Tri-Ply Clad has stainless lids.

Tramontina has a reputation for economically priced yet excellent quality cookware. It's a great option for people who are on a budget, but want all the great options that clad stainless has to offer, including 18/10 stainless construction and a lifetime warranty.

Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Cookware Features and Performance

• Durable 18/10 stainless with 2.6mm sidewalls (compare to All-Clad D3 which is also 2.6mm.)
• Gorgeous design with mirror polish finish (most stainless cookware is not this highly polished)
• Comfortable ergonomic handles
• Riveted, forked, stay-cool handles
• Oven safe up to 500F
• Induction compatible
• Dishwasher safe
• Lifetime limited warranty.

Sets

Amazon and Wal-Mart tend to have the best prices on Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad sets. Be sure to check both sites to get the best price. 

For more information, see our Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad review with a comprehensive list of buying options.

The 12- and 14-piece Chinese sets have the biggest pieces (10" and 12" skillets). Other sets have average pieces (i.e., 8" and 10" skillets).

Of course, if you don't mind the 8"/10" skillets, you can go with any set. 

You may also find 12 piece sets that DON'T have the larger skillets. Whatever site you're on, be sure to check piece size before clicking the Buy button (this is more likely to happen at Wal-Mart).

If you need everything, the 12 piece set is a great deal. If you don't want this much cookware, buying individual pieces is an option, and it won't set you back nearly as much as it would for some other cookware brands. 

See Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad cookware on Amazon

See Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad cookware at Wal-Mart

Handles, Lids, and Design

Handles: The handles on Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad are very pretty: 

They aren't grooved like All Clad tri ply, or even have grooved edges like Cuisinart Multiclad Pro. If you don't like the All-Clad tri-ply grooved handle, you'll love the Tramontina handle. If you like the grooves, because they help you grip the pot firmly with no chance of it sliding around, then you won't love these handles. But handles shouldn't be a deal breaker: if you like everything else about the cookware, you'll learn to live with less-than-perfect handles (just ask All-Clad D3 owners).

Rims: Like All-Clad D3 tri-ply, only the skillets and sauté pans have flared, drip-free rims. The sauce pans, stock pots, and Dutch ovens aren't flared.

Lids: Good, tight-fitting lids. Brazilian are stainless, Chinese are glass.

Skillet Design: Tramontina has recently updated their Tri-Ply Clad skillets to have steeper sides and more flat cooking surface--this is an excellent upgrade!

Why Pay More for All-Clad (If this Is So Great)?

The reasons are the same as those for Cuisinart Multiclad Pro:

• The Chinese (and Brazilian) stainless steel can be more prone to corrosion than American steel
• Compared to All-Clad D3, Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad has slightly less even heating--though the difference is small.

For budget clad stainless steel cookware, Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad is about the best there is. It's got a lot going for it. It isn't quite as good as the All-Clad cookware brand, but if you're looking to save money, it's hard to justify spending hundreds more on All-Clad D3 when the Tramontina is so close in performance--and looks just as good, too.

Pros and Cons of Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad

Pros:

• Great price 
• Good quality--top of the line for Chinese (or Brazilian) clad stainless cookware
• The 12- and 14- piece Chinese sets have excellent (large!) pieces including 10- and 12-inch skillets (not seen in any other sets at this price point).
• Almost identical build and performance as All-Clad D3.

Cons:

• The Chinese set now has glass lids (but large skillets)
• Made in China.

Recommendation

If you're on a budget, Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad stainless steel is excellent cookware and we highly recommend it. We especially like the 12-piece Chinese set, which has a 10" and 12" skillet (rare in cookware sets). Wal-Mart usually has the best price on the sets we like, but check Amazon to be sure you're getting the best deal, especially if you want stainless steel lids.

The Chinese set now has glass lids, unfortunately, so if you want stainless lids, go with the Brazilian set (the second Amazon button below). It will cost less than $50 to add the 12-inch skillet to your set.

Also make sure the set you buy has the pieces you want; don't assume they'll have the pieces listed here (the lineup can change without notice).

buy tramontina tri-ply clad  cookware set (China, Brazil):

BUY TRAMONTINA TRI-PLY CLAD 12" SKILLET:

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Demeyere Atlantis Review

See Demeyere Atlantis on Amazon

See Demeyere Proline Skillet on Amazon

See also Sur la Table Silver 7 cookware (made for Sur la Table by Demeyere, almost identical cookware but with double-walled lids):

About Demeyere

As we said above, Demeyere is a Belgian cookware company that's been around for more than 100 years. In 2008, they were purchased by Zwilling J. A. Henckels, a German kitchenware conglomerate that owns several cookware lines as well as other kitchenware products. Even though not well known in the United States, Demeyere is one of the top cookware brands in the world, and probably the best stainless brand on the market. 

Demeyere's original line of cookware is Atlantis. It is a mix of fully clad pieces and bottom-clad pieces--one of very few cookware lines configured this way, and not something many Americans are familiar with. 

The sloped-sided pans--i.e., skillets and sauciérs--are fully clad:

The straight-sided pans--i.e., sauté pans, Dutch ovens, and stock pots--are bottom clad:

The reasoning for this actually makes sense: with sloped-sided cookware, the sides are an integral part of the cooking process; with straight-sided cookware, they are not. So if the bottom cladding is sufficient, straight-sided pans don't really need to be fully clad. 

In both cases, the cladding is really impressive: the full cladding varies from 3.3-4.8mm, and the bottom-cladding contain an outstanding 5 millimeters of heat-spreading copper, silver, and aluminum. This makes Demeyere Atlantis some of the most impressive clad stainless cookware on the market.

Consider this: even the thinnest Atlantis pieces (which by the way are their small sauciérs) have thicker walls and more aluminum than the All-Clad tri ply (D3). (Not to mention all the other A/C lines.)

Also consider this: You may not notice a huge difference between All-Clad and the cheaper brands we recommend (Cuisinart Multiclad Pro and Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad), but you will definitely notice a difference between All-Clad and any Demyere line.

But as great as the Atlantis cookware is--and it is truly spectacular cookware--bottom cladding has never really caught on in the US, likely because of All-Clad's highly successful marketing campaigns: Americans have been taught that full cladding is equivalent to the good stuff, no exceptions.

Or maybe there's a valid reason that Americans dislike bottom-clad pieces. As great as the Atlantis cookware is, the heavy bottoms can make it feel a little "unbalanced" when you're accustomed to fully clad pieces. Also, what if you want to use a sauté pan as a skillet? In the US, these are thought of as mostly interchangeable pans. The different design of the Atlantis cookware makes this a less straightforward option. 

Atlantis cookware is so different from what Americans like and know, we almost didn't list as one of the top 5 brands. But it really is that.much.better than other clad stainless cookwares on the market.

So even if you don't think this is what you're looking for, we would be doing you a disservice by not sharing its wonderful qualities. So before you decide what you want, read on, and keep an open mind!

SEE DEMEYERE ATLANTIS ON AMAZON

SEE SUR LA TABLE SILVER 7

About the Bottom-Cladding (Sauté Pans, Dutch Ovens)

Demeyere calls their bottom cladding InductoSeal®. The InductoSeal® base disc consists of seven layers: 

• The interior surface of 18/10 stainless
• A thin layer of silver
• A copper core approximately 2mm thick
• A thin layer of silver
• The TriplInduc® base (300 stainless-400 stainless-300 stainless).

The thick copper core provides superb heating performance.

The thin layers of silver surrounding it add to the heating performance and help to bind the copper to the stainless steel. (Copper is notoriously bad at cladding to stainless.)

Demeyere's proprietary TriplInduc® technology makes up the external 3 layers of Atlantis cookware (as well as the Sur la Table Silver 7 line). According to Demeyere, its three alloys provide up to 30% more efficiency on induction than other brands of clad stainless cookware. Its heft also ensures that the base remains flat and will never warp under any conditions.

Whether or not TriplInduc® actually results in more efficiency on induction, it's an extremely well-thought out design: the exterior layers of 18/10 stainless protect the internal magnetic layer of 18/0. This means that Atlantis cookware is 18/10 everywhere it is exposed, and thus, less prone to corrosion than pans with 18/0 magnetic exteriors (that is, every other brand of induction compatible clad stainless cookware).

It may also mean that they can use an even more magnetic stainless in the core, which could indeed result in more efficient induction performance--but this is just a guess on our part.

This diagram shows the configuration of the InductoSeal® base:

This entire bottom capsule is hermetically welded to the pan to provide extra protection from water, fat and contaminants.

About the Full Cladding (Skillets and Sauciérs)

Demeyere Atlantis/Sur la Table Silver 7 is billed as 7-ply, which may be technically true, but they are basically tri-ply  pieces with a really, really thick layer of aluminum to provide stellar performance, heft, and durability not seen in other clad stainless cookware.

The external stainless is also TriplInduc® technology, and the internal layers are different aluminum alloys; again, some alloys heat better, and some adhere to stainless better. So while these pans are said to have 7 plies, it's easier to think of them as really heavy duty tri-ply than to count all those layers of aluminum as separate plies. 

However you want to think of it, it's fabulous. 

Here's a diagram of the "7 ply" construction:

Silvinox® 

Silvinox® is a proprietary electrochemical surface treatment system that removes excess iron and other impurities from the cookware's surface. This makes the stainless steel easier to clean and provides a higher resistance to fingerprints, harsh detergents, and acidic foods. The products retain their silvery-white color, even after years of use (adapted from the Demeyere website). 

Some people swear Silvinox adds shine and durability to Demeyere cookware, while others think it's probably a gimmick and Demeyere's stainless steel is no better than other good brands. Whatever you believe, Demeyere has enough going for it that it doesn't matter to us if the Silvinox adds anything to Demeyere cookware or not.

With All this Fabulousness, Why Isn't Atlantis Our #1 Pick?

Demeyere Atlantis/Sur la Table Silver 7 is fabulous cookware. The engineers, cooks, and designers at Demeyere have thought of everything for this line, and the quality, durability, and performance really are unparalleled. If you want the very best clad stainless cookware on the market, this is the set to get.

The main reason it isn't our number one pick is that Americans simply prefer fully clad cookware. It's what we're used to, and it's what we like. And with most bottom-clad cookware having a reputation for inferior quality (Atlantis being an exception), that's probably not going to change anytime soon.

So as great as Atlantis is, a lot of people are just going to prefer All-Clad because that's what they know and are familiar with. 

And as much as we love the Atlantis line, it has another drawback: all that stellar performance comes at a cost, and that cost is weight: this is heavy cookware. The 12-inch skillet weighs almost twice what the All-Clad D3 skillet weighs.

If you like to do a chef's toss, or are concerned about accidentally slamming a heavy pan down too hard on a glass induction cooktop, or you're a small or elderly person, this may not be the cookware for you.

However, if you don't care about the weight and want the best cookware on the market, Atlantis should be at the top of your list.

see demeyere atlantis on amazon

see silver 7 at sur la table

Sets

As great as Atlantis is, you should be sure you like the bottom cladding on the straight sided pieces before you buy it. Our advice is to go to a kitchen store--Sur la Table would be best because you can see the Silver 7 line--to try it out. At this price point, they'll be happy to let you take it for a test drive.

On the other hand, we recommend the Proline skillet without reservation. If you can afford it and want to invest in a great pan, buy a Proline skillet today. You will love this pan.

Note: If you're concerned about weight, we recommend that you don't go larger than the 11-inch skillet. (Think of it as cast iron; it's almost that heavy.)

Here are the available sets.

The Demeyere Atlantis 3 Piece Starter Set Includes: (see it on Amazon)

The Demeyere Atlantis 6 Piece Set Includes: (see Demeyere on Amazon)

• 9.4 inch skillet
• 3.2 quart sauce pan with lid
• 5.5 quart Dutch oven with lid
• Steamer (fits 5.5 quart pot).

The Demeyere Atlantis 10 Piece Set Includes (see it at Williams-Sonoma):

• 11 inch skillet (great piece!)
• 2.3 quart sauce pan with lid (filler piece)
• 3.5 quart saucier with lid
• 5 quart sauté pan with lid
• 8 quart Dutch oven with lid.

The Sur la Table 12 Piece Silver 7 Set Includes (see it at surlatable.com):

• 9.5 inch skillet
• 11 inch skillet (great piece!)
• 1.5 quart sauce pan with lid (filler piece)
• 3 quart sauce pan with lid
• 2 quart conical saucier 
• 5 quart sauté pan with lid
• 8 quart stock pot with lid
• Pasta insert for stock pot.

Pros and Cons of Demeyere Atlantis/Sur la Table Silver 7 Cookware

Pros:

• The very best, top quality clad stainless cookware on the market
• Super durable, super high performing, with significantly more aluminum and/or copper than All-Clad's top lines
• Insulated lids (Silver 7 only)
• 30 year warranty.

Cons:

• Straight-sided pieces are bottom clad only, which can feel heavy and unbalanced 
• The stellar amount of cladding makes this heavy cookware
• Expensive.

Recommendation

If you want the best of the best (and can afford it), Demeyere Atlantis is the cookware to get. And even if you don't want to get a whole set, consider investing in a Proline skillet. It's a fabulous pan--a skillet you can truly love. If you don't mind heavy cookware, we guarantee you will not regret investing in it. Demeyere is some of the best stainless cookware on the market, and the Proline is their flagship piece.

Silver 7 is Sur la Table's brand of Demeyere Atlantis with the added feature of double-walled lids. This is also an excellent, best-of-the-best cookware brand.

buy demeyere atlantis cookware set:

buy demeyere proline skillet:

Buy silver 7 at sur la table:

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Final Thoughts on the Top Brands ofStainless Steel Cookware

To summarize, here are our picks for the top brands of stainless steel cookware:

• Demeyere Industry 5
• All-Clad Tri-Ply (D3)
• Cuisinart Multiclad Pro
• Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad
• Demeyere Atlantis/Sur la Table Silver 7, esp. the Proline skillet (if you want to invest in one superb piece the Proline is the way to go).

The clad stainless steel cookware market is huge, and with most of it made in China, the quality often just isn't there. These 5 top brands offer the best options at several price points. In fact, if you can't afford even our budget picks (the Tramontina or Multiclad Pro), we suggest you forego a set and just buy two or three essential pieces, and add to them as you can. Clad stainless cookware at a lower price point is probably not worth the investment. 

Thoughts or questions? Disagree with any of our picks? Let us know in the comments below.

And thanks for reading!

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