Cookware is the cornerstone of your kitchen, so it’s worth investing in a set that’s beautiful and durable and that heats evenly. We researched more than 80 cookware sets and rigorously tested 19. The Tramontina Gourmet 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Cookware Set is our top pick because it offers solid construction and comfortable design at an affordable price.
This fully clad tri-ply set performed better than any other set we’ve tested under $250. We like that it includes larger skillets, but the pans are heavier and don’t have the proven longevity of our other picks.
The pans in this top-of-the-line fully clad tri-ply set continue to impress us with their even heat distribution. Each piece of cookware is extremely durable and an ideal weight for holding.
We’ve been testing various pieces of cookware from our main-pick and upgrade-pick sets for over two years (and in some cases for more than a decade).
Sets with fewer but larger pieces let you cook more food at once (versus “filler” sets with smaller pieces, which can slow you down in the kitchen).
We recommend only fully clad tri-ply sets (meaning a layer of aluminum is sandwiched between stainless steel and extends all the way to the rims).
The pots and pans in the Tramontina Gourmet 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Cookware Set heat evenly and are a comfortable weight, so they didn't feel as cumbersome to lift as some others we tried. We also found their rounded, ergonomically shaped handles comfortable to hold. We’ve been recommending a version of this set for two years, and we’re confident that this durable cookware set will last.
If you are unable to find the full set or would prefer to build your own smaller set, Tramontina also sells its cookware “open stock.” Here are the pieces we’d get to build a good 10-piece set (which includes six pieces of cookware and four lids):
If you’d rather start with a few basics, you’ll be able to cook a lot with just a 3-quart saucepan, a 12-inch skillet, and an 8-quart stockpot. Or mix and match whatever pieces you want.
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For superior-quality cookware that will last a lifetime, we recommend getting the All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 10-Piece Set. The pros we talked to said the All-Clad tri-ply cookware is the best for both professional and home use because it’s so durable. In our tests, the All-Clad pans heated evenly, were comfortable to hold, and tackled every cooking job without any hiccups. Though the largest skillet measures only 10 inches instead of 12, this set will outfit your kitchen with all the other pots and pans you’re ever likely to need. And if you’re partial to keeping your cookware bright and shiny, note that in our tests this set was one of the few that looked like new when we cleaned it—even after years of testing.
This fully clad tri-ply set performed better than any other set we’ve tested under $250. We like that it includes larger skillets, but the pans are heavier and don’t have the proven longevity of our other picks.
$395
fromGoldilocks
We were impressed by the quality of the Goldilocks Cookware Set Plus, especially for its low price. Its fully clad tri-ply stainless steel heats evenly across the surface of the pans. This set also includes almost all of the pot and pan sizes we prefer, including a 12-inch skillet—a rarity in most sets. However, unlike the All-Clad and Tramontina sets, the Goldilocks set doesn’t include a 3- or 4-quart sauté pan with a lid (though a cast-iron skillet would work in lieu of it). Some of the pieces in this set are slightly heavier than the All-Clad and Tramontina pieces, so keep that in mind if you’re partial to cookware with less heft. We also experienced some minor sticking while sautéing chicken in the skillets, but it was minimal. Overall, the Goldilocks set performed better than any other set we’ve tested in this price range.
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