Behind the Design: Toms Pan

Table Of Content

• The Best Budget Cookware Set: Tramontina
• The Best Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
• Why use ceramic over regular nonstick cookware?
• Cleaning
• Do You Really Need Compostable Bags for Your Food Scraps?
• Greenlife Stainless Pro 2-Piece Frying Pan Set
• What to Look for in a Cookware Set
• The Best Cookware Sets to Take Home—No Matter Your Skill Level

Available in several colorways, its contemporary, sleek design would fit right into most decor schemes. The 12-piece set includes an 8-inch fry pan, 10-inch fry pan, 3-quart saute pan with lid, 2-quart saucepan with lid, 5-quart Dutch oven with lid, and four felt cookware protectors. Aside from looking great, they're also a bargain—you'd be hard-pressed to find a quality set with this many pieces at this price point. According to White, the most important thing to consider with a cookware set is figuring out what you'll realistically be cooking. “Look at what the set includes and think about what pot and pans you will be using the most,” he says. Design-forward cookware brand Caraway makes a non-stick ceramic set that's easy to clean, use, and enjoy on the eyes.

The Best Budget Cookware Set: Tramontina

Initially, we struggled to find an Austin-based partner that could commit to scanning the pan without damaging it—materials like spray paint are often used to reduce light reflection in scans. But in the end it ended up working perfectly—ironically, entirely due to the years of use and layers of seasoning that Tom cooked into the pan. After AirTagging the original pan—can’t risk losing something this precious! —and having Chef Colicchio ship it to us in Austin, we created a 3D scan to assist in product development. This approach is often taken in various industries to be able to replicate one-of-a-kind models.

The Best Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

All of this is a fancy way of saying that the pots and pans have a non-stick surface that won't be easily scratched or damaged by metal utensils. Unlike other non-stick cookware, this set is oven-safe up to a whopping 1,050 degrees Fahrenheit. While most conventional ovens top out at around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat resistance makes these great cookware for use with a grill. Overall, this set exceeded expectations with multiples of all of the skillets, saucepans, and stock pots I'll ever need, with lids that fit tight to trap heat.

Why use ceramic over regular nonstick cookware?

The pans are made from ceramic-coated aluminum with an anodized exterior for even heating and durability. The set includes a 6-quart Dutch oven with lid, an 8-inch sauté pan, a 10-inch sauté pan, a 1.5-quart saucepan with lid, a 3-quart saucepan with lid, and a 3-quart deep sauté pan with a lid. We found these pans incredibly easy to clean by hand, making the fact that they aren't dishwasher-safe a non-issue. We like that the metal on these pans is thick enough to prevent the hot spots you get with thinner pans and yet, we were able to achieve a nice sear.

The best cookware sets of 2024, tried and tested - CNN Underscored

The best cookware sets of 2024, tried and tested.

Posted: Tue, 28 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Starting a kitchen arsenal from scratch feels like an ordeal, and it is (which explains why you're here). Not only is it hard to find a set that performs well, but you also need to take into account your budget because buying a bunch of pots and pans at once is hard on the wallet. Luckily, we were blown away by this $230 set from the legacy cookware brand Tramontina. We were shocked by how easy the pots and pans were to clean and use and massively impressed at how quickly they heated up to temperature over fire with few hot spots or uneven heating. Even frying eggs on one of the stainless steel pans was doable (though I did need a YouTube tutorial to refresh my memory on the proper method).

Master the art of oil-free cooking with this high-performing, easy to clean set. What your pans are made of matters, and how they are made, all factor into use, durability, cleaning, and storage. Based on manufacturers' information; the frypan is oven safe to the temperature indicated. Made by Design offers decent quality for budget pricing, but won’t last as long with regular use. But frequent cooks may want to spend a bit more for performance and durability.

Greenlife Stainless Pro 2-Piece Frying Pan Set

Copper pots and pans are universally celebrated for conducting heat quickly and efficiently, hence the hefty price tag. The biggest downside is that copper is reactive and can change the color of anything acidic, from tomato sauce to chicken piccata. If this is a concern, look for copper pans that have a stainless steel or tin layer.

What to Look for in a Cookware Set

These pans are laser-etched hexagonal over nonstick material with a tri-ply steel base. The inner aluminum core makes them light and maneuverable, while the base makes them ideal for induction cooking. They do need a bit of oil to aid in the food release, but they are very efficient, heat up evenly, and can be used with any utensil you like, including metal. I’ve made some serious messes while testing these over the years, and if anything sticks, simply fill them with water and let them boil—all of the accumulated gunk will come right off, leaving them good as new.

The Best Cookware Sets to Take Home—No Matter Your Skill Level

More and more cooks are turning their focus to ceramic pans as an alternative to many conventional nonstick options. Made by Design is a line of pots, pans, and other kitchen essentials created exclusively for Target. Compared to premium brands like All-Clad or Le Creuset, Made by Design aims for an affordable price point while still offering decent performance and durability. While the set is labeled as dishwasher-safe, we found that it was very easy to clean by hand—any stuck-on food came off after a short soak and gentle scrub with a nonabrasive sponge. In the 1980s, a young (pre-Gramercy Tavern, pre-Top Chef) Tom Colicchio bought a carbon steel pan from Zabar’s, the “gourmet emporium” in New York’s Upper West Side.

Because of the way ceramic materials bond to metal, most nonstick cookware is made from aluminum, which won’t work with induction cooktops. However, some nonstick cookware sets have stainless steel discs on the bottom of each piece, meaning that they’re induction compatible. If you have an induction cooktop or you might get one in the future, make sure your chosen set will work for you.

We also highly recommend scratch-resistant and dishwasher-safe OXO Ceramic Professional Non-Stick Cookware Set. Alissa Fitzgerald is a chef, recipe developer, and food and spirits writer with over 15 years of experience in the food industry. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Forbes and VinePair. Most days you can find her alternating her time behind a cutting board and a computer. The length of time the frypan is covered by its manufacturer for defects or repairs.