04
Topic
Sets and nonstick
A set is good value only if you will use most of the pieces. Nonstick pans, whether PTFE or ceramic, are the easy choice for eggs and fish but wear out and have lower heat limits than bare metal.
- Core set
- skillet, saucepan, sauté pan, stockpot
- Nonstick life
- a consumable, replaced when it sticks
Count the pieces you will actually cook with. Many sets pad the count with lids and small pans. A 10-inch skillet, a 3-quart saucepan, a sauté pan with a lid and a stockpot cover most home cooking.
PTFE nonstick releases food best but should not be preheated empty or used at very high heat. Ceramic nonstick tolerates more heat but usually loses its release sooner. Hybrid pans mix a stainless pattern with nonstick and behave somewhere between the two.
Use wooden or silicone tools, wash nonstick by hand, and keep the heat at medium or below for the longest life.
Common mistakes
- Buying a large set to get two pans you really need.
- Using a nonstick pan for high-heat searing.
- Running nonstick through the dishwasher and with metal tools.
Pages on this topic
- When to replace cookware and nonstick pansWhen to replace nonstick pans and other cookware: signs of a worn coating, warped bases, loose handles and cracked enamel, and what lasts the longest.Explainer
- Stainless steel vs nonstick pansStainless steel vs nonstick pans: which jobs need a coating, which do not, how long each lasts, and where carbon steel fits, with All-Clad and Scanpan examples.Comparison
- PTFE vs ceramic nonstick: how the coatings differHow PTFE (Teflon-type) and ceramic nonstick coatings are made, how they handle heat and wear, and how to care for each so it lasts longer.Explainer
- Le Creuset vs Caraway cookwareLe Creuset vs Caraway compared: enameled cast iron and tri-ply stainless against ceramic nonstick, covering release, durability, weight, oven use and price.Comparison
- Is HexClad worth it: what hybrid pans do well and badlyIs HexClad worth it? How the raised steel pattern on hybrid pans works, what they do better and worse than plain nonstick and stainless, and who they suit.Explainer
- How to choose cookware: materials, pieces and setsHow to choose cookware: match materials to the jobs you cook, start with five core pieces, and decide whether a set or individual pans gives better value.Explainer
- HexClad vs All-Clad: hybrid or plain stainlessHexClad vs All-Clad compared: food release, searing, coating life, care, oven use and warranty for HexClad hybrid, All-Clad D3 stainless and HA1 nonstick.Comparison
- All-Clad HA1 vs NS Pro nonstickAll-Clad HA1 vs NS Pro nonstick: base, coating, induction support and price, with HA1 PTFE and HA1 Ceramic sets compared from their listings.Comparison
Gear for this topic
- Best PTFE-free cookware sets: stainless, cast iron and ceramicPTFE-free cookware sets in stainless steel, enameled cast iron and ceramic nonstick compared by material, pieces, what each maker discloses and oven limit.Gear guide
- Best nonstick cookware sets: hard anodized and clad picksSeven nonstick cookware sets from All-Clad, Calphalon, Anolon, Scanpan, Zwilling and Le Creuset compared by build, pieces, oven limit, induction and care.Gear guide
- Best Le Creuset cookware sets: enameled, stainless and nonstickSeven Le Creuset sets compared by material, piece count, oven limit, induction use and dishwasher rules, from Signature cast iron to stainless and nonstick.Gear guide
- Best hybrid cookware sets (HexClad style)Hybrid stainless and nonstick sets from HexClad, Anolon X, GreenPan, Henckels and Roomena compared by pieces, coating, oven limit and care.Gear guide
- Best cookware sets by material: pick by how you cookThe best cookware set in each material: clad stainless, enameled cast iron, copper, carbon steel, hybrid, ceramic and PTFE nonstick, compared by listing facts.Gear guide
- Best ceramic nonstick cookware sets by oven limit and buildSeven ceramic nonstick sets from GreenPan, Caraway, Made In, Le Creuset, All-Clad and Our Place compared by body, pans, oven limit, induction and care.Gear guide
- Best Calphalon cookware sets: stainless and nonstickCalphalon Premier stainless, nonstick and ceramic sets compared by pieces, construction, oven limit, induction and dishwasher care, using listing facts only.Gear guide