I’m starting to believe that with air fryers, instant pots, indoor griddles, and meal delivery services many families are not standing over a stove cooking like they use to do. I have to be honest. I can relate because steam in bag vegetables and quick air fry meats is my ideal way to get dinner ready.
However, being true to what comes naturally to me I still like to cook on my stove and I feel like good cookware is helpful when it comes to making clean up easy and time-efficient.
Brands That Work vs. Popularity Brands
Don’t buy cookware because a celebrity has endorsed or created the brand. Cookware should last for a few years, fit your budget and do what it says that it will do…not stick. If you don’t cook often don’t feel compelled to buy an entire cookware line. Sometimes you only need two different size sauce pots and pans to prepare meals at home.
Brands That I Have Used and That Work
I have used Tools of The Trade, Mainstays, Calphalon, Cuisinart, and T-Fal. All of these brands make beautiful cookware for many budgets. If you enjoy cooking, one of these brands will give you exactly what you need.
The Best of These Brands from Least to Greatest
Cusinart
Cuisinart makes really beautiful cookware. The stainless steel look makes any kitchen look expensive. My mother-in-law purchased this line for my husband during our college days. We were amateurs’ in the kitchen and we didn’t understand that non-stick doesn’t mean that you completely skip some type of coatings like oil or butter.
This line works best with gas stoves versus electric because heating needs to be even or you will ruin your cookware and your meal. It scratches fairly easily and certain foods stain the coating making it really hard to remove them with handwashing or dishwasher use. Depending on where you choose to purchase your set from you can expect to spend $200 on a complete set and $35 for single pans or pots.
Mainstays
The Mainstay’s entire line retails under $50. I would not recommend you to buy this as your final cookware set, but it is good to use for 1-3 years. The pans are not good for cooking things that require a lot of stirring or scrapping. Food sticks fairly to the surface most of the time. The pots last for a longer time and do a great job distributing heat evenly while cooking.
Tools of The Trade
This is an affordable and dependable line of cookware. It comes with serving utensils and a strainer making it a great gift for a new homeowner. With proper coating, it does a good job of not sticking, but scratches will be visible after several uses. It retails for under $70.
Calphalon
Calphalon is a great cookware line. It lasts for a long time with lots of abuse from the proper utensils and the improper utensils such as forks and spoons. It doesn’t stain and is dishwasher safe. The lids are universal to the pots and pans. It is truly non-stick, but do not skip the oil or butter coating. Your pan will show scratches and may not last for long. Calphalon’s designed very well. I don’t think that is possible for it to last forever but we have used our pans for over 10 years now. Most home stores such as Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond retail this line for a set $190 and up. We no longer use any of the pots, but the pans still work really well.
T-Fal
This is the best cookware line for everyday meal preparation. We skipped purchasing the entire line because we didn’t need all of the accessories. Instead we opted for a new pot and pan and we still use them both. Eggs are the type of food that sticks to any type of cookware, but they are my favorite food to cook in my T-Fal pan. After all of these years my pot and pan are still scratch free and the coating is still present. T-Fal is the real winner!
