If you asked us to build a kitchen setup from scratch, we can say for certain that stainless steel would be at the top of our list. Wonderfully versatile, long-lasting, and relatively low-maintenance, a great piece of stainless steel cookware is well worth the investment. But with the sheer number of stainless steel products—and huge range of prices—on offer, how do you choose?
Allow us to be your stainless steel guides. As producers of Award-Winning Stainless Clad Cookware, we know what makes for quality construction. From the types of metals used, to why a fully-clad pan is the best choice, here’s how to shop for your new stainless steel cookware.
At its very best, stainless steel cookware is a joy to cook with—not only is it a great conductor of heat, but it’s highly durable and long-lasting as well.
Not all stainless steel is created equal. Stainless steel cookware made from 18/10 Stainless Steel—the highest grade—is particularly strong and durable, due to the higher percentage of chromium mixed in.
Stainless steel—especially high-grade stainless steel—is a non-reactive material, meaning that it’s more resistant to corrosion and rust than other types of metals.
This also means that your cookware won’t react with acidic ingredients like tomatoes or wine, which can produce metallic flavors in cast iron, carbon steel, or other reactive cookware materials.
Cleaning stainless steel is fairly straightforward. Unlike materials like carbon steel or unfinished cast iron, you won’t need to worry about stripping the seasoning or scratching the coating (though you can scratch the finish). And you can pretty much always restore it to its original shiny finish, no matter how grimy or burnt-looking it is.
While stainless steel is not a great conductor of heat on its own, stainless steel that’s “cladded,” or layered with more conductive metals like aluminum, conducts heat extremely well. This cladding also helps with heat retention and distribution, so your pan won’t develop hot spots or cook your food unevenly.
Here are a few key indicators of quality that can help you when shopping for stainless steel cookware.
As we touched on earlier, stainless steel comes in a range of different grades. The highest, 18/10, indicates a higher ratio of chromium to nickel, which not only makes for a more durable pan, but one that’s oven-safe as well—a huge reason why stainless is so commonly found in restaurant kitchens. Stainless steel also comes in other grades, such as 18/8.
Most high-quality stainless cookware is also induction-compatible. Make sure to look for the phrase “induction-compatible” on the packaging, or for the induction symbol, which looks like a coil of wire.
You’ll typically see stainless pots and pans described as “3-Ply” or “5-Ply.” The “ply” of a pan means that the steel has been layered with more conductive metals like aluminum—for example, our Stainless Clad pans are cladded with pure aluminum, aluminum alloy, and 18/10 stainless steel. The number associated with ply indicates how many layers have been cladded together—in our case, it’s 5.
For the most part, 5-ply makes for a more durable piece of cookware that’s both more resistant to warping and dents and does a better job of distributing heat.
A stainless steel pot or pan should have a sturdy, comfortable handle, as well as a “helper handle” for larger sauciers and saute pans. Because stainless cookware often sits on the stove for extended periods, handles and lids can get dangerously hot—that’s why we added a Stay Cool Handle™ to our Stainless Clad Frying Pan for an extra layer of safety.
Now you know what goes into a quality piece of stainless cookware, here’s how to shore up all that information with your budget and cooking needs.
Stainless steel is compatible with a wide range of cooking methods: use it to sear, stir-fry, braise, or even grill. For that reason, you don’t have to be a seasoned cook to justify buying one—plus, a great piece of stainless cookware can help level up your home cooking game.
That being said, you should absolutely invest in stainless steel if you do a lot of searing or other high heat cooking, which is where stainless steel excels.
A high-quality stainless steel pan should always have these basic traits.
Stainless steel cookware tends toward the pricier side compared to other materials—especially for high-quality options. For a stainless clad frying pan or pot that’ll last you decades (if not a lifetime), you can expect to pay upwards of $100, and at least $200 for something like a stock pot.
If budget is a big concern, you can get a decent-quality stainless steel frying pan for about $50. You may not get quite the same level of polish, performance, or permanence, but you’ll still get to enjoy the great heat retention and durability of stainless steel.
Maintaining stainless steel cookware isn’t nearly as tricky as you might think, especially if this is your first time cooking with this material. Here’s everything you need to know about proper care, cleaning, and storage to keep your stainless steel in tip-top shape.
One of the great things about stainless steel cookware is that it’s fairly easy to keep clean. While more prone to sticking than materials like non stick or carbon steel, stainless steel pots and pans don’t have a coating or layers of seasoning to worry about—so you can get a little more rough with them (though you probably won’t need to for everyday messes).
Here’s our guide to cleaning stainless steel cookware, depending on the degree of mess. You can also read up on how to prevent (and fix) the common rainbow stains cosmetic issue—aka heat tint.
Since stainless steel is both rust- and corrosion-resistant, you don’t have to worry as much about storage. Just make sure to place a dish towel, trivet, or cloth napkin between your pans if you plan on stacking on them, in order to prevent scratches. After each wash, make sure to dry your pan thoroughly with a microfiber cloth to prevent water spots.
Even something as durable as stainless steel has its pitfalls. While these tend to be mainly aesthetic issues, such as stains, scratches, and heat tint, they’re also easy to avoid.
First off: Try to avoid abrasive cleaning products (such as bleach-based cleaners), steel wool, and harsh brushes when cleaning your pot or pan, as these can scratch the finish.
Second, always make sure to hand wash your pan. Even if your pan is labeled as dishwasher-safe, the harsh detergents can cause scratches and discoloration, as well as damage the aluminum layers in your pan—particularly if those layers are slightly exposed, like in our Stainless Clad cookware.
Thirdly, always make sure to salt your pan after heating it: Adding salt to a cold pan, or to water before it’s boiling, can lead to tiny divots in your pan known as pitting. While these don’t affect your pan’s performance, they can’t be removed. Read up on how to avoid pitting in our dedicated guide.
A good stainless steel pan will never let you down. And because we’ve seen everything this durable, versatile cookware can do—from searing a perfect steak to simmering chicken stock—we want to make sure you’re buying the right one.
Each piece of our Stainless Clad cookware is built from professional-grade materials, making for a restaurant-level cooking experience every time.
With so many brands, collections, and features to choose from, shopping for stainless steel cookware can be overwhelming.
Should you buy 3-ply or 5-ply, fully-clad or disc bottom, 18/10 or 18/0 steel? The list of decisions goes on and on.
Since stainless steel cookware is expensive and can last forever, it’s important to know what to look for and which features actually matter. You don’t want to get stuck with pricey cookware that you don’t love.
To help you make a wise investment, I’ll walk you through 15 common mistakes people make when buying stainless steel cookware and explain how to avoid them.
Use the links below to navigate the guide:
Don’t feel like reading? Watch me break down what to look for and the mistakes to avoid when shopping for stainless steel cookware:
The first mistake is buying the wrong type of stainless steel cookware.
Most people don’t realize that stainless steel pans are not made entirely of stainless steel. They mainly consist of aluminum or copper, encased by thin layers of stainless steel. The steel serves as a protective shell around the aluminum or copper core.
Fully-clad stainless steel pansStainless steel is durable and won’t rust or react with acidic foods, but it’s a terrible heat conductor. On the other hand, aluminum and copper are less durable, but they’re great heat conductors.
By bonding steel with aluminum or copper, you get the best of both worlds – a pan that heats evenly, lasts long, and can cook any ingredient.
Here’s where the mistake happens.
People who don’t understand how stainless steel cookware is made fall into the trap of buying disc-bottom pans instead of fully-cad pans.
Disc bottom stainless steel cookwareFully-Clad pans have the conductive core layer of aluminum or copper throughout the pan, including the sides. Disc Bottom cookware only has this conductive layer at the base.
There are two advantages of Fully-Clad cookware. Number 1, it distributes heat across the entire cooking surface more evenly. So if you’re sautéing vegetables and tossing them around in the pan, the bottom and sides will be the same temperature, and the food will cook evenly.
And two, it’s more durable since it’s the same thickness throughout. With fully-clad pans, you don’t have to worry about the disc separating from the bottom of the pan – which I’ve seen happen with disc bottom pans.
Fully clad cookware costs more upfront but performs better and lasts longer.
Similarly, you might see the terms 3-ply and 5-ply when shopping for stainless steel cookware. Ply refers to the number of bonded layers that make up each pan.
A huge mistake that people make is assuming more plys are better. The reality is that most stainless steel cookware is 3-ply with two layers of steel and a core layer of aluminum.
Fully-Clad Stainless Steel Pan Bonded LayersBut to get a leg up on the competition, some brands call their 3-ply cookware 5-ply. They get away with this because, technically, the core layer of aluminum is three sheets of metal – a middle sheet of aluminum alloy bonded to the steel by two layers of pure aluminum.
For example, this All-Clad D3 pan and this Made In pan have the same composition, but All-Clad calls it 3-ply, and Made In calls theirs 5-ply.
I go deeper into 3-ply vs. 5-ply cookware in this article, but the key point is that the number of plys doesn’t really matter. What matters is the materials of those plys and their thickness.
Related links:In the case of All-Clad D3 and Made In, the materials and thickness are the same, so despite the difference in name, there’s no significant difference in function.
Another mistake, which I just alluded to, is not paying attention to the thickness of the cookware.
It’s easy to make this mistake because most cookware brands don’t list thickness online. In most cases, you must call the manufacturer or go to the store to compare pans.
As a general rule, the thicker the cookware, the better. Thick cookware heats slower but more evenly, and it retains heat better. It’s also less likely to warp.
Demeyere Industry (left), Atlantis 7-ply (right)Controlling the heat is much more difficult with thinner pans. They heat up extremely fast, and it’s easy to burn food and smoke up your kitchen if you’re not paying attention.
Also, most electric stoves cycle the heat on and off to maintain a desired temperature. With thin pans that lose heat fast, the continuous cycling of heat can throw off your cooking. Thicker pans will maintain a more consistent temperature as the heat cycles on and off.
All-Clad Copper Core pan on an electric stoveLook for pans that are around 3 mm thick — All-Clad D3 and D5, Made In, Misen, and Heritage Steel are all around that size. Those will provide a good balance of thickness and weight. If you don’t mind a heavy pan, the Demeyere ProLine is one of the thickest I’ve used at 5.5 mm.
Speaking of weight, another mistake is buying pans that are too heavy. Thick, even heating pans are great, but if they’re too heavy to use comfortably, that’s a problem.
As you shop, think about not only the weight of the pan but also the added weight of food. This is especially important for pieces you’ll use for stove-to-oven meals, like skillets, saute pans, and shallow stock pots.
Most 12-inch stainless steel fry pans are around 3 pounds, but some, like the Demeyere ProLine, can be over 5 pounds. If you buy a heavy fry pan, make sure it has a second helper handle so you can easily move it with two hands.
Rounded handles seem like a great idea. When you pick up a pan with a round handle in the store, it feels comfortable and smooth, exactly what you want. But the problem is that rounded handles can be dangerous.
Rounded handleWhen you’re cooking, and your hands are wet and greasy, or you’re holding a towel or wearing an often mitt, your hands can easily slip.
Let’s say you’re pouring a saucepan full of hot pasta into a strainer; when you tilt the pot, you want your hand to remain secure so the handle doesn’t rotate and lead to a dangerous spill.
So instead of buying pans with rounded handles, look for pans with handles that are flatter or have a groove on top to secure your hand. Some good examples are Made In and Viking.
Made In cookware handleViking frying pan handleAll-Clad takes this to the extreme and has these cup-shaped handles that almost guarantee your hand won’t slip, but the downside is that they’re not as comfortable.
All-Clad handle designThere are two ways to attach handles to pans. Using rivets is the most common, but some handles are welded.
Riveted handles are durable and will never detach, but the area around the rivets can collect food and grease and is challenging to keep clean.
Viking cookware rivetsPans with welded handles have a smooth, uninterrupted cooking surface that’s easier to clean, but the handles are not as secure.
Demeyere Atlantis Rivetless InteriorI learned that the hard way when the welded handle of my Demeyere Atlantis fry pan broke off after a few months of use. I’m not saying this happens frequently, or you should avoid all pans with welded handles, but it’s a risk most people don’t consider.
Demeyere Broken HandleAnother mistake is not considering the finish. Polished stainless steel has a shiny, mirror-like finish. It has an aesthetically pleasing and traditional look, but smudges, fingerprints, and scratches are more noticeable.
All-Clad Copper Core polished exteriorOn the other hand, brushed stainless steel has a duller, matte finish that requires less maintenance to keep it looking new.
Made In brushed stainless steel exteriorStainless steel pans are often used for serving, so think about the look you want in your kitchen and dining rooms but also think about cleaning and maintenance.
Rims play an important role in the function of your cookware, and for most people, it’s an afterthought.
Pans with flared rims make drip-free pouring and sliding food from the pan to a plate easier. But pans with straight rims contain ingredients better because the walls are slightly higher.
Demeyere cookware flared rimsIf all else is equal, go with flared rims and avoid messes from liquid dripping down the sides.
Stainless steel pans have either steel or tempered glass lids.
Glass lids seem like a good idea since you can monitor your cooking without lifting the lid and letting heat and moisture escape. But in most cases, the steam fogs up the glass, so you need to lift the lid anyway.
Stainless Steel Saute Pan With LidIf you have the choice, go with stainless steel lids. There’s no risk of them breaking, and they’re easier to clean. With glass lids, food and grease can get stuck between the glass and the metal rim.
The grade of stainless steel directly impacts the cookware’s durability and performance.
The interior of most stainless steel pans is made of 300 series 18/10 stainless steel, an alloy containing 18% chromium and 10% nickel. These elements are essential for rust and corrosion resistance.
Brands like Heritage Steel and Hestan use titanium-enhanced steel for advanced durability.
Heritage Steel claims its 316Ti surface is 20 times more corrosion-resistant than typical 304-grade 18/10 steel. I’ve tested Heritage Steel thoroughly and haven’t noticed a substantial difference.
Hestan uses Molecular Titanium technology, bonding titanium nano-layers to 18/10 stainless steel. They claim this technology makes the surface 4X harder than standard steel. But again, I tested Hestan and have not noticed a significant improvement.
The key point is to look for cookware with 300 series 18/10 stainless steel interior. You can pay more for more advanced alloys, but the added benefit likely won’t make a major difference.
Look for pans with an exterior layer of 400-grade 18/0 steel. Specifically, look for 430 or 439-grade steel. These types of steel aren’t as corrosion-resistant as 300-grade 18/10, but they ensure the pan is compatible with all cooktops.
Avoid pans with an exterior made of 409-grade steel. This steel is cheaper but significantly less durable, with only 11% chromium content.
A common but simple mistake to correct is not considering the maximum oven-safe temperature.
Look for pans that can handle at least 500°F. You might not often push your oven to this limit, but for broiling and certain recipes, it’s a necessity.
Most brands exceed this standard. For example, All-Clad cookware is oven-safe up to 600°F, and Made In can withstand temperatures up to 800°F.
However, some brands aren’t oven safe up to 500°F. For example, Calphalon Premier stainless steel pans are only oven-safe up to 450°F.
So, why might some pans fall short of the 500-degree mark? The answer usually lies in their construction. For example, a non-stick coating will limit a pan’s temperature tolerance. Likewise, a handle with a rubber sleeve or other meltable materials can lower a pan’s oven-safe temperature.
Another common mistake is assuming all stainless steel cookware will work on your induction cooktop. But that’s not true.
For cookware to be induction-compatible, the bottom needs to be magnetic. Before you buy stainless steel pans, make sure the bottom layer is made of 18/0 steel or another type of magnetic steel.
A quick way to know if a pan will work on induction is to see if a magnet sticks to it. If it does, you’re good to go.
Purchasing a complete cookware set might seem like a good deal, but it’s often a mistake. The overall cost per item is less, but sets often include unnecessary sizes, extra lids, and pans you’ll never use.
Made In cookware setA smarter approach is to buy individual pieces. This way, you can pick the exact shapes and sizes you need and expand your collection over time. Another advantage to buying individual pieces is mixing brands.
For example, you might invest more in a high-quality frying pan that you’ll use daily and save on a large stock pot you’ll only use occasionally from a cheaper brand.
That said, sets that include essentials like a skillet, saucepan, and stock pot can be a good deal, especially if you’re starting from scratch. This Made In 6-piece starter set is one of the few I recommend.
Another mistake people make is buying cookware they don’t love to save money. I’m not suggesting you buy anything you can’t comfortably afford, but you should look at it as a lifetime investment. Stainless steel cookware can last for decades and is a product you’ll likely use daily.
So while I don’t recommend buying expensive non-stick cookware that you’ll need to replace, it makes sense to splurge a little on stainless steel and get something with the design, finish, and handles you’ll love.
You don’t want to be stuck with pans you don’t enjoy, and upgrading later will cost you even more.
It’s another reason I recommend buying individual pieces; you don’t need to spend a huge sum of money all at once.
On the flip side of that is overpaying. You don’t need to spend $200 on one All-Clad or Demeyere pan for great performance and durability.
Brands like Made In, Misen, Heritage Steel, and Tramontina use similar materials and construction processes but cost significantly less because they sell primarily online and avoid retail markups.
Read my reviews on each brand to learn more:
Shopping for stainless steel cookware can be stressful. But now that you know what to look for and the common mistakes to avoid, you’re ready to make a smart investment.
As you shop for stainless steel cookware, keep these principles in mind:
If you’re still confused about which stainless steel cookware to buy, check out the Prudent Reviews shop on Amazon. There you’ll find a list of our favorite stainless steel cookware brands, along with all the home products we recommend.
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