The Best Cookware Brands in 2024, Tested by Editors

A good pan should be able to take some abuse. After all, most of us don’t cook with the same elegance as, say, a Michelin-caliber chef. We operate a little more like the Swedish chef from Sesame Street. So, it pays to have something that can deal with the punches. Hestan does that and more, offering sleek design as well.

The titanium stainless steel cookware is set up with a special technology that basically creates a forcefield atop the cooking surface. That means it won’t get scratched up or stained, and look good as new years down the road (although a tad spotty in terms of heat). Made in Italy, this cookware heats up quickly and can be thrown in the dishwasher when all is said and done.

Read more: Cool Kitchen Gadgets

Cuisinart is a household cookware name for a reason: the brand has been turning out reliable products for more than a half-century. While it’s known for bringing the food processor to pop culture, it’s also behind some great cookware. The pots and pans in the brand’s portfolio blend smart features with a touch of class (we see you, curved handles).

Generally, the cookware excels and offering non-stick surfaces that cook both efficiently an evenly. The items tend to be lighter in weight as well, making them easier to use in the kitchen. The bumps on the inside of the cookware where handles join can be a chore to fully clean from time to time, but aside from that, there’s very little to complain about.

Pros

• Copper
• Clever design
• Great heat distribution

Want to cook with art? Mauviel is where it’s at, a brand behind some of the most eye-catching cookware on the market. This is especially true of its copper cookware, something the French company has become famous for. These pieces are showstoppers and can’t be tucked away in drawers (you’ll want to hang them proudly for all to see).

Copper looks cool but it’s also a great culinary tool. The metal offers tremendous conductivity and heat control, while offering that special shimmer it alone only can. The stainless steel interiors are a synch to clean and the organic rims offer a great surface to pour out of. It’s easy to see why pro chefs have counted on Mauviel for many generations, and counting.

Pros

• Great heat retention
• Incredible aesthetic
• Smart design

Made in America, FINEX is responsible for some of the coolest, highest-functioning cast iron cookware. It’s rustic and modern all at once, boasting a signature style (those geometric shapes) and coiled handles that cool quickly. The individual products are very sophisticated, from griddles that span two burners perfectly to petite pans that can make restaurant-quality reductions.

The lineup can handle high heat and transition cleanly from stovetop to oven and back. And about the shape? The added sides are a plus, offering more opportunities to pour off excess liquid with ease. You can start with a grill pan or Dutch oven but in the end, you’re going to want to collect everything FINEX makes.

Le Creuset practically single-handedly made cooking fun and radiant again (we’ll hand some credit to food television too). The French company, which will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2025, has become synonymous with not only great enameled cast-iron options but dazzling colors. Julia Child endorsed the stuff, need we say more?

Well, we will. There’s a classic feel to the wares, from the ergonomic design to the rimmed lids. We love the oversized handles (especially when you’re donning an oven mitt or two) and the sharply-designed lid offers. If slow-cooking is your thing, Le Creuset is at your service. And the lineup will brighten up your kitchen and table with a near-endless offering of color choices.

The lineup from Made In comes in a nice color palette and can truly handle the heat. These babies are engineered to withstand temperatures as high as 580 degrees, which is pretty impressive and separates the Made In family from the rest of the pack.

The brand’s cookware is versatile too, coming in just about every form. They make quality stainless steel, enameled cast-iron, nonstick, carbon steel, and copper options. We like the modern feel of this cookware, which touts reinforced bottoms for lasting durability. It’s no wonder top chefs and outlets like Food Network and more are singing the praises of Made In. They’re not the cheapest on the lot, but they’re far from overly expensive, and considering what you get, the value can’t be overlooked.

UK outfit Joseph Joseph just dropped at Space cookware collection in the US this spring. Devised by city-dwelling chefs over a five-year research and development phase, the set is finally out and it’s worth the wait. Touting thirteen essential pieces, the cookware in engineered with patented design tech that allows pieces to break down and stow in tighter spaces with ease. They even nest together, meaning the use of some 50% less space than the average cookware set. Attention small kitchen users: Joseph Joseph is your sous chef.

There’s even more to like, from the 20-year warranty to the non-toxic coatings. The set does just fine in the oven and the tempered glass lids are ideal for those who like to keep an eye on what’s simmering. And even the lid handles fold in for the utmost in efficient use of space.

Pros

• Even heat distribution
• Easy to clean
• Great in all cooking environments

Cooking with ceramic is a joy and that’s what this brand specializes in. Many of the pieces are made from sustainable materials and the combination of prime cooking surface and smooth heat distribution is hard to beat. The work of Chinese artisans, the cookware from Xtrema honors age-old traditions while high-functioning enough to deal with the many culinary approaches of today, from grill and open-flame preparation to stovetop cooking and even reheating in the microwave.

Ceramic cooking is often faster too, as the things come to temperature quicker (and often hold heat longer). They’re surprisingly durable and the ultra-smooth surfaces are all the easier to keep clean. And while ceramic cookware is generally seen as quite heavy, you’ll be surprised at how much lighter these pieces are than, say, cast iron.

What Else to Consider

A simple frying pan or Dutch oven will allow you to get by but the best cookware brands offer a bit more. It’s important to consider certain features, like volume, material, and design. Good ratings and name brands can offer some insurance, but you also want to make sure the cookware works for you on a personal level. Somebody living solo in a tiny apartment in New York probably has different cookware needs than a father of two in a sprawling house with a newly-renovated kitchen.

Look for the pieces you’ll use most, like frying pans, pots big enough to boil pasta or make soup, or baking ware if that’s your thing. Think about the ingredients you cook with and what might accent that (as in a nice nonstick pan if you like making eggs in the morning) or something that can both sear and broil if you like to keep enjoying things you would normally grill, even in the offseason.