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What are the best cookware sets under $300?

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Dec 30, 2018

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Here’s the Deal

3 Options Considered

Best cookware sets under $300	Price	Weight	Material
-- Cuisinart MCP-12N Multiclad Pro	$236.99	26 lbs	Stainless steel 18/10 and 18/0?
-- Duxtop SSIB-17 Professional	$249.99	35.4 lbs	Stainless steel 18/10
-- Scanpan Induction Plus 6 Piece Non-Stick	$299.95	14 lbs	Squeeze cast aluminum

Cuisinart MCP-12N Multiclad Pro

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Top Pro

Evenly heats the bottom and walls of the vessel

This set is Tri-ply whole-clad: the aluminum is sandwiched between steel to increase heat transmission, and it goes all through the pan up to the edges. This lets the pan heat up quickly and cooks the food not only from the bottom up, but also through the walls. See More

Top Con

No medium-sized pot

The set does not include a medium-sized pot: there are a 3-quart saucepan and an 8-quart stockpot, but there is no pot in the 4.5-5.5-quart range. See More

Specs

Material:Stainless steel 18/10 and 18/0?

Dishwasher safe:Yes

Oven compatible:Yes

Top Pro

Versatile set, covering most cooking needs

The Cuisinart MCP-12N set includes 12 pieces for everyday use: 2 fry pans (8 and 10-inch), a sauté pan (3.5-quart) with a helper handle and a lid, 2 saucepans (1.5 and 3-quart) with lids, a stockpot (8-quart) with a lid, a steamer basket with a lid. See More

Top Con

Takes more effort to clean than non-stick cookware

Stainless steel can discolor if overheated or have some stuck-on food after cooking. It takes more time and effort to clean than non-stick cookware. However, food can be removed by soaking the pans in water and scrubbing and scrubbing, while stains can be removed by using a cleanser. See More

Top Pro

Drip-free pouring and sealed-in steam

The pots and pans in this set have a flared lip, which serves two purposes. First, it makes pouring less messy and more precise.Second, the stainless steel lids fit inside the lip very tightly and seal in the steam when cooking. See More

Top Con

Lid handles get hot easily

The lids are made of stainless steel, so the heat transfers to the metal handles easily and they can become very hot. It is recommended to always lift the lids with an oven mitt or a dishcloth. See More

Top Pro

Durable and long-lasting set

The set can withstand heavy use - the cooking surface is made from high-quality stainless steel (grade 18/10) and is resistant to scratches and rust. However, as with all stainless steel pans, wooden or plastic utensils are recommended for increased longevity. The outside is a little bit less durable: the manufactuer does not disclose the steel grade used for the outside and does not mark it as being 18/10. Most probably it is 18/0, without any nickel content, to strengthen the magnetic properties of the pans (for use on induction stovetops), but it is not confirmed by the manufacturer. See More

Duxtop SSIB-17 Professional

Top Pro

Very good for cooks that need versatility

This Duxtop set includes all the pieces that a home cook might need: 2 fry pans (8 and 10-inch), a sauté pan (5.5-quart) with a helper handle and a lid, 2 saucepans (1.6 and 2.5-quart) with lids, a casserole (4.2-quart) with a lid, a stockpot (8.6-quart) with a lid, a boiler basket, a steamer basket, 3 pieces of stainless steel kitchen utensils (a serving spoon, a slotted turner and a 2-prong fork). See More

Top Con

Takes more effort to clean than non-stick cookware

Stainless steel can discolor if overheated or have some stuck-on food after cooking. It takes more time and effort to clean than non-stick cookware. However, food can be removed by soaking the pan in water and scrubbing, while stains can be removed by using a cleanser. See More

Specs

Weight:35.4 lbs

Material:Stainless steel 18/10

Dishwasher safe:Yes

Electric stovetop compatible:Yes

Top Pro

Extremely durable, lasts for a long time

Made of high-quality 18/10 stainless steel, this set can withstand heavy everyday use. The cooking surface is resistant to scratches - the set even includes metal utensils. However, as with all stainless steel pans, using wooden or plastic utensils are recommended for increased longevity. See More

Top Con

No lids for frying pans included

This set does not include the lids for the frying pans. The lid from the stockpot fits the 10-inch pan enough to protect from the splatter, but it is not tightly fitted. See More

Top Pro

Cooking surface heats evenly

Due to the encapsulated, impact-bonded, heavy-gauge aluminum base, every pot and pan in this set heats up quickly and evenly with no hot spots. Impact-bonded base means that the aluminum has been heated up to the melting point, then bonded to the bottom of the pan using very high pressure. This method has two main advantages as opposes to brazing (gluing with a brazing powder). First, it greatly diminishes the likelihood of the disc base separating from the pan. Second, the liquid aluminum spreads evenly and reaches the outer edges of the pan, so there are no cold spots along the cooking surface's inner edges. See More

Top Con

Pots take longer to heat up than whole-clad cookware

The pots are not whole-clad, the aluminum disc is attached to the base only. This means that the heat mainly comes from the bottom of the pot and does not transmit well through the walls. See More

Top Pro

Easy to measure water/sauce level in the pots

The pots and pans in this set have measuring marks on the inside walls, so there is no need to use a measuring cup for liquid ingredients. See More

Top Pro

No need to lift the lids to check on food

This set includes glass lids so there's no need to lift them to check on the food and lose heat or steam. The lids are also oven safe up to the 550° F, the same as the pots. See More

Scanpan Induction Plus 6 Piece Non-Stick

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Very good for use with induction stovetops

The Scanpan Induction Plus cookware line is especially made for cooking on induction stovetops (though it can be used on a stovetop of any other kind). There are not a lot of other non-stick pans that are induction-ready, let alone made for this technology. See More

Top Con

A basic set, not a lot of pans

For the quite high price of $299.95 this set includes only 6 pieces: 2 fry pans (8 and 10.25-inch), a saucepan (3.5-quart) with a lid and a Dutch oven (6.5-quart) with a lid. It is enough for basic cooking, but for a bigger meal you might need to get additional pieces. See More

Specs

Material:Squeeze cast aluminum

Dishwasher safe:Yes

Electric stovetop compatible:Yes

Top Pro

Resistant to scratches

Due to the hardened ceramic titanium coating, the cooking surface in these pans is much more resistant to scratches than traditional Teflon non-stick pans. The maker claims that metal utensils can be used on this surface without any problems; however, wooden or plastic utensils will assure extended longevity. See More

Top Con

Should not be stacked, so can take up a lot of room

These pans should not be stacked because the cooking surface might get scratched by the aluminum bottom. If stacking is necessary, a dishcloth or other kind of separator should be used. See More

Top Pro

Non-stick coating made without toxic PFOA

Unlike most non-stick cookware, Scanpan Induction Plus series contains no potentially toxic PFOA or PFOS in the cooking surface coating. There are other PFOA-free cookware brands, but Scanpan claims to have eliminated this chemical from the manufacturing process altogether. PTFE (the polymer that actually creates non-stick surface) is compounded with the ceramic titanium coating to prevent peeling or blistering. See More

Top Pro

Can handle high heat

The pans in this set can handle up to 500° F (glass lids included) and are oven safe. See More

Top Pro

Dishwasher safe

This set is dishwasher safe, though frequent cycles may make the coating less non-stick. See More

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