VICE may receive a commission if you buy products through the links on our site. Read more here.
Shopping

The Best Pans and Cookware Sets (for When You Can’t Afford Le Creuset)

Our editors pick the best cookware sets, ranging from the super-affordable to the most bang-for-your-buck from Cuisinart, Made In, Caraway, and more.
The 10 Best Affordable Cookware Sets
Photo: Getty Images

At some point—usually sometime between college and when you start to dress like your parents—each home cook must take a deep look at themselves their cookware bullpen and make the necessary (and sometimes painful) decision to upgrade. The ragtag collection of pots, pans, and skillets you’ve picked up along the way has served you well (and kept your glory days alive), but, eventually, it’s time to get rid of the scratched-to-hell sauté pan that’s been the battered hero of your range for the past decade, to say nothing of the POS wok your ex left behind three years ago. (Cooking in it every day won’t bring her back—sorry.)

Advertisement

Investing in a new cookware set can be liberating—not only does it feel amazing to cook out of clean, attractive, new gear, but it’s also an important psychological step in evolving as a home cook. Like a fly new jacket or sick pair of shoes, killer cookware just makes you feel more confident, which is important everywhere, but especially in the kitchen. Luckily, whether you’re asking for new cookware as a gift, saving pennies in a jar, or just dumping your whole tax refund—lucky you!—you can really knock it all out in one smart purchase… if you listen to us, that is. 

This list of the best affordable cookware sets is divided up into two groups. The “more is more” group is full of classic, time-honored brands and pieces that combine into Optimus Prime can handle basically any kitchen task. These lower-priced sets tend to have seven to 11 pieces and are meant to contain everything you’d need for a full, parent-approved kitchen, from frying and sauté pans to stock pots and saucepans. These sets are usually some combination of non-stick, hard-anodized aluminum, porcelain, or ceramic, and they tend to value substance over style in order to be dependable, low-priced workhorses that’ll have your back with anything you cook.

On the other end, the “less is more” sets tend to have fewer pieces, but ones that are designed to handle many tasks (and look beautiful while doing it) These brands and products often have more technologically advanced builds, like the Always Pan’s ceramic-and-aluminum makeup, or Made In’s blue carbon steel.

Advertisement

Whether you’re really looking for some new affordable cookware, or you just want a kick in the ass to help you get over your ex (the one who left the wok), there’s something below that will suit your needs. 

The best complete cookware sets

GreenPan

While it’s hard to believe you could actually score a large set of cookware from GreenPan for a little over $100, it’s even more shocking to find out that these puppies (aka pots and pans) slap. Part of GreenPan’s Hudson Ceramic line, the whole kit is currently 50% off and features quick-heating aluminum bodies with a non-toxic ceramic nonstick coating. Food slides right off of these puppies while still being able to get a good sear, which makes it a breeze to clean. A friend recently scooped up this eight-piece set in Merlot, which is a really gorgeous, almost-chocolate dark burgundy. 

$149.99$74.50 at Amazon
$219.99$109.99 at GreenPan
$149.99$74.50 at Amazon
$219.99$109.99 at GreenPan

Cuisinart 

If you’ve just taken inventory of your mismatched pots and pans after years of hand-me-downs and decided, “Now’s the time to become an adult and start hosting dinner parties,” then you can’t go wrong with this 11-piece stainless steel set from Cuisinart. The majority of professional kitchens are using stainless steel cookware because it heats evenly and lasts a lifetime. Stainless steel doesn't discolor over time, and has no coating to react or interfere with food flavors. On top of being oven- and dishwasher-safe, this set also has a literal lifetime warranty.  

Advertisement
$159.99 at Amazon
$179.95 at Cuisinart
$159.99 at Amazon
$179.95 at Cuisinart

Rachael Ray

We all love Rachael Ray for her Ray-isms, having popularized kitchen slang staples like “EVOO,” “sammy,” and (unfortunately) “yum-o,” and if you’ve ever watched one of her cooking shows, you’ll notice she’s actually using her own line (not, say, fancy Le Creuset while she slings lower-priced goods that she doesn’t back). Ray’s 12-piece collection comes in seven different color options to match any decor and is crafted with durable aluminum and hard enamel porcelain exteriors that can take a beating, all for under $150.


$169.99$124.92 at Amazon

$169.99$124.92 at Amazon

Calphalon

Calphalon has been crafting high-quality cookware since 1963, and founder Ronald M. Kasperzak is actually credited with “inventing hard-anodized aluminum cookware in 1968, using a process adopted from the aerospace industry that makes cookware more durable and resistant to corrosion and warping,” according to the brand. The newest iteration of this 10-piece set features AquaShield nonstick technology that keeps pans performing like new for 40% longer. 

$239.99$198 at Amazon
$239.99 at Calphalon
$239.99$198 at Amazon
$239.99 at Calphalon

T-Fal

We’re gonna go ahead and call this the “overachiever set”. Do you need 17 pieces of cookware to be able to produce a stunning meal? Absolutely not—but if you have extra space for a square griddle, four frying plans (including the “1 Egg Wonder” pan), three saucepans, a sauté pan, and a Dutch oven with a steamer insert, then who are we to stop you? Not only does T-Fal cookware heat incredibly evenly, it also has a “Thermo Spot” indicator ring that turns red once pans are perfectly preheated.

Advertisement
$199.99 at Amazon
$365$199.99 at Wayfair
$199.99 at Amazon
$365$199.99 at Wayfair

OXO Good Grips

We’ve already waxed poetic about OXO as a whole and why it’s an amazing kitchen goods brand, and its cookware continues to prove that point. While it has an entire 10-piece set of pots and pans that feature a “three-layer, German-engineered nonstick coating for years of performance using less oil,” sometimes you don’t need the whole kit ‘n’ kaboodle—it’s really just your pans that need replacing. This set of three fry pans—in eight-, 10-, and 12-inch sizes, features the same reliable nonstick coating and has a 4.7-out-of-five star rating on Amazon, with almost 15,000 reviews.


$111.17 at Amazon

$111.17 at Amazon

More of our favorite cookware brands

Made In

We like to begin every Made In mention by saying that we love this brand. That’s because it’s really true—from its ultra-sharp knives to its handsome carbon steel griddles, we stan. The nonstick carbon fry set comprises three carbon steel bangers, so if high-heat cooking on the range or grill is your thing, that’s the right package for you. Alternatively, if you’re more of a sauté (regular food) master, the nonstick frying pan set is a classic and super versatile choice. 


$387$349 at Made In

$387$349 at Made In

$284$184 at Made In

$284$184 at Made In

All-Clad

All-Clad’s saucepan alone is an amazing, pro-level tool, but the thought of having the brand’s three-layer, bonded stainless steel fry pan and sauté pan as well feels almost too exciting.

Advertisement

$500$399.95 at Williams Sonoma

$500$399.95 at Williams Sonoma

Caraway

Caraway’s beautiful, timeless ceramic cookware constitutes probably 75% of what VICE kitchen and cookware writer Adam Rothbarth uses to cook food on his stove. In addition to having all the classic points that modern cookware should have (non-toxic, nonstick, conducts heat well), these bad boys are insanely easy to clean. This quartet of cookware is on the higher end of our price spectrum (it’s currently on sale for $395, which is actually an unreal price for the value), and it’s worth twice that, easily. Treat yourself and jump on this deal.


$545$395 at Caraway

$545$395 at Caraway

Our Place

Our Place’s iconic Always Pan—painstakingly hype-confirmed by our fearless editorial director—is one of the most beloved pans in the game, and its hefty cousin the Perfect Pot is a stovetop workhorse. Between these high-performance, non-toxic and nonstick cookware GOATs, you can really do anything: baking, frying, sauteing, boiling, and more. The combo of the Always Pan and the Perfect Pot is “designed to replace a 16-piece cookware set,” according to the site—and that number is no exaggeration; they really can do (just about) everything.


$310$250 at Our Place

$310$250 at Our Place

In the words of the Iron Chef Chairman, "Allez! Cuisine!" 


The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals?Sign up for our newsletter.