I’ve Been Using Abbio Cookware for Almost a Year — Here’s My Honest Review

Shopping for a set of pots and pans can be pretty overwhelming — especially because most of the time you can’t really “try them” on by taking them home and cooking in them. There are also a lot of direct-to-consumer cookware lines cropping up, which skip retail stores altogether and ship directly to you. One of these brands, Abbio, promises high quality at half the price of premium brands and a streamlined product line for ease of shopping. I’ve been using The Set for almost a year now (rather extensively, I should add!) to see if the pots deliver what they promise. Here are my honest thoughts.

The brand’s name is short for abbiocco, the Italian word for the happy, drowsy, and satisfied feeling you get after eating a big meal. Abbio only makes five products that they believe are the core pieces any kitchen needs, and focuses on simplicity and value rather than an extensive product line. Everything is made from tri-ply stainless steel and aluminum in China in the same facility that makes other brands of expensive cookware (although the actual names are secret). The nonstick pans are free of chemicals and can be used over high heat. Abbio also has a 30-day return policy (so you can kind of try them on) and a one-year guarantee.

Abbio is not sold in stores and is only available for purchase from the brand’s website. You can buy each of the five pieces separately, or save $90 buy purchasing them all together in what they call The Set. The Set includes the following:

• Large 11-Inch Nonstick Skillet, $77
• Small 8-Inch Nonstick Skillet, $67
• 2.3-Quart Sauce Pan with Lid, $67
• 3.5-Quart Sauté Pan with Lid, $79
• 6-Quart Stock Pot with Lid, $87

All purchases come with a silicone hot pad (in your choice of color), which I’ve been loving because it can withstand hot, hot temps and won’t scratch my table like metal trivets do. The Set arrived in minimal packaging: one box with tissue paper, and the cookware was placed in canvas bags before they were nestled into each other. There were no packing peanuts or bubble wrap to have to dispose of, which I appreciated, and this minimal packaging showed that they were confident that their products are heavy duty enough to handle jostling from shipping.

Buy: Abbio The Set, $287

After cooking with the set for almost a year, here’s what I think of Abbio.

• The nonstick skillets continue to work impressively well, with the eight-inch being great for morning eggs, and the bigger one for searing fish, both of which slid out of the pan flawlessly. (A lot of other nonstick cookware would have lost its nonstick-y-ness by now.) I found them comparable to the nonstick Calphalon pans (not tri-ply) that I’ve used forever, but the Abbio nonsticks are a bit steep in price if you purchase them individually.
• What I didn’t like is that the large nonstick pan is not a standard 12-inch size. The Abbio pan measures 11 inches across, but the flat part of the pan measures only 8 1/2 inches wide. I would prefer more surface area at the bottom for searing and steeper sides instead.
• None of the included lids in the Abbio set will fit on the nonsticks and none of my other lids that I already had on hand fit either. If you like making shakshuka or other dishes requiring a lid, you’ll have to figure that out separately or use makeshift lids that might not seal as well.

• The saucepan is great for boiling a few eggs or making sauces, a package of ramen, or a small batch of morning oatmeal. I like the flared sides that make it easy to pour out liquids with minimal dripping. It’s a bit on the small side, though, and if I only had one saucepan, I would prefer a bigger one that holds at least 3 quarts.
• The sauté pan is great for sautéed vegetables or making pasta sauce, and works great in any recipes requiring a large, straight-sided skillet.
• The stockpot is heavy-duty enough that it could probably double as a Dutch oven in a pinch, as it can go in the oven. I do find the 6-quart size a bit small for making stock, though, so I would qualify this more like a soup or pasta pot than a stockpot. It’s great for cooking a pound of pasta, but I wouldn’t cook more than that at once due to its size.
• These pans did develop a slight residue after washing, which Abbio addresses in their FAQs: “Depending on your dishwasher model and local water source, some dishwasher cycles may result in residue on the cookware. But these spots are harmless and will not affect the performance of your cookware.” After a few months, I didn’t notice the residue anymore on the saucepan, which I used frequently.

This is a good set for a starter or small kitchen: You get pretty much everything you need to do a wide range of cooking. All the pieces are very durable and oven-safe, and if you’re type of person who likes to throw everything in the dishwasher, Abbio says you can go right ahead and do so. This line of cookware will definitely will last you for years to come and is a good value since it’s at a lower price point than brands like All-Clad.

Have you tried Abbio? Let us know in the comments below!