All the Best Cookware We’ve Tested (As Low As $23)

Every home cook should have a cast-iron Dutch oven in their kitchen. As much as we love Le Creuset and Staub’s models, the great news is you don’t have to splurge to own a good one. Senior Commerce Editor Ian loves Tramontina’s 3.5-quart Dutch oven, writing, “The cast-iron construction ensures even heating and excellent heat retention, while the off-white porcelain enamel interior finish makes for a practically nonstick surface when in use.” On the outside, the pot is scratch-resistant and compatible with gas, electric, ceramic, and induction cooktops, not to mention oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit!

Although we’ll always recommend Our Place's Always Pan as a versatile piece of cookware for anyone with a cluttered kitchen, this similar nonstick pan designed by Drew Barrymore offers nearly all the same features at a fraction of the cost. It has tall sides to reduce splatter, a removable steaming basket, and a lightweight construction that makes cleaning easy for everyone. Contributor Meg wrote in her review that she uses it consistently to cook a variety of meals. “I started with pancakes, and I was shocked by how little butter I needed to cook them properly,” she noted. “I moved on to diner-style home fries, assuming they wouldn’t get the crispy edges I love, but the Hero Pan’s cast aluminum construction blew me away with the evenness of the browning.” Chicken breasts, steamed salmon and vegetables, scallops, and omelets also turned out beautifully thanks to this pan.

You can use this medium-size grill pan from Our Place for indoor and outdoor cooking, and yes, it's available in all of the brand’s traditional shades. It allows you to obtain all the good flavors of an outdoor grill without having to go outdoors — a huge win in the winter months or for people who don’t have a patio. “I have truly enjoyed the time I’ve spent with this pan!” wrote Cory, our associate food editor. “The ridges of the grill pan not only created visually appealing grill marks on the flank steaks I prepared, but it also helped provide a good amount of flavorful char to the steaks.” He also coated the pan with olive oil to toast bread for perfect panini-style slices.

When you’ve got a big batch of cooking to do, this nonstick stockpot is worthy of the task, whether we’re talking stock, soups, pastas, or stews. Thanks to its wide bottom, you can sauté ingredients before you add liquids, meaning you’ll have one less pot to wash, not to mention a less crowded stovetop. “Looking into the interior of the pot, you’d never know that I’ve had this for two years,” wrote contributor Rachel in her review of the pot. “The nonstick coating is still glistening, and signs of deterioration are minimal at best. Compared to the nonstick coating on my saucepan (not an All-Clad), which chipped significantly after only a year of occasional use, the stockpot is pretty impressive.” The best part? It comes with a multipurpose insert for steaming and straining.

Unlike some deep cast-iron ovens, Misen’s braiser sports a wide, shallow shape, which is perfect for quick, even heating. You can cook so many different cuisines inside its chip-resistant walls, both on the stove and in the oven, making it highly versatile — a feature Ian praised. “This braiser isn’t just for braising,” he wrote. “I use it for pretty much everything: eggs and bacon in the morning, boiling pasta, and making a quick pan sauce for lunch, and as (of course) a braiser for dinner. Just pop it on the stove while your oven preheats, sear your meats, sweat your veggies, add your braising liquid — beer, for me — and gently nestle in your protein so just the surface is exposed. Then pop the lid on, toss it in the oven (it’s safe up to 500º F), and go about your day!” What’s more, the braiser is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanups.

It's common knowledge that copper is a master at conducting and distributing heat, but you probably didn't know that it can also be super easy to care for. Material’s coated pan proves that, thanks in large part to its nonstick coating. This 10.5-inch piece is, in fact, highly practical for daily use, and it looks beautiful, too. “I cooked pancakes without any oil or butter in the pan, and they cooked perfectly golden and even, with no sticking,” wrote contributor Danielle. “I also fried up a bunch of eggs and made omelets and crepes, and they all slid out perfectly. When frying tofu, not a single cube stuck, and they cooked up crisp and evenly golden from the center to the very edge of the pan.” If there's one thing to splurge on, this is it.

Another piece that combines beauty and function? Caraway’s roasting pan, which you’ll definitely find yourself putting to work during the holiday season and beyond. Ian enjoys the fact that the pan is spacious, but not too big. “It has a good weight to it, too, so you won’t have to worry about it sliding around on the stove, but it isn’t too heavy like a big piece of cast iron,” he wrote. “It easily fits a spatchcocked chicken, even when placed widthwise. If you have a massive bird for Thanksgiving, this might be a touch tight, but for small and medium turkeys, you’ll be in business.”

Our editors describe this cast-iron skillet as possessing all of the qualities you love about both traditional cast-iron and nonstick cookware, and few (if any) of the things you don’t love. “In an especially proud moment, I made clean-out-the-fridge bibimbap for dinner,” Shopping Director Jada wrote. “I used the skillet as if it were a hot stone pot that dolsot bibimbap usually comes in — and wow, it was game-changing. The skillet was still hot when I brought it from the stove to the table, so it kept cooking the dish and by the end of dinner, my husband and I ended up with a layer of crunchy, flavorful rice that rivaled our favorite Korean restaurant’s version.” There's also very little cleaning to speak of; the skillet releases food with ease, so you won't have to scrape and scrub.

You might know Quince for its quality bedding and travel gear, but the brand also makes durable and relatively affordable cookware, too. Case in point: the 5-ply stainless steel saucepan, which Commerce Editorial Assistant Morgan said is comparable to All-Clad’s model — but for $50 less. “I use it nearly every day,” she wrote of the saucepan. “Its size has been absolutely perfect for me, as I’m usually cooking individual portions for myself. It also makes cleanup less time-consuming, and it takes up minimal space in my cabinet. However, after a couple of days, this piece started living permanently on my stovetop. I don’t mind, because in addition to how often I use it, it also looks totally gorgeous.”

Le Creuset’s fish baker is a gorgeous, oblong-shaped baking dish that features a lid embossed with a fish motif. It holds about 2 pounds of fish, and you can still snuggle in some veggies on the side. Best of all, ridges along the bottom help elevate the fish — and any other foods you cook inside — which allows for a more even bake and prevents the fish from sitting in its own drippings for a perfectly flaky, non-soggy filet. “I’ve loved how much Le Creuset’s fish baker has simplified my cooking and that it’s able to consistently create perfectly juicy, flavorful fish dishes,” wrote contributor Wendy in her review. “It makes for an impressive presentation that my husband and I enjoy when dining on our own but also when we have guests over.”

For those who are short on space and need maximum versatility and storage, Staub's stackable cookware is it. The set comes with a 5.25-quart Dutch oven, 3.5-quart braiser, 10-inch grill pan, and a universal lid that sits tightly on all three pieces. “The braiser is great for braises, obviously,” wrote Lisa, our former executive lifestyle director. “In addition, I’ve also been using mine as a skillet and a sauté pan, too.” She used the grill pan to whip up turkey burgers, bacon, fish, sausages, and even grilled cheese, noting that the pan’s high sides help contain grease and splatter. Really, there’s no piece in this set from which you won’t get plenty of use.”

Life's too short for boring sheet pans. Thank goodness for the Holy Sheet! It’s been all over the internet for a reason: It’s really that good. “I got one and have been using it nearly every day ever since, roasting all kinds of roots and crucifers, making sheet pan dinners, and baking cookies, scones, and biscuits,” reads Danielle's review. “The fact that the Holy Sheet can go head-to-head with these high-quality commercial sheets — and bring the bright, bold, super-fun color to boot — means it’s become my absolute favorite.”

We’re aware that we’ve described most products on this list as “versatile,” but there’s perhaps no piece of cookware that’s quite as multifunctional as a frying pan — so long as you invest in a good one made of the right materials. That’s where Zwilling’s stainless steel and ceramic pan comes in. “With a thick, aluminum core, this pan heats up fast and particularly evenly, and the flared rim makes pouring sauces or liquids (or bacon fat!) easy,” Ian wrote in his review. “Plus, the design makes it super easy to grip, even while wearing oven mitts.” Additionally, the nonstick pan is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and the glass lid is good in the oven up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Another humble but highly practical saucepan you can’t overlook is the one from Stanley Tucci’s GreenPan collection. Cory used both the 2-quart and 4-quart saucepans regularly to make rice, boil pasta, and more. “Although you could easily heat up a canned soup or chili in this saucepan, I chose to make homemade sushi rice,” he wrote of the 2-quart size. “At first, I was afraid that the pan would be too small to properly cook the rice, but it ended up absorbing the flavor perfectly and wasn’t overcooked or mushy.” Read his review of the entire collection here.

Although this baking dish is surprisingly inexpensive, our editors found it to be their favorite glass casserole dish of all. It earned that ranking because it performs so well and is designed to be easy to use. Because it's made with borosilicate glass, you don't have to worry about breaking it if you take it straight from the freezer to a hot oven. Its lightweight construction also makes it comfortable to hold when you're washing or carrying it. The dish’s BPA-free lid is not oven- or broiler-safe, so it’s best used for the freezer or for transporting your casserole to a potluck.