Whether you're putting together your first apartment kitchen or wanting to upgrade your mismatched pans to a more cohesive collection, a full set of cookware is a solid investment. It takes the guesswork out of picking out the pieces you need and is often a much better value than buying one piece at a time. Classic stainless steel is the material of choice for both amateur and professional cooks because of its durability, superior ability to brown meats, and oven-proof capabilities—you can go straight from stovetop to broiler.

Vintage Range Non-stick Forged Aluminum Cookware Set

While stainless steel pans can require a little more elbow grease to remove stuck-on food, proper maintenance can keep them looking practically new for their entire lifespan.

To find the best stainless steel cookware sets, we've tested dozens of the top-rated cookware sets alongside each other to see how they really perform. During each test, we evaluated the design, durability, heating capabilities, versatility, and ease of cleaning for every pot. We also placed our favorites into our test and home kitchens to see how they held up over time.