What Is The Best Cookware? Our Step-By-Step Guide Tells You How To Find It
The best cookware search begins here
Choosing the best cookware for yourself or indeed for a friend or loved one is a difficult job. Your choice will ultimately depend on a combination of factors including price, material and of course your individual cooking habits.
One of the things which cannot be understated is the difference between the right and wrong decision. The right decision will give you hours and hours of cooking enjoyment in the kitchen, with the ability to streamline your cooking routine and show off your new equipment to like minded guests.
On the other hand, the wrong decision can leave a sour taste in your mouth in more ways than one. Faulty cookware or cookware that doesn’t live up to your expectations will burn a whole in your wallet and produce bad tasting food to add insult to injury.
With that in mind, take a few minutes to go through the following process and choose the best cookware for your needs. Proper research now will no doubt save you a lot of heartache down the road.
Choose your desired material
The way your cookware will cook your food is all down to the material, or specifically metal, that it is made from. Some materials cost more than others, some weigh more and some have better heat distribution.
Some are easier to clean while others will generally last longer.
The 4 main types are cast iron, stainless steel, hard anodized and non-stick – although you will find that some categories overlap from time to time. For example most hard anodized cookware is also non-stick or vice versa.
Scroll down for a more general overview of each type and click on the links in each section to get a more detailed overview of the type of cookware concerned.
Cast-iron cookware
Perhaps the most traditional of all cookware materials, cast-iron cookware is the best out of all of them at retaining heat and keeping your food warmer for longer.
Of course, the downside is that the food takes longer to warm up in the first place, but if you enjoy cooking meals that require steady, low cooking temperatures then this line may be for you.
The fact that heat retention is so high with cast-iron cookware also makes it deal for outdoor cooking, whether it be in your own backyard or on a camping trip where keeping food warm is more important without the convenience of electricity.
Advantages and disadvantages of cast iron
- Perfect for cooking outdoors where the ambient temperature can fluctuate.
- Will last a long time - practically forever if cared for properly.
- Even non-enameled varieties can also take on non-stick attributes with proper seasoning.
- Cast-iron cookware is heavy, perhaps too heavy for some people.
- Can start to rust with time (see proper care instructions).
- Acidic foods can break down seasoning, adding an unpleasant metallic taste to food.
Want to know more? Read our cast iron cookware buying guide!
Stainless steel cookware
Cookware made from stainless steel is lighter and easier to use than the cast iron variety, but it still retains vital strength and durability.
It is also easy to clean and does not suffer from corrosion, nor will your food ever end up tasting metallic.
As far as price is concerned, the amount you will have to fork (get it? 
) out will vary greatly on quality.
Basic stainless steel cookware is not a terribly good conductor of heat and as a result, the food will not cook evenly. There is a solution at hand if you are willing to spend a little extra money, and it is called encapsulated stainless steel cookware.
Advantages and disadvantages of stainless steel
- Easy to clean and usually dishwasher safe. Best results always come from hand washing however.
- Better value for money - especially in 10 or 12 piece sets.
- More ergonomic and attractivethan some other cookware materials.
- If the cookware doesn’t have a copper or aluminium core (encapsulated) then food will cook unevenly.
- Riveted handles can encourage grime to accumulate on the inside of your pots and pans.
- Not non-stick - there is definitely an art to cooking with stainless steel that is discussed inside the link below.
Think stainless steel might be for you? Read the in-depth stainless steel cookware guide.
Hard anodized cookware
Hard anodized cookware is simply aluminum cookware that has been made stronger and more reliable by a process called anodization.
Anodized aluminum gives quick, even heat which means quick and perfectly cooked food every time.
One of the things that people love most about hard anodized cookware is the fact that it is non-stick and non-scratch at the same time, giving you the best of both worlds.
It is also very easy to clean, even you absolutely hate washing dishes by hand you will find it almost, dare I say, enjoyable!
Advantages and disadvantages of hard anodized
- Quick, hassle-free and accurate cooking of your favorite meals.
- Attractive grey finish is oven safe to 400F.
- Perfect for all levels of cooking from beginner to expert.
- Usually not safe for use in the dishwasher, non-stick surface can be ruined this way.
- Can’t be used properly at any higher than a medium heat.
- Smaller range of colors, designs and overall manufacturers.
Read our hard anodized cookware guide now to find out more!
Non-stick cookware
Non-stick cookware has revolutionized the way we cook and certainly made it a lot easier.
However, there is definitely an art in buying the right accessories and getting the most out of them.
Non-stick pots and pans also provide other advantages aside from the most obvious benefits, including being beneficial to people on weight loss plans who don’t need or want oil in their foods which would have been required to grease traditional pans.
Of course, non-stick cookware has a non-stick coating which you must be careful not to scratch off completely. Some pots and pans will come with 7 layers of coating but a more typical amount is 3.
Advantages and disadvantages of non-stick
- Easy to clean - no need to worry about having to soak burnt-on food stains!
- A wide range of different styled and colored accessories from different manufacturers are available.
- Never worry about omelettes or pancakes sticking to the frypan ever again!
- Not dishwasher safe usually, but most people know better than to run such an investment through the dishwasher.
- Coating can flake, peel off or scratch easily if it is low quality or treated badly.
- Avoid silicone coating as it can react negatively when cooking with meat (animal fats).
Need more convincing? Read the detailed non-stick cookware guide!
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