When choosing good cookware, whether you are buying one piece or a set, the brand is one of the most crucial factors you need to consider.
The brand you buy from has a massive impact on everything from the quality of cookware you get to its appearance.
Therefore you cannot afford to go wrong with your choice. Here we profile some of the best cookware brands out there.
In this post:
1. Le Creuset
Photo: Le Creuset
Le Creuset is a premium French cookware brand that has been in the market since 1925. The company is famous for maintaining some traditional authenticity and a unique aesthetic appeal.
Their colorful, enamel cast iron cookware is one of their most famous product lines, but they still have various other cookware types in the market. But because of their superior service life, Le Creuset cast iron cookware is some of the market’s priciest.
Besides cast iron cookware, the company makes stoneware and stainless steel cookware. In recent years they have started manufacturing nonstick ones to keep up with market demands and changing preferences. Additionally, they have a famous Dutch oven that is quite popular.
Another outstanding element about this brand is it still uses a traditional manufacturing process that entails multiple (about 12 depending on the product) finishing steps to ensure perfection and maximum attention to detail.
2. Cook N Home
Photo: Cook N Home
Cook N Home is an American cookware brand that has been in business for quite some time now. What sets it apart from many others out there is it positions itself as an affordable or budget brand. The company aims to provide high-quality cookware at a great price to ensure consumers get the best value for money.
Their stainless steel cookware is their most famous line, and it appeals to both professional and home chefs shopping for quality on a tight budget. Also, the company prides in their thoughtful cookware designs, high-quality materials, and fine craftsmanship.
Besides cookware, this brand also has a line of cutlery and knives. Additionally, it makes a wide variety of kitchenware types, from coffee percolators to kitchen organizers and even anti-fatigue kitchen mats.
3. Scanpan
Photo: Scanpan
The Scanpan brand gets its fame from making some unique PFOA-free nonstick cookware coatings. It is a premium-quality brand from Denmark with a wide range of cookware types, including the traditional stainless steel sets.
Scanpan’s story starts back in 1956 when the squeeze-cast method they still use to date to make their unique nonstick cookware was invented. Besides the exclusive technique, the company makes all their nonstick cookware in their factory in Denmark to maintain strict standards.
Despite maintaining its more traditional cookware-making techniques, the company still embraces innovative and advanced technologies to keep up with the changing times. Combining their superior conventional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology, the company delivers cookware that cooks much better by ensuring more even heat distribution.
For the environmentally-conscious cookware buyers, you will be happy to know that Scanpan uses 100% recycled aluminum to make the cast bodies on their nonstick cookware.
4. All-Clad
Photo: All-Clad
Like many of the older cookware brands, All-Clad tries to maintain its traditional cookware-making techniques to preserve its products’ performance and aesthetic appeal. The company still handcrafts most of their cookware in their Canonsburg, Pennsylvania factory space.
Besides handcrafting cookware, All-Clad uses top-quality American steel to ensure consumers end up with the finest and most durable products. The high-quality and durable material should explain why their cookware is highly sought after by professional chefs worldwide.
Another outstanding element about their cookware is that the surface is pure 304 stainless steel. This non-reactive material ensures when cooking, your food retains its natural taste and smell.
Additionally, All-Clad always gives its product a more attention-grabbing finish by carefully crafting the exterior using different techniques. You can get their cookware in elegant finishes like brushed stainless steel, hard-anodized aluminum, and copper.
5. Lodge
Photo: Lodge
Lodge has been around longer than most other cookware brands as they have been making cast iron pots and other products since 1896. Their long history means they have had more than enough time to perfect their technique to deliver top-quality cookware consistently.
The company seems to be more famous for its cast-iron grills and frying pans that you are likely to encounter in many American homes and restaurants. They combine recycled steel with other materials like alloys and pig iron to create a tough and durable material guaranteed to last a long time for their cast iron products.
Many Lodge users also seem to love that their cast iron products, more so the skillets, tend to be larger than what many other brands provide but still come at an affordable price. Moreover, the company has pre-seasoned skillets, and it was the first company to introduce them to the USA market in 2002.
6. Mauviel
Photo: Mauviel
Mauviel is another classic French brand that has been making cookware since 1830. They have also maintained their traditional attention to detail to ensure they never compromise quality even as the industry becomes more competitive.
The company specializes in making copper, stainless steel, and aluminum cookware. Mauviel makes everything from cooking pot sets to other things like frying pans and woks.
To date, the company still makes most of its products in France, which also aims to ensure they never compromise on the quality. Better yet, the company hand makes some of their more traditional products like fish kettles using dozens of skilled artisans. Handcrafting ensures they maintain the distinctive and authentic look the company has been known to provide for almost two centuries now.
For home and professional cooks shopping for premium cookware, this brand also has you covered with their top-the-range lines such as M’Urban, M’Cook, and M’Heritage.
Read More: Mauviel vs. All Clad
7. Cuisinart
Photo: Cuisinart
Cuisinart is one of those brands you are highly likely to come across in most homes in the USA and Europe as it is highly popular and has a wide variety of cookware products on the market. Despite being a relatively newer company, having entered the US market in the 1970s, Cuisinart now has a considerable market share.
Although it is more famous for its cookware, their food processor was one of the first items they introduced in the US market back in 1973. This food processor is still one of the bestselling products in the history of the company to date.
In the cookware industry, this brand has a special place as it was the first company to produce the eco-friendly anodized aluminum nonstick cookware that is now highly popular. Also, the company is famous for its highly innovative design and always giving its products an elegant finish.
8. Caphalon
Photo: Caphalon
If you are the kind that prefers highly innovative cookware, Calphalon is the brand to turn to as this is just what they are known for. Their cookware always seems to inject new life into any kitchen. It is the kind that always stands out and grabs attention no matter where you place it.
Caphalon started business in 1963, and in 1968 the company invented anodized aluminium cookware, which they manufactured using a unique process borrowed from the aerospace industry.
Their hard-anodized aluminum changed the industry significantly by allowing for the manufacture of cookware that is lightweight but still highly durable and less reactive to the food to ensure a better cooking experience. Additionally, this cookware is more resistant to rust and provides even heat distribution.
Caphalon also makes classic stainless steel cookware that can last for ages, and they are famous for producing some unique ceramic cookware sets. What’s more, their cookware is always characterized by user-convenient features such as loop handles for easy handling.
Which Cookware Brand is Best?
The best brand for you is a more subjective affair that largely depends on your preferences and style. While many home cooks are okay with a simple and affordable Cuisinart cookware set that cooks amazing, some people will find it a little too ordinary and hence prefer something more premium-quality or somewhat unique like a Le Creuset set.
But, besides your preferences, there are still other important factors you need to consider, such as your budget, materials the company uses and also its reputation. When it comes to the budget, you have to go for a brand you find affordable and one that gives you good value for your money. For example, Cook N Home is ideal for those shopping for quality cookware with a tight budget.
Regarding material, some brands are known to focus on making their cookware using specific materials. If you prefer that kind of material, they are the best for you. If you prefer hard-anodized aluminum cookware, Caphalon is the best brand for you, while Scanpan is almost unbeatable when it comes to nonstick cookware.