Cookware set recommendation

I replaced all of my cookware with the Calphalon Premier Stainless set when I gave my old stuff to my son that bought his own house. I love it, and yes if you know how to cook you don't need non stick cookware other than a couple egg pans (skillet for teens or guests that may come over and cook something). Bought an open box buy on eBay for $220.

ETA; if you are not good with cooking skills you may want to go with the hard anodized set

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Question - Is stainless steal recommended for non-serious chefs with a gas stove? If not, what material should I look for and brand recommendations?

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There is a learning curve with stainless steel. If your not a serious chef, I'd stick with something more mainstream like a good Calphalon set. Not bad, easier to use and clean foe the mid range not picky chef.

HexClad is a good middle ground if you really want stainless but don't want to learn on how to cook on and clean stainless.

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Worst purchase I’ve made recently. There is nothing non-stick about it. It’s more non-stick than plain stainless but not non-stick.

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It depends on what your looking for. Stainless isn't non-stick either, and that's what the OP was asking about.

If you buy Hexclad expecting it to be completely non-stick, you're going to be disappointed. You still need to cook on it like how you would cook on stainless, it's just not as severe of a learning curve as stainless.

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But they market it as non-stick. With eggs sliding around.

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And if you cook in it like you were cooking in a stainless pan, it is non-stick. 100%.

Look, I don't want to derail this thread with an off-topic debate about the quality of HexClad. How about we just agree to disagree and go back to recommending this baw a set of pans?

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There is a learning curve with stainless steel. If your not a serious chef, I'd stick with something more mainstream like a good Calphalon set. Not bad, easier to use and clean foe the mid range not picky chef.

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I’m more serious than “warm and eat”, and have some good LeCreuset stuff right alongside reliable old cast iron. I’m not a “serious” chef, though.

I’m also looking to add a basic assortment soon.

TBS, the only thing I recall about stainless is making sure it’s hot before adding proteins. What else?

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I'm going to be watching Black Friday sales for a new cookware set. I've been eyeing a couple of tri-ply stainless steel sets at Sam's ( Viking) and Costco ( Tramontina)

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Just be aware both those lines are made in China. Viking's 5 ply is made in the US and Tramontina is mostly made in Brazil with a few made in Italy and China.

I always recommend All Clad first and made in second for SS cookware but you won't get a "full set" for your budget.

I have a lot of All Clad. I never use the sauté pan. I use either cast iron or Scan Pan. I do use the sauce pan and another pot for rice. I also use a magnalite for gumbos, a larger cast iron for jambalaya, and off brand stainless pan for ettoufe, and a cheap wok.

Ive found it more useful to have individual pieces that suit my needs rather than a set.

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I always recommend All Clad first and made in second for SS cookware but you won't get a "full set" for your budget.

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All clad copper core ftw. Expensive yes, but they are the last set you’ll ever need to buy.

For me, and this is going to make me look bad, it was to learn about proper starting temp. I learned about the water test to see when the skillet was ready to cook. That’s been a game changer.

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I am not a novice, not an expert, limited by my stove (glass top from 20 years ago), so why is SS hard to deal with? Is it because of the heat source, general inexperience with cooking or the fact it is not non-stick out of the box?


It's temperature management. If it's not hot enough, everything will stick like crazy. If it's too hot, everything will burn to it and stick like crazy. There's a happy spot in the middle you gotta learn how to dial in.

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Based on my nearly 20 years of cooking on this ceramic glass-top range, temperature control is the biggest issue for the stove top, and it varies by the cookware I use.
If that is the key to SS cooking success, then I am probably better off to leave it alone.
Thanks for the reply.