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The Best Budget Cookware Sets of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Three sizes of frying pans stacked on a white surface Credit: Getty Images

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Editor's Choice Product image of Cuisinart TPS-10 10-Piece Cookware Set
Best Overall

Cuisinart TPS-10 10-Piece Cookware Set

Whether you're buying a starter set of cookware or are upgrading, this set by Cuisinart aims to please and does. It's an excellent option. Read More

Pros

  • Triple-ply construction
  • Conducts heat well
  • Comfortable handles

Cons

  • None that we could find
2
Editor's Choice Product image of T-Fal C561SC Nonstick 12-Piece Cookware Set
Best Nonstick

T-Fal C561SC Nonstick 12-Piece Cookware Set

During tests, this set cooked eggs perfectly with no extra oil and simmered sauces and cooked rice without scorching. Read More

Pros

  • Cooked eggs and simmered sauces perfectly
  • Fast water-boiling speed
  • Comfortable, padded handles

Cons

  • Can't sear meat as well as a stainless set
3
Product image of Cuisinart GG-12 GreenGourmet 12 Piece Set
Best Ceramic

Cuisinart GG-12 GreenGourmet 12 Piece Set

The performance on this hard-anodized nonstick cookware set was top-notch, and it comes with a lot of pots and pans for the price. That said, it’s missing a few key features. Read More

Pros

  • Heats evenly
  • Great value
  • Comes with metal lids

Cons

  • Doesn’t stack well for storage
  • Doesn’t include a large skillet
4
Product image of T-Fal Endurance Collection Platinum Nonstick 14pc Cookware Set

T-Fal Endurance Collection Platinum Nonstick 14pc Cookware Set

We loved the value price of this inexpensive nonstick cookware set, but some of the features fell short. Read More

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Comes with bonus utensils
  • Heats up quickly

Cons

  • Handles get hot
  • Difficult to store
5
Product image of OXO Good Grips Non-Stick 10 Piece Cookware Pots and Pans Set

OXO Good Grips Non-Stick 10 Piece Cookware Pots and Pans Set

This cookware set excels at nonstick performance, but the pans are difficult to clean and don't heat evenly. Read More

Pros

  • Easy to store
  • Good variety of pots and pans
  • Great nonstick performance

Cons

  • Doesn't heat evenly
  • Difficult to clean

Truly cheap pots and pans may develop warped bottoms, scraped coating, loose knobs, and rickety handles over time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a quality cookware set at a budget price.

The best affordable cookware sets may not last as long as some expensive ones. But they still perform well, are easy to use, and are a good value.

After testing the best budget cookware sets, we picked the Cuisinart TPS-10 10-Piece Cookware Set (available at Amazon for $229.95) as the best overall. People who are looking for a non-stick cookware set should consider the T-Fal C561SC Nonstick (available at Amazon).

If you’re looking for a cookware set at a decent price point, you might want to consider one of the best affordable cookware sets we tested.

Cuisinart cookware set
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
Best Overall
Cuisinart TPS-10 10-Piece Cookware Set
  • Included in set: Two saucepans (1 1/2 quart and 2 1/2 quart) with glass lids, a 6-quart stockpot with glass lid, a medium-sized 3-quart sauté pan with glass lid, and two skillets (8 inch and 10 inch).
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • Compatible with induction cooktops: Yes

The Cuisinart TPS-10 10-Piece Cookware Set is the slightly smaller version of the 12-piece set that’s among our favorite cookware sets. While it doesn’t have the steamer insert of the larger set, the 10-piece still includes everything you need to cook a meal. And its price is friendlier to your wallet.

The pans in this set are easy to use, with comfortable handles and a design that creates a nice balance when holding the pan. The triple-ply construction gives the pans the benefit of heat conductivity.

While testing the multi-clad 12-piece set, we loved its incredible performance: We had no complaints with the medium-sized sauté pan (which not only comfortably fit four chicken thighs but also seared each one to perfection) and the large stockpot is well-sized for making soup, cooking pasta, or blanching vegetables.

It was easy to name the Cuisinart as a top cookware set. It has everything you need for a starter kitchen and it’s a great choice for those looking to upgrade their old sets, too.

Pros

  • Triple-ply construction

  • Conducts heat well

  • Comfortable handles

Cons

  • None that we could find

Asparagus cooking in a frying pan on a gas stove
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
Best Nonstick
T-Fal C561SC Nonstick 12-Piece Cookware Set
  • Included in set: 8- and 9-inch skillets, 1- and 2-quart saucepans with glass lids, 5-quart stockpot with glass lid, large 5-quart sauté pan with glass lid, spatula, slotted spoon
  • Material: Available in titanium or anodized aluminum
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • Compatible with induction cooktops: No

Don’t let the low price on the T-fal C561SC Titanium Advanced Nonstick 12-Piece Cookware Set fool you: It scored higher marks on our tests than significantly more expensive sets.

There are plenty of advantages to both nonstick and stainless-steel types of cookware, but you’ll generally find nonstick is easier to clean. While a traditional nonstick pan will never rival a stainless one when it comes to searing meat, this set performed admirably during testing. It also cooked eggs perfectly without oil. The saucepans cooked rice and simmered sauces without scorching, and the stockpot boiled water faster than the competition.

The comfortable, padded handles, which are ergonomically designed, stay cool as you use them. The pans heat up quickly and evenly, and they’re oven-safe up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pros

  • Cooked eggs and simmered sauces perfectly

  • Fast water-boiling speed

  • Comfortable, padded handles

Cons

  • Can't sear meat as well as a stainless set

Several Cuisinart GreenGourmet cookware pieces sitting on a range and kitchen counter
Credit: Cuisinart

The Cuisinart Green Gourmet set is the best budget ceramic cookware set you can buy.

Best Ceramic
Cuisinart GG-12 GreenGourmet 12 Piece Set
  • Included in set: 8-inch skillet, 10-inch deep frying pan with with metal lid, 1.5- and 2.5-quart saucepans with metal lids, 3-quart sauté pan with metal lid, 6-quart Dutch oven metal lid, steamer basket
  • Material: Anodized aluminum
  • Dishwasher safe: No
  • Compatible with induction cooktops: Yes

The Cuisinart Green Gourmet Hard Anodized 12-piece cookware set heats evenly and is easy to clean. During testing, we had no issues with this set’s nonstick properties, and it scored well on most of our performance tests.

There were, however, a few things we didn’t like. The saucepans don’t stack well for storage; the small saucepan kept getting stuck inside the larger pan, which led to scratched edges. The set includes a lot of value for the price, but the sauté pan is smaller than we’d like, and we felt this set missed out by not including a 12-inch skillet.

Part of Cuisinart’s eco-friendly line, this ceramic cookware has a nonstick coating that's PTFE- and PFOA-free. The company says the ceramic nonstick coating helps conserve existing oil supplies compared to petroleum-based coatings.

It’s one of the few nonstick pan sets we tested that comes with metal lids, something we appreciate since they’re more durable and easier to store.

Pros

  • Heats evenly

  • Great value

  • Comes with metal lids

Cons

  • Doesn’t stack well for storage

  • Doesn’t include a large skillet

Other Budget Cookware Sets We Tested

Product image of T-Fal Endurance Collection Platinum Nonstick 14pc Cookware Set
T-Fal Endurance Collection Platinum Nonstick 14-Piece Cookware Set
  • Included in set: 8-inch frying pan, 10.5-inch skillet with glass lid, 1- and 2-quart saucepans with glass lids, 3-quart deep sauté pan with glass lid, 5-quart stockpot with glass lid, metal spatula, and metal stirring and pasta spoons
  • Material: Platinum
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • Compatible with induction cooktops: No

It’s hard to beat the price on the T-Fal Endurance Platinum Nonstick 14-piece set, which also met our performance expectations. The pans did tend to get hotter faster than other sets we tested, so you need to be careful when using them over medium-high heat.

This set is a little heavy, and we didn’t love the tall buttons on top of the glass lids, which made them hard to store. The handles get hotter, too, so be sure to have a set of oven mitts ready.

This nonstick set comes with three metal utensils. Generally, we don’t recommend using metal on nonstick, as it can wear down the coating, even on pans rated for use with metal utensils.

Pros

  • Inexpensive

  • Comes with bonus utensils

  • Heats up quickly

Cons

  • Handles get hot

  • Difficult to store

Product image of OXO Good Grips Non-Stick 10 Piece Cookware Pots and Pans Set
OXO Good Grips Non-Stick 10 Piece Cookware Pots and Pans Set
  • Included in set: 8 and 9.5-inch frying pans, 2-quart saucepan with glass lid, 3-quart sauté pan with glass lid, 3- and 6-quart stock pots with glass lid
  • Material: Anodized aluminum
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • Compatible with induction cooktops: No

The OXO Non-Stick 10 Piece Cookware Pots and Pans Set has superior nonstick abilities, and we loved the silicone-coated handles, which are ergonomically designed.

This set doesn’t heat as evenly as the others, however, and some of our vegetables burned before the rest cooked through. Also, the handle rivets are close together, making the pans harder to clean.

The set, which stacks nicely for storage, comes with a great variety of pots and pans, but we wish the 3-quart sauté pan was wider because the set lacks a 12-inch pan.

Pros

  • Easy to store

  • Good variety of pots and pans

  • Great nonstick performance

Cons

  • Doesn't heat evenly

  • Difficult to clean

How We Tested Cookware Sets

Chicken, rice, and asparagus on a white plate
Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

When evaluating affordable cookware sets, we designed our tests around performance, ease of use, and value. We seared chicken thighs in sauté pans, tossed vegetables in skillets, simmered sauces and cooked rice in saucepots, and blanched vegetables in stockpots. To determine heat distribution, we measured for any hotspots. With nonstick sets, we tested its nonstick abilities by frying an egg without oil.

Things to Look for When Buying a Cookware Set

The best cookware sets try to anticipate your needs by providing a variety of small, medium, and large pots and pans. When shopping for a cookware set, look for one that includes at least two small saucepots, one large stockpot, a small egg pan, and a larger skillet or sauté pan. Consider anything extra to be a bonus. Here are some other things to consider:

Material:

  • Stainless steel: These cookware sets heat up quickly and are great for searing meat. In general, stainless steel cookware lasts longer than nonstick pots and pans, but they can be more difficult to clean.
  • Nonstick: These sets tend to be more affordable than stainless steel. Typically, they’re easier to clean, but they don’t last as long. They also can be easier for home cooks to use.
  • Aluminum: When shopping, you may see aluminum cookware sets and anodized aluminum options. In general, both are lightweight, but regular aluminum is lighter. Anodized sets tend to be more durable, but they can be more expensive. In most cases, aluminum pots and pans heat up more quickly than anodized.
  • Cast Iron: Incredibly durable, cast iron pans can help bring out the best flavors in whatever you cook in it. It heats well and is great at heat retention. That said, cast iron cookware is heavy and high maintenance.

Ease of Use

Pots and pans should not be difficult to use. The best cookware sets make cooking meals easier. They should handle well—allowing you to toss vegetables like a pro.

Additionally, they should be easy to clean. Most of the affordable cookware sets we tested were dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup even easier. When not in use, pots should be easy to store in cabinets.

Cost

People can find cheap pots and pans, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Quality cookware sets can last for years, so you could end up paying more in the long run if you’re constantly replacing skillets and other pans. With our recommendations, we’re looking for value—finding that balance between performance and cost.

Meet the tester

Lindsay D. Mattison

Lindsay D. Mattison

Professional Chef

@linzdmattison

Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.

See all of Lindsay D. Mattison's reviews

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