Cookware Set Guides

Cookware sets: count pans, not pieces

A "10-piece" set usually has six pans and four lids. Before comparing prices, count the pans and check their sizes against what you cook. The core of any good kitchen is a 10- to 12-inch fry pan, a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, a 3- to 4-quart sauté pan and a 6- to 8-quart stock pot. A set that has those, in a material that suits you, is worth buying; extra small pans are padding.

Capital Cookware carries sets in every major All-Clad line. In clad stainless: the D3 6-piece (12-inch fry pan, 2-quart saucepan and 4-quart sauté pan, each with a lid, per the listing), the D3 5-piece, the D5 Brushed 5-piece (10-inch fry pan, 3-quart saucepan and 3-quart sauté pan), the D5 Polished 7-piece and the Copper Core 10-piece. In nonstick: the HA1 10-piece, the HA1 13-piece, the HA1 Curated 10-piece and the Lagostina Nera 12-piece.

Boxed set, custom set or open stock?

A boxed set is cheapest per pan when you would use every piece. A custom set lets you pick sizes; Capital's build-a-custom-set collection and our Set Builder help you plan one. Open stock means buying single pans, often shipped outside the retail box; Capital's D5 Polished open-stock listing and HA1 open-stock listing let you choose pieces one at a time. Our factory seconds and open stock guide explains the labels.

Where to start

• Compare every set: best cookware sets, ranked by pans per box and price per pan.
• Stainless set: read the stainless cookware set buying guide.
• Nonstick set: read best nonstick pans and cookware sets.
• Single pieces instead: start with best frying pans and best saucepans.
• Brand question: is All-Clad worth it?