As much as we love a vintage fish-shaped jello mold or sous vide oven, we also know that high-quality, long-lasting pots and pans should always form the base of your cookware collection. You’d be hard-pressed to find a cookware brand that doesn’t describe its products as “high-quality” or even “best-quality,” so in this post, we’ll go over what high-quality really means in the context of cookware: what it’s made of, how it cooks, and why it’s typically worth investing more money into.
Benefits of High-Quality Cookware
In a nutshell, high-quality cookware should be durable, last a long time, and offer a stellar cooking experience every time you use it. Here are just a few of the reasons why it’s worth investing in.
Enhanced Cooking Experience
While different cookware materials retain and distribute heat differently (stainless, for example, distributes heat much more evenly and quickly than something like aluminum), a high-quality pot or pan will generally do these things better than a cheaper or less sturdily-built version. One great example of this is our 5-ply Stainless Clad cookware: these high-quality pieces combine the responsiveness and excellent heat distribution of metals like aluminum and aluminum alloy with rust-proof, non-reactive stainless steel.
While this translates to a slightly higher price point than some 3-ply options, in return, you get a stellar piece of cookware that lasts for decades.
Durability and Longevity
There are few things more frustrating than buying a gorgeous new pot or pan only for it to break down, warp, or stop performing the same after less than a year. And while not all pots and pans are designed to last a lifetime, unlike an enameled cast iron Dutch oven or frying pan, you should still be able to get many years—if not decades—out of your purchase.
Essentially, this means cookware that doesn’t warp, scratch, or dent easily; resists rusting; and continues to perform well for years.
Types of High-Quality Cookware
Remember: high-quality doesn’t have to mean fancy or expensive. From non stick to stainless steel, here’s how to spot a truly durable, long-lasting, functional pot or pan in any material.
Non Stick Cookware
Non stick is often (unfairly) pegged as a cheap, lower-quality beginner’s cookware option. And while you can certainly find extremely cheap non stick pans (which will, almost inevitably, start to die out after a year or two), you can also find durable, high-performing non stick cookware.
Our Non Stick line combines the durability and excellent heat distribution of our Stainless Clad cookware with the convenience of non stick, all for a long-lasting pan you can feel great about investing in.
Stainless Steel Cookware
Stainless steel cookware is beloved by home cooks and restaurant cooks alike, for good reason—not only are these endlessly durable pots and pans non-reactive and almost completely rust-proof, but they can cook practically anything you throw at it. And while they’re excellent for high-heat cooking methods like searing and roasting, our Stainless Clad line works just as well for low-heat methods like simmering and braising.
Carbon Steel Cookware
We love carbon steel for a lot of reasons: it heats quickly and evenly, gets a fantastic sear on everything from boneless ribeye steaks to whole oyster mushrooms, and—the real kicker—it does almost everything an unfinished cast iron frying pan can do, at nearly half the weight.
If you love the heat retention and naturally non stick surface of seasoned cast iron, but don’t love hefting a heavy pan around the kitchen, carbon steel is for you. And, to make things even more convenient, you can also buy our carbon steel pans preseasoned—meaning, we’ve done all the work of building up the first two layers (some would say the most difficult ones) of seasoning, so your pan is ready to use straight out of the box.
Cast Iron Cookware
While rustic, unfinished cast iron has its place in our hearts (and cookware cabinets), our favorite kind of cast iron cookware—the kind we use on an almost daily basis for braises, roasts, stir-fries, and more—is coated in a layer of enamel. This coating makes for a smoother cooking surface than unfinished cast iron, and while it lacks some of the latter’s natural non stick properties, it also doesn’t require reseasoning. Plus, enameled cast iron is as durable as it is beautiful, making it an instant heirloom.
Key Features of High-Quality Cookware
High-quality cookware is all about great design and carefully selected materials. Here’s what that means to us—and why it should matter to you.
Quality Construction
It sounds obvious, but one of the most important parts of building high-quality cookware is selecting the best raw materials—both for durability and for performance. Whether it’s a Stainless Clad Frying Pan made with five layers of durable, conductive metals like aluminum and ferritic 430, or a Copper Saucepan lined with stainless steel for non-reactive cooking, we carefully choose every single material that goes into our cookware, sourced from the best artisans and regions in the world.
Innovative Design
Aside from using excellent materials, a great piece of cookware should feel great to use, especially if you’re cooking with it on a daily basis. Our frying pans, for example, all have perfectly sloped edges with a slightly flared lip for easy flipping and tossing, as well as a Stay Cool™ Handle that feels comfortable to hold and keeps the heat on your ingredients, not your hands.
Beloved by Restaurant Customers
You know who knows a thing or two about quality cookware? Restaurant cooks. With tight margins and hundreds of orders to fill on a nightly basis, professional cooks don’t have time to mess around with low-quality cookware. And since our products are backed by Chefs like Grant Achatz and Nancy Silverton, to name just a couple, you can feel confident adding them to your home cookware collection knowing they’re trusted by the best.
Maintenance and Care Tips
You know the phrase, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Well, that applies to your cookware as well: it’s often way, way easier to keep your cookware in great shape than it is to try and repair it. Reading up on proper care and maintenance—whether that’s how to prevent pitting in your stainless steel pans, how to avoid thermal shock, or how to use your non stick cookware without scratching the coating—can add years to your cookware’s lifespan.
No matter what kind of cookware you’re using, however, there are a couple of universal rules. First, always make sure to hand wash your cookware (yes, even if the label says dishwasher-friendly), preferably using a gentle dish soap and non-abrasive sponge. Second, dry your pot or pan immediately before storing in a non-humid environment—preferably by hanging it, though you can also stack it between dish towels or trivets.
Ready to Shop?
All this talk of new cookware probably has you itching to pick up a few new pieces for your cookware collection, and now that you know what goes into a high-quality piece of cookware, you can feel empowered in your purchases. Cheers to making good decisions—and even better omelettes.
