Best Cuisinart Cookware

Buying guide for Best Cuisinart cookware

It’s not enough to have the best ingredients; you also need the right tools. Cuisinart is one of the most highly regarded kitchenware and appliance companies around today. It has been providing consumers with trusted products for nearly 50 years. While it burst onto the market with its revolutionary food processor, it has expanded its lineup to include a variety of kitchen necessities, including cookware.

Cookware is the general name given to pots, pans, skillets, and lids, whether large or small, shallow or deep. While every kitchen needs at least one or two pieces of cookware, most cookware sets include four or five items to cover a variety of needs.

Cuisinart has a large selection of cookware options, whether you want to buy a single item or a set. The cookware comes in various colors, and it is made of different materials that can affect cooking. Our buying guide identifies the important details and points out some highly rated sets so you can determine which one is best for your kitchen and cooking requirements.

When considering a cookware set, keep in mind that lids are included in the number of pieces. Seven pieces, for example, may include four pots and pans and three lids.

Key considerations

Set vs. individual pieces

Cuisinart sells both individual pieces of cookware and sets, which may comprise five, seven, nine, or more items. You might choose to purchase a single piece to complete a set, but you can save a significant amount per item by purchasing a set. What’s more, by buying a set, you’re assured of having the right pot or pan for your needs while also creating a coherent aesthetic in your kitchen.

Components

Below are the most common items found in Cuisinart sets, but the sizes and number differ depending on the set you buy.

Saucepan: Each Cuisinart set includes at least one saucepan with a lid. As the name suggests, saucepans are ideal for making sauces, but any food that cooks in liquid, such as vegetables, oatmeal, or pasta, can be prepared in them. Small saucepans are also useful for reheating food on the stove. Saucepans come in 1- to 3-quart sizes.

Skillet: Mainly for sautéing and frying, a skillet is among the most useful kitchen items. Anything you want to fry, from bacon to eggs, vegetables to tempeh, will find its way into a skillet. Cuisinart cookware sets include either an 8- or 10-inch skillet or both. Lids are usually not included for skillets.

Stock pot: A large covered pot with two handles, a stock pot is ideal for cooking large quantities of soup or stews. Many Cuisinart sets include either a 6- or 8-quart stock pot.

Dutch oven: Some Cuisinart cookware sets include a 4-quart Dutch oven. With thicker walls than a stock pot, the versatile Dutch oven can be used on the stove, in the oven, or on the grill for baking, sautéing, roasting, or braising.

Steamer basket: Some Cuisinart cookware sets include a steamer basket that fits in one of the pots for steaming vegetables, fish, dumplings, and more.

Materials

Aluminium: This is among the cheapest options in cookware. Aluminum heats quickly and cooks effectively. Aluminum cookware is also durable and easy to take care of.

Stainless steel: This popular, durable option is also relatively inexpensive. The interior is polished to prevent food from sticking, and Cuisinart sets have triple-ply bottoms with an aluminum core for even heating.

Copper: Among the more expensive options, copper is a great conductor of heat and heats more evenly than other materials. However, copper is also easy to scratch and requires more care when cleaning and storing. Cuisinart offers triple-ply cookware sets clad in copper with an aluminum core.

Cast iron: Cuisinart also has a line of enameled cast iron cookware, Le Creuset Signature. This rustic-looking option comes in sets of various sizes from two to ten pieces and in colors like red, blue, and gray. The cookware requires no seasoning and is oven safe to 500°F. Cast iron cookware is more expensive than copper.

Features

Oven safe

Some Cuisinart cookware pieces are safe for oven use, such as Dutch ovens or cast iron pans, offering much more versatility when cooking. There are certain recipes that require cooking on the stove followed by baking or broiling. Keeping the food in the same dish saves time and energy and leaves fewer dishes to clean later. Oven-safe items indicate a maximum heat, such as 350°F or 500°F, which you’ll need to keep in mind to avoid damaging the cookware.

Collections

Cuisinart cookware sets come in coordinated collections. Each item within a collection has the same look and feel. For example, the pieces in a Le Creuset cast iron set will all be the same color and style. Some of Cuisinart’s collections are geared toward professionals.

Aesthetic

How a set looks in your kitchen is another consideration. The most popular Cuisinart sets are stainless steel, simple yet elegant in bright silver. The company’s hard anodized aluminum cookware sets are an understated black. Cuisinart also offers enamel-coated cookware in a range of colors, and copper sets that may be hammered for a hand-wrought feel or smooth for a gleaming, sophisticated look.

Accessories

Kitchen utensil set: Great cookware needs the right utensils. If you choose nonstick cookware, only use utensils that won't scratch your cookware.

Food processor: One of Cuisinart’s first products is also one of the most important tools in your kitchen.

Blender: Another countertop essential, and another appliance Cuisinart does very well, is a blender.

Oven mitts: Getting hot cookware out of the oven requires oven mitts to keep your hands safe.

Cuisinart cookware prices

Inexpensive

You can find individual pieces of Cuisinart cookware, such as large pots or pans, for under $100, though it’s unlikely you’ll find a set unless it’s a small one of stainless steel or aluminum.

Mid-range

For between $100 and $200, you’ll find many cookware sets that contain up to 11 pieces. These are likely stainless steel or aluminum, but they may include specialty items, colors, or unique features.

Expensive

For over $200 and up to $1,000 or more, you’ll find the largest and most comprehensive cookware sets. These may be newer collections that offer a specific aesthetic in addition to functionality or be made of copper or cast iron.

Tips

• Know your quantities. For side dishes, a quart of food generally serves six to eight people, while for a main dish it serves two or three. This may help you decide what size pots and pans you need.
• Hand-wash your cookware. Many of Cuisinart’s cookware sets are described as “dishwasher safe,” but that usually assumes ideal circumstances. A dishwasher can still decrease the longevity of your cookware or damage the cookware if it gets scratched by other items near it.
• Hang up your cookware. If you’re investing in a set of quality cookware, you want to take care of it properly. Hanging as opposed to stacking keeps your cookware from getting scratched or dented.
• Use the right utensils. Depending on the material in the cookware, you need to use the right utensils. Wood and silicone utensils are the safest bet.

If you take proper care of your cookware, it should last many years before it needs to be replaced.

FAQ

Q. How do I clean my Cuisinart cookware?

A. Most items are dishwasher safe, though washing by hand will likely help the pots and pans last longer. Dish soap and warm water will work in most cases, though sometimes you may need to soak a pot in hot water to remove stuck-on food. If you get into the habit of cleaning or at least soaking your pots and pans immediately after use, you’ll have an easier time than if you let the food congeal and set.

Q. How should I store my cookware?

A. It’s recommended that you hang up your cookware when you can. This will keep it from getting scratched, which could happen if it’s stacked in a drawer or on a shelf. What’s more, hanging up your pots can save space. However, not everyone has that option. If that’s the case, gently stack and remove your cookware when you’re moving it, and always make sure it’s entirely dry before putting it away to prevent warping or damage.

Q. How many pieces do I need?

A. The size of the set you choose depends on the number of people you cook for. It’s not uncommon to use two pots or two pans at the same time, especially if you’re making pasta or sautéing vegetables and meat. If you’re cooking for one, a skillet, saucepan, and stock pot should have you covered. If you later cook for more people or make more elaborate meals, you might want to acquire more items in different sizes.