If it’s thin–as is common in less expensive cookware–it’s also more prone to warping. It simply won’t be as durable as higher quality stainless steel. The inexpensive tramontina cookware set brands that made our top 5 have a layer of aluminum equal to All-Clad D3, or only slightly thinner. For a much lower price, they provide nearly similar performance.
If you don’t mind heavy cookware, we guarantee you will not regret investing in it. Demeyere is some of the best stainless cookware on the market, and the Proline is their flagship piece. The external stainless is also TriplInduc® technology, and the internal layers are different aluminum alloys; again, some alloys heat better, and some adhere to stainless better. So while these pans are said to have 7 plies, it’s easier to think of them as really heavy duty tri-ply than to count all those layers of aluminum as separate plies. If you don’t want this much cookware, buying individual pieces is an option, and it won’t set you back nearly as much as it would for some other cookware brands. Cuisinart Multiclad Pro and Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad are inexpensive Chinese brands that use good quality 300 grade stainless steel.
As we said above, Demeyere is a Belgian cookware company that’s been around for more than 100 years. In 2008, they were purchased by Zwilling J. A. Henckels, a German kitchenware conglomerate that owns several cookware lines as well as other kitchenware products. Even though not well known in the United States, Demeyere is one of the top cookware brands in the world, and probably the best stainless brand on the market.
Silvinox® is a proprietary electrochemical surface treatment system that removes excess iron and other impurities from the cookware’s surface. This makes the stainless steel easier to clean and provides a higher resistance to fingerprints, harsh detergents, and acidic foods. The products retain their silvery-white color, even after years of use (adapted from the Demeyere website). Our standard cooking tests for frying pans are eggs, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and a mixed vegetable sauté.
If you’ve ever wondered about the huge price variance in stainless steel cookware, this explains it, at least partially. The best stainless steel cookware isn’t always the most expensive, but you have to do your research. A nonstick frying pan is a versatile item that you can use multiple times a day for all of your meals.
If, on the other hand, your pan is able to retain lots of energy (it has a high specific heat and a high mass), the temperature will remain high enough to sear. We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. We’re a team of culinary experts with backgrounds in science, engineering, and technical writing.
Because we did a good job researching the cookware, we got good results from all of the brands that made it to the test kitchen; they all performed very well and all very similarly. As expected, the Demeyere was easier to clean than other brands because tramontina cookware of the Silvinox treatment, but overall, we were satisfied with the performance of all of these brands. But the quality of that iron can vary immensely, and is one of the main reasons you should buy a reputable brand of clad stainless cookware.
They feature the same triple ply construction, the same basic dimensions, and the same sturdy riveted handles (welded handles have a tendency to fall off with use). Demeyere Atlantis/Sur la Table Silver 7 is fabulous cookware. The engineers, cooks, and designers at Demeyere have thought of everything for this line, and the quality, durability, and performance really are unparalleled.