Straight to the Point

This 10-piece All-Clad cookware set is a splurge, but it’ll last a lifetime. We particularly love its two skillets, saute pan, and stockpot.

Stainless steel is a kitchen workhorse. Be it a skillet, saucier, or stockpot, we think it’s worth investing in top-quality stainless steel cookware.

While we’re not going to go into the differences between tri-ply and five-ply here (we have plenty of that in our reviews ), we will tell you what the best stainless steel cookware is to buy—and why. We’ve rounded up all of our stainless steel winners in one place. We stand by these picks as the best you can buy, no matter how often you cook, and how much you have to spend.

The Criteria: What to Look for in Stainless Steel Cookware

Stainless steel cookware is good at retaining heat and it’s also responsive to temperature changes—a rare combination!. Serious Eats

Some of the factors here depend on the cookware in question (i.e. a skillet vs.…