The Best Budget Cookware Sets of 2023

• Included in set: Two saucepans (1 1/2 quart and 2 1/2 quart) with glass lids, a 6-quart stockpot with glass lid, a medium-sized 3-quart sauté pan with glass lid, and two skillets (8 inch and 10 inch).
• Material: Stainless steel
• Dishwasher safe: Yes
• Compatible with induction cooktops: Yes

The Cuisinart TPS-10 10-Piece Cookware Set is the slightly smaller version of the 12-piece set that’s among our favorite cookware sets. While it doesn’t have the steamer insert of the larger set, the 10-piece still includes everything you need to cook a meal. And its price is friendlier to your wallet.

The pans in this set are easy to use, with comfortable handles and a design that creates a nice balance when holding the pan. The triple-ply construction gives the pans the benefit of heat conductivity.

While testing the multi-clad 12-piece set, we loved its incredible performance: We had no complaints with the medium-sized sauté pan (which not only comfortably fit four chicken thighs but also seared each one to perfection) and the large stockpot is well-sized for making soup, cooking pasta, or blanching vegetables.

It was easy to name the Cuisinart as a top cookware set. It has everything you need for a starter kitchen and it’s a great choice for those looking to upgrade their old sets, too.

• Included in set: 8- and 9-inch skillets, 1- and 2-quart saucepans with glass lids, 5-quart stockpot with glass lid, large 5-quart sauté pan with glass lid, spatula, slotted spoon
• Material: Available in titanium or anodized aluminum
• Dishwasher safe: Yes
• Compatible with induction cooktops: No

Don’t let the low price on the T-fal C561SC Titanium Advanced Nonstick 12-Piece Cookware Set fool you: It scored higher marks on our tests than significantly more expensive sets.

There are plenty of advantages to both nonstick and stainless-steel types of cookware, but you’ll generally find nonstick is easier to clean. While a traditional nonstick pan will never rival a stainless one when it comes to searing meat, this set performed admirably during testing. It also cooked eggs perfectly without oil. The saucepans cooked rice and simmered sauces without scorching, and the stockpot boiled water faster than the competition.

The comfortable, padded handles, which are ergonomically designed, stay cool as you use them. The pans heat up quickly and evenly, and they’re oven-safe up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Included in set: 8-inch skillet, 10-inch deep frying pan with with metal lid, 1.5- and 2.5-quart saucepans with metal lids, 3-quart sauté pan with metal lid, 6-quart Dutch oven metal lid, steamer basket
• Material: Anodized aluminum
• Dishwasher safe: No
• Compatible with induction cooktops: Yes

The Cuisinart Green Gourmet Hard Anodized 12-piece cookware set heats evenly and is easy to clean. During testing, we had no issues with this set’s nonstick properties, and it scored well on most of our performance tests.

There were, however, a few things we didn’t like. The saucepans don’t stack well for storage; the small saucepan kept getting stuck inside the larger pan, which led to scratched edges. The set includes a lot of value for the price, but the sauté pan is smaller than we’d like, and we felt this set missed out by not including a 12-inch skillet.

Part of Cuisinart’s eco-friendly line, this ceramic cookware has a nonstick coating that's PTFE- and PFOA-free. The company says the ceramic nonstick coating helps conserve existing oil supplies compared to petroleum-based coatings.

It’s one of the few nonstick pan sets we tested that comes with metal lids, something we appreciate since they’re more durable and easier to store.