Despite their premium quality, enameled cast iron cookware sets are surprisingly affordable, with cast iron cookware price varying based on factors such as brand reputation, set size, and included pieces. For those seeking to invest in their culinary endeavors, purchasing a cast iron cookware set represents a worthwhile and long-lasting investment.

Buy Cast Iron Cookware

    Regardless of size, cast iron skillets are a kitchen essential that can handle a variety of cooking tasks.  Whether you're cooking for one person or more, there's a cast iron skillet to suit your needs.

From carbon steel to enameled cast iron, we think almost every single kind of pan has its merits. But if you’re just getting into the home cooking game, or you’re looking to expand your toolkit, the sheer variety of pans on the market can feel intimidating—especially if you’re just looking for a good all-purpose pan for weeknight dinners.

    If you're cooking for a larger group or preparing large batches of food, a large or extra-large cast iron skillet is the best choice.  These griddles offer plenty of room to cook multiple portions at once, making them perfect for dishes like stir-fries, burritos, and even deep-dish pizza.  Large Cast Iron skillets and Extra Large Cast Iron Skillet size and ability to retain heat make them a great choice for outdoor cooking, whether on a grill or over an open fire.

Enamel Cookware Assess the Damage:

Hard-anodized frying pans are made of aluminum which has been treated to make it hard and durable. They're also non-stick, but unlike the first two types of non-stick pans, they can take high temperatures without getting damaged. They're heavy and they don't get scratched when used with metallic utensils.

Best for: Almost any food that needs frying, browning, or searing. Because it’s ovenproof, stainless is also a good choice for foods that you start on the stovetop and then move to the oven to finish, like thick pork chops.

The details: Nitahara says that 95 percent of the pans used in the CIA’s teaching kitchens are stainless steel because they can take a lot of punishment. “The only time we don’t use them is on egg day, when we use nonstick,” he says. He adds that the shiny surface of a stainless pan makes it easy to see whether your food is browning.

In CR’s tests of stainless steel pans, we measure heating evenness by cooking pancakes, and we gauge how evenly a pan sautés by cooking potatoes until they’re tender. We also conduct a cleaning test to see how easy it is to remove cooked-on food. You’d think that all stainless pans would be about the same to clean, but our tests show that some require a lot more scrubbing than others.

Here are two recommended stainless steel pans from CR’s tests.

Versatile Cooking and Baking: From stovetop to oven, enameled cast iron cookware sets are suitable for a variety of cooking and baking techniques. They can be used to prepare everything from hearty stews and braised meats to artisanal bread and flavorful desserts.

French skillets are durable because they are all-clad stainless steel with an aluminum or copper interior.  Stainless steel resists corrosion, so the skillet will last longer with less risk of metal seeping into the meal.