The Best Ceramic Cookware Sets, Tested by Allrecipes

Our Takeaway

With the essential pieces, great performance, and even greater looks, our top pick is the Caraway 7-Piece Cookware Set. If you want to fully equip your kitchen with one matching set, we recommend the Cuisinart 11-Piece Ceramic XT Nonstick Cookware Set.

How to Pick the Right Ceramic Cookware Set

Construction

Most ceramic cookware sets have an aluminum core which should conduct heat evenly. This combined with the outer coating makes for an ultra-lightweight pan, another advantage to ceramic, especially if you have limited grip strength or arthritis. Look for cookware with handles that are securely riveted to the pan and have tempered glass lids, which are both indicators of well-made cookware.

Size and Quantity

Since we're talking about cookware sets here, consider the number of pieces and which pieces in particular, you're looking to add to your collection. Most pieces will include, at minimum, a saucepan, fry pan, Dutch oven or stockpot, and sauté pan. From there, you can get varying sizes of saucepans and fry pans, as well as a number of lids, utensils, and even accessories like steamer baskets. The sets tested in this review range in size from seven pieces to a whopping 16 pieces.

About Our Tests

After rounding up a collection of top-rated ceramic cookware sets, Allrecipes product tester Alyssa Sybertz tested two pieces in each set: the frying pan or skillet, and the Dutch oven or stockpot. Here's how:

1. Frying an egg: Alyssa heated each pan over medium heat for two minutes. She then added an egg, cooked for two minutes, flipped, and cooked for an additional one minute before removing it from the pan (note that we chose not to use oil or butter in our testing in order to measure the nonstick capabilities; however some brands suggest using a little fat to prevent sticking). For each pan, she noted how well it cooked on the first side, ease of flipping/if it stuck, how much it cooked on the second side, and how runny the yolk was at the end.
   
2. Making applesauce: For each pot, Alyssa cooked the apples, water, and sugar for 25 minutes, then checked to see how much the apples broke down, how much mashing was required, how thick the applesauce was, and how easy it was to pour it out and clean the pot.

We Rated

• Overall Feel: Are the pieces heavy? Are the handles comfortable to hold? Do the covers fit snugly?
• Look: Is it attractive? Does it come in colors? Is the look cohesive?
• Ease of Storage: Are the pieces bulky? Can they nest and take up less space?
• Ease of Cleaning: Dishwasher safe or hand wash only?
• Cooking Surface: What do they recommend in terms of greasing the pan? How is the nonstick surface?
• Overall Value: How many pieces do you get for the price? Is it worth the money?
  

The Leftovers: Other Ceramic Cookware Sets We Tested

The Blue Diamond 10-Piece Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Set narrowly missed out on a place above for two key reasons. First, the egg was over hard, despite the fact that it happened to have two yolks. And two, the solid cover jiggled quite loudly from steam pressure throughout the applesauce test. It's an attractive set otherwise, though it comes with two cooking utensils instead of a second saucepan.

Common Questions

What is ceramic cookware?

Early forms of ceramic cookware date back thousands of years, but modern-day ceramic cookware has evolved greatly from its ancient predecessors. What most people call ceramic cookware is actually metal that has been glazed with a silicone-based nonstick coating derived from sand (the technical term for this coating is sol-gel). But you can also find ceramic cookware that is 100 percent ceramic (i.e. made from clay, baked in a kiln, and glazed).

For the sake of our testing, we focus on the former. Ceramic-coated cookware, also called ceramic nonstick cookware, is often constructed with an aluminum or stainless-steel base for optimal heat conduction. The ceramic coating offers an easy-to-clean, nonstick surface, while the metal base offers excellent conduction capabilities. On the downside, ceramic-coated cookware is less durable than its traditional nonstick and stainless-steel counterparts: Its glaze tends to wear down faster. The more you use it, the more it wears down, and the more oil you'll need to use with it.

How do you clean ceramic cookware?

Thanks to the nonstick properties that keep food from sticking to the surface, ceramic cookware is among the easiest to clean—especially when compared to stainless steel. Likewise, it's also easier to maintain than cast iron, since it doesn't require regular seasoning. Some ceramic cookware is safe to put in the dishwasher (check the manufacturer's instructions first), but we suggest hand washing with mild dish soap whenever possible to better preserve the finish.      

Is ceramic cookware safe?

Ceramic cookware is a good alternative for those who want to avoid nonstick cookware coated in PTFE, which may release polymer fumes at high temperatures above 500° Fahrenheit. For this reason, both PTFE-coated cookware and ceramic-coated cookware should be heated on low to medium heat. Like traditional nonstick coatings, ceramic coatings will also chip or peel off and lose their nonstick properties over time, so it's best to use non-metal utensils while cooking with them.

Why Take Our Word For It?

Alyssa Sybertz is a freelance writer and avid home cook with nearly a decade of experience writing about food, cooking, nutrition, and wellness. Melanie Fincher is an avid home cook and food journalist with experience writing news and lifestyle content.