As many of you might have seen, I posted an article about the Best cookware not made in China.
One of the things I faced is that there's actually a wealth of options of stainless steel cookware, if not non-stick and ceramic cookware. One thing I've learned is that stainless steel is by FAR the best cookware. As long as you learn proper cooking techniques (YouTube it or ask your favorite AI) sticking is NOT a problem. It's really interesting once you learn the right techniques. For example, people who complain that eggs stick are probably not putting the right amount of oil and not allowing the egg to cook to the point where it naturally "unsticks" from the pan.
On that article I had to limit my recommendations to three. Here's a full list if you want to compare all of the not-made-in-China options. A reminder that I may earn a commission on items sold here, which I'll apply to keeping this site running.
I'll post 10 inch pans (the most popular size) for all the brands, but they'll all have 12 inch options and entire sets as well.
- All-Clad D3 - Made in the USA. Still the best overall for its balance of quality and affordability. Available in 10 inch, 12 inch or both. Also available from All-Clad directly. Price will run around $140 for a 10" pan.
- All-Clad D5 - Also made in the USA. A nice splurge if you want better than the best; most casual chefs will be happy with the heat retention and distribution of the D3, but D5 brings it up a whole new level. Available in 10 inch, 12 inch, or both on Amazon or from All-Clad directly. 10" pan runs around $180.
- Tramontina - Made in Brazil. Available in 10 inch and 12 inch. I named this to my "best of" list because it represents NMIC quality at an affordable price: the 10" pan will run you only about $34.
- Made In Cookware - Made in Italy. This is a set I love that didn't quite make the cut on my blog post, mainly because I much prefer All-Clad as my "pricey" pick for this particular category. But the more I use Made In, the more I'm impressed by all of their products. In addition to 10 inch and 12 inch pans, they sell a 10-piece 5-clad set that is about $300 cheaper than All-Clad's comparable set, so if you're looking for all 10 pieces (6 pots/pans and 4 covers), it's a great value for a premium product. The 10 inch runs about $130.
- 360 Cookware - Here's another brand I recommended in my original post. They have 10 inch and 11.5 inch pans and among the best quality steel you can get in a frying pan. Their 10 inch is about $205.
- Heritage Steel - These are made out of Tennessee for over 40 years. They come in 10.5 inch and 12 inch pans and consistently get rave reviews for their 5-ply construction that rivals All-Clad at a much lower price (about $120 for the 10.5 inch). They also have a 3 piece fry pan set
I'll keep posting to this thread as I find other stainless steel options, but these are definitely a good place to start.
The Best Products NOT Made in China | notochina.org
A community to find the best products still not made in China