Abbio Cookware: An In-Depth Review (With Pictures)

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Abbio went out of business in 2022, and its cookware is no longer available. The best alternatives are Made In, Misen, and All-Clad. Read these reviews to learn more: Made In Review, Misen Review, All-Clad Review.

In this review, I give you an up-close look at Abbio cookware. 

After testing the non-stick and tri-ply stainless steel pans, I’m here to tell you the good, bad, and everything in between.

You’ll learn:

• How it looks and feels (with lots of pictures)
• How it performs in the kitchen
• How it compares to proven brands like All-Clad and Calphalon
• What I like and dislike about it
• And much more

So, if you’re shopping for new cookware and considering Abbio, this review is for you.

Let’s get started!

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Use the links below to navigate the review:

• Abbio’s Story
• Product Offerings
• Design
• Heat Test Results
• Cooking Performance
• FAQs About Abbio Cookware
• Bottom Line: Should You Buy Abbio Cookware?

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Abbio’s Story

It’s a unique name.  Abbio is short for abbiocco, an Italian word that means happy, drowsy, and satisfied after a big meal. You know that feeling you get when you just want to sit and reflect after a satisfying dinner? That’s abbiocco.

The company was founded by the Wahl brothers in 2018. They shared a love of cooking that sparked a business idea. They always had great ingredients and excellent techniques. Yet, they lacked cookware that met their standards.

Upon researching the cookware market, the Wahl brothers concluded that many of the options they’d seen were either too expensive or unnecessarily complex. So, they founded Abbio to offer another option for home chefs seeking affordable, simple cookware.

Abbio is a direct-to-consumer brand, much like Made In, Great Jones, and Misen. It’s sold exclusively on the brand’s easy-to-navigate website, AbbioKitchen.com; you won’t find it anywhere else.

By cutting out the middlemen, Abbio can offer a very reasonable price for high-quality cookware.

The brand’s guiding principles are community, simplicity, and value, and you’ll understand why as you read this review.

Product Offerings

Home chefs love simplicity, and Abbio’s cookware offerings offer just that.

With Abbio cookware, you have six options, all of which are fully-clad (tri-ply construction), induction compatible, with stainless steel ergonomic handles.

• Small Non-Stick Skillet: An 8-inch PFOA-free non-stick fry pan that is oven safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Large Non-stick Skillet: An 11-inch diameter PFOA-free non-stick fry pan that can withstand oven temperatures up to 450 degrees.
• Sauce Pan: A 2-quart, 7-inch diameter stainless steel pan that is oven safe to 500 and comes with a fitted lid.
• Saute Pan: Oven safe up to 500 degrees, this 10-inch pan with lid has a 3-quart capacity and additional stainless steel helper handle.
• Stock Pot: A 9.5-inch diameter pot and lid with a 6-quart capacity that is oven safe up to 500 degrees.
• The Set: Includes all five cookware pieces in the Abbio collection.

Why such a small selection?

Abbio is all about a simplified approach to cooking. But if you prefer more variety, you might find Abbio’s product offerings a bit limited.

They got the essentials covered, but if you need a larger saute pan to braise more substantial cuts of meat or a carbon steel pan for high-heat cooking, the Abbio line isn’t for you.

Design

You’ve probably seen the professional photos on AbbioKitchen.com already. There’s no doubt; it’s simple and classic.

But, in this section, I’m going to give you a closer look at the design, so you know exactly what to expect.

Before I get into the details (and lots of pictures), I want to first mention that all Abbio cookware is made with fully-clad, tri-ply construction.

This means that it has a 3-layer design with a heat-conductive aluminum core and a layer of stainless steel on the pan’s interior and exterior.

The aluminum transfers heat fast and evenly while the stainless steel outer layers give it durability, versatility, and a classy appearance.

With Abbio’s non-stick pans, four layers of non-stick coating are applied to the cooking surface of the tri-ply construction. 

Now that you understand how it’s constructed, let’s take a look at the design.

Packaging

Abbio cookware comes carefully wrapped in a branded cloth bag. The handles are covered in cardboard and recessed into the box for protection.

Abbio designed its packaging with the environment in mind—no unnecessary plastic, foam, or other waste beyond the bare minimum required to keep the cookware safe during transport.

The cloth bags protect the cookware in transit, and they also double as produce bags for your kitchen.

Each pot and pan comes with a high-temperature silicone trivet in your choice of color.

The trivets serve three purposes:

• They protect the nonstick surface of your cookware when you have your pieces stacked for storage.
• They protect your countertops or dining table from the hot pan.
• They are flexible and allow you to wrap the handle to pull a hot pan out of the oven.

Interior

The flared rims are useful when manipulating food while cooking. You can flip food with ease, swirl the pans’ contents, and pour pan juices without a problem.

The stainless steel grains flow in a circular pattern, providing an elegant look and an excellent surface for searing.

The non-stick pan has a 4-layer, PFOA-free coating that is highly durable. Abbio works with the leading developer of non-stick coating to produce a product that will last.

The non-stick surface on the skillet is textured, making it more durable and grips the food while cooking. This surface feels somewhat like fine-sandpaper, but it creates excellent browning and searing results, which is unusual for a non-stick pan.

Don’t worry; just because it’s not as smooth as the non-stick surfaces you’re used to, food won’t stick (more on this in a minute).

Exterior

Both the pan and skillet have a beautiful brushed stainless steel exterior that’s compatible with any cooktop, including induction.

The bottom of the cookware carries the Abbio logo and features the same circular steel grain pattern as the interior.

Unlike most non-stick pans with a dark aluminum exterior, Abbio’s non-stick skillet has a brushed stainless steel exterior, which makes it scratch-resistant, induction-compatible, and match the rest of the set.

Handles

The brushed stainless steel handles are hollow and fastened to the cookware with steel rivets.

The hollow design helps with heat disbursement, but the handles still get extremely hot, especially closer to the pan’s wall. Keep this in mind, especially when cooking on high heat.

While the handles are lightweight and ergonomic, the hollow design makes them feel more bendable than a solid steel handle like you’ll find on an All-Clad pan.

One feature I love is the extra-large helper handle on the sauté pan. I’ve reviewed dozens of cookware brands, and I can’t recall ever seeing a helper handle this large.

The extra space makes transporting the pan much easier and safer, especially if you’re wearing a thick oven mitt or bulky silicone glove.

Lid

I love how the stainless steel lid fits snugly on the sauté pan, saucepan, and stockpot. This design helps create a vacuum seal that keeps food moist and preserves juices. It also has the same brushed stainless steel as the exterior.

The lid handles are oven safe and include a slight dip in the middle for ergonomic comfort.

Heat Test Results

To test how quickly and evenly Abbio cookware heats, I ran a simple experiment.

I put the Abbio sauté pan up against the All-Clad D3 sauté pan because they both have tri-ply construction.

I also compared the Abbio non-stick large skillet against the Calphalon Contemporary non-stick skillet of a similar size because they both have three or more PFOA-free layers of non-stick coating.

Here are the results from boiling two cups of the same temperature water on high heat. I heated all four pieces of cookware on the same-sized burner to get the truest results:

Non-stick

It took 3 minutes and 55 seconds to bring the water to a boil in the Abbio skillet. The Calphalon skillet brought water to a boil quicker, taking 2 minutes and 38 seconds.

Even though the Calphalon skillet boiled water faster, the bubbles were more evenly dispersed in the Abbio pan, indicating a more even heating pattern.

Stainless steel

The Abbio stainless steel sauté pan boiled water slower than the All-Clad sauté pan. It took 4 minutes and 12 seconds with Abbio compared to just 2 minutes and 53 seconds with All-Clad. Notably, both pans showed an equal distribution of bubbles.

This heat test shows that Abbio may take longer to heat, but it heats as evenly if not better than its higher-priced counterparts.

For newer cooks, this might not be a bad thing because it reduces the risk of mistakenly overcooking food.

And it certainly doesn’t mean that Abbio is an inferior product, just allow yourself more time for thorough heating.

Cooking Performance

When it comes to cookware, performance is a top factor in making your choice. And Abbio cookware delivers.

The Abbio non-stick skillet can handle everyday meals from preparing quick omelets and grilled cheese sandwiches to seared chicken breast and stir-frying veggies.

The textured non-stick coating is designed to provide a nice sear and release the food for fast and easy cleanup. With just a little oil, I made a scrumptious fried egg in minutes and cleaned it up in even less time.

The stainless steel pan looks similar to the All-Clad brand, and the heat test shows that they are comparable.

The Abbio stainless steel pan can stand up to your all-purpose cooking needs, such as braising, steaming, simmering, blanching. It’s a perfect pan for searing thick-cut chicken breast, and I was impressed by the cooking performance on my sautéed shrimp.

I was even happier at how easy it was to clean the pan afterward.

Overall, I have no complaints about Abbio’s cooking performance. It provides even heat distribution and cleans up well.

The fact that Abbio provides tri-ply construction for all of its pots and pans (even non-stick) means that you’ll benefit from even heating and exceptional heat retention.

FAQs About Abbio Cookware

Here are some frequently asked questions about Abbio cookware:

Bottom Line: Should You Buy Abbio Cookware?

Abbio is a new direct-to-consumer brand, but it has an old soul. It is inspired by some of the great names in cookware, like All-Clad, but is offered at a much lower price. There are some great features, but also some downsides.

Pros

• All cookware features fully-clad, tri-ply construction known for quick, even heating
• Less expensive (view pricing), but still performs at a high level
• Quality materials and craftsmanship
• Innovative PFOA-free non-stick 4-layer design
• Beautiful brushed stainless steel exterior on all pans (even non-stick)
• Easy to clean
• Classic design with large helper handles

Cons

• Still new to the market which limited feedback from verified buyers
• Limited selection of pots and pans (just the essentials)
• If you want American-made, Abbio is made in China (Resource: The Definitive Guide to the Best Cookware NOT Made in China)
• Heats slower than trusted brands like All-Clad and Calphalon (according to my test)
• The lower half of the handles get extremely hot
• Handles are purposefully lightweight, but they don’t feel as solid as other premium brands

Even though Abbio is a new brand, it’s high quality and sports a functional yet classy design. Aesthetics-wise, it can stand up next to higher-priced brands, and the cooking performance is excellent.

It’s not fancy, but it’s not trying to be. It’s geared toward the everyday home chef. The brand has an extensive learning center and publishes simple, tasty recipes you can make in less than 15 minutes from pantry staples.

Compared to other direct-to-consumer cookware brands, Abbio reminds me of Made In (check out my review). Made In has a standard of 5-ply, fully clad construction, offers more options, and is made in the United States. But all of those extras make it more expensive than Abbio.

Abbio focuses on simplicity, quality, and affordability with a dash of fun. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, you should absolutely buy Abbio. Check out the entire cookware line at AbbioKitchen.com to learn more.

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