Cheap cookware is everywhere, but most of the time, you get what you pay for. After testing dozens of cookware brands, I’ll show you which budget-friendly options are worth your money and which ones you should never buy.
I also share the two features that matter most when buying low-cost cookware.
So, if you want cookware that performs like All-Clad, Le Creuset, and other premium brands but don’t want to pay the high prices, this article is for you.
Key Takeaways
If you only have a minute, here’s what you need to know about the best and worst affordable cookware brands.
Henckels: Henckels offers two low-cost cookware collections—Clad H3, which closely resembles All-Clad D3 but costs significantly less, and Paradigm, a HexClad alternative priced at $89 for a 3-pan set. Both collections performed nearly as well as their premium counterparts in my testing.
Lodge: Lodge cast iron skillets and enameled cast iron Dutch ovens provide excellent heat retention and durability at a fraction of the price of premium brands. A Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet costs under $30, and their Dutch ovens perform like Le Creuset but cost under $100.
Tramontina: The Tri-Ply Clad collection mimics All-Clad’s performance for less than half the price, with a 12-inch skillet priced at $55. The Professional non-stick collection, featuring a comfortable silicone-wrapped handle, was named the best non-stick pan by The New York Times.
Cuisinart: The MultiClad Pro 12-inch fry pan has polished interiors, helper handles, and thoughtful handle design for under $100. These pans heat evenly and perform like All-Clad.
Goldilocks: Goldilocks cookware combines All-Clad-level performance with budget-friendly prices, averaging $45 per pan if you buy a set. While the flat, grooved handles are functional, their profile may be too slim if you have large hands.
Ninja NeverStick: These pans feature thick, hard-anodized aluminum construction, scratch-resistant non-stick coatings, a rare 10-year warranty that covers non-stick performance, and a fair price.
Brands to Avoid: Carote pans are flimsy, with thin 1.9 mm walls and wobbly detachable handles. Farberware Classic cookware is lightweight and has plastic handles. The coating on Blue Diamond pans wears out fast. Circulon’s non-stick pattern makes cleaning more difficult.
How to Find Cheap Cookware Worth Buying: Based on my testing, look for stainless steel pans at least 2.5mm thick (ideally 3mm) and aluminum non-stick pans at least 3.5mm thick. Choose handles that are at least 8 inches long, made of metal, and riveted (not welded or detachable). Avoid rounded handles in favor of flat or grooved designs for better grip.
Use the links below to navigate the guide:
- Henckels
- Lodge
- Tramontina
- Cuisinart
- Goldilocks
- Ninja NeverStick
- Affordable Cookware Brands to Avoid
- What to Look For When Buying Cheap Cookware
Henckels
Henckels is best known for its kitchen knives, which they’ve been making for over 200 years. But they also make two low-cost cookware collections that are worth buying.
The first is called Clad H3. These stainless steel pans have a polished exterior, a brushed interior, an aluminum core, and flared rims. The construction and features are almost the same as All-Clad D3, and based on my testing, these Henckels pans perform almost as well.
The three main differences between All-Clad and Henckels are that Henckels pans are made in China (All-Clad is made in the USA), Henckels has a more comfortable handle, and Henckels is significantly cheaper. Instead of paying $200 for the All-Clad D3 12-inch pan, you could get a set of Henckels Clad H3 that includes a 10- and 12-inch pan for less than $100.
Henckels also makes a hybrid collection called Paradigm. These pans have a raised steel pattern protecting the non-stick coating from scratches.
They’re essentially the same thing as HexClad but at a much lower price. The HexClad 12-inch pan is $150, but you can get a Henckels Paradigm 3-pan set for $89 at Costco. I tested Henckels Paradigm against HexClad and the differences were minor.
So, this is an excellent option if you’re looking for a low-cost alternative to HexClad.
Lodge
I can’t talk about great quality, low-cost cookware without talking about Lodge. This brand has been making cast iron cookware in Tennessee since the late 1800s.
Their skillets are thick and durable and retain heat incredibly well. Because they hold heat so well, they’re ideal for searing, frying, and baking.
They may not have a perfectly smooth polished surface like some of the expensive artisan cast iron brands, but they perform just as well, and, in my experience, the rougher surface holds seasoning better. The best part is that you can get a Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet that will last a lifetime for less than the steak you cook in it.
There are many other cheap cast iron skillets on the market, but Lodge is made in America, has been around for over a century, and has high-quality standards. So you know you’re getting a good product.
Besides cast iron skillets, they make enameled cast iron Dutch ovens that perform like Le Creuset but cost much less. They offer round and oval options and over a dozen colors.
Instead of paying over $400 for a Le Creuset Dutch oven, you can get a Lodge that’s made of the same materials and is thicker for under $100.
Tramontina
Tramontina is a Brazilian company that’s been making quality cookware for decades.
The Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad collection performs like All-Clad but costs less than half the price. The 12-inch frying pan is only $55 on Tramontina’s website. It’s almost identical to the Henckels Clad H3 collection but it’s made in Brazil instead of China, the walls are slightly shorter, and the edges are noticeably smoother.
While I’m a fan of the Tri-Ply Clad collection, Tramontina is best known for the Professional collection, named the best non-stick pan by The New York Times.
The handle on this pan is about 2 inches longer than average and it has a removable silicone sleeve that gives you a safe and comfortable grip and prevents the handle from getting hot.
Like every non-stick pan, the coating will eventually fail but at less than $50 for the 12-inch pan, you get solid performance and great value. Non-stick brands like Caraway, Calphalon, and Hestan cost a lot more and there’s no guarantee they will last longer.
Cuisinart
Cuisinart is best known for its small appliances like food processors and toasters, but its MultiClad Pro cookware collection is one of the best low-cost stainless steel options.
At under $100, the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 12-inch skillet costs a little more than Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad, but the handle is an inch longer, the cooking surface is a half inch wider, it has a helper handle that makes it easier to pick up, and the sealed edges won’t get sharp or delaminate.
Also, the interior walls are polished and the exterior is brushed with a thin polished ring around the top of the wall. These little details make this pan more functional and give it a higher-end look.
This collection heats evenly and retains heat just as well as All-Clad but my favorite feature is the handle. It has a slight curve and a grove to rest your thumb and get a firm grip.
Unlike rounded handles, this groove prevents the handle from rotating in your hand when you tilt the pan. It’s almost the same design as the handles on Viking Professional 5-ply pans.
Goldilocks
Goldilocks is another low-cost but great-quality stainless steel cookware brand. In fact, The New York Times named them the best budget cookware set.
I’ve been testing this brand for a while, and it performs like brands that cost more than double. And at $60 for the 12-inch skillet, it’s a great value.
Like Cuisinart, the handles are flat with a groove on top to prevent the handle from rotating. But I wish the handle was a little thicker. There’s not much to grab onto, especially if you’re wearing an oven mitt. If you have large handles, these handles might feel too slim.
Overall, I’m a big fan of Goldilocks. The pans are made of the same materials and thickness as All-Clad but are much cheaper. The average cost per pan is only $45 if you buy a set.
Ninja NeverStick
Ninja NeverStick is an affordable non-stick collection worth buying for one main reason.
The thick hard-anodized aluminum body heats evenly and holds heat well. The handles are comfortable, and the non-stick coating doesn’t scratch easily.
All those things are great, but the main reason to buy these pans is because they come with a 10-year warranty that covers the performance of the non-stick coating. So if the coating sticks, chips, or flakes when used as directed in the first 10 years, you’ll get a replacement for free.
This type of warranty is incredibly rare. Most warranties cover defects in materials and craftsmanship, but don’t cover anything related to the performance of the non-stick coating. Considering that the average lifespan of a non-stick pan is 2 to 5 years, this is a major perk.
On top of that, Ninja NeverStick pans are cheap at $50 for the 12-inch fry pan. You can find cheaper non-stick pans at TJ Maxx or Home Goods, but none come with a 10-year performance warranty.
Affordable Cookware Brands to Avoid
So far, I’ve talked about budget-friendly cookware brands worth buying. Well, here are the four you should avoid.
Carote
The first is Carote. This brand has recently gone viral on TikTok because it’s cheap and was one of the first cookware brands in the TikTok shop. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people have been making videos about it, trying to sell it to you.
The truth is, this brand has two major flaws. First, the walls are extremely thin at just 1.9 mm. The other pans I’ve mentioned are at least 2.5 mm thick; some are more than 3 mm. Thin pans are less durable and don’t hold heat well.
But the worst part is the detachable handle. Not only is the handle almost two inches shorter than average, but it also jiggles and doesn’t feel secure, even when it’s attached properly.
Farberware
The second brand you should avoid is Farberware, specifically their Classic collection. This cookware is thin and lightweight. It has a cladded base, but the steel sides are paper thin, so the whole pan doesn’t heat evenly, and they dent easily.
Also, since the handles are plastic, these pans are only safe in the oven up to 350°F. Most stainless steel cookware can handle at least 500°F.
You can get a two-pan set for $30, but the inferior performance and durability are not worth the savings.
Blue Diamond
Blue Diamond is an affordable brand with big marketing claims. The reality is that these pans are flimsy with a ceramic non-stick coating that wears out quickly.
The handle is not closed off at the end, which looks and feels cheap and is a pain to clean.
The 12-inch fry pan is $50, and for that price, you get much better performance and longevity with Tramontina Professional and Ninja NeverStick.
Circulon
Circulon is another non-stick brand that’s not worth even the low price. Circulon’s big differentiator is the circular pattern on the cooking surface called the TOTAL NON-STICK SYSTEM.
The raised parts are supposed to protect the lower parts from scratching. In my experience, all they do is cause food to stick and make the pan more challenging to clean.
What to Look For When Buying Cheap Cookware
I’ve given you a handful of excellent budget cookware options in this article, but if you come across a brand I didn’t mention, here’s a simple way to tell if it’s worth buying.
First look at the thickness of the pan. Thicker pans are less likely to warp and more likely to retain heat well. Look for stainless steel pans that are at least 2.5 mm thick but ideally closer to 3 mm. A quick way to estimate a pan’s thickness is to look at its weight.
A 12-inch stainless steel pan around 3 mm thick usually weighs 3 points. Aluminum non-stick pans should be at least 3.5 mm thick. A 3.5 to 4 mm aluminum pan will also weigh 3 pounds.
The other feature to look at is the handle. You want a handle that’s at least 8 inches long. Avoid plastic or wooden handles or handles with built-in silicone. Metal handles are more durable and can handle higher heat.
Also, avoid rounded handles and look for handles that are flat on one side or have a groove. Rounded handles are comfortable but get slippery when holding a towel or wearing an oven mitt or if your hand is soapy.
Lastly, avoid detachable handles or welded handles. Riveted handles are much more secure and won’t break.
If you’re interested in any of the brands I mentioned, I’ve linked to them in them below:
- Henckels on Zwilling.com
- Lodge on Amazon
- Tramontina on Tramontina.com
- Cuisinart on Amazon
- Goldilocks on CookGoldilocks.com
- Ninja NeverStick on Amazon
Related Topics
- Is Goldilocks Cookware Any Good? An In-Depth Review
- Are Lodge Cast Iron Skillets Any Good? My Review After 5+ Years
- Lodge Dutch Oven In-Depth Review
- Is Tramontina a Good Cookware Brand? An In-Depth Review
- Henckels Paradigm Review: Pros and Cons to Know Before Buying
- HexClad vs. Ninja NeverStick Cookware: 11 Key Differences
- Best Chef’s Knife Under $100: Top 6 Compared
