Is Hestan Cookware Worth the Splurge? In-Depth Review With Test Results

Hestan cookware is high-performing, durable, elegant, and crafted in Italy with premium materials.

But with all those positives comes a major downside — it’s expensive.

So, is Hestan worth the high price? What makes it so special?

In this Hestan cookware review, you’ll learn about its collections, designs, performance, and pricing.

You’ll also learn about the brand’s reputation in the marketplace, how much you can expect to pay, and any drawbacks you might encounter.

By the end, you’ll have a good foundation to guide your purchase decision. So, keep reading to learn all about Hestan cookware.

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Use the links below to navigate the review:

• Cookware Collections
• Design
• Durability
• Performance
• Hestan vs. the Competition
• Price
• Downsides
• What Others Are Saying About Hestan
• Hestan Cookware FAQs
• Bottom Line: Is Hestan Cookware Worth It?

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Cookware Collections

Hestan offers multiple cookware collections, each featuring unique materials and design features.

Let’s look at what makes each collection stand out.

NanoBond: The Hestan NanoBond collection is made from high-quality 18/10 stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium. It’s fully-clad with tri-ply construction, featuring a conductive aluminum core. But its key feature is the titanium-bonded stainless steel exterior and interior. Hestan’s website is somewhat vague about this feature, so I called their product expert, Michael Kane, and asked for clarification.

He explained that titanium is not a part of the steel alloy. Instead, titanium is vaporized into ions in a high-heat vacuum chamber and bonded to the pan’s surface. This process creates a coating as thin as a human hair, and that coating makes the surface four times harder than typical stainless steel. According to Hestan, this ultra-hard surface is non-porous, less reactive, and virtually scratch-proof. I tested it, and I’ll show you if that’s true in a minute. 

CopperBond: The Hestan CopperBond collection, winner of the Red Dot Award for product design, is made of 5 bonded layers. The core layer is pure copper and the outer layers are steel. The copper is bonded to the steel by two thin inner layers of aluminum.

From a side angle, this looks like a typical copper pan, but it’s really a stainless steel pan with a copper core. After bonding the five layers together, they strip away the outer steel and aluminum layers on the side of the pan to expose the beauty of the copper.

However, they leave the steel on the bottom because steel is magnetic, and the bottom needs to be magnetic for the pan to work on induction cooktops. It’s the same idea as All-Clad Copper Core, but Hestan Copper Bond has a much larger cutout on the sides to show off the copper.

ProBond: Another winner of the Red Dot Award for Product Design, this tri-ply, fully-clad stainless steel collection features a conductive aluminum core and an 18/10 stainless interior cooking surface. The exterior is primarily brushed stainless steel, and each piece has an induction-compatible steel base.

TITUM: The TITUM collection employs tri-ply ProBond construction. It features a 5-layer non-stick system consisting of three layers of diamond-reinforced, non-stick coating, a TITUM plasma primer, and a sandblasted stainless steel body. The sandblasting reinforces the grip of the non-stick layers on the interior cooking surface. It features a conductive aluminum core and a stainless steel interior and exterior as a foundation.

Thomas Keller Insignia: This collection draws on the insight and inspiration of Chef Thomas Keller, an accomplished culinary master. Chef Keller draws on decades of experience to offer commercial-level stainless steel cookware. The collection features a conductive aluminum core encased in high-grade stainless steel. Exteriors are brushed stainless, and interiors are either stainless or PTFE-based with a non-stick coating known as TITUM.

Here’s a quick comparison of all the collections using their 12.5-inch skillets as the example:

Collection	Hestan NanoBond	Hestan ProBond	Hestan ProBond TITUM	Hestan CopperBond
Where It’s Made	Italy	Italy	Italy	Italy
Materials	3-ply stainless steel with titanium nanolayers	3-ply stainless steel (aluminum core)	3-ply stainless steel (aluminum core) with non-stick coating	5-ply stainless steel (copper core)
Diameter Rim to Rim (in)	12.4	12.4	12.4	12.4
Diameter Flat Cooking Surface (in)	9.5	9.5	9.5	9.5
Wall Height (in)	2	2	2	2
Weight (lb)	3.5	3.5	3.5	4.1
Thickness (mm)	2.9	2.9	2.9	2.9
Handle Length (in)	8.7	8.7	8.7	8.7
Oven Safe Temp	1050°F	600°F	500°F	600°F
Induction Compatible	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dishwasher Safe	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Flush Rivets	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sealed Rims	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Metal Utensil Safe	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Design

One of the factors that make Hestan cookware so unique is its innovative design. As I mentioned, its CopperBond and ProBond collections both won Red Dot Design awards.

So what’s so unique about Hestan’s design?

Before I get into the design elements of each collection, let’s review the features consistent across all.

I’ll use the NanoBond skillet to point out the signature style of Hestan cookware.

Exterior

Unlike most fully-clad cookware collections with unsealed rims exposing the core layer, all Hestan cookware features sealed, reinforced stainless steel rims. Sealed rims protect against rust and prevent the layers from getting sharp and splitting over time.

The bottom of each pot and pan features the Hestan logo, origin of manufacture, and collection name.

The pots and pans have a rounded bottom and gently sloped or straight sides with flared rims for easy pouring. The gently curved walls are shallow enough to slide food onto a plate, flip eggs, and toss food, but not so shallow that liquids and oil are spilling and splattering over the sides.

Interior

Skillet interiors have slightly curved sidewalls, offering an expanded cooking surface that boasts 20% more space than comparable cookware of the same size. Instead of the standard 8, 10, and 12-inch sizes, Hestan makes 8.5, 11, and 12.5-inch skillets. A half-inch may not sound like much, but it does allow you to cook more food without overcrowding the pan. 

All Hestan cookware features rivets flush with the interior surface, preventing food buildup and making it easier for pots and pans to nest to save space.

The cooking surfaces and rims are metal-utensil safe, perfect for using metal spoons to ladle pan juices, scrape the pan during a wine reduction, or whisk a creamy roux.

Handles

Hestan NanoBond, ProBond, and CopperBond pans all have the same handles. They’re angled upward with a groove on top, a curved bottom that fits nicely in your palm, and a bump to warn you when your hand is getting too close to the pan.

Rounded handles can slip and rotate when your hand is wet or you’re wearing an oven mitt. And handles with a deep groove like All-Clad can dig into your hand and be extremely uncomfortable.

Hestan handles strike a nice balance between safety and comfort. 

All that said, there’s one thing I really don’t like about these handles. And that’s this large hanging loop at the end. It’s nice to be able to hang the pan from a hook, but the hole is unnecessarily large.

This big opening, combined with the thinness of the handle, makes it uncomfortable to hold at the end. There’s simply not enough metal to grip securely; your pinky and ring fingers will slip through the hole. Because of this, you’re forced to adjust your grip, holding the handle closer to the pan. Most handles have either a smaller hanging loop, a thicker end, or both.

I realize this is a minor thing, but given the prices of these pans, nitpicking is necessary. 

One more thing to note about the handles is their high angle. If you measure from the counter to the end of the handle, it’s almost 4.5 inches high.

Because of this, you need at least 5 inches of space to fit these pans between oven racks. While I like the higher-pitched handle because it gives you leverage when flipping or tossing food, other brands like Made In have handles with much lower angles, so you can fit them with less room between oven racks.

Lids

Hestan’s polished stainless steel lids are identical across the collections (except for Thomas Keller Insignia). They are designed to fit snugly for superior moisture and heat retention.

You can flip the lids over and stack the cookware to save space.

Now that you know the design elements consistent across all Hestan collections, let’s take a close look at the unique features of each.

NanoBond

NanoBond doesn’t look like traditional stainless steel, and that’s because it isn’t. It undergoes a complex process to fuse titanium to the stainless steel surface.

As a result, it gives the cookware a darker hue. The cooking surface is glossy, smooth, and almost glass-like.

The titanium works with the high-grade stainless to create a hybrid cooking surface that is 400% stronger than stainless steel.

As my tested proved, it resists stains and scratches because of the molecular application of titanium. It offers a sleek look, with a seamless presentation from base to rim.

CopperBond

CopperBond stands out. It offers a mix of stainless steel and copper that is stunning to look at.

This collection won a Red Dot Award for Product Design for its innovative layering of metals, elegant look, and versatility of use.

CopperBond pans have a brushed stainless steel interior. Most of the exterior is polished copper with a high-gloss stainless steel collar just under the rim of the cookware.

CopperBond features a magnetic steel base that extends slightly up the sides. Most copper cookware is not induction-compatible, but with the steel base, this cookware is.

ProBond

ProBond features a more traditional stainless steel cookware aesthetic. Like CopperBond, it’s a Red Dot Award for Product Design winner.

ProBond uses cold-forged stainless steel technology, a process that includes intelligent placement of metal for optimal performance in the kitchen and exceptional longevity.

The forging process thickens the base for even heating, but the side walls are thinner to balance out the weight.

These pans are designed to be workhorses but with a more lightweight feel than similar tri-ply stainless steel cookware. In short, they can handle the workload of a heavier pan without being cumbersome to hold or manipulate.

Brushed stainless steel makes up most of the exterior with a striking polished stainless band around the collar of the pots and pans, blending right into the sealed stainless rims.

Interiors are either brushed stainless steel or a black, diamond-reinforced non-stick.

Thomas Keller Insignia

This tri-ply clad collection is a beauty. The brushed stainless steel on the interior and exterior give it a sophisticated, modern look.

The long handles have a cut-out near the pan, which the brand claims helps defuse heat transfer and keep the handle cool.

The collection features universal lids with steam vents to reduce pressure and prevent water from boiling up and over the sides of the cookware. The steam vents are placed in a pattern shaped like the Hesten logo.

TITUM

TITUM is the most limited collection offered by Hestan. Although Hestan categorizes it as its own collection, it’s really an extension of ProBond. It consists of non-stick skillets and sauté pans only.

The pans have a tri-ply construction with conductive aluminum at the core. Unlike Hestan’s other collections, which feature a stainless steel cooking surface, the interiors in this collection are black and coated with 3-layer, diamond-reinforced PFOA-free non-stick.

Under the 3-layer non-stick is a layer of TITUM plasma primer. That layer adds strength to the non-stick coating above and adheres to a sandblasted stainless steel surface for increased durability.

These skillets do not come with matching lids, but lids from other collections will fit them. For example, lids for the 3.5-quart saute pan and 8-quart stockpot fit the 11-inch skillet.

Durability

Hestan claims that its NanoBond pans are four times harder than typical stainless steel and because of that, they are nearly scratch proof. 

To test this claim, I conducted two quick tests using both the NanoBond skillet and the ProBond skillet, which doesn’t include titanium and isn’t as hard.

Applying approximately 5 pounds of pressure, I rubbed the rough side of a Scotch-Brite sponge on the inside of the ProBond pan for 10 seconds. 

As you can see, the sponge left behind a very noticeable rough patch of micro scratches. 

I did the same thing on the NanoBond pan. This time, there were no scratches at all. To make sure I wasn’t missing anything, I rubbed another spot on the NanoBond pan, and again, no scratches. 

For the second test, I swapped the sponge for a table knife with a serrated edge. Applying the same pressure, I slid the knife back and forth about an inch 15 times on both pans. 

The knife made a significant gouge in the ProBond pan. It also scratched the NanoBond pan but the damage wasn’t as bad. 

I repeated this test on the bottom of the pan, and the results were the same – The ProBond scratch was significant, and the NanoBond scratch was noticeable but not as deep. 

So Hestan is telling the truth when they say their NanoBond pans are harder and more scratch-resistant, but they’re not scratch-proof, and you still need to be careful with sharp metal utensils. It’s important to know that minor scratches like the ones from the sponge are just cosmetic and won’t impact performance. But if you want your pans to look impeccable for years, NanoBond makes that much more possible.

Performance

The best way to understand how cookware performs is to use it over and over again. And that’s exactly what I did.

Over several months, I tested Hestan cookware by cooking various meals, including steak, chicken, vegetables, pasta, sauces, pancakes, bacon, eggs, fish, and much more.

I tried all culinary techniques, including searing, browning, sauteing, broiling, boiling, frying, and more.

My goal was to pressure test these pans to see how they perform in a variety of situations.

Overall, the performance was excellent. As soon as you pick up a Hestan pan, you know you’re working with a quality piece of cookware. It’s heavy yet balanced and has thick walls that distribute heat evenly.

The wide cooking surface provides extra room, so the food isn’t crowded, and the steep sides keep liquids contained and prevent splattering.

Throughout my tests, I seared several pieces of steak, salmon, and pork chops, and each time the browning and crust were completely even.

The NanoBond, ProBond, and CopperBond pans are great for searing and browning, and the ProBond TITUM pan is ideal for eggs and anything prone to sticking. 

Unlike thinner, cheaper pans, these have a thick base and walls that hold a consistent temperature. That makes them easier to work with. They won’t overheat and burn your food if you accidentally turn the heat too high. They heat up gradually and give you time to adjust.

Hestan’s flat rivets are an upgrade over standard rivets that protrude and collect grime, but the seams around them still can catch food, so they’re not as easy to clean as pans without any rivets like Demeyere.

One of the claims Hestan makes on its website is that the NanoBond pans are stick-resistant. I asked Hestan’s product expert, Michael Kane, about this, and he said the titanium hardens the surface and eliminates pores.

He made the analogy of painting. When you paint porous wood, the paint adheres well. But if you paint non-porous glass, the paint won’t stick to it. He did admit that it doesn’t make NanoBond as non-stick as a coated pan but it’s better than the standard stainless steel.

Based on my testing, what Michael told me is spot on. NanoBond is the smoothest pan I’ve tested. It not only looks and feels smoother than standard stainless steel pans, but you can hear it. When you rub your fingers over the surface, it’s much quieter. 

In terms of actual cooking, it has slightly better non-stick properties than the typical stainless steel pan. But you still need to preheat the pan and add some oil or butter to prevent sticking. And if you don’t get the heat right or don’t add enough fat, eggs will stick just like they do with any other stainless steel pan. So, it gives you a little more leeway, but it doesn’t really change the way you use the pan. 

Another thing about the NanoBond pan is that after you cook with it once or twice, especially if you cook on high heat, you may notice rainbow stains like this:

These stains are ugly, but they don’t affect performance, and you can easily remove them with white vinegar. Just add a splash, swirl with water, scrub, and rinse. 

Hestan vs. the Competition

In real-world testing, all four Hestan collections (NanoBond, ProBond, ProBond TITUM, and CopperBond) live up to the hype, but I wanted to see how the materials and construction of each pan impact how fast and evenly they heat up and how well they retain heat. 

To find out, I conducted a few simple tests. I also tested other high-end brands to benchmark how Hestan performs versus the competition. The other pans I tested were the 12-inch skillets in the following collections: All-Clad D3, All-Clad Copper Core, Made In Non-Stick, Demeyere Atlantis Proline.

First, I conducted my standard water test by pouring 2 cups of cold water into each pan and seeing how quickly they boil the water. This gives us a general idea of how quickly the pan heats up. 

Of the eight pans I tested, Hestan CopperBond heated the fastest, followed by All-Clad Copper Core. I’m not surprised by these results since copper has much higher thermal conductivity than aluminum, which is the core material of the other pans. Demeyere Atlantis was the slowest to heat, which was also expected because it’s the thickest pan at 5.5 mm. Here are the full results:

Frying Pan	Time to Boil (m:ss)
Hestan ProBond TITUM	2:19
Hestan ProBond	2:45
Hestan NanoBond	2:47
Hestan CopperBond	2:07
Made In Non-Stick	2:31
Demeyere Altantis	3:25
All-Clad D3	2:55
All-Clad Copper Core	2:18

After the water boiled, I took each pan off the heat and measured the water temperature after 10 minutes. Demeyere Atlantis retained the most heat, again thanks to its super thick construction.

The two pans with copper cooled down the fastest, but that’s by design. These pans are meant to heat and cool fast to give you more control. Below are the full results:

Frying Pan	Water Temp (10 min)
Hestan ProBond TITUM	102°F
Hestan ProBond	98°F
Hestan NanoBond	98°F
Hestan CopperBond	95°F
Made In Non-Stick	105°F
Demeyere Altantis	106°F
All-Clad D3	100°F
All-Clad Copper Core	95°F

To get a second read on heat retention, I heated each pan until the center reached 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, I quickly removed it from the heat and measured the temperature in the center of the pan after 5 and 10 minutes. 

While the All-Clad, Made In, and Hestan pans performed similarly, the Demeyere Atlantis pan was a major outlier with the best heat retention by a wide margin. Results below:

Frying Pan	Pan Temperature After 5 mins	Pan Temperature After 10 mins
Hestan ProBond TITUM	127°F	102°F
Hestan ProBond	115°F	105°F
Hestan NanoBond	134°F	106°F
Hestan CopperBond	127°F	104°F
Made In Non-Stick	127°F	102°F
Demeyere Altantis	159°F	131°F
All-Clad D3	132°F	111°F
All-Clad Copper Core	128°F	110°F

I conducted one more test not only to see how fast each pan heats but also to see how quickly it spreads to all areas of the pan. I placed each pan on the same burner, turned the heat to high, and measured the temperature at the center of the cooking surface, the outer edge, and the top of the sidewall after 1 minute and 3 minutes.

After one minute, Made In and Hestan CopperBond had the highest temperature in the center, but ProBond and ProBond TITUM heated the most evenly. With the two ProBond pans, the temperature of the outer edge and walls was the closest to the temperature at the center.

After three minutes, All-Clad Copper Core, Hestan CopperBond, and Hestan ProBond were the hottest in the center, but All-Clad D3 had the most uniform temperature. Here are the full results:

Frying Pan	Center (After 1 Min)	Edge (After 1 Min)	Wall (After 1 Min)	Center (After 3 Mins)	Edge (3 Mins)	Wall (After 3 Mins)
Hestan ProBond TITUM	265°F	259°F	241°F	411°F	394°F	344°F
Hestan ProBond	234°F	233°F	210°F	454°F	377°F	319°F
Hestan NanoBond	295°F	267°F	209°F	415°F	366°F	272°F
Hestan CopperBond	319°F	291°F	261°F	424°F	385°F	360°F
Made In Non-Stick	336°F	311°F	273°F	371°F	355°F	327°F
Demeyere Altantis	301°F	276°F	229°F	432°F	353°F	291°F
All-Clad D3	300°F	285°F	203°F	308°F	299°F	290°F
All-Clad Copper Core	255°F	244°F	228°F	450°F	432°F	374°F

The main takeaway from these tests is that with the exception of Demeyere Atlantis which has unusually thick construction, Hestan performs on par with highly-rated brands like All-Clad and Made In. And if speed, responsiveness, and control are important to you, the CopperBond collection is the best performer in Hestan’s lineup.

Price

I’ve reviewed many cookware brands, and Hestan is one of the most expensive. It’s right up there with Mauviel, Ruffoni, and All-Clad.

CopperBond and NanoBond are Hestan’s most expensive collections. ProBond is less costly, yet it’s still not inexpensive by any means.

In general, any cookware that includes copper will always cost more, as do fully-clad stainless steel options.

To view current pricing, refer to the following chart:

Downsides

As I’ve covered, there’s a lot to love about Hestan cookware. But no brand is perfect.

Before you decide whether to buy Hestan, here are some downsides to consider.

Price

Simply put, Hestan is one of the most expensive fully-clad cookware brands you can buy. It’s a high-end brand that employs durable construction and high-grade materials and bonding processes. Plus, it’s made in Italy, where production costs are much higher than in China (where most cookware is made).

Large Hanging Loop

I’m a big fan of Hestan’s handles; they’re comfortable and safe. The groove on top provides a place to rest your thumb and prevents the handle from rotating in your hand when tilting the pan. However, the hanging loop at the end of the handle is unnecessarily large.

You can’t comfortably hold the handle at the end because there’s not much to grab onto; your fingers will slip through the oversized hole. Because of this, you have to choke up on the handle a bit. It’s a minor complaint but something I noticed right away. 

Non-Stick Will Eventually Degrade

No matter how durable or reinforced the non-stick coating is, it will eventually break down. Based on the expense of this brand, it might be a better choice to skip the non-stick and opt for the stainless interior cookware.

Learning Curve

When it comes to using copper cookware like Hestan CopperBond, there’s a learning curve. It’s not for amateur chefs since copper has superior heat conduction and is highly responsive. Too much heat can burn food before it’s fully cooked, and not enough can prolong the cooking process.

High-Maintenance

You will need to polish or thoroughly clean Hestan cookware to maintain its stunning appearance. Also, the copper will develop a natural patina, so it must be restored with copper polish if you want it to stay shiny.

Although Hestan cookware is dishwasher-safe (except the CopperBond collection), you’ll need to wash it by hand with a bit of elbow grease to keep it looking new.

These pans can also develop a cloudy appearance, a splotchy rainbow-colored pattern, or blue marks known as heat tint.

Although heat tint is natural due to high-heat cooking, oils, and other factors, you will need special cleaners to eliminate the stains.

New Brand

Hestan cookware was launched in 2015, so it does not have a long track record of success. There’s no reason to think it won’t last long, but it hasn’t been in the market enough time to know for sure. When you’re investing in such expensive cookware, you want to know with certainty that it will last decades.

What Others Are Saying About Hestan

Recently, Good Housekeeping rounded up the 7 Best Stainless Steel Cookware Sets to Buy. The findings were based on reviews from kitchen experts. Hestan NanoBond 5-Piece Cookware Set took top honors as the Best Overall. Not only did the cookware exhibit excellent performance, but they were called “the easiest stainless steel pans to clean.”

Good Housekeeping also shared the 7 Best Copper Cookware Sets, and Hestan CopperBond made the cut. Named Best Overall, the cookware was called “especially impressive” thanks to stellar heat distribution, comfortable handles, ease of cleaning, and wider surface area on skillets.

Serious Eats tested 25 stainless steel skillets. Hestan NanoBond received an honorable mention in its review of the Best Stainless Steel Skillets, noting it performed well in testing and was easy to clean. Yet, the high price kept it from ranking in the top three because reviewers noted that lower-priced skillets performed just as well.

Bon Appetit praises the NanoBond collection in its Highly Recommended column, saying, “[it’s] the most durable stainless cookware that I have ever seen.” However, the reviewer admitted that it wouldn’t replace his non-stick pans.

Money asked professional chefs about the Best Pots, Pans, Dutch Ovens, and the reviewers picked Hestan’s NanoBond collection as the Best Overall. Experts see the collection as durable and highly resistant to scratches and stains. Furthermore, NanoBond was called “simply gorgeous.”

Hestan Cookware FAQs

Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about Hestan cookware.

Bottom Line: Is Hestan Cookware Worth It?

Hestan has multiple design elements and intriguing, innovative construction that make it stand out.

Although it’s a relatively new brand, its parent company, Meyer, has produced quality cookware for decades.

But is Hestan cookware right for you? Is it worth the high price?

Before you decide, let me offer my thoughts and recommendations.

You should buy Hestan cookware if:

• You’re willing to invest in high-end cookware.
• You prefer fully-clad cookware brands that offer a copper option.
• You’re looking for induction-compatible cookware.
• You want cookware that can handle extremely high heat (NanoBond is oven-safe up to NanoBond is oven-safe up to 1050°F).
• You like the fact that a renowned chef designed a Hestan cookware collection.
• You want cookware that is metal utensil safe.
• You can’t stand cleaning grease and bits of food around rivets.
• You want the added durability of sealed rims.
• You want cookware with large cooking surfaces.
• You want premium cookware that’s crafted in Italy.

You should NOT buy Hestan cookware if:

• You are looking for inexpensive low- to mid-tier cookware.
• You prefer cookware brands with a longer track record; Hestan launched in 2015.
• You want cookware with color choices.
• You prefer tempered glass lids.
• You want low-maintenance cookware that never needs polishing.

Between the sealed rims, flush rivets, titanium-reinforced steel, and 20% larger cooking surface, these pots and pans are truly unique.

But is Hestan really worth the high price? The short answer is, it depends.

If you’re captivated by Hestan’s distinct construction and stunning design features, go for it. It’s a justifiable investment since premium stainless steel cookware is known to last for decades (or longer).

That said, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a single pan to get great results. If you’re simply looking for quality stainless steel cookware that gets the job done, plenty of more affordable opinions exist.

If you’re ready to buy or just want to read more reviews, check out Hestan on Amazon and HestanCulinary.com. 

If you’re looking for a less expensive but quality alternative, I highly recommend Made In. It’s ultra-durable, and based on my tests, it heats faster and retains heat better than Hestan. Learn more on MadeInCookware.com.