Is Tramontina a Good Cookware Brand? An In-Depth Review

Are you shopping for cookware and wondering if Tramontina is worth buying?

In this review, you’ll learn the pros and cons of Tramontina cookware. I break down its design, construction, materials, performance, and costs.

I also share its downsides, answer frequently asked questions, and reveal what other reviewers think about the brand.

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Use the links below to navigate the review:

• Tramontina Cookware Review: Key Takeaways
• Design
• Materials and Construction
• Performance
• Tramontina vs. the Competition
• Price
• Downsides
• What Others Say About Tramontina
• Tramontina Cookware FAQs
• Bottom Line: Is Tramontina Cookware Worth Buying?

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Design

Tramontina has five collections:

• Professional (includes PRO Series)
• Everyday
• Gourmet
• Select
• Style

There are a variety of designs throughout the brand, from polished stainless steel to glossy, brightly colored enamel on aluminum.

In this section, I’ll highlight the PRO Series non-stick fry pan (the pan crowned the best non-stick pan by the The New York Times).

I’ll also cover design features of the other collections so you can get a good idea of what Tramontina has to offer.

Exterior

The PRO Series fry pan has a heavy-gauge aluminum exterior that resembles brushed stainless steel. It features commercial-grade aluminum with a satin finish. It’s made to stand up to everyday use and offers an elegant appearance.

Many of Tramontina’s collections use thick aluminum or hard-anodized aluminum.

Select and Everyday offer hard-anodized aluminum cookware with a matte dark gray exterior.

Everyday also has heavy-gauge, gray aluminum cookware sets.

Style features a mix of aluminum bases with multiple color options, such as charcoal, silver, blue, copper, and metallic red.

If you’re looking for a polished stainless steel finish, check out the Gourmet collection.

Interior

The PRO Series fry pan features a non-stick interior cooking surface. The 3-layer coating is black and offers a pleasant visual contrast to the bright aluminum exterior.

The pan has flared rims to aid in pouring pan juices or sliding food onto a serving plate. Gourmet and Select fry pans also feature flared rims, while Style has a mix of flared and straight rims.

Although the diameter from rim to rim is 12 inches, the flat cooking surface is 10 inches. I measured nine other 12-inch fry pans, and the average flat cooking surface of those pans was 9 inches. So, with Tramontina, you can cook more at once and avoid overcrowding the pan.

The PRO Series fry pan has three exposed rivets on the pan’s interior. Exposed rivets provide a place for food debris and oil to collect, so always clean thoroughly around them to keep your cookware hygienic. Try a PRO Fusion non-stick fry pan if you want a rivet-free option.

Most non-stick cookware has dark PTFE interiors. However, the Everyday collection features enameled cast iron cookware with off-white or black interiors. The Gourmet collection’s enameled cast iron cookware has a light-colored interior.

Handles

The PRO Series fry pans have thin, straight handles with a slight upward angle.

The triple-riveted handles are sturdy and come with a red, heat-resistant silicone grip.

The grip is removable and offers safety and comfort when transporting a hot pan.

The handle is 9.75 inches long. Most handles on 12-inch pans are between 8 and 9 inches. The extra length allows you to keep your hand further away from the heat and gives you more control.

Gourmet, Select, and Style all have riveted stainless steel handles. The Everyday collection offers stainless steel handles, but some options also feature a silicone grip.

Lids

While the Professional fry pans do not include lids, the other pots in the collection feature tempered glass lids with stainless steel handles.

The Gourmet, Everyday, Select, and Style collections feature tempered glass and stainless steel lids.

Everyday and Gourmet are the only collections with enameled cast iron cookware. They offer enameled cast iron lids with stainless steel knob handles.

And if you’re looking for space-saving cookware, Style offers several nesting cookware sets. The lids are flat for stacking. They also feature a thick knob handle with a built-in spoon rest for convenience.

Materials and Construction

Tramontina uses a variety of materials and cookware constructions. It’s well-made cookware without a lot of extras.

The main offerings are aluminum, hard-anodized aluminum, and clad stainless steel.

However, Tramontina also offers the following:

• Cast iron
• Carbon steel
• Enameled aluminum
• Enameled cast iron

The enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are popular and one of the best low-cost alternatives to Le Creuset. Check out the following reviews for more details:

• Lodge vs. Tramontina
• Le Creuset vs. Tramontina

Stainless Clad

The stainless steel cookware has a tri-ply construction. It features an 18/10 stainless steel interior, an aluminum core, and a magnetic steel exterior for induction cooking. You can find stainless clad pieces in Professional, Gourmet, and some limited collections such as Prima.

Aluminum

Most aluminum cookware (like PRO, Style, and Everyday collections) features heavy-gauge (thick) aluminum walls and a dark PTFE non-stick coating. The Everyday collection has options for ceramic non-stick if you prefer a PTFE-free cooking surface.

Tramontina uses different non-stick constructions on its cookware, including:

• PPG Eclipse: 3-layer, PFOA-free, lead and cadmium-free reinforced non-stick
• Teflon Profile: PFOA-free, lead and cadmium-free reinforced non-stick
• Starflon non-stick
• PFOA-free, titanium reinforced non-stick

The Professional series uses PPG Eclipse. It’s the most durable non-stick coating they offer.

You can find Teflon Profile on the limited Tramontina Culinary collection. All other offerings use either reinforced or Starflon non-stick coating.

Hard-Anodized Aluminum

Tramontina’s hard-anodized pieces (Everyday and Select collections) feature a reinforced PFOA-free non-stick free of lead and cadmium. Hard-anodized cookware is long-lasting and less prone to warping with proper care.

Performance

So how does Tramontina cookware perform? I’ve been testing the PRO Series frying pan for several months, and there are several pros and a few cons.

The first thing I noticed was its weight. It’s well-balanced cookware, not the heaviest nor the lightest. It’s easy to lift and maneuver, yet feels super sturdy.

In general, thicker pans cook more evenly because they retain heat well, but some brands overdo it and make their pans so thick that it’s a burden to pick up. Tramontina pans have the right balance.

The next thing I noticed was the handle. The silicone wrapper is soft and rubbery. It provides an excellent grip and stays securely in place — it won’t slide off unless you pull it hard.

As I mentioned, the handles are about an inch longer than most pan handles. The added length keeps your hand far from the heat and provides more leverage when tilting or shaking ingredients.

That said, I have two complaints about the handle.

First, oil and grime get stuck in the three rivets and bake into the metal, making it difficult to remove.

Second, the handle gets extremely hot without the silicone wrapper. So keep it on unless you’re cooking in the oven.

The non-stick coating is slick and releases food with ease. I cooked eggs, fish, chicken, vegetables, and several sauces and never had an issue with food sticking.

Although customers complain that the pan warps and cooks unevenly, my pan sits flat on the stove, and the heat distribution is solid (as you’ll see in the next section).

Overall, Tramontina cooks well, but it’s nothing special, and I’m surprised The New York Times continues to rank it at the top of its best non-stick pan list.

It’s balanced and has a nice long handle and wide cooking surface, but it performs similarly to several other brands I’ve tested, including Misen, Calphalon, and Anolon.

Tramontina vs. the Competition

I conducted two simple tests to benchmark Tramontina’s heat conduction (how fast and evenly it heats) and heat retention (how well it maintains its temperature) against the competition.

For the first test, I filled the Tramontina PRO Series 12-inch fry pan with two cups of cold water. Then, I put the pan on the stove and turned the heat to high.

This test aims to see how fast the pan boils water and how evenly it distributes heat. As the water heated, the bubbles were uniform across the entire cooking surface. That’s a good sign that the pan is heating evenly.

When a pan is warped or poorly made, there can be hot and cold spots where bubbles concentrate or don’t form at all. Fortunately, the Tramontina pan heated completely even.

After one minute and 53 seconds, bubbles began forming. And after two minutes and 52 seconds, the water came to a full boil.

I run this test with every pan I review, and as the results below show, Tramontina isn’t the fastest or the slowest to heat. It’s on par with brands like Hestan, All-Clad, and Circulon.

Pan	Time to First Bubbles	Time to Boil
Made In fry pan	1 minute and 40 seconds	2 minutes and 21 seconds
Misen fry pan	1 minute and 50 seconds	2 minutes and 25 seconds
Anolon fry pan	1 minute and 55 seconds	2 minutes and 27 seconds
Zwilling fry pan	1 minute and 45 seconds	2 minutes and 31 seconds
T-fal fry pan	1 minute and 50 seconds	2 minutes and 32 seconds
Gotham Steel fry pan	1 minute and 58 seconds	2 minutes and 32 seconds
Rachael Ray fry pan	1 minute and 47 seconds	2 minutes and 36 seconds
Viking fry pan	1 minute and 42 seconds	2 minute and 39 seconds
Calphalon fry pan	1 minute and 45 seconds	2 minutes and 40 seconds
Pioneer Woman fry pan	2 minute and 2 seconds	2 minute and 46 seconds
Hestan fry pan	1 minute and 52 seconds	2 minutes and 47 seconds
GreenLife pan	2 minutes and 11 seconds	2 minutes and 47 seconds
Tramontina fry pan	1 minute and 53 seconds	2 minutes and 52 seconds
Circulon fry pan	2 minutes and 7 seconds	2 minutes and 55 seconds
All-Clad skillet	1 minute and 55 seconds	2 minutes and 55 seconds
Demeyere Industry fry pan	2 minutes and 3 seconds	3 minutes and 10 seconds
Ballarini fry pan	2 minutes and 15 seconds	3 minutes and 12 seconds
Heritage Steel fry pan	1 minutes and 59 seconds	3 minutes and 15 seconds
Demeyere Atlantis fry pan	2 minutes and 11 seconds	3 minutes and 25 seconds

After recording the first test’s results, I turned off the heat and placed the pan on the counter. This time, my goal was to measure how well the pan retains heat. Pans with good heat retention will keep the water warmer for longer.

After five minutes, the water in the pan was 118.5°F.

After ten minutes, the water was 101.3°F.

Tramontina showed average heat retention compared to the competition — not bad, but not the best either. Below are the results across the industry.

Pan	Temperature After 5 Minutes	Temperature After 10 Minutes
Demeyere Atlantis fry pan	122.0°F	106.3°F
Made In fry pan	121.1°F	106.6°F
Misen fry pan	118.6°F	103.4°F
Zwilling fry pan	121.1°F	103.0°F
Rachael Ray fry pan	126.3°F	102.7°F
Circulon fry pan	133.3°F	102.0°F
Tramontina fry pan	118.5°F	101.3°F
Demeyere Industry fry pan	115.2°F	96.6°F
Calphalon fry pan	112.8°F	101.1°F
All-Clad skillet	111.6°F	100.9°F
Ballarini fry pan	120°F	99.9°F
Heritage Steel	120.1°F	98.2°F
Hestan fry pan	114°F	98°F
Viking fry pan	106.6°F	95.9°F
GreenLife fry pan	119°F	95°F
Gotham Steel fry pan	113°F	95°F
Anolon fry pan	112.7°F	90.9°F
Pioneer Woman fry pan	104.3°F	90.9°F
T-fal fry pan	108.7°F	88.0°F

Price

One of Tramontina’s biggest draws is its affordable prices. You can get an entire set of Tramontina cookware for less than the price of one pot or pan from a high-end brand like All-Clad or Calphalon.

Pricing depends on the collection. You’ll pay the most for stainless steel and enameled cast iron cookware and the least for the aluminum ceramic non-stick pieces. But no matter the collection, the brand is economical.

The chart below displays the current prices for the most popular Tramontina pots, pans, and cookware sets. Click the price to learn more about each item on Amazon.

Downsides

There’s a lot to like about Tramontina cookware, but here are some downsides to consider before buying.

Low oven-safe temperatures: Some Tramontina cookware, like Select hard-anodized fry pans, can’t exceed 350°F in an oven. All non-stick cookware except the PRO Series has a max temperature of 450°F or less. While you can still make a lot of recipes at those temperatures, it keeps you from making meals that require higher heat. Only the stainless tri-ply clad cookware is oven safe up to 500°F.

Non-stick damage: The non-stick is sturdy but not metal utensil safe. If you don’t maintain it properly (avoid high heat, dishwashing, metal spatulas, etc.), you’ll need to replace the cookware. In most cases, it will last 2 to 5 years.

Extra time spent cleaning: Even though most cookware is labeled dishwasher safe, exposure to high heat, harsh detergents, and sharp utensils decreases the cookware’s lifetime. Because of that, I always recommend hand washing all cookware.

Rivets: Rivets are small pieces of metal that attach the handle to the pan. Most cookware has two rivets, but Tramontina PRO Series pans have three. While the extra rivet makes the handle even less likely to detach, it interrupts the cooking surface and provides another area for oils and grime to get stuck. You need to scrub around these rivets after each use. 

Average heat conduction and retention: Based on my tests, Tramontina cookware conducts and retains heat okay, but not great. That doesn’t mean you can’t cook amazing meals in these pans, but you might have to wait a little longer for water to boil, and the temperature may fluctuate a bit when you add cold ingredients.

Prone to warping: My Tramontina pans have not warped, but it’s a common complaint if you browse customer reviews on Amazon and other sites. People say the middle warps and becomes rounded, preventing the pan from sitting flat on glass cooktops.

What Others Say About Tramontina

Now that you know what I think about the brand, let’s see what other reviewers have to say:

New York Times Wirecutter picks the Tramontina Professional 10-Inch Restaurant Fry Pan as the Best Nonstick Pan. Reviewers called it the “best value for the money” in a test of 25 non-stick pans. In fact, it held its own for four years and still had good food release. It offers even heating, a comfortable silicone sheath for the handles, and flared edges for turning out food easily.

Regarding cookware sets, Wirecutter puts Tramontina at the top of the list. It named the Gourmet 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Cookware Set as the Best Cookware Set. It held its own against 80+ cookware sets. Testers called it comfortable to hold and lift, durable, and solidly constructed at an affordable price.

According to CNET, the Tramontina Professional 10-Inch Restaurant Fry Pan is the Best Budget Nonstick Pan. Testers loved its even heating, comfortable silicone handle grip, slick cooking surface, and its warp-resistant aluminum base.

Food Network recently made a list of the seven best non-stick frying pans, and the Tramontina Professional 10-Inch Restaurant Fry Pan was called Best Value in a list with top brands like Le Creuset, All-Clad, and GreenPan. Reviewers praised its restaurant-ready look, feel, and performance.

In Food Network’s 6 Best Cookware Sets list, reviewers chose the Tramontina Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Clad 12-Piece Set as Best Value Stainless Steel. Reviewers noted its professional high-end look but praised the brand for its value and lower cost. They liked the round handles, variety of pots and pans, and 500°F max oven temperature.

Consumer Reports recently chose the Tramontina Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Clad 8-Piece Set as one of the Best Cookware Sets of the Year. Reviewers liked the value of the cookware pieces in the set. They also enjoyed the even cooking, quick heating, and food release.

Tramontina Cookware FAQs

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Tramontina cookware.

Bottom Line: Is Tramontina Cookware Worth Buying?

Now that you know the facts about Tramontina cookware, it’s time to decide if it’s right for you.

Here’s a quick recap to help you decide.

You should buy Tramontina cookware if:

• You want affordable cookware that lasts and offers good performance
• You like a variety of cookware designs, materials, and construction
• You want cookware with long handles and large cooking surfaces
• You prefer quick heating so you can make meals fast
• You like having a choice of PTFE and ceramic non-stick cookware
• You want cookware options that come in different colors
• You are looking for stackable space-saving cookware options

If that sounds like you, compare the current prices on Amazon, Tramontina.com, and Walmart.com.

You should NOT buy Tramontina cookware if:

• You prefer high-end options like copper or stainless clad with five (or more) layers
• You want oven-safe cookware that exceeds 500°F
• You are looking for non-stick cookware that is metal utensil safe
• You prefer cookware with stay-cool stainless steel handles
• You don’t want to deal with cleaning between three rivets

Bottom line — Tramontina offers quality cookware at low to mid-range prices. The most notable features are the premium non-stick coating, long handles, and wide cooking surface. Is it the absolute best non-stick pan, as the New York Times suggests? I don’t think so. But, for the money, it’s a solid buy.

Read more reviews and check the current prices on Amazon, Tramontina.com, and Walmart.com.

If you’re strongly considering Tramontina, you should also check out Made In (read my review) and Misen (read my review). Both brands offer high-quality pots and pans at fair prices.