Stainless vs. nonstick ceramic: Which is better?

We tested both and found it’s all about your cooking needs 

When it comes to deciding between stainless steel cookware and nonstick ceramic cookware, it can be challenging to know which type to invest in. To make your decision easier, the BestReviews Testing Lab researched and prepared food in cookware sets from Caraway, Viking and Our Place, including the Our Place Ultimate Cookware Set, the Caraway Cookware Set and the Viking 3-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set. 

Numerous options are available when upgrading or building a new cooking space and choosing products in your kitchen. BestReviews’ Jacob Palmer shares the top kitchen picks from the BestReviews Testing Lab to simplify the process.

The first thing to consider is the type of foods you frequently cook or plan to cook. This can be helpful when deciding the type of material that best suits your cooking needs. We learned through testing that nonstick pans are great for frying eggs or searing delicate fish, while stainless steel pans are ideal for sautéing, searing or whipping up a flavorful sauce. Nonstick pans prevented sticking when cooking and cleaning. Stainless steel pans are known for enhancing the flavor of food if they’re used correctly, as well as durability and good heat conduction. 

In the end, we concluded that each material provides unique applications in the kitchen and neither one is better than the other. 

Stainless vs. nonstick ceramic: What they do well

Stainless steel material is made for higher-heat cooking, while nonstick ceramic cookware requires lower heat.

We compared stainless and nonstick ceramic cookware sets from Viking, Caraway and Our Place. Despite their differences, each set ranked high in every category we tested for, including cooking performance, durability and ease of cleaning. 

Stainless steel benefits

• Crank up the heat: Stainless steel is made for higher-heat cooking. Home chefs can use medium heat while cooking with the Caraway Stainless Steel Cookware Set without damaging the surface of the pans. However, the classic set from Caraway can only be used with low to medium heat. 
• Durability: Stainless steel is desirable because it’s made to take a beating and can last a long time. For instance, the Viking stainless steel set survived our intense drop and scratch tests, showing few or no scratches or dents. 
• Recyclable: Unlike nonstick ceramic cookware, stainless steel cookware can be recycled, which is better for the planet. 
• Usually dishwasher safe: Most stainless steel sets can be put in the dishwasher. This is helpful for removing stains and fingerprints and makes cleanup easy. 

Nonstick ceramic benefits

• Smooth surface: When cooking delicate foods that are prone to sticking to the pan, such as eggs and fish, a nonstick ceramic surface can make a huge difference. For instance, cooking with Caraway’s nonstick cookware set felt smooth as butter. Food easily released when we scrambled eggs and sautéed veggies.
• Convenience: Nonstick ceramic also doesn’t require any prep before turning on the heat. In our tests, we didn’t need to put oil or butter in the ultra-smooth cookware prior to scrambling eggs. 
• Quick and easy cleanup: Since foods won’t stick to ceramic cookware, it’s easier to clean than stainless steel cookware. But you can’t put nonstick ceramic cookware in the dishwasher because it would damage the ceramic coating.

What they could improve

Nobody’s perfect. Both stainless steel cookware and nonstick ceramic cookware have some drawbacks. 

Stainless steel drawbacks

• Food sticks: Stainless steel sets won’t impress you when it comes to cooking some foods. While stir-frying in a Viking stainless steel pan, we noticed that veggies stuck to the bottom of the pan. 
• Harder to clean: Despite its name, stainless steel can get stained. Even if cared for properly, food residue can be tough to remove. 

Nonstick ceramic drawbacks

• Medium heat only: When cooking with nonstick ceramic cookware, you have to remember to use low to medium heat so you don’t damage the material. This can make cooking times longer. 
• Can be less durable: Low-quality nonstick ceramic cookware might not last as long as durable stainless steel cookware. However, high-quality products like Caraway and Our Place should last several years, and each brand has a warranty program. 

Top stainless steel cookware

We tested the Viking 3-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set and researched the Caraway Stainless Steel Cookware Set, both known for their durability. 

Viking 3-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set

The Viking saucepan impressed us with its quick heating and heat retention, earning a perfect score in our tests.

Material: 3-ply stainless steel | Number of Pieces: 5 | Oven-Safe Temperature: Up to 600 degrees | Induction Compatibility: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: Yes, but hand-washing is recommended

The Viking 3-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set includes five pieces: a 10-inch frying pan, 3-quart saucepan with lid, and 5.25-quart sauté pan with lid. It works on all cooktops, including induction, stovetop, oven, broiler and grill. Despite the general assumption that stainless steel is heavy, we found this set to be quite light. The frying pan weighs 2.8 pounds, the sauté pan weighs 5.2 pounds and the saucepan weighs 3.4 pounds.  

The Viking saucepan heated up in an impressively short time. That and the heat retention earned it a perfect score in our tests. The set is oven safe up to 600 degrees, the highest heat limit of all our tested cookware.

The Viking doesn’t have any standout design features, but we were impressed that the handles remained at room temperature even while cooking. In terms of nonstick ability, some food did cling to the pan, but this is to be expected given the material. 

Cleaning was a decent experience. Viking recommends hand-washing the set, although it claims to be dishwasher safe. Neither cleaning method completely removed all the food residue, and the pans still acquired stains. Its limited lifetime warranty does not cover issues such as stains or scratches from regular wear and tear. 

Caraway Stainless Steel Cookware Set 

Caraway’s stainless steel cookware has been treated to resist corrosion to ensure it lasts a long time.

Material: Nontoxic 5-ply steel | Number of Pieces: 12 | Oven-Safe Temperature: Up to 550 degrees | Induction Compatibility: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: No

Caraway’s five-ply stainless steel pans were designed with higher-heat cooking in mind. Home chefs can cook using medium heat without damaging the surface of the pans, while the nonstick ceramic set should only be used on low to medium heat to ensure its longevity.

The set, which includes a 10.5-inch fry pan, 3-quart sauce pan, 4.5-quart sauté pan and 6.5-quart Dutch oven, is crafted from durable five-ply steel. The material evenly distributes heat so all your recipes are cooked to perfection. Caraway is so confident that this set is made to last that it’s backed by a limited lifetime warranty. 

Caraway recommends adding one tablespoon of oil or butter to your stainless steel pan to coat the surface each time you cook, allowing one minute to preheat before adding food. To clean, all that’s needed is a gentle scrub with water to keep your pans in optimal condition, according to Caraway. 

Top nonstick ceramic cookware

Nonstick ceramic is truly the most effortless way to cook. Not a speck of food stuck to the base layer of the Caraway and Our Place nonstick ceramic pans.  

Our Place Ultimate Cookware Set

Our Place cookware impressed us with its quick and consistent heating during testing.

Material: Nontoxic ceramic coating | Number of Pieces: 17 | Oven-Safe Temperature: Up to 450 degrees | Induction Compatibility: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: No

The Our Place Ultimate Cookware Set includes an Always Pan 2.0, mini Always Pan 2.0, Perfect Pot and mini Perfect Pot 2.0, all with their own lids, spouts and nesting spatula rests. You also get Our Place’s five-piece bakeware set, which comes with a large Griddle Pan, Main Bake, Side Bake and Loaf Pan, plus a large silicone oven mat. There are six stunning colors to choose from, including blue salt and lavender. 

Our Place cookware really impressed us with its quick and consistent heating, earning a perfect score in our tests. We were also very impressed by the ease of hand-cleaning the Our Place cookware. The nonstick material makes this process quick and easy, and we found the cleaning took just seconds. 

Caraway Cookware Set 

Not a speck of food will stick to the pan when cooking with nonstick ceramic cookware from Caraway.

Material: Nontoxic ceramic coating | Number of Pieces: 12 | Oven-Safe Temperature: Up to 550 degrees | Induction Compatibility: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: No 

The Caraway 12-piece cookware set includes a 10.5-inch frying pan, 3-quart saucepan, 4.5-quart sauté pan, 6.5-quart Dutch oven and three lids. It also comes with four magnetic pan racks and a lid holder for organization, allowing you to put the set on display, though it takes up quite a bit of counter or cabinet space. 

We found that Caraway pans took longer than expected to heat up. Making bread took about nine minutes to brown, while other sets, such as the Viking, heated up instantly. However, once the pan was hot, heat consistency and heat distribution were not issues. 

In our tests, Caraway received a perfect score for its effective ceramic nonstick coating; however, we noticed a very small amount of residue left in the corners. We were a bit disappointed that Caraway’s handles became too hot to touch during use, and the lids were a little heavier than other lids we tested; for instance, the 12-inch pan weighs nearly 7 pounds with the lid on.  

Stainless steel vs. nonstick ceramic functionality

Our testing helped us determine how sets made of each material hold up in different scenarios. 

Cooking performance comparison

We quickly learned that nonstick pans don’t have the same temperature flexibility as stainless steel. Caraway cookware took a while to heat up. Prior to cooking a turkey burger, the Caraway pan took about five minutes to warm up versus other leading brands like the Viking stainless steel, which heated up almost instantly. 

Testers also noticed the Caraway handles became noticeably hot while cooking on medium heat after about 10 minutes, but Viking’s stainless steel handles remained at room temperature. 

Design and durability comparison 

Stainless steel cookware typically outlasts nonstick ceramic sets in durability and longevity, but it depends on the brand. If cared for properly, high-quality products like Caraway and Our Place should last up to five years.

If your goal is to add a pop of color to your kitchen, Our Place and Caraway sets come in several eye-catching options. Alternatively, stainless steel cookware sets offer a sleek and timeless aesthetic that will have home chefs feeling like professionals in the kitchen. 

Cleaning and maintenance comparison

Cooking with stainless steel can feel inconsistent. For instance, when we tested the Viking set, we noted issues while stir-frying. Veggies started to stick to the bottom of the pan, and they weren’t easy to clean off. 

The slick coating on nonstick cookware pans helped keep food from sticking, so they were easier to use and clean. Cleaning the Viking set was a little more challenging, but it is dishwasher safe, which is helpful if you don’t like hand-washing. 

Pricing

The Viking 3-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set is available for $300 to $355 and can be purchased on the company’s website. The Caraway Stainless Steel Cookware Set costs $695 to $845 and can be purchased on the Caraway website. 

The Our Place Ultimate Cookware Set can be purchased on the company website. With its $760 price point, it’s one of the more expensive sets on the market. However, if you can catch a major sale, we’ve seen it as low as $466. 

At $395 to $545, the Caraway Cookware Set can be purchased on the Caraway website or Amazon. Our Place has a 100-day trial option, while Caraway has a 30-day return policy. 

Bottom line

Choosing between a stainless steel set and a nonstick ceramic set comes down to how you cook and your budget. In a perfect world, everyone would have both nonstick ceramic cookware and stainless steel cookware. 

If we really had to choose only one, we definitely preferred using the nonstick ceramic cookware over the stainless steel. Most daily meals don’t require high heat, and cooking on a nonstick ceramic surface, especially with the Our Place and Caraway cookware sets, was dreamy. Plus cleanup is quick and easy. 

If you prefer cookware that can withstand higher heat, however, we encourage you to get a stainless steel option. Durable stainless steel cookware will also last longer than nonstick ceramic cookware.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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