In this roundup, I will examine options for the best cookware for gas stoves and present well-researched information on how you should make your choice.
If you are in a hurry and want to know our top pick for the best cookware for gas stoves, we recommend the All-Clad Brushed D5 Stainless Cookware Set.
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In this roundup, we will review the following gas stove cookware sets:
- All-Clad Brushed D5 Stainless Cookware Set
- Cuisinart TPS-10 10 Piece Tri-ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set
- T-fal C836SD Ultimate Stainless Steel Copper Bottom 13 PC Cookware Set
- Duxtop SSIB-17 Professional 17 Pieces Stainless Steel Induction Cookware Set
- Cooks Standard 10 Piece Multi-Ply Clad Cookware Set
My choices for this roundup were based on the materials used in manufacturing the cookware. I also researched how metals react to heat in the cooking process, and which combination of metals work best for cooking with gas. You can jump past the roundup review section to the last part of this article for more detailed information.
Gas Cookware Roundup
All-Clad Brushed D5 Stainless Cookware Set
Professional chefs know that cladded stainless steel cookware is the only way to turn out beautifully browned and seared meat. When stainless steel cookware has an aluminum or copper core, it will more than overcome its issues with heat conductivity.
The 5-ply bonded construction in All-Clad Brushed D5 cookware has alternating layers of brushed stainless steel and aluminum. This means you should expect to get beautifully browned steaks and chicken with crispy skin. If you want your cookware to last, expect to pay a bit more. If you try to go cheap (without a copper or aluminum core), then expect to get hot spots and uneven cooking.
This 10 piece set has everything you need to get started with stainless steel cooking. This set includes:
- 8” & 10” fry pans (eggs, omelets, or pancakes)
- 3-quart sauce pan with lid
- 1.5 & 3 quart saute pans with lids (sauces, pan “frying” and braising)
- 8-quart stock pot with lid (for soups, stock, pasta and sauces)
This is a versatile set, with every piece oven safe up to 600F; so you can brown your roasts on the stovetop and finish in the oven. The only drawback is the lids. They are made of flat stainless steel and not tempered glass, so you can’t monitor your cooking without taking the lid off.
This set is in the 18/10 category of stainless steel so it will conduct heat well. But keep in mind that stainless steel will discolor when you overheat your pots and pans. You can use vinegar and a dry cloth or Bar Keepers Friend to get rid of it. If you stay within the medium heat range you won’t risk damaging your cookware.
Some have complained of food sticking (especially eggs) to the cookware. Honestly, this is one of the disadvantages of cooking with stainless steel. There are ways to minimize the sticking factor, like seasoning the pan and making sure your pots and pans reach the ideal temperature before adding food.
Pros
Made in the USA
Warp resistant
Great heat distribution
Made with 18/10, category 300 stainless steel
Flared pouring rims
Cons
Handles on large pots can get very hot
Cleanups are time consuming
Lids are made of stainless steel, not tempered glass
Cuisinart TPS-10 10 Piece Tri-ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set
The Cuisinart TPS-10 cookware set is affordably priced and versatile. It has an aluminum core that is surrounded by two layers of stainless steel (tri-ply). This type of cladding enhances the cookware so you get good heat conduction, allowing your food to heat up faster and cook more evenly. Your chance of getting chicken that’s well-done on the edges but still raw in the middle is minimized.
This set conducts heat so well that you will never need to crank the burners up to the high heat setting. The cooking surface is non-reactive, so it won’t make your food taste funny.
I really like that the pots and pans all have tapered edges so you can pour from them without creating a mess. The set comes with tempered glass lids which allow you to monitor your cooking without having to lift the lids. This helps with moisture control and works to seal in food flavor.
The handles are designed to stay cool during the cooking process. But be careful when touching the lid tops and side handles on the stockpot. Wear gloves or mits to keep from burning yourself. The fact that it also comes with a lifetime warranty is a great little bonus.
Pros
Lifetime warranty
Tempered glass covers
Non-reactive and anti-stick cooking surface
Oven & broiler safe up to 600F
Great heat conduction
Cons
Side handles and lids may get hot
Pan rivets can trap food
Cleaning and maintenance learning curve
T-fal C836SD Ultimate Stainless Steel Copper Bottom 13 PC Cookware Set
The T-fal C836SD is a good starter set. The stainless steel/aluminum/copper multilayer construction helps this gas-friendly cookware deliver fast and even heat. The fast heating time really comes in handy when you are sauteing or cooking food that is temperature sensitive.
Speaking of sauteing, take care when using the saute pan. They can tip over when empty due to the weight of the long handles, which causes an imbalance. This can be a safety issue when you’re heating oil or haven’t added other ingredients to the pot to counterbalance the weight of the handles.
If you are used to cooking using moderate temperatures (like with your coated nonstick pans), the transition to this cookware won’t be hard. Just be sure to season the pans, preheat before adding food, and use a bit of cooking oil before use. With practice your eggs should slide out of the pan without sticking.
The cookware goes from stovetop to oven/broiler seamlessly and can withstand heat up to 500F. The stainless steel quality is such that acidic foods won’t react to the metal, changing the flavor profile of your food.
Although this cookware is dishwasher friendly, you will still need to pay attention and take care during cleanup. Let your cookware cool down first and don’t use any kind of abrasive sponges or bleach to clean
Pros
Oven safe up to 500F
Multilayered base (copper, stainless steel & aluminum)
Made of 18/10 stainless steel
Cons
Must take care with cleaning
Avoid cooking above medium heat
Thin copper coating on bottom rubs off
Duxtop SSIB-17 Professional 17 Pieces Stainless Steel Induction Cookware Set
Right off the bat I love that this set comes with almost every pot and pan you will ever need. In addition to the saucepans, fry pans and casserole, this set includes boiler and steam baskets. And they throw in 3 kitchen tools (large spoon, fork and spatula) as an added bonus.
This is heavy, quality cookware. It is made of 18/10 commercial grade stainless steel; high quality at an affordable price. The individual pieces are well balanced and easy to work with during the cooking process. The cookware handles have been designed for comfort; they are anti-slip and riveted to the pots for a nice balance.
The cooktops are vented and made of tempered glass. However, some complain that the tops rattle when boiling or steaming because the vent holes are too small.
Overall, this is a very versatile set that makes for a good starter cookware set. Oh, and the set works on all types of cooktops. So your cookware won’t be an issue if you change from gas to electric, infrared, induction, ceramic or radiant glass.
Pros
18/10 commercial grade stainless steel
Oven safe to 550F
Quality construction
Measurement markers
Cons
Measurement markers are metric not imperial (USA customer complaints)
Complaints that lids are not well-vented
Cooks Standard 10 Piece Multi-Ply Clad Cookware Set, Stainless Steel
This 10 Piece Cooks Standard cookware set can be used a variety of cooktops, including gas, induction, electric, glass and ceramic. The set is well designed and constructed of 18/10 stainless steel with an aluminum core. This results in even heating and nice heat distribution along the cooking surface.
A lot of thought went into the handle construction. The sauce and saute pan handles are riveted to the cookware for stability. There is a noticeable V-shape ‘split’ in the metal where the handles join to the body of the pots. This was done so heated air from the burners can flow through the opening, preventing the handles from getting too hot.
Although the set comes with lids, they are made of stainless steel so you can’t observe the cooking process. If you want to complete the set with a frypan or two, you will have to purchase them separately.
Many have complained of ‘pockmarks’ on the cooking surface that the manufacturer explains as “residue from the polishing process.” This can usually be removed using white vinegar or lemon juice, Bar Keepers Friend, or All-Clad 00942 Cookware Cleaner and Polish.
Pros
18/10 commercial grade stainless steel
Oven safe to 500F
V-shaped and riveted handle design
Designed for multiple stovetop use
Cons
Spotting can occur on bottom of pan
No fry pans (skillets) included
The Basics of Cooking with Gas
When you cook food, you’re applying heat to it to change its flavor and texture. It is a transfer of energy. The cooking equipment you use in food preparation (pots, pans, etc.) is responsible for this energy transfer in the form of heat.
This energy is usually supplied to your stove by gas or electricity. However, in both cases, the heat is not uniformly spread over the cooking surface of your pot or pan on the stovetop. This has to do with the way gas or electric burners are designed.
On electric stoves, the heat is transferred by coiled burners. Even though the ringed heating elements on an electric stove are designed to cover as much of a pan’s cooking surface as possible, there can still be heat gaps. Gas burners tend to heat cookware faster, but the traditional ringed burner arrangement may only heat a portion of the surface.
Think of it this way…
- Gas burners will heat cookware faster
- Electric stoves will heat cookware more evenly
When you are aware of these two facts, you can compensate for heat transfer quirks by using certain cooking techniques. In the case of electric stoves, you will have to:
- Constantly be adjusting the heat either up or down
- Make more use of the back burners when needing to reduce heat to a simmer
- Adjust recipe cooking times (most recipes are based on gas cooking)
- Recipes calling for ‘high heat’ usually means ‘medium heat’ on an electric stove
- Electric stoves are slow to ramp up and cool down
Cooking on a gas stove means instant, consistent heat at the bottom of your cookware. Most recipes are biased in favor of gas. But most gas burners send heat to only a portion of the cookware; resulting in more uneven heat than you will get with electric.
Choosing the right cookware can help you with these heat transfer and distribution quirks.
How Various Metals React To Heat
Now that we understand how heat is transferred to food using gas or electric stoves, this section will focus on metals. We’re only going to look at raw metals to examine their characteristics. Later, we will look at why a manufacturing process called cladding is important.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is an iron-carbon alloy with trace elements found in clay. A non-reactive layer of glass is fused to the surface of the metal when making the enameled version of cast iron cookware. The bad thing about cast iron however is its weight and time consuming maintenance issues. Cast iron cookware also takes a lot of time to heat up and cool down. If it is not allowed to dry out after washing, you will have rust issues.
Positives
Can withstand and maintain high cooking temperature
Great for searing and frying
Durable
Inexpensive
Negatives
Iron leaching effect on food
Takes a long time to cool-down
Heavy to lift
Prone to rust
Requires meticulous cleaning techniques
Aluminum
Thermally responsive, inexpensive and light-weight. Reactive to water and acids. It is lightweight and conducts/distributes heat well. Anondized aluminum ensure that this metal will not react to acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus or venegar.
Positives
Great thermal properties
Inexpensive (plain)
Quick to heat
Heat is evenly distributed
Negatives
May warp under high heat
Prone to scratching
May require increase in thickness to increase heat tolerance
Can be detrimental to health if absorbed in large quantities
Copper
Copper is a soft, pliable metal with great heat conductivity. Your copper pot or pan will heat quickly, and retain heat long after the burner has been turned off. The downside is that copper is reactive to food, liquids, sodium, and salt – resulting in a metalic taste to your food.
Positives
Quickly adapts to temperature changes
Evenly distributes heat
Heats up quickly
Heat is evenly distributed
Negatives
Highly reactive in the cooking process
Can lead to health problems
Pricey
Discoloration issues
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is created when various metals (nickel, aluminum, silicon, manganese) and chromium are mixed with steel. Stainless steel is beautiful and functional. You will see it featured on cooking shows and is a staple in most professional kitchens. It isn’t prone to rust and is east to maintain. It also known for its even heat distribution.
Positives
Resists corrosion
Reasonably priced
Enhances visual cooking
Negatives
Is not a good conductor of heat
Salt may pit surface (unless added to boiling liquid)
Corrosive (the nickel composition determines corrosiveness; 300-400 series is best)
Must beware when purchasing stainless steel made outside of USA (poor manufacturing guidelines)
Metals will leach into food
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is formed by pressing into sheets. It contains less carbon than cast iron.
Positives
Inexpensive
Easy to season (enameled, blue or black carbon steel requires no seasoning)
Negatives
Must be seasoned
Slow to heat
Uneven temperatures
Thin metal results in low heat capacity
Metal Composition and Gas Stove Cookware
When you’re shopping for gas stovetop cookware, these 5 things should be on your list of considerations:
1. Heat conductivity
2. Even heat distribution
3. Responsive to heat adjustments
4. Material composition for reliability and durability
5. Easy to clean and maintain
What is Cladding?
Before I go on, I need to explain something called cladding. In non-technical terms, it is a process in which you add protection or functionality to metal by bonding another metal to it. This protective or insulating layer helps with the 5 points mentioned above.
In the case of stainless steel, there are series categories that determine corrosion and rust resistance. For example, the 18/10 stamp means the cookware contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel. This puts it int he 300 series category. 200 series is considered a lower quality product where nickel has been substituted for magnesium. An 18/0 stamp is a 400 series indicator. It means it is magnetic, has less nickel and is suseptible to corrosion.
Even though almost any type of cookware will be OK to use on a gas stove, these 3 types of cookware are your best investments:
Copper enclosed with stainless steel or aluminum.
Stainless steel with a copper disk applied to the bottom of the pan.
Aluminum enclosed in stainless steel.
The cookware listed in my gas cookware roundup review all contain at least one of the features listed.
So, what is the absolute best cookware for gas stoves?
For my top pick, I chose the All-Clad Brushed D5 Stainless Cookware Set. This brand satisfies important criteria for great gas cookware and has the following key features:
- 5 layers of stainless steel and aluminum that’s bonded all the way to the rim
- Made in America with a Lifetime Warranty
- Non-reactive, stick resistant cooking surface
If the entire 10 piece set is too pricey for you, then consider the 5 or 7 piece sets. Or, you can just start with a single pot or skillet. My runner-up would be the Duxtop SSIB-17 Professional 17 Pieces Stainless Steel Induction Cookware Set.
It’s a good idea to visit a local brick and mortar store so you can touch and feel the cookware to see if it meets your weight, balance, and quality expectations. I try to do this before I make important purchases online…just to be sure. 😊
Since cookware is a very personal choice and every cook is unique, I hope this information helps you with your decision on what to buy.
