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T-fal
At its current price of $170, the T-fal Cookware Set is a good deal.
- Cookware sets are an affordable way to get all of the pots and pans you need to outfit your kitchen.
- The experts recommend purchasing fully clad, tri-ply stainless steel, but I've found these sets are pricey and not as user-friendly as nonstick alternatives.
- I appreciated the T-fal Cookware Set because the nonstick surface made cooking and cleaning effortless, and the set features every pot and pan size I would need for just about any recipe.
- For its size, the T-fal 17-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set is incredibly affordable and it's backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
I love The Wirecutter and Cook's Illustrated. If I don't know much about something in the kitchen space, I usually begin my research on these sites. Well, both recommend fully clad, tri-ply stainless steel cookware. This is cookware that has a layer of aluminum sandwiched by two layers of stainless steel. I have a cookware set that is fully clad, tri-ply stainless steel. And, you know what? Nine times out of 10, I end up reaching for nonstick cookware instead. Nonstick cookware is easier to clean, requires less oil, and allows more room for error, which is important when ADHD family members forget they're cooking.
The nonstick cookware I use in my kitchen is the T-fal 17-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set. T-fal sent this set to me for free to test out about three months ago. Here are my experiences with it so far.
My first experiences with the T-fal Cookware Set
Manufacturers want you to think that you are getting more than you actually are so when they list the number of pieces in a set, you need to keep in mind that included in this number are lids, utensils, or other items that one would hardly consider to be "cookware." Excluding lids, this set has 11 pieces:
- 8-inch, 10.25-inch, and 11.5-inch (with lid) frying pans
- 10.25-inch square griddle
- 1-, 2-, and 3-quart saucepans with lids
- 3.5-quart deep sauté pan
- 5-quart Dutch oven with lid
- 3-quart steamer insert
- One Egg Wonder frying pan
All of the pieces except for the steamer insert are made of hard-anodized aluminum, which is resistant to scratching from metal utensils. T-fal states that the set is oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (350 for the lids). They also say that the cookware is dishwasher safe, but washing your pots in the dishwasher will void the warranty.
How the T-fal Cookware Set performed
I used the pots and pans for a variety of purposes. Below is a list of the cookware ranked from most used to least and how I used them:
- 8-inch frying pan - I use this just about every morning to fry up a few eggs.
- 11.5-inch frying pan - This was useful for frying and sautéing dishes for family dinners.
- 2-quart saucepan - If I was boiling pasta for one or two, this was ideal.
- 5-quart Dutch oven - I put this to work making soup, chicken stock, chili, and boiling water for larger batches of pasta.
- One Egg Wonder frying pan - As the name suggests, this tiny pan can be used for frying one egg at a time. My teenager loved using this.
- 3-quart saucepan - I mainly used this for reheating leftovers, especially soups.
- 10.25-inch frying pan - When making a family breakfast, such as corned beef hash, I turned to this pan.
- 1-quart saucepan - This was another favorite for the teen, who loves efficient ramen noodle cooking.
- 10.25-inch square griddle - I found the shape of the square griddle was perfect for cooking bacon.
- 3-quart steamer insert - I actually used this more as a colander than as a steamer.
- 3.5-quart deep sauté pan - This piece just wasn't very useful. It's like a hybrid of a pot and a pan. It seemed redundant, and I kept wishing it had a larger diameter. It's 10 inches, and I would have preferred maybe 12 inches, which would make it closer to five quarts.
The handles come riveted to the cookware, and all the handles except those on the steamer insert are covered with silicone. At no point did any of the handles get so hot that I couldn't hold them with my bare hands.
I found that ingredients did not stick to the bottoms or sides of the cookware. Even when I skipped adding cooking oil, I was able to loosen food up with minimal effort.
I simmered a number of soups, chilis, and tomato sauces in the Dutch oven and 3-quart saucepan. Even when I wandered off, these pieces did a wonderful job of maintaining a steady simmer without scorching my creation.
The nonstick surface made the cookware easy to clean by hand. Due to a criminal combination of laziness and absentmindedness, some of the pots and pans went through the dishwasher. The exteriors of these pieces showed significant wear. However, the interiors still look the same as the day I unboxed them. If you want your cookware to last, I strongly recommend washing it by hand.
Amazon Excluding lids, this set has 11 pieces.
Some concerns about the set
The only piece missing from the set that I wished it had was a big stockpot. The Dutch oven is too small for boiling a turkey carcass, which is one of my favorite pastimes during the winter. Another popular mainstay on stoves across the country is a 12-inch cast iron skillet, which this set lacked.
Hard anodized aluminum is great because it's durable, conducts heat well, and has an excellent nonstick surface. But, I found that the pots and pans did not heat evenly. I tested this out by sprinkling flour on the surface of the 11.5 inch frying pan and watched to see how it browned. The flour in the middle browned before the flour around the outside.
Lastly, since nothing would stick, the pans could not produce a good fond - the brown bits left over after browning meats. I'm not particularly fond of fond, or the pan sauces it produces, so it wasn't a major negative for me. If fond is your jam, adding a cast iron skillet to your arsenal will get the job done.
The bottom line
Overall, I am happy with the T-fal 17-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set. For the past three months, I have used it on a daily basis, and I appreciate how there is a pot or pan for just about any recipe I try, the nonstick surface keeps my oil use to a minimum, and cleanup is a snap. I strongly recommend this set to beginner cooks as well as seasoned home chefs who want nonstick options.
At its current price of $170, the T-fal Cookware Set is a good deal. However, according to the Honey app, the price has been known to drop significantly. So, if you are looking to save a few bucks and don't mind waiting, you might consider keeping an eye out for deals.
Buy the T-fal 17-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set on Amazon for $170
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