Consider Your Cooking Style and Needs

Stainless steel is compatible with a wide range of cooking methods: use it to sear, stir-fry, braise, or even grill. For that reason, you don’t have to be a seasoned cook to justify bringing a piece of stainless into the mix. Plus, a great piece of stainless cookware can help level up your home cooking game.

That being said, you should invest in stainless steel if you do a lot of searing or other high-heat cooking, which is where stainless steel excels.

If you are looking for a pan that will last a lifetime, you will want to invest in high-quality stainless-steel clad cookware like Made In’s 5-Ply cookware.

Quality Indicators

A high-quality stainless steel pan should always have these basic traits.

• Made from high-grade stainless steel, ideally 18/10, which indicates a stronger, more durable material.
• Cladded with metals like aluminum for better heat conduction and distribution.
• No induction plate on the bottom. Induction compatibility should be built into the cladding for the highest-quality performance
• Oven-safe
• At least 3-Ply, but preferably 5-Ply

Budget Considerations

Stainless steel cookware tends to be more expensive compared to other materials—especially for high-quality options. For a stainless clad frying pan or pot that’ll last you decades (if not a lifetime), you can expect to pay upwards of $100, and at least $200 for something like a stock pot.

If budget is a big concern, you can get a decent-quality stainless steel frying pan for about $50. You may not get quite the same level of polish, performance, or permanence, but you’ll still get to enjoy the great heat retention and durability of stainless steel.

Stainless Steel Maintenance and Care Tips

How to Clean Stainless Steel Cookware

One of the great things about stainless steel cookware is that it’s fairly easy to keep clean. While more prone to sticking than materials like non stick, stainless steel pots and pans don’t have a coating or layers of seasoning to worry about—so you can get a little rough with them.

Here’s our guide to cleaning stainless steel cookware, depending on the degree of mess. You can also read up on how to prevent (and fix) a common rainbow stains cosmetic issue—aka heat tint.

How to Store Stainless Steel Cookware

Since stainless steel is both rust- and corrosion-resistant, you don’t have to worry as much about storage. Just make sure to place a 
Pan Protector, dish towel, or trivet between your pans if you plan on stacking on them, in order to prevent scratches. After each wash, make sure to immediately and thoroughly dry your pans with a microfiber cloth to prevent water spots.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even something as durable as stainless steel has its pitfalls. While these tend to be mainly aesthetic issues, such as stains, scratches, and heat tint, they’re also easy to avoid.

First off: Try to avoid abrasive cleaning products (such as bleach-based cleaners), steel wool, and harsh brushes when cleaning your pot or pan, as these can scratch the finish.

Second, always make sure to hand wash your pan. Even if your pan is labeled as dishwasher-safe, the harsh detergents can cause scratches and discoloration, as well as damage the aluminum layers in your pan—particularly if those layers are slightly exposed, like in our Stainless Clad cookware.

Thirdly, always make sure to salt your pan after heating it: Adding salt to a cold pan, or to water before it’s boiling can lead to tiny divots in your pan known as pitting. While these don’t affect your pan’s performance, they can’t be removed. Read up on how to avoid pitting in our dedicated guide.