Top 5 Best Cookware for Gas Stoves. An Expert Review.

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If you don’t have time to read the entire article, my top pick is the Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel 14-Piece Cookware Set. The beautiful design coupled with useful features makes this cookware set my personal favorite.

With so many different stove technologies, why do professional chefs overwhelmingly choose gas? One word – control. Gas heat comes up to temperature immediately and responds to temperature adjustments that electric just can’t match. This is especially important with delicate things such as sauces. However, without the appropriate cookware, a lot of the advantages would be lost. Let’s take a look at some of the best cookware for gas stoves.

Here are the sets I’ll be reviewing:

What to look for in the Best Cookware for Gas Stoves. 

In order to take advantage of a gas stove, your cookware must perform well in two areas. Since gas stoves are favored because of immediate temperature control, your cookware needs to adapt just as quickly. Also, since a gas range concentrates its heat primarily around the perimeter of the burner, the bottom of your cookware must distribute the heat evenly across the entire pan. In addition, as with any cookware set, it should be durable, easy to clean, and a good value.

There are hundreds of different cookware sets, all with different features, materials, number of pieces, and prices. The most important is the material and construction. Let’s review some of them.

Gas stove tomatoes

Cast Iron

While cast iron has its share of fans, and is great for being durable and retaining heat. It’s very slow to heat up and doesn’t respond quickly to temperature changes, which for gas stove owners is a dealbreaker. Did I mention it’s heavy?

Stainless Steel

The reason stainless steel is so popular is it’s durable, won’t alter the taste of food (non-reactive), and resist corrosion. A quality set of stainless steel cookware can last a lifetime. The fatal flaw with stainless steel is it’s a poor conductor of heat. 

Copper

Although copper cookware is beautiful to look at and has excellent heat conductivity, it can alter the taste and color of food when cooking with acidic ingredients. It also scratches easily and can be rather expensive.

Anodized Aluminum

Similar to copper, it conducts heat well and is a bit more durable. Certainly not as durable as stainless steel. It’s lightweight, scratch-resistant, and affordable.

Ceramic Coated

The big selling point of ceramic coated cookware is their non-stick surface. This makes cooking and cleanup a breeze. Although ceramic coatings (actually it’s silicone) are considered safer than the old Teflon coatings which were known to release toxic chemicals into the food, the jury is still out on whether it’s completely safe. Ceramic is also much less durable than the other materials. The non-stick performance will degrade over time and despite what the manufacturers claim, using metal utensils or throwing them in the dishwasher will speed up their demise.

Solution

It seems none of the materials is the perfect solution, so what’s the answer? What we want is the durability and non-reactivity of stainless steel, along with the heat conductive performance of anodized aluminum. That’s why my suggestions are all stainless steel clad with an aluminum core (I’ve included one non-stick cookware set in case it’s a “must-have”). Although stainless steel isn’t non-stick, it can be seasoned using a similar process to cast iron seasoning. To learn more, please read our guide, Seasoning Cast Iron.

My Favorite Cookware for Gas Stoves

Let’s take a look at five of my favorite cookware sets on the market and see if we can find the one that’s right for you.

Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

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The Cuisinart 12 piece Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel Set (MCP-12N) is excellent for any gas range. It comes with a nice selection of cookware pieces. It includes 2 skillets (8 and 10 inches), 2 covered saucepans (1 ½ and 3 qt.), a covered saute pan (3 ½ qt.), a covered stockpot (8 qt.), and a steamer insert with lid. The 500°F temperature rating will allow you to place them in the oven or even under the broiler. The stainless steel exterior matched with an aluminum core provides even heating with no hotspots. With no delicate coatings to wear off or plastic to melt, makes this set a real workhorse for the serious cook.

Pros:

  • Tight-fitting stainless steel lids seal in juices
  • Cool Grip handles stay cool on the stovetop
  • Rims of the cookware are tapered, allowing you to have drip-free pouring. 
  • Triple-ply construction allows an even distribution of heat
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons: 

  • The set could use an additional smaller sized saute pan. 
  • If used and maintained improperly, the pans may warp on the bottom. 
  • The polished inside surfaces can scratch off over time if cleaned with harsh products. 

Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel 14-Piece Cookware Set

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The Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel 14-piece cookware set is one of my favorite sets because of its well-thought-out features. Being able to drain liquids without needing a colander, and using the included fill lines for measuring liquids really makes things so convenient. Oven, broiler, and dishwasher safe. The set comes with 2 fry pans (8 and 10 inches), 1 12-inch fry pan with lid, 3 saucepans with lid (1 ½, 2 ½,  and 3 ½ qt.), saute pan with lid (3 qt.), and a stockpot with lid (8 qt.).

Pros: 

  • Tempered glass covers have straining holes to drain liquids
  • Convenient fill lines inside of pots and pans
  • Stay-cool handles
  • 14 piece versatility should handle most cooking needs
  • The aluminum base provides fast, even heating

Cons: 

  • Oven temperature rated to only 400°F. A bit lower than the competition.
  • Lid handles can get hot

T-fal Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

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The T-fal Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set (Model E469SC) is a great value and perfect for everyday cooking. With a temperature rating of 500°F (lids to 350°F), this set is perfect for the oven or finishing up a dish under the broiler. This collection includes 3 saucepans with lids (1 ½ and 2 ½, and 3 qt.), a dutch oven with lid (6 qt.) with a 3 qt steamer insert, and 3 fry pans (8, 10, and 12 inches).

Pros: 

  • Aluminum core surrounded by Tri-Ply heavy gauge 18/10 stainless steel provides durability with even heating
  • Flared rims for pouring with no mess
  • Tempered glass lids
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons: 

  • No lids provided for the fry pans
  • The Dutch oven is only 6 qt. An 8 qt capacity would offer more flexibility

Duxtop Professional Stainless Steel 17-Piece Cookware Set

The Duxtop Professional Stainless Steel Cookware set has pretty much everything a home cook would need for the kitchen. Durability and heat distribution is excellent. This 17 piece collection includes 2 fry pans (8 and 10 inches), 2 saucepans with lids (1.6 and 2.5 qt), 1 casserole with lid (4.2 qt), 1 stockpot with lid (8.6 qt), Saute pan with lid (5.5 qt), boiler basket, steam basket, and a 3 piece utensil set.

Pros: 

  • Oven safe to 550°F
  • Ergonomic handles with a non-slip satin finish
  • Comes with a meat fork, spoon, and spatula
  • Beautiful, heavy-duty construction
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons: 

  • No lids for the fry pans
  • Lids can leak when boiling or steaming liquids

GreenPan Lima Ceramic 12 Piece Non-Stick Cookware Set

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As I mentioned earlier, my recommendation for cooking on gas stoves is a combination of stainless steel and aluminum. However, without seasoning the pan, and/or using butter or oil, stainless steel is NOT non-stick. It seems that a lot of buyers are unaware of this fact. For those cooks who must have non-stick cookware, I’ve selected a set just for you. The GreenPan Lima Ceramic Set is anodized aluminum for great heat distribution with GreenPan’s signature Thermolon non-stick coating.

This 12 piece collection includes 2 frying pans (8 and 9 ½ inches), 1 saucepan with lid (2 qt.), a casserole with lid (5 qt.), a skillet with lid (2 ¾ qt.), stainless steel steamer, and 3 bamboo utensils.

Pros: 

  • The coating is PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium free
  • Oven and broiler safe up to 600°F (lids to 425°F)
  • Tempered glass lids
  • Drip-free edges for easy pouring

Cons: 

  • The non-stick performance will degrade over time
  • Cannot be used with metal utensils
  • Not dishwasher safe. Hand wash only.

My Choice of the Best Cookware for Gas Stoves

You really can’t go wrong with any of these cookware sets, however, my personal favorite is the Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel 14-Piece Cookware Set. It’s pricier than the other choices but I really love the selection of pieces and the feature set. A great product from a well-respected company. That’s a win for me.

Check out the Calphalon set here.

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Josh Green

Josh is a freelance food writer and certified kitchen gearhead. He has a background in engineering with extensive product testing experience and enjoys helping his readers find their inner Wolfgang Puck. When not writing, he can be found spending time with his family, hiking the local trails, and continuing his quest to find the perfect cheesesteak. He lives in the Philadelphia ‘burbs with his wife and two children.