We Tested Almost 20 Ceramic Cookware Sets—Here Are the Winners

Best Overall

Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set

$395 at Amazon View on Carawayhome.com $395 at The Container Store

This attractive set of ceramic cookware from newcomer Caraway Home comes in an assortment of earthy colors and has clean lines that go well with a modern minimalist aesthetic. These pans are made from aluminum with ceramic-coated interiors, and feature riveted stainless steel handles that have a subtle bump underneath to indicate where the "hot zone" starts so you don't burn yourself—because they do get hot while cooking. (This is easily remedied by keeping a potholder or folded dishtowel nearby for when you need to move your pans.) The pans are oven-safe up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit and will work with every cooktop, including induction.

It was hard to find much to gripe about with these pans. They have handled everything we've thrown at them, from frying eggs to simmering sauce to making rice, offering excellent heat distribution and control. The pans also have a generous cooking area, which is great when you don't want to crowd your pan while sautéing mushrooms or searing meats.

The complete cookware set includes a 10.5-inch frying pan, 3-quart saucepan, 4.5-quart saucepan, and a 6.5-quart Dutch oven, plus a handy lid storage organizer. Caraway Home recommends that you avoid using sharp-edged tools while cooking, and advises hand washing these pans to preserve the life of the nonstick ceramic coating.

Number of Pieces: 7 | Oven Safe Temperature: 550 degrees Fahrenheit | Induction Ready: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: No

Runner-Up, Best Overall

OXO Ceramic Professional Non-Stick Cookware Set

$400 at Amazon $400 at Wayfair $400 at Home Depot

If you'd rather have a classic set of neutral cookware, but still want the benefits of ceramic, this 10-piece set from Oxo fits the bill. It has all of the pieces you'll need to fully equip a kitchen: two skillets, two saucepans, a high-sided sauté pan, and a 5.2-quart casserole pot. Each is made with an anodized aluminum core with a black ceramic-coated interior, and very stylish stainless-steel handles.

We found this to be a very solid set of cookware, offering even heating and little to no sticking when it came to cooking eggs and making rice pilaf. The handles were extremely comfortable and the pans have a good weight to them. The cookware warmed up as it should—not so fast you burn the butter and not so slow that you begin to lose patience—with no observed hot spots. We were able to observe everything happening in the pots thanks to the tempered glass lids—which only fit on the pots but not the pans, BTW. Ultimately, even after weeks of cooking in these, they looked as good as new.

Cleanup is also incredibly simple with this set. The handle rivets are streamlined into the interior, so there's a flat surface inside. We didn't once have to scrub food bits off an interior rivet. Even though these are easy enough to wash by hand, they can go into the dishwasher for effortless maintenance.

Number of Pieces: 10 | Oven Safe Temperature: 600 degrees Fahrenheit | Induction Ready: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Everyday

Bialetti Ceramic Pro 10-Piece Non-Stick Cookware Set

Orig. $220 $190 at Amazon $183 at Walmart $200 at Wayfair

You might recognize the Bialetti name from its stovetop espresso pots, but it also makes many other cooking products including ceramic-lined nonstick cookware. You can't use this set on induction cooktops, but it is mid-priced and won’t blow out your budget, while it offers better quality and more features than some higher-priced sets.

We like that the metal on these pans is thick enough to prevent the hot spots you get with thinner pans and yet, we were able to achieve a nice sear. The heat distributes evenly, giving a uniform light tan color to the underside of a fried egg, and the nonstick surface makes it fairly easy to coax both fried and scrambled eggs out of the pan...just avoid using metal utensils. We also really like how wide the bottoms of these pans are, offering a larger cooking surface than other pieces of a similar size. The handles are generally comfortable to hold, and we appreciate that they stay relatively cool while cooking. We also like that the set is oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can pop a pan into the oven to finish cooking or keep food warm for serving.

The pans are made from ceramic-coated aluminum with an anodized exterior for even heating and durability. The set includes a 6-quart Dutch oven with lid, an 8-inch sauté pan, a 10-inch sauté pan, a 1.5-quart saucepan with lid, a 3-quart saucepan with lid, and a 3-quart deep sauté pan with a lid. We found these pans incredibly easy to clean by hand, making the fact that they aren't dishwasher-safe a non-issue.

Number of Pieces: 10 | Oven Safe Temperature: 400 degrees Fahrenheit | Induction Ready: No | Dishwasher Safe: No

Best Budget

T-fal Initiatives Ceramic Cookware Set

Orig. $110 $99 at Amazon $102 at Home Depot View on Hsn.com

T-Fal was one of the innovators of the original nonstick cookware, and now they’ve branched out into ceramic-coated cookware as well. This set has a white ceramic interior that is scratch-resistant, stain-resistant, and dishwasher-safe. Made from aluminum, the cookware heats quickly, the handles have hanging holes, and the lids are made from tempered glass so you can peek at what you’re cooking without lifting the lid.

The aluminum construction was very responsive to heat changes during testing. The downside to the set's heat conductivity is that it's almost too effective—pans tend to run hot so you'll have to carefully control your burner. The handles might not be comfortable for every hand, but we liked that they stayed cool when in use. We loved the nonstick performance of these pieces, allowing eggs and rice pilaf to lift right off the surface with no sticking at all. The only piece that is a bit tricky is the griddle—the combination of low sides and the very nonstick surface posed the challenge of not letting food slide off the pan while trying to flip it.

The set includes a 7.5-inch frying pan, an 11-inch frying pan with lid, a 1-quart saucepan with lid, a 2-quart saucepan with lid, a 5-quart Dutch oven with lid, a 10-inch square griddle, and six nylon tools that you can use in the pans. The cooking surface can be heated to 570 degrees, but the cookware is only oven-safe to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The pots and pans are a reasonable size, and the griddle is a nice addition to the set.

Number of Pieces: 16 | Oven Safe Temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit | Induction Ready: No | Dishwasher Safe: No

Best Splurge

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Vitale 10-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set

$450 at Amazon $550 at Walmart $550 at Wayfair

While Zwilling is probably best known for its extensive portfolio of cutlery, we were delighted to find this cookware set to be one of the best we've tested. Made in Italy and constructed entirely of thick aluminum, the surface is coated with a combination of ceramic particles and hardening speckles that protect against scratches and wear. This 10-piece set includes 8-inch and 10-inch fry pans, 1-quart and 2-quart saucepans with lids, a 3-quart sauté pan with lid, and a 6-quart Dutch oven with lid.

We like how evenly the pans distribute heat and also how they conduct heat very well, necessitating lower-than-usual heat settings in order not to over-brown our food. Even on low heat, we were able to achieve perfectly cooked scrambled eggs and fried eggs that didn't stick. We found the pans to be well-balanced, but would caution users to make sure the handles aren't right over your heat source as they do heat up while in use. Beveled edges on the skillets and saucepan make it easy to slide food out or pour sauces without spilling.

Cleaning these pieces is very easy by hand, but they are also dishwasher-safe. While this set is spendy, it feels like one that will last for years and offers a lot in terms of versatility thanks to the well-curated assortment. Keep in mind, though, that this set is another one that is not built for induction stovetops.

Number of Pieces: 10 | Oven Safe Temperature: 500 degrees Fahrenheit | Induction Ready: No | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Design

Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Set

$198 at Amazon Orig. $149 $99 at Walmart

This stylish cookware set from Drew Barrymore's "Beautiful" line is indeed, gorgeous. Available in several colorways, its contemporary, sleek design would fit right into most decor schemes. The 12-piece set includes an 8-inch fry pan, 10-inch fry pan, 3-quart saute pan with lid, 2-quart saucepan with lid, 5-quart Dutch oven with lid, and four felt cookware protectors. Aside from looking great, they're also a bargain—you'd be hard-pressed to find a quality set with this many pieces at this price point.

We really like how the heavier bottoms of the skillets and saucepan help to distribute heat and prevent hot spots. Fried eggs released easily from the nonstick surface during testing, while scrambled eggs did leave a little residue behind, but not enough to be concerned about. The handles are fairly comfortable to hold, but we did notice that the stockpot's handles got very hot while in use, as did the handles for the lids—you'll want to keep a dishtowel or potholder nearby. Pouring was slightly awkward thanks to the straight sides (rather than curved) but this isn't a deal-breaker.

While the set is labeled as dishwasher-safe, we found that it was very easy to clean by hand—any stuck-on food came off after a short soak and gentle scrub with a nonabrasive sponge.

Number of Pieces: 12 | Oven Safe Temperature: 500 degrees Fahrenheit | Induction Ready: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Skillet Set

Greenlife Stainless Pro 2-Piece Frying Pan Set

Orig. $70 $60 at Amazon $51 at Walmart $62 at Home Depot

Skillets are perhaps the number one pan when it comes to nonstick cookware pieces, coming in handy when making foods that tend to stick (we're looking at you, eggs). This set by Greenlife includes two sizes—8 inches and 11 inches—letting you cook both small and large quantities when necessary.

Crafted from two layers of stainless steel wrapped around an aluminum core and coated with a nonstick ceramic, these pans offer durability and even heating with enough weight to keep them steady on the stove. (This makes them heavier than other frying pans out there, though.) We appreciate that oil didn't sit in the hottest part of the 8-inch pan, and so during testing, our lightly crisp eggs slid right out.

We love that these pans are also induction-ready and can withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect for finishing a frittata in the oven. The nonstick surface and covered rivets make cleaning a breeze, whether you choose to pop them in the dishwasher or wash them by hand.

Number of Pieces: 2 | Oven Safe Temperature: 600 degrees Fahrenheit | Induction Ready: Yes | Dishwasher Safe: Yes