Bialetti Ceramic Pro 10-Piece Cookware Set Review

We purchased the Bialetti Ceramic Pro 10-Piece Cookware Set so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

You might be familiar with the Bialetti name from the iconic stovetop espresso pots, but the brand has branched out to create many other kitchen products, like this ceramic cookware. After several weeks of normal cooking, we got a good feel for how this sturdy set, which includes two frying pans, two saucepans with lids, and a deep skillet and Dutch oven, also with lids, would perform in everyday home use. We tested its responsiveness to heat changes when we needed to slow a boil to a simmer, and we tested the nonstick properties when we cooked sticky foods such as scrambled eggs and cheese-laden burgers. After hours of cooking, eating, and cleaning, we’ve got the results for you.

Design: Better-looking than you’d expect

The first time we saw this set, we were surprised to find that it looks better than its cost would suggest. We found the dark gray exterior and the understated bluish gray nonstick ceramic interior very easy on the eyes. The metal handles fit the design well, with an elegant curve and holes at the end of the handles, which would come in handy if we wanted to hang them on a pot rack.

The cookware in this set is mid-sized, with a decent variety of useful sizes and shapes. It came with 8-inch and 10-inch frying pans, 1.5-quart and 3-quart saucepans with lids, a 3-quart deep skillet with a lid, and a 6-quart Dutch oven with a lid. There weren’t any super-huge pieces that a large family might look for, but none were ridiculously small, so every piece should get some use. The lids are glass with a wide, brushed metal rim and top loop handle. Each of the handles is graduated in size based on the size of the pot or lid, but all of them were easy to grasp.

The one oddity was that the lids for the deep skillet and the Dutch oven were very close in size, so it was hard to tell them apart when they were sitting on the counter. The larger lid from the skillet could sit on top of the Dutch oven, but not as intended, while the lid from the Dutch oven slipped inside the skillet. Because they look the same, it would be easy to grab the wrong one if you store the lids separately from the pots.

Material/Heating Capacity: Responsive aluminum with ceramic coating

Aluminum is a very responsive material, which means it heats quickly and also cools down quickly. In cookware, this means that when you want to change the temperature, it happens very fast. Water comes to a boil quickly, but when you spot a boil-over about to occur, you can turn the heat down to thwart the mess. The one downside of aluminum is that it’s not magnetic, so it’s not induction compatible, but this set is more than happy on a gas or electric stove.

We found that the metal on these pots was sufficiently thick, so they heated evenly—and we didn’t get any hot spots or burns as can happen with thin metal pots. We also achieved a nice sear on meat and had no problem browning foods when that was our goal. Grilled cheese sandwiches browned nicely, and the escaping cheese didn’t stick at all, even when it got a little bit crisp in the pan.

Since the material is oven safe to 400 degrees, you can use the cookware in the oven to finish your steak, and you can use the frying pans and the deep skillet for impromptu baking when you can’t find an appropriate baking pan for your emergency brownie craving. While most baking and roasting recipes require temperatures from 325-350 degrees, you’ll need to avoid high-temperature recipes that require temperatures above 400 degrees.

While you should not cut anything in the pan with a sharp knife, we found that our baked goods slid out cleanly thanks to the ceramic nonstick interior; we then cut them on a cutting board. If you make a cake that needs to be cut and you don’t want to flip it out, you could use a nylon spatula for cutting and serving.

The exterior of these pots and pans was hard-anodized, or hardened through an electrolytic process, so they’re super sturdy and, with good care, should last a long time. However, it can be assumed that any nonstick cookware will need to be replaced eventually. Unlike cast iron skillets, this cookware won’t be handed down for generations.

Cleaning: Simple, by hand

These pots and pans are not dishwasher safe, but they’re very easy to clean by hand since the nonstick surface doesn’t hold onto any food—not even burned food. No matter what we made, the cookware cleaned easily. The only place that required extra attention was around the rivets that held the handles on.

Price: Definitely worth it

While this set isn’t bargain-basement cheap, we feel that they’re inexpensive for what you get. Less expensive sets are likely to be made from thinner metal or have less useful pots and pans, so it’s worth it to pay just a little more for a set that will last longer, work better, and look great in use.

Bialetti Ceramic Pro 10-Piece Cookware Set vs. Anolon Advanced Hard-Anodized Nonstick 11-Piece Cookware Set

If you’re in the market for a complete set of nonstick cookware, the Anolon Advanced Hard-Anodized Nonstick 11-Piece Cookware Set should be part of the conversation. This high-quality cookware, which we also reviewed, comes with comfortable handles and with pieces that are slightly larger than those in the Bialetti set, so it would be great for a growing family. You’ll have to pay a bit more for the Anolon, but if the price is no object and you need larger pieces, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. If you’re watching your budget and your cooking needs are slightly more modest, we were very happy with the Bialetti and would suggest it. We even chose it for the best ceramic set in our ranking of the best cookware sets.