Where does the black of a black cookware set come from?

On the product page of each set, two characteristics indicate the type of black: the material and the non-stick coating. In bare cast iron or sheet steel, the dark metal itself is black, without a coating on top. Such a set has the symbol Hand Wash: you wash it by hand and dry it immediately. If it says 'Not seasoned', you need to season it yourself first. With enamel on cast iron, there is a layer of enamel over the cast iron, and you don’t need to season or dry the pan on the fire.

With a ceramic non-stick coating on aluminum, the layer itself is black, sometimes finished matte. Those sets have the symbol Dishwasher Safe, but hand washing keeps the layer smoother for longer. The same applies to a standard non-stick coating, such as matte anthracite, which is actually gray-black. In sets with stainless steel cookware and black frying pans, only the frying pans are black, with a ceramic layer. Those also have the symbol Dishwasher Safe, and the layer of the frying pans stays smoother for longer if you wash them by hand.

'Not seasoned' is indicated on most Blackwell sets; our explanation about seasoning a cast iron pan takes you through it step by step. In the dishwasher, the tablets take that seasoned layer away. A bare pan that is left wet in the drying rack will quickly develop rust spots. If you want to do little work after cooking, choose a set with enamel, a non-stick coating, or stainless steel cookware.

Are there also cooking pots in a black set?

In a black set, you mainly get frying pans, often together with a wok, grill pan, sauté pan, or roasting pan. Black cooking pots can be found in two BerlingerHaus sets in matte anthracite, and a cast iron set from Blackwell has a black saucepan.

In the BerlingerHaus Matte Anthracite 7-Piece Cookware Set and the BerlingerHaus Click-it Matte Anthracite 6-Piece Cookware Set, the cooking pots are also black. Those cooking pots have the same standard non-stick coating as the frying pans. In the BerlingerHaus cookware sets, we compare what is included per set, also in other colors.

The Sola Pearl 6-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set and the Sola Ruby 7-Piece Premium Triply Stainless Steel Cookware Set have cooking pots and a saucepan made of stainless steel. The two Beka frying pans are black. In the Ruby 7, the cooking pots and the saucepan consist of three layers of metal, and only those pots can go in the oven. You can create the same combination yourself with a black frying pan set from this overview and a set from the stainless steel cookware sets.

A black saucepan is included in the Blackwell Dutch Oven BBQ Cast Iron Set 4-Piece with saucepan, alongside a roasting pan and a frying pan. The set has the symbol for the barbecue and for the oven. The pans are made of bare cast iron, with the same care after cooking as the other Blackwell sets.

Which black set suits your cooking style?
One of the black sets from the overview fits these cooking styles:

Grilling, also on the barbecue: the Blackwell Cast Iron Cookware Set 2-Piece, a frying pan and a grill pan made of bare cast iron with the barbecue and oven symbol.

Baking in bare cast iron from day one: the Beka Stark 2-Piece Frying Pan Set, both pans are pre-treated and ready for use.

Stewing and roasting, also in the oven: the BK Bourgogne Jet Black 3-Piece Cookware Set, two roasting pans and a grill pan made of enamel on cast iron, oven-safe up to 230 °C.

Frying eggs and fish, in matte black: the Cookinglife Style Black 2-Piece Frying Pan Set, with a ceramic layer that eggs easily release from.

Stir-frying and frying, also as a gift: the Cookinglife Black Cera 3-Piece Cookware Set, a wok and two frying pans with a ceramic layer, ready for use and with the dishwasher symbol.

We outline how heavy a cast iron pan feels in hand and what it can do in the oven in the cast iron cookware sets.

Does a black set remain black after years of cooking?

Bare cast iron and sheet steel become increasingly black with use: with each cooking session, the seasoned layer grows a little. A pan that is very black after seasoning can therefore be used without worries.

Enamel does not wear like a non-stick coating, but a bump or fall can chip a piece off.

In a set with a coating, the black is that coating itself: where it wears or gets damaged, the lighter metal shows through. Reviews of black pans often discuss the edges and handles. We describe which pan from a ceramic set wears out first in the ceramic cookware sets. A pristine black pan does not hide everything: burnt fat on the outside remains visible.

What does a black cookware set cost, and how long does it last?

Price and lifespan do not align in black:

A set of bare cast iron or sheet steel usually costs under €100 in this overview and lasts a lifetime if maintained.
A set of enamel on cast iron can be found among the more expensive sets; it lasts a lifetime with less work.
A set with a non-stick coating, ceramic or standard, usually stays under €200 in this overview and lasts a few years.
A set with stainless steel cookware and black frying pans starts at €100 in this overview. The cooking pots last a lifetime, while the frying pans last a few years.

If you are looking for a black set for years and do not mind the maintenance, bare cast iron is the most economical choice.