Black Cookware Set

The colour has already been chosen; the difference between these sets mainly lies in what you do with them after cooking. The most work is involved with bare Cast Iron and sheet steel, and we tailor our advice in our shop based on that difference.

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 the case of bare Cast Iron or sheet steel, the dark metal itself is black, without a coating on top. Such a set has the symbol Handwash: you wash it by hand and dry it immediately. If it states '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 do not need to season or dry the pan over the fire.

With a ceramic non-stick coating on aluminium, the layer itself is black, sometimes with a matte finish. Those sets have the Dishwasher symbol, but if washed by hand, the layer remains smoother for longer. The same applies to a standard non-stick coating, such as matte anthracite, which is actually grey-black. In sets with Stainless Steel cooking pots and black Frying Pans, only the Frying Pans are black, with a ceramic layer. Those also have the Dishwasher symbol, and the layer of the Frying Pans remains smoother for longer if you wash them by hand.

'Not seasoned' is indicated on most Blackwell sets; our explanation on how to season a Cast Iron pan guides you through it step by step. In the dishwasher, the tablets take that seasoned layer away. A bare pan that remains wet in the drying rack will quickly develop rust spots. If you want minimal work after cooking, choose a set with enamel, a non-stick coating, or Stainless Steel cooking pots.

Do black sets also include cooking pots?

In a black set, you mainly get Frying Pans, often together with a Wok Pan, Grill Pan, Sauté Pan, or Casserole. 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 in each set, also in other colours.

BerlingerHaus Matte Anthracite 7-Piece Cookware Set

BerlingerHaus Click-it Matte Anthracite 6-Piece Cookware Set

A good seller among the black sets with cooking pots is the Cookinglife Black 4-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set, a Stainless Steel set from our own brand. The black here is a matte black finish on the Stainless Steel, without a non-stick coating. You get three cooking pots of Ø 16, 18, and 20 cm, each with a glass lid, and a Saucepan of Ø 16 cm.

The largest cooking pot holds 2.7 litres, and according to the product page, the entire set is dishwasher and oven safe. There is no Frying Pan included; you can find that in black among the Frying Pan sets in this overview.

Cookinglife Black 4-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set

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 Stainless Steel Saucepan. The two Beka Frying Pans are black there. In the Ruby 7, the cooking pots and the Saucepan consist of three layers of metal, and only those pots may 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.

Sola Pearl 6-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set

Sola Ruby 7-Piece Premium Triply Stainless Steel Cookware Set

A black Saucepan is included in the Blackwell Dutch Oven BBQ Cast Iron Set 4-Piece with Saucepan, alongside a Casserole 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 work after cooking as the other Blackwell sets.

Blackwell Dutch Oven BBQ Cast Iron Set 4-Piece with Saucepan

Which black set suits your cooking style?

For these cooking styles, one of the black sets from the overview fits:

• Grilling, also on the barbecue: the Blackwell Cast Iron 2-Piece Cookware Set, a Frying Pan and a Grill Pan made of bare Cast Iron with the barbecue and oven symbol.

Blackwell Cast Iron 2-Piece Cookware Set

• Baking in bare Cast Iron from day one: the Beka Stark 2-Piece Frying Pan Set, both pans of which are pre-treated and ready for use.

  

  Beka Stark 2-Piece Frying Pan Set
  

• Stewing and braising, also in the oven: the BK Bourgogne Jet Black 3-Piece Cookware Set, two Casseroles and a Grill Pan made of enamel on Cast Iron, oven safe up to 230 °C.

BK Bourgogne Jet Black 3-Piece Cookware Set

• Frying eggs and fish, in matte black: the Cookinglife Style Black 2-Piece Frying Pan Set, with a ceramic non-stick coating from which an egg easily releases.
  

  

  Cookinglife Style Black 2-Piece Frying Pan Set

• Stir-frying and baking, also as a gift: the Cookinglife Black Cera 3-Piece Cookware Set, a Wok Pan and two Frying Pans with a ceramic non-stick coating, ready for use and with the dishwasher symbol.

  

  
  Cookinglife Black Cera 3-Piece Cookware Set
  

How heavy a Cast Iron pan feels in hand and what it can do in the oven is detailed 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 baking 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 layer, the black is that layer 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 remains under €200 in this overview and lasts a few years. A set with Stainless Steel cooking pots and black Frying Pans starts from €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, then bare Cast Iron is the most economical choice.