Two things determine which stainless steel set suits you: first whether you need a pan for frying, and then how large the cooking pots should be. Our advice comes from our own experience with stainless steel and from what is actually in the box per set, including whether the lids count as a part.
Does a stainless steel cookware set also include a frying pan?
Usually not: most stainless steel sets of four pieces or more consist of cooking pots and a saucepan, occasionally with a soup pot included. A set with a stainless steel frying pan is an exception. In the shop, we recommend a cooking pot, a frying pan, and a sauté pan as a base, and of those three, usually only the cooking pot is included in a stainless steel set.
A set with only cooking pots consists of cooking pots and a saucepan, all made of stainless steel. An example is the Sola Cookware Set Furore 4-Piece Stainless Steel Saucepan ø 16, 18, 20 cm & Saucepan ø 16 cm, with cooking pots of ø 16, 18, and 20 cm and a saucepan of ø 16 cm. On 22 September 2026, that set cost €97.99. You choose such a set if you already have a frying pan in which you like to fry, or if you want to choose your frying pan yourself.
Another set with these four sizes, which sells well, is the Cookinglife Cookware Set 4-Piece Stainless Steel from our own brand. The three cooking pots have a glass lid, and according to the product page, the entire set is dishwasher and oven safe. The same pots in matte black are available in the Cookinglife Cookware Set Black 4-piece Stainless Steel.
Cookinglife Pannenset 4-delig RVS
In a set with a stainless steel frying pan, the cooking pots, the saucepan, and the frying pan are all made of stainless steel. The KitchenAid Cookware set Multi-Ply Stainless Steel 4-piece has a frying pan of ø 24 cm and cost €399 at that time. Such a set suits you if you want stainless steel in all your pans and are willing to wait while heating up.
In a set with ceramic frying pans, there are stainless steel cooking pots and a saucepan, plus frying pans of ø 24 and 28 cm with a ceramic coating. You can see this in the Sola Cookware Set Ruby 7-Piece Premium Triply Stainless Steel, which cost €299 at that time. This is a good choice if you want to cook in stainless steel and fry eggs and fish without needing practice.
What none of these three types of sets include is a sauté pan made of stainless steel; you can find that among the loose sauté pans. If you choose a set with only cooking pots and still want to fry without a coating, you have two options. The first is a stainless steel frying pan set, such as the Sola Koekenpannenset Green Cooking+ Triply RVS 2-Delig for €99.99, with frying pans of ø 24 and 28 cm. The second is a loose stainless steel frying pan.
Does everything stick in a stainless steel pan?
Yes, if you put something in before the pan is hot enough. Why everything sticks in a stainless steel pan is a frequently asked question in our shop. The answer often lies in the waiting, and many people lack patience for that. If you do wait, the meat will first stick and then release itself, with a crust on it. This makes a stainless steel frying pan especially a pan for steak.
A stainless steel baking pan requires patience until it reaches temperature, with a drop of water as a test, and then enough fat. Most adjustment is needed with protein-rich foods, such as eggs, fish, and chicken. Expect the adjustment mainly in the pan you are frying in, as cooking pasta or potatoes in the cooking pots of your set requires much less practice. You also do not need to season a new stainless steel pan first: your food releases thanks to the heat and the fat.
If you are mainly looking for convenience, we do not recommend a stainless steel frying pan as your first frying pan. If you want a coating in all your pans, then the ceramic cookware sets are a better fit for you. Your cooking pots can remain stainless steel if you only seek that convenience when frying. Then take a set with ceramic frying pans as well, or buy a frying pan with a coating separately alongside a set with only cooking pots.
Is a four-piece stainless steel set large enough for your household?
The largest cooking pot determines whether a set is large enough. You cannot rely on the number of pieces. The Cookinglife Pannenset Stay Cool 7-Delig and the KitchenAid 4-piece both have four pots, but only the former counts the three lids as a part. So compare sets based on the number of pots and the diameters from the title or product features.
Most four-piece stainless steel sets stop at a pot of ø 20 cm, around 3 litres. A cooking pot of ø 24 cm holds about 5 to 7 litres. In the shop, 4 to 6 litres is considered a standard size for the pot in which you cook soup or pasta. A set up to ø 20 cm therefore does not have one in that class.
For a family, we recommend a set with ø 24 cm, such as the WMF Quality One Cookware Set Stainless Steel 5 Piece: four cooking pots up to ø 24 cm, the largest being 6.8 litres. For one or two persons, a set up to ø 20 cm may be sufficient. If you still miss a large pot, choose one from the loose cooking pots instead of a larger set. If part of your pots is already in the cupboard, read when loose pots are smarter than a set.
What do you pay for in a more expensive stainless steel set?
Below €100, the stainless steel sets of four pieces or more do not go beyond ø 20 cm here, such as the Furore. What you pay above that can include three things:
A larger pot: the cooking pot of ø 24 cm from the sizes above is only in sets above €100.
A pan for frying: with the Sola Ruby, you can see what that costs. The 5-piece with only cooking pots and a saucepan costs €229, the 7-piece with two ceramic frying pans included €299.
The build: in most larger sets where the product page mentions it, there is a core of aluminium in a thick base. In three- or five-layer pans ("triply" or "5-ply" in the name), that core runs through to the wall, so the side also warms up. You find that especially in frying pan sets, such as the five-layer Beka Frying pan set Maestro 5-Ply 2-piece Ø 24 and 28 cm and the three-layer Green Cooking+. A few larger sets also have it, such as the Ruby and the KitchenAid.
Sometimes you also pay for convenience, such as removable handles or a lid with which you can drain.
Stainless steel has no coating that wears out, so even a simple stainless steel set lasts a long time, as long as you do not drop it and keep it clean. For a family, a set up to ø 20 cm is less advantageous than it seems, as you will buy the large pot later anyway. If you want to be sure of layers up to the wall, choose a set where that is stated on the product page.
Does a stainless steel cookware set work on induction, and does the bottom stay flat?
The stainless steel sets here all work on induction, and thus also on gas. Stainless steel can withstand quick heating, but whether a pan warps depends on the quality.
You can prevent the bottom from deforming by not placing a stainless steel cooking pot empty on the fire. On induction, an empty pan also heats up quickly. You can heat a stainless steel frying pan empty, but slowly: keep the cooking zone at about 60 percent and only go down to about 40 when the pan is hot. If you turn the setting down, the pan will follow quickly, as stainless steel cools down faster than cast iron.
When you have a new induction hob, first check whether a pan you already have works on induction before buying a whole set. If the extraction is in your hob itself, then when choosing cookware sets for a downdraft hob, you mainly select from stainless steel sets.
-10%
-10%
