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Whether you’re updating your current collection or kitting out a new kitchen, our experts are here to help you find the best pans for your home

The humble saucepan is probably one of the most heavily used pieces in the kitchen — so it makes sense to invest wisely. The best pan sets heat up quickly and evenly to cook your food thoroughly, with delicious end results, before rinsing clean easily.

From non-stick to stainless steel, these are the best pan sets as tested by the GHI:

Before you buy, you need to establish what type of cookware will be suitable for your hob. Many manufacturers put symbols on the bottom of their cookware to show which heat source it will work with.

Here’s a quick guide on the main hob types:

Ceramic hobs Use any pans except for ones made from copper or stainless steel with an exposed copper base. Make sure the pan has a smooth, flat base to provide the best contact with the hob ring. Traditional cast-iron pans can be used, but be careful not to drag them across the hob as they may cause damage.

Gas hobs All pans are suitable for gas hobs. Remember to regulate the flame to prevent it from extending beyond the base of the pan, as this can damage the handle and waste gas.

Induction hobs While not all pans work on induction heat, every set we’ve tested does. They must have a magnetic material in the base, such as cast iron or stainless steel. Pure aluminium or copper pans will not work. An indicator light on the hob will start flashing if it’s not the correct type of pan, or it will simply not heat up.

Every set in our roundup can be used across all hob types.

You also need to consider the material of the pans you’re using. Here are the pros and cons:

Aluminium Many aluminium pans have an enamel coating on the outside and a non-stick coating on the inside. This makes them tough, easy to clean and resistant to scratching and staining. You can also get hard-anodised or cast aluminium – which looks like cast iron but has the weight and good heat conductivity of aluminium. Uncoated aluminium pans are not suitable for cooking acidic foods.

Cast iron This material heats up slowly but retains warmth well, so it’s good for slow, even cooking at a low heat, and achieves the perfect sear on meat. Remember, though, that your food will continue to cook for some time after the heat has been turned off. Uncoated cast iron is not dishwasher-safe but most cast iron pans have enamel exteriors and enamel or non-stick interiors to avoid this problem. Uncoated non-stick cast iron pans will need to be seasoned to build up a patina.

Copper Copper has excellent heat conductivity. Good copper pans are very expensive but should last a lifetime. As this metal can react with acidic foods, fish and meat, these pans are normally lined with tin or stainless steel to act as a barrier. Copper pans have to be cleaned with a dedicated copper polish to keep them looking their best.

Hard-anodised aluminium Distinguished by their deep grey or black colour, these pans feature a hard finish that will not chip, crack, peel or react with acidic foods. You can also use metal utensils, although these can mark the surface. These pans aren’t usually dishwasher-safe, but their surface is stick-resistant. They’re reasonably lightweight and heat up rapidly, eliminating hot spots, but they don’t work on induction hobs.

Stainless steel Stainless steel pans are designed to last a lifetime, and won’t react with any food types. They’re also dishwasher-safe. Stainless steel on its own is liable to hot spots, so copper or aluminium is usually incorporated into the base. It’s best to use them on low heat settings and with a splash more oil to avoid sticking.

We test pan sets using a range of different ingredients, including meat, sauces, caramel and rice, across gas, electric and ceramic hobs. For frying pans, we flip pancakes and cook eggs too, to see if heat is distributed evenly.

We also look at non-stick capabilities and how easy the pan is to clean after use. If it claims to be oven safe, we test it at its highest recommended temperature, and those that claim to be dishwasher-safe are washed numerous times to see how they fare.

This pan set scored near-perfect marks across all of our tests. The non-stick coating was so effective that we only needed a small amount of oil when cooking, with both the saucepans and frying pans performing well across all hob types.

Lightweight yet nicely balanced, the handles remained cool throughout, too – there’s no danger of burning your hands – and you can happily use the pans in the oven. There was little to no change after the dishwasher either. An all-round top set!

Key specifications Included in set: 14cm milk pan, 16cm, 18cm and 20cm saucepans with lid, 25cm frying pan Material: Hard-anodised aluminium Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: Yes to 204C Dishwasher safe: Yes

Coming in a close second, this pan set made cooking and cleaning easy. The effective non-stick coating meant that we only had to wipe them down to clean, while they also stayed in top condition after dishwashing. They’re easy to stack too, making storage simple, and the handles were comfortable to use.

We would have liked the pans to be more responsive when we lowered the heat, as they took a while to cool down, and they were generally slow on induction hobs, but otherwise, they’re super durable and will make a wise investment.

Key specifications Included in set: 16cm milk pan, 16cm, 18cm and 20cm saucepans with lid, 24cm frying pan Material: Hard-anodised aluminium Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: Yes to 260C Dishwasher safe: Yes

For anyone looking for quality at an affordable price, try this robust five-piece set, which even includes two frying pans. All of the pans can be used on all hob types, where the handles and lids remained cool on test. The non-stick coating also impressed, with pans needing nothing more than a quick rinse after use.

We also noted particularly effective steam vents and lids that stayed put (even at full boil), while mince browned beautifully and our white sauce reduced at a steady rate. In fact, only the pancakes were a tad disappointing, taking a little longer to brown than some of the other sets we tested. Overall though, this set is excellent value for money.

Key specifications Included in set: 18cm, 20cm, 22cm saucepans with lid, 20cm and 28cm frying pans Material: Aluminium Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: No Dishwasher safe: Yes – hand washing is recommended

Another impressive offering from Tower, this pan set looked the part on our hobs and cooked food well, too. We were particularly impressed with the 18cm saucepan, which scored top marks for cooking mince and onions – ideal if you love whipping up a chilli con carne.

All the pans felt durable and sturdy too, while clean up was straightforward due to an effective non-stick coating. The downside? The pans could have been more responsive on ceramic and gas hobs, and the lids rattled while boiling water.

Key specifications Included in set: 18cm, 20cm, 22cm saucepans with lid, 20cm and 28cm frying pans Material: Aluminium Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: Yes up to 280C Dishwasher safe: Yes

It’s more than just the colour of these pans that are green; they’re made with 75% recycled aluminium and are all recyclable. They also have a plant-based non-stick coating that’s free from palm oil.

Eco credentials aside, they were pleasing to cook with too – the non-stick coating meant food slid or poured out easily, leaving little to clean up afterwards. We’d suggest keeping them out of the dishwasher though, as there was some damage after a number of washes.

Key specifications Included in set: 16cm, 18cm, 20cm saucepans with lid, 20cm and 24cm frying pans Material: Aluminium Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: Yes up to 150C Dishwasher safe: Yes (although not recommended based on our testing)

If your pans are on display in your kitchen, this stackable copper set will make an eye-catching statement. They shone on test, scoring top marks for caramel and near-perfect scores for white sauce, thanks to no sticking or burning and just a simple wipe clean after cooking.

We did find the pans were slow to respond to heat changes on ceramic hobs – particularly when we used the 16cm pan to boil milk – and they didn’t come through the dishwasher unscathed. But the frying pan was perfect for pancake flipping (ideal if Pancake Day isn’t a once a year event in your home!).

Key specifications Included in set: 16cm, 18cm, 20cm saucepans with lid, 24cm and 28cm frying pans Material: Aluminium core and stainless-steel base Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: Yes up to 150C Dishwasher safe: Yes (although not recommended based on our testing)

This single pan can be used as a frying pan, sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucepan, saucier and spoon rest, rivalling a standard pan set. But how did it perform?

This premium piece of cookware excelled at cooking everything, from caramel to mince. The non-stick design distributed heat evenly, without burning any food, although the pancakes we made on an induction hob were paler than we’d have liked. Cleaning up was a doddle though; leftover residue generally washed out with a quick rinse under the tap, including after making a white sauce.

We tried out its accompanying wooden spatula too, and while it wasn’t that adept at flipping pancakes and frying eggs, it was well-designed for everything else. The spoon rest proved handy, but when we boiled food with the lid on, we noticed condensation along the handle that then dripped onto the hob. On balance though, it’s a nifty and high-quality alternative to buying a standard pan set.

Note: if you want to use it to prepare an entire meal, you may need to keep different components warm in the oven until everything is ready.

Key specifications Included in set: 25.4 cm diameter x 6.86 cm deep pan with beechwood spatula and stainless steel steamer basket Material: Aluminium Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: Yes to 260C Dishwasher safe: No

Stack these pans high thanks to their clever design; the removable handle lets you grab each pan easily and go straight from hob to oven to table. On test, the frying pan was the star performer, with little to no stuck or burnt food when cooking eggs and pancakes.

The saucepans were a little less impressive though, with the small 16cm pan less responsive on a ceramic hob while some food stuck to the bottom of the medium 20cm pan.

They were responsive during our milk test though, scoring the highest marks of all the pans we tested (no overboiling). They’re also fine in the dishwasher, as we only noticed the slightest of marks after a few rounds. A top set, especially if you’re tight on kitchen space.

Key specifications Included in set: 16cm, and 20cm saucepans with glass lids, 28cm frying pan and 24cm sauté pan, 1 silicone vacuum lid and 2 handles Material: Stainless steel Non-stick: Yes – pans Oven safe: Yes up to 260C Dishwasher safe: Yes

Coming out of the oven with no visible damage, we love this pan set’s versatility. We did find that food stuck to the bottom of the stainless steel saucepans, but the non-stick coating on the frying pan and milk pan excelled, with any clinging food rinsing away easily. We’d suggest hand washing this set though, as even the non-stick saucepans were a breeze to wash up.

Key specifications Included in set: 14cm, 16cm, 18cm saucepans, 24cm non-stick frying pan, 20cm stockpot and 24cm shallow casserole Material: Stainless steel Non-stick: Yes - frying pan Oven safe: Yes up to 260C Dishwasher safe: Yes (although not recommended based on our testing)

Testers found this pan set lightweight and easy to clean. It was also durable, withstanding our oven and dishwasher tests well. The pans weren't that responsive on ceramic or induction hobs, nor was the non-stick coating as effective as others we tested – food stuck slightly to the bottom of the pans on multiple tests.

Overall though, its modern look and affordable price tag would make it a thrifty set to have on standby.

Key specifications Included in set: 14cm, 16cm and 18cm saucepans, 20cm frying pan Material: Aluminium Non-stick: Yes Oven safe: Yes up to 220C Dishwasher safe: Yes