The Best Affordable Pots and Pans, According to Our Very Best Tests

In some cases, our budget picks outperformed their expensive counterparts.

In our quest to bring you one step closer to perfect diner-style omelets, creamy risotto, and Creole-style red jambalaya, we’ve rounded up our favorite budget cookware picks that deliver year after year. From nonstick skillets to durable stainless steel saucepans, our tried and true recommendations will meet the needs of home cooks everywhere.

The best part? Affordability doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. Each product featured in our guide has undergone rigorous testing to ensure it meets our standards. We’ve evaluated factors including heat distribution, durability, and ease of cleaning so you can buy the very best.

The Best Budget Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet

A cast iron skillet is a reliable and durable piece of cookware, and one that we recommend everyone keep in their kitchen. While high-end options abound, our favorite skillets are eminently affordable: Our Lodge pick is priced under $30, and this Victoria cast iron skillet is also great option for a few dollars less.

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 pounds, 7 ounces
• Temperature range: Up to 650°F
• Comes pre-seasoned?: Yes
• Induction-friendly?: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: Nope, absolutely not

The Best Budget Sauté Pan

Misen 3-Quart Sauté Pan

Sauté pans fall somewhere in between a skillet and a Dutch oven; they are perfect for shallow frying meatballs or falafel, braising bone-in chicken pieces, and wilting that entire bag of spinach you have in your fridge. While this one is on the heavier side, it’s large, with a nearly 10-inch cooking surface, and heats up relatively quickly and evenly. In our tests, it browned and braised nearly as well as our more expensive favorites.  

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 pounds, 2 ounces (with the lid)
• Material: Stainless steel, aluminum
• Overall dimensions: 21 x 11 x 3 inches
• Induction-friendly?: Yes
• Temperature range: Up to 800°F
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Best Budget Small Saucepan

Duxtop 1.6 Quart Whole-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Saucepan with Lid

A great small saucepan should heat uniformly, pour smoothly, and be easy to clean. The most saucier-like one we tested (with a shallower depth and sloped sides) was perfect for stirring and whisking. It also features a rolled rim for dribble-less pours and a handle that stays cool even after boiling water or browning butter. 

Key Specs

• Capacity: 1.6 quarts
• Weight: 2 pounds, 4 ounces (with lid)
• Material: Stainless steel
• Lip-to-lip diameter: 6.75 inches
• Induction-friendly?: Yes
• Temperature range: Oven-safe up to 500°F
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, but hand-washing is recommended

The Best Budget-Friendly Stainless Steel Cookware Set

Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad 10-Piece Stainless Steel Set

For those who want a nice stainless steel cookware set for under $300, this is the one to get. It even includes two of our recommendations for stainless steel skillets and saucepans. The skillet performed particularly well when searing a pork chop to golden brown perfection. 

Key Specs

• Material: Tri-ply clad 18/10 stainless steel with aluminum core
• Number of pieces: 10
• Temperature range: Oven-safe up to 500°F
• Induction-friendly?: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Best Budget Saucepan

Tramontina Covered 3-Quart Saucepan

This isn’t the cheapest saucepan we tested, but the Tramontina performed really well for its price, outdoing pots that cost twice as much. Browned butter, perfectly cooked rice, silky pastry cream—this pan does it all, without any sticking or burnt-on bits. 

Key Specs

• Capacity: 3 quarts
• Weight: 3 pounds, 4 ounces (with lid)
• Diameter: 8 inches
• Temperature range: Up to 500° F
• Induction-friendly?: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Best Budget Carbon Steel Pan

Vollrath French Style Carbon Steel Fry Pan, 12.5″

If you haven’t considered buying a carbon steel skillet yet, now is the time. A favorite with restaurant chefs, Vollrath carbon steel pans perform just as well (if not better) than others at a fraction of the price. Of the 12 pans we tested, this was the lightest, and it heated up fast and was easy to lift, flip, and sauté with. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 2 pounds, 6 ounces  
• Diameter: 7.6 inches
• Temperature range: Up to 600°F
• Induction-friendly?: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: No

The Best Budget Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

Crock-Pot Artisan 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

$32 at Wayfair

Think of enameled cast iron skillets as a cousin of uncoated cast iron; they’re both great for different reasons. Here, the enamel coating doesn’t require seasoning, provides rust protection, and is easy to clean. Renowned for its slow cooker, Crock-Pot shouldn’t be overlooked for its cookware. Lightweight and easy to maneuver, this skillet is a great value, combining affordability with performance. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 6 pounds, 5 ounces  
• Diameter: 10 inches
• Temperature range: Up to 500°F
• Induction-friendly?: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: No