Moving into your first home usually means discovering that the pots you have been dragging between rentals are a graveyard of scratched non-stick and mismatched lids. A cookware set fixes the whole problem in one box: matched saucepans, frying pans and a stockpot that stack together, share lids and actually suit your cooktop. The T-FAL Excite ProGlide 14-Piece Cookware Set is our best overall pick, with a 4.7 star average across 3,342 ratings on Amazon Australia, and the Scanpan Impact 5-Piece Stainless Steel Set is the one to buy once, with an induction ready 6.4mm bonded base and a 10 year warranty. If you are buying pots and pans one at a time rather than a full set, the same order of checks applies: cooktop first, then material, then the number of actual pans.
The catch in Australia is that the market runs from detachable handle sets to premium stainless steel, and the single most expensive mistake is quietly hidden in the spec sheet: several popular sets do not work on induction cooktops at all. If your new apartment or house came with an induction hob, several of the sets on this page are off the table before you compare anything else.
We put every set through our research process, checked each Amazon Australia listing for its rating and inclusions, and matched each set to the kitchen it suits best.
What is the best cookware set in Australia?
For most first home buyers, the T-FAL Excite ProGlide 14-Piece Cookware Set is the best cookware set in Australia, and the Scanpan Impact 5-Piece Stainless Steel Set is the one to buy once. The Scanpan is 18/10 stainless steel with a 6.4mm bonded base, it works on every cooktop including induction, it is oven safe to 250°C, and Scanpan backs it with a 10 year warranty. With no coating to wear out, it is a set you can reasonably expect to still be using in 15 years. The T-FAL is covered below.
If your kitchen is short on cupboard space, the Tefal Ingenio Easy On 13-Piece stacks its six pans into a single drawer thanks to removable handles. And if you want the whole kitchen kitted out on a budget, the Carote 19-Piece covers the whole kitchen on a budget, but its card carries a dated stock warning.
How do these cookware sets compare?
The short version: the T-FAL Excite ProGlide is the best overall pick, Scanpan is the durability buy, Tefal Ingenio is the space saving buy, and Carote is the value buy on paper, but its card carries a dated stock warning. Scanpan averages 4.5 stars, while the Tefal Ingenio trades a lower 4.1 average (across a much larger 1,636 ratings) for the most flexible storage design of any set here. The table below covers every set on this page on pieces, material, induction cookware compatibility, oven rating, warranty and rating, and the newer rows send you to the product card for price and rating.
| Set | Pieces | Material | Induction cookware | Oven safe | Warranty | Rating |
|---|
| Scanpan Impact | 5 | 18/10 stainless steel | Yes | To 250C without lids | 10 years | 4.5 (80) |
| Tefal Ingenio Easy On | 13 | Titanium reinforced nonstick | No | Not listed | 10 years on the handle | 4.1 (1,636) |
| Carote 19-Piece | 19 | Granite look nonstick | Yes | Yes, no temperature listed | 12 months | See the product card |
| GreenLife Soft Grip | 16 | Ceramic non-stick | No | Yes, no temperature listed | Not listed | 4.1 (30,021) |
| NutriChef Ceramic | 14 | Ceramic non-stick | Yes | No | Not listed | 4.1 (296) |
| Tefal Comfort Hard Anodised | 5 | Hard anodised aluminium | No | No | Not listed | 4.5 (22) |
| T-FAL Excite ProGlide | 14 | Aluminium with a ProGlide nonstick interior | Not listed | Yes, no temperature listed | Not listed | See the product card |
| Country Kitchen 13 Piece | 13 | Granite nonstick coating, detachable handles | Yes | Yes, listing says up to 480 degrees | Not listed | See the product card |
| Umite Chef 21 Piece | 21 | Ceramic nonstick on die cast aluminium, detachable handles | Yes | Yes, to 500°F with the handle removed | Not listed | See the product card |
| Cuisinart Chef's Classic | 11 | Stainless steel with an aluminium base, plus one nonstick skillet | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | See the product card |
| Cook N Home 12-Piece | 12 | Mirror polished stainless steel with an aluminium disc base | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | See the product card |
| Tefal Ingenio Serenity | 11 | Mineralia+ nonstick, detachable handles | Not listed | Yes, no temperature listed | 10 years | See the product card |
Piece counts flatter the cheaper sets, by the way. Carote counts utensils, fridge lids and felt protectors in its 19; Scanpan counts only pans and lids in its 5. We break down what is actually in each box below.
Best overall: T-FAL Excite ProGlide 14-Piece Cookware Set
The T-FAL Excite ProGlide 14-Piece Cookware Set is our best overall pick because its Amazon Australia listing pairs a higher star average than the Scanpan Impact with far more ratings, and Amazon Australia sells it directly. The aluminium pans have a ProGlide nonstick interior and a Thermo-Spot heat indicator that shows when a pan has preheated properly, which helps if you are new to nonstick cooking, and the listing describes the set as dishwasher safe and oven safe.
The trade offs are in what the listing leaves out. It does not state induction compatibility, an oven temperature or a warranty, so confirm your cooktop with Tefal before buying. If you cook on induction and want a set that lasts decades, the Scanpan Impact below is the buy once pick.
How we evaluated these cookware sets
Last checked: 14 October 2026, covering the stock, seller and rating of every listing on Amazon Australia.
NestPath researches and studies the Australian market rather than running a test kitchen, and we are upfront about that. For this guide we started with what Australian shoppers actually face: the review criteria CHOICE applies to cookware (base thickness, induction compatibility, handle comfort), the sets Gourmet Traveller and other AU mastheads keep recommending, and the recurring complaints in Australian owner reviews.
Every set here went through four checks, and the prices and stock are checked again against Amazon Australia regularly, with the last checked date shown in this section. First, the listing opens on Amazon Australia, and any card that could not be bought, or sells through an overseas Global Store, says so in its note. Second, the star rating is real and carries enough reviews to mean something. Third, the specification claims in this article (materials, inclusions, oven temperatures, cooktop compatibility) come from the listing itself, not from marketing pages. Fourth, where owner reviews contradict a listing claim, we tell you.
Beyond each card's Amazon Australia listing, we used the makers' own listing specifications for materials, induction and oven claims, the Singapore Food Agency's guidance on nonstick pans for heat limits and damaged coatings, and the owner reviews quoted in each section.
Best for induction and buying once: Scanpan Impact 5-Piece Stainless Steel
The Scanpan Impact 5-Piece is the set to buy once for a first home and never think about again. You get a 16cm/1.8L saucepan, a 20cm/3.5L Dutch oven, a 26cm frypan, a 24cm/7.2L stockpot and a 28cm saute pan, with tempered glass lids on everything except the frypan. That is a genuinely useful spread: the stockpot handles pasta and stock for a dinner party, the Dutch oven covers curries and braises, and the saute pan is wide enough for a family stir-through.
The construction is the reason it is our buy once pick. It is 18/10 stainless steel around a 6.4mm impact-bonded aluminium base, which means fast, even heating without hot spots and no coating to wear out. It works on every cooktop including induction, goes into the oven to 220°C with lids on or 250°C without, is dishwasher safe, and takes metal utensils without complaint. Inside, capacity markings and a mirror polish make it easy to live with, and the range is listed as PFAS-free because there is simply no non-stick coating involved. Scanpan covers it with a 10 year warranty, as long as any set on this page.
Owner sentiment backs it up at 4.5 stars across 80 ratings, with Australian reviewers repeatedly mentioning that the pans still look new after a year of dishwasher cycles.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Stainless steel has a learning curve. Eggs and delicate fish will stick unless you preheat properly and use oil, and one Australian owner review calls the set hard to clean after burning food onto it. At 11.12kg for the box, individual pieces are also heavier than aluminium equivalents. And because it is built to last, it is a set you buy once rather than replace.
Best cookware set for small kitchens: Tefal Ingenio Easy On 13-Piece
The Tefal Ingenio Easy On 13-Piece solves the problem every apartment and townhouse kitchen has: nowhere to put pot handles. The set is 22cm and 28cm frying pans, 16cm and 20cm saucepans, a 24cm saute pan and a 26cm wok, plus three glass lids, two hermetic storage lids and two click-on removable handles. If you stir-fry more than occasionally, our dedicated wok guide covers the deeper carbon steel and cast iron pans sold on their own. Take the handles off and the whole lot nests into a stack that fits one drawer; Tefal claims up to 50 percent less storage space than its fixed-handle ranges, and owner reviews from caravans and tiny homes suggest that is not an exaggeration.
The removable handle is more than a storage trick. Pans go from stovetop to table as serving dishes, and the hermetic lids turn the saucepans into fridge containers, which genuinely cuts down on washing up. The handle clicks on with a three-point lock rated to carry 10kg and is guaranteed for 10 years. The listing states the titanium-reinforced non-stick coating is PFOA-free, the set is dishwasher safe, and this range is made in France, which is increasingly rare at this price.
At 4.1 stars across 1,636 ratings it is one of the most reviewed Tefal sets on this page, and the most common praise is exactly what you would hope: nothing sticks, everything nests.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The big one: this version is not induction compatible, and at least one Australian owner bought it expecting otherwise. Check your cooktop before ordering; Tefal sells induction Ingenio ranges, but this ASIN is not one. The set also ships with only two handles for six pans, so two-pan cooking means occasional clicking back and forth, and like all non-stick it wants silicone or wooden utensils and a gentle hand.
Could not be bought on 14 October 2026: Carote 19-Piece Detachable Handle Set
The Carote 19-Piece suits the buyer whose deposit has emptied the bank account, but it could not be bought on 14 October 2026, so read its card before you plan around it. You get 1.4L and 2.8L saucepans, 20cm and 25cm frying pans and a 3.8L saute pan, plus two detachable handles, two fridge storage lids, four utensils and four felt pot protectors. The granite-look non-stick coating releases easily, and the whole stack weighs just 3.63kg, less than a third of the Scanpan box.
What makes it remarkable at the price is that it does not skip induction: this set works on induction, gas and electric cooktops alike, which the Tefal Ingenio Easy On and Tefal Comfort cannot claim. Like the Ingenio, the handles pop off so pans stack in a small cupboard and slide into the oven or fridge. Carote says the design saves up to 70 percent of storage space.
A detachable handle set of this kind suits a first rental to home upgrade, a share house or a holiday unit. Add one excellent standalone pan from our frying pan guide and you have a genuinely capable kitchen.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The warranty is 12 months, versus 10 years on the Scanpan, and budget non-stick is a consumable: some owner reviews report interior discolouration after cooking turmeric-heavy or tomato-based dishes, and a small number report coating wear. There is also no lid for the smallest saucepan, a complaint that comes up repeatedly. Treat it as a five-year set, not a forever set.
The ceramic set with the most ratings: GreenLife Soft Grip 16-Piece
The GreenLife Soft Grip 16-Piece is the most reviewed ceramic set on this page, with 30,021 ratings averaging 4.1 stars. It is also a complete starter box: a 10cm mini frying pan, 18cm and 24cm frying pans, 0.9L and 1.9L saucepans with lids, a 4.7L stockpot with lid, a 2.4L saute pan with lid, a stainless steel steamer and four utensils, all in a run of cheerful colours that have made it a housewarming gift staple.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Why is it down here rather than up top? It is not induction compatible and not oven safe, and unlike the Ingenio it has fixed handles, so it saves you no storage space. If you have a gas or ceramic cooktop and want classic Tefal non-stick with proper stainless handles, it is a solid mid-priced buy; everyone else is better served above.
Beyond the sets above: the Scanpan Impact 7-Piece adds a second saucepan and a steamer to the Impact formula and is worth a look if you see it listed with a firm price, but its Amazon listing showed no buyable price. High-piece-count detachable-handle sets from SENSARTE and GiPP rank well on Amazon and review respectably, but they duplicate what the Carote does at a similar or higher price without its review depth. And the Amazon Basics 8-piece non-stick set is cheap, but its piece count leans on lids and its coating record does not match the Carote's.
What about Essteele, Baccarat and the brands you see in Australian shops?
Search for cookware in Australia and the same handful of names comes back, and only some of them sell full sets on Amazon Australia. Scanpan is our buy once pick above and is also the first brand Google names in its own answer for this search. Essteele is the other name that comes up constantly: a stainless steel range that sells mainly through department stores and cookware shops rather than Amazon Australia, which is why it is not ranked here. We only rank sets we can point you at with an Amazon Australia listing, and we are not going to quote a price we cannot check. Baccarat sits in the same department-store aisle. Anolon (the Accolade, Advanced Ceramic, Endurance+ and Nouvelle Copper ranges) and All-Clad D3 are the other names competing cookware guides feature, and the same rule applies: this page ranks only sets with an Amazon Australia listing. GreenPan and GreenLife are the ceramic nonstick names, and the GreenLife Soft Grip above is the ceramic set with the most ratings. Tefal is the supermarket and department store default, and several of its sets are compared above.
If you want an Essteele or a Baccarat set, buy it in a shop where you can pick the pan up: Myer, House, Harris Scarfe and Kitchen Warehouse all carry them, and Amazon Australia lists every set ranked on this page, with each card noting any that could not be bought or ship from overseas. Whichever shop you use, run the same three checks: cooktop compatibility first, then the material, then the number of actual pans in the box.
What should you look for in a cookware set?
Cooktop compatibility comes first. Induction cooktops need magnetic bases, and this is the number one buying mistake in Australian owner reviews. Of the sets here, the Scanpan, Carote, NutriChef, Country Kitchen and Umite Chef are listed as induction compatible; the Tefal Ingenio Easy On, Tefal Comfort and GreenLife do not work on induction, and the T-FAL Excite, Cuisinart, Cook N Home and Tefal Serenity listings do not say, so check with the maker. New builds and renovated apartments are increasingly induction-only, so check the hob before you check anything else. If the hob is the problem rather than the pans, our guide to bench-top induction cooktops covers the plug-in units that add an induction zone without a renovation.
Material determines lifespan. Stainless steel (Scanpan) has no coating to wear out and takes metal utensils, but demands technique to cook without sticking. PTFE nonstick (the Tefal Ingenio Easy On and Tefal Comfort) is the easiest to cook on and clean, and modern versions are PFOA free, but the coating is a consumable with a three to seven year life. Ceramic non-stick (GreenLife, NutriChef) is PFAS-free and starts extremely slippery, but tends to lose its release soonest of the three.
Do the piece-count maths. Manufacturers count lids, utensils and even felt protectors as pieces. The Carote's 19 pieces are really five pans; the Scanpan's 5 pieces are five pans. Compare the number of actual cooking vessels, then ask which ones you will use weekly: for most households that is one small saucepan, one large saucepan or Dutch oven, one large frypan and one stockpot or saute pan. Sets rarely include bowls, which is the gap most people notice first, so budget for a set of mixing bowls as well.
Check oven temperatures, warranty and handles. Oven safe ratings run from not at all (Tefal Comfort, NutriChef) to 250°C (Scanpan) or higher (Umite Chef with the handle removed). Warranties run from 12 months (Carote) to 10 years (Scanpan, and Tefal's Ingenio handle). Stay-cool handles matter on gas, where flames lick up the sides; a GreenLife owner on gas reports scorched handle plastic, so keep flame tips under the base.
How to clean and cook with stainless steel cookware
Stainless steel is the one material on this page that rewards technique, and it is why an Australian owner review of the Scanpan set calls it hard to clean after burning food onto it. Nothing here is difficult, but the order matters.
How to stop food sticking. Heat the dry pan on medium for a minute or two, then check it with a few drops of water. If the drops scatter into small beads that skid across the surface, the pan is ready. If they sit and boil, it is still too cold. If they vanish on contact, it is too hot, so pull it off the heat for a moment. Add the oil at the bead stage, let it thin out and spread, then add the food and leave it alone. Protein releases itself once a crust forms, so if it is stuck to the base, it is simply not ready to turn.
How to clean stainless steel cookware. Wash it warm, not hot, with dishwashing liquid and a nylon scourer. For a burnt base, let the pan cool, cover the bottom with water and a couple of spoons of bicarb, and simmer it gently until the crust lifts with a wooden spoon. A paste of bicarb and a splash of water takes off whatever is left. White vinegar dissolves the chalky film hard water leaves, and an oxalic acid cleaner brings back the mirror finish once the rainbow heat tint appears, which is what happens when a pan is run dry or too hot.
What not to do. Skip steel wool and oven cleaner: both scratch the polish and give food more to grip. Do not salt cold water and walk away, because undissolved salt pits a stainless base. And do not put a hot pan under a cold tap, since thermal shock warps a thin base permanently. The same rules apply to any induction cookware with a bonded stainless base, including the Carote and the NutriChef.
How do you make a cookware set last?
Heat is the killer. Non-stick and ceramic coatings degrade rapidly above medium-high heat, so save searing for stainless or cast iron and keep coated pans below the smoke point of your oil. Never preheat an empty non-stick pan on high, and never plunge a hot pan into cold water; thermal shock warps thin bases and crazes coatings.
The Singapore Food Agency says PTFE nonstick coatings can start to produce fumes when cooking temperatures are greater than 260°C, so keep coated pans on medium heat and never preheat an empty one for long.
Wash coated pans by hand where you can. Most sets on this page are listed as dishwasher safe, but detergent is abrasive and dulls both coatings and stainless polish over time; owner reviews of every coated set here mention faster wear with heavy dishwasher use. For stainless steel, a paste of bicarb and water lifts burnt-on food, and an oxalic-acid cleaner brings back the mirror finish after rainbow heat-tint appears.
Stack smart. Coating damage happens in the cupboard as often as on the stove, so use felt protectors between nested pans (the Carote and NutriChef include them; they cost little for everyone else). Finally, match utensils to the surface: metal is fine on the Scanpan, silicone or wood on everything else.
You'll also want
A few small additions make any of these sets work harder from day one:
Cookware set FAQs
Is Tefal or Scanpan better for a cookware set?
They win at different things. Scanpan's Impact set is uncoated 18/10 stainless steel with a 10-year warranty, works on induction and is oven safe to 250°C, so it lasts far longer. Tefal's Ingenio is easier to cook on and clean thanks to its titanium non-stick coating and stacks into a fraction of the space, but this version does not work on induction and its coating will eventually wear. Buy Scanpan for longevity, Tefal for convenience.
Do all cookware sets work on induction cooktops?
No, and it is the most common buying mistake we see in Australian reviews. Induction needs a magnetic base. Among the sets listed here, the Scanpan Impact, Carote 19-Piece, NutriChef 14-Piece, Country Kitchen 13 Piece and Umite Chef 21 Piece are listed as induction compatible; the Tefal Ingenio Easy On, Tefal Comfort and GreenLife Soft Grip are not, and the other listings do not say.
How many pieces do you actually need in a cookware set?
Four to five actual cooking vessels cover almost every household: a small saucepan, a large saucepan or Dutch oven, a large frying pan and a stockpot or saute pan. Ignore headline piece counts, because makers count lids and utensils; the 19-piece Carote and the 5-piece Scanpan both contain exactly five pans.
What is the healthiest cookware material?
Uncoated stainless steel is the least controversial choice because there is no coating to degrade; the Scanpan Impact is additionally listed as PFAS-free, lead-free and cadmium-free. If you want non-stick, ceramic coatings like the GreenLife's are made without PFAS, PFOA, lead or cadmium, and modern PTFE coatings like Tefal's are PFOA-free and considered safe at normal cooking temperatures as long as they are not overheated or badly scratched.
Are detachable handle cookware sets safe to use?
Yes, when the handle locks properly. Tefal's Ingenio handle uses a three-point locking system rated to carry 10kg and is guaranteed for 10 years, and Carote's upgraded handle locks while cooking. The sensible habits are to check the click before lifting anything heavy and to remove the handle rather than leave it hanging over a hot neighbouring burner.
How do you clean stainless steel cookware?
Wash it warm with dishwashing liquid and a nylon scourer, never steel wool. For a burnt base, cool the pan, cover the bottom with water and two spoons of bicarb, and simmer gently until the crust lifts with a wooden spoon, then finish with a bicarb paste. White vinegar clears the chalky hard-water film, and an oxalic acid cleaner removes the rainbow heat tint that appears when a pan runs dry. The Scanpan Impact is dishwasher safe, but hand washing keeps the mirror polish longer.
How do you stop food sticking to stainless steel?
Heat the dry pan on medium for a minute or two, then drop in a little water. When the drops form beads that skid across the surface rather than boiling in place, the pan is ready. Add oil, let it spread, then add the food and leave it alone. Meat and fish release themselves once a crust forms, so if a piece is stuck it simply is not ready to turn. Cold pan, cold oil and constant poking are what makes stainless steel feel difficult.
Is Scanpan or Essteele better for an Australian kitchen?
Both are stainless steel ranges aimed at the same buyer, and the practical difference is where you buy them. The Scanpan Impact set is on Amazon Australia with a 6.4mm bonded base, a 250C oven rating and a 10 year warranty, which is why we recommend it for buying once. Essteele sells mainly through department stores and cookware shops, so you can handle it before you buy but you cannot compare a live price the way you can here. Whichever you choose, check the base thickness, the induction compatibility and the length of the warranty.
Is ceramic cookware safe?
Ceramic non-stick coatings are made without PFAS, PFOA, lead or cadmium, which is why the GreenLife Soft Grip and the NutriChef sets on this page market themselves on it. The trade is durability rather than safety: ceramic loses its release faster than PTFE if it is overheated or scrubbed, and several long-term GreenLife owners report the coating fading within a year or two of heavy use. Keep ceramic pans on medium heat, use wooden or silicone utensils, and hand wash where you can.
How do you season cast iron cookware?
No set on this page is cast iron, but the method is worth knowing if you add a skillet later. Wash and dry the pan, wipe a very thin film of a high smoke point oil over every surface including the handle, then wipe it back off until it looks dry. Bake it upside down in the oven at about 230C for an hour with a tray underneath, and let it cool in the oven. Repeat two or three times for a new pan. After that, cooking with fat maintains it and a rinse plus a dry on the hob is all the cleaning it needs.
What is the highest rated cookware set?
On Amazon Australia listings, the highest star averages we found are 4.7, shown by both the T-FAL Excite ProGlide 14-Piece and the Country Kitchen 13 Piece. The T-FAL has 3,342 ratings behind it against 814, which is why it is our best overall pick.
What is the best brand of cookware?
It depends on the material you want. Scanpan suits buyers who want uncoated stainless steel, and its Impact set carries a 10 year warranty. Tefal suits buyers who want easy nonstick cooking and stackable storage, as its Ingenio range shows. Broadsheet's list of the best cookware brands in Australia also names Scanpan.
Which cookware is 100% toxin free?
Uncoated stainless steel comes closest, because there is no coating to wear or overheat; the Scanpan Impact is listed as PFAS free, lead free and cadmium free. Ceramic coatings such as the GreenLife's are made without PFAS, PFOA, lead or cadmium, but the Singapore Food Agency says damaged nonstick pans should not be used.
What pots and pans should I stay away from?
Stay away from scratched or flaking nonstick pans. The Singapore Food Agency says old cookware should be replaced when the coating visibly deteriorates, and that PTFE can start to produce fumes above 260°C, so never leave an empty nonstick pan preheating on high.
Complete your kitchen setup
A cookware set is the backbone of the kitchen, but these guides cover the rest of the bench:
About the author
Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au