Stainless steel is a healthy and easy-to-maintain cookware material that is gaining popularity in India. But, with little to no point of differentiation between various brands, it can be quite difficult to understand which one to go with. So, taking into consideration factors like built quality, durability and brand reputation, we bring to you the list of best stainless steel cookware in India. All our recommendations are 3-ply stainless steel cookware which come with a layer of aluminium sandwiched between 304-grade stainless steel which is food grade and magnetic stainless steel on the outside to make it induction compatible. These cookware conduct heat well and due to the thick base reduces scorching of food. Disc bottom stainless steel cookware may be inexpensive, but they lack durability and food scorches so easily, making cooking a stressful affair.
Though a bit expensive, our top recommendation is Meyer cookware. Many of their stainless steel ranges are nickel-free. Also, the durability of their products is among the best. You don’t have to worry about warping or developing a gap between the rivets and the pan. As their products last decades with proper care, it is worth splurging a bit on them. Out of the available options, we have really loved their Meyer Trivantage Stainless Steel Frying Pan. If you are concerned about nickel and chromium in stainless steel, you could opt for Meyer Select Kadai and Frying Pan.
Our next-best recommendation is the Stahl cookware, which I have been personally using for the past 3+ years. The built quality of the Kadai is among the best. Their pressure cooker is also among the best. Compared to Meyer, it has better stick resistance too. The Kadai as well as their frying pans have thick bottoms and heat uniformly. A drawback however is that their frying pan doesn’t have sufficient flare. The bottom is almost 90 degrees to the edges. So, it doesn’t allow you to flip or toss the food properly.
If you are looking for a budget-friendly option, Hawkins is the best way to go. They offer Kadai and frying pan that are pretty good in terms of quality and durability. Their frying pan wobbles a bit and doesn’t have a flat base. But, if you plan to use it on a gas stovetop and not on an induction stove, it wouldn’t really be a problem. Also, their prices are almost 30-40% lesser than other brands, making it an option worth considering.
- Never add salt to water in stainless steel cookware before it starts boiling. It will develop pittings that are irreversible. When water boils, the dissolved air escapes and as a result, it won’t facilitate the reaction between chromium and chloride which results in pitting.
- Add sufficient oil and wait till it starts glistening. Else, food will get stuck to the bottom.
- If rainbow coloured stain appears on your stainless steel cookware, rinse it will diluted vinegar to remove it.
- If you overheat the pan with oil, you will find brownish-yellow residue along the edges. Its just oil marks that are stubborn to clean. Use baking soda or scrub it carefully with dishwashing liquid to remove it. If you leave it unattended, it will be stubbornly stuck and you won’t be able to clean it up.
Best Stainless Steel Cookware In India
Meyer Stainless Steel Cookware
Check the latest price ( Amazon)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent built quality | 10-30% more expensive than other brands. |
| High durability | Compared to Bergner and Vinod, a higher tendency for food to get stuck to the surface. |
| The only brand in India that sells nickel-free stainless steel cookware. | |
| Trivantage range has silicone wrapped handles that stays comparatively cooler. |
Meyer sells different ranges of stainless steel cookware. Their Trivantage range of Kadai and frying pan have handles with a layer of silicone that has excellent heat resistance. Even while cooking for 30-60 minutes at a stretch, the handles don’t get too hot. The edges of the frying pan flared up nice and open so that you can toss the food. It also allows proper evaporation and allows the food to brown properly instead of getting steamed.
Meyer Select, which is priced a bit more premium, is made of nickel and chromium-free stainless steel. In fact, Meyer is the only brand in India that offers nickel and chromium-free stainless steel. Their lids are quite heavy and the handles have a silicone layer underneath. But, even so, after cooking continuously for about 45-60 minutes, the handles tend to get hot. Also, unless you cook in medium to low flame, food tends to get stuck on the bottom.
When you compare between Select and Trivantage, we would recommend you to opt for Trivantage, unless you have a nickel allergy. The price is more competitive and the silicone wrapped handles are much better at keeping the handles cooler.
Check the latest price-
Trivantage Kadai ( Available in 20-30cm )
Trivantage Frying Pan ( Available in 20-28cm)
Select Kadai ( Available in 22-30cm)
Select Frying Pan ( Available in 20-28cm)
You may also like our article on Best Air Fryers In India
Stahl Artisan Stainless Steel Cookware
Check the latest price (Amazon)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent built quality | Handles of the frying pan are short. |
| Kadai has exceptionally good durability. | Frying pan doesn’t have enough slope. |
When you compare the Kadai and the frying pan from Stahl, we feel that the Kadai is much better. Its built quality is quite robust. You need to heat the Kadai and add sufficient oil. Else, food will get stuck to the base. But, if you do so, cooking is quite hassle-free. Over the past three years, we have used it for cooking a variety of food like poriyals, fried rice, curries, biriyani, soups and so on. The results were absolutely satisfactory. Even after using all these years, and washing in the dishwasher, it has not developed any gap between the rivets and the cookware. This shows the superior construction quality. The only drawback is that the handles get hot when you cook in them for a long duration.
The stainless steel pan is of fairly good quality. Its design has some flaws like smaller handles and steep edges that don’t allow you to flip and toss food easily. But, compared to Meyer, it has better stick resistance.
Stahl also offers triply stainless steel pressure cookers. Its advantage is that the cookware is thick and conducts heat uniformly. So, it cooks food pretty quickly.
Check the latest price-
Kadai ( available in 16 to 40 cm size)
Frying Pan ( available in 20 and 22cm)
Read the complete review of Stahl Cookware
Bergner Stainless Steel Cookware
Check the latest price ( Amazon)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best stick resistance out of all the options on the list. | Handles of Kadai and frying pan gets warm after continuous cooking |
| Excellent built quality and durability. | Frying pan has lesser cooking surface comparatively. |
While Stahl uses 18/8 grade stainless steel ( 18% chromium and 8% nickel) Bergner uses 18/10 grade stainless steel. According to manufacturers, higher nickel content imparts better stability and sturdiness. However, we haven’t noticed any drastic difference in the built quality of Stahl vs Bergner.
Bergner offers Kadai in a wider size range from 18-36cm. The built quality is pretty good. But, unlike Stahl, it doesn’t have a silicone pad underneath the handles. Also, unlike what the manufacturers claim, the handles do get fairly warm when you cook for a longer duration.
Upon making stir-fry vegetables and curries, we do find that food tends to stuck unless you have preheated and added sufficient oil. But, once you get a hang of using it correctly, it is almost hassle-free.
The cooking surface of the Bergner frying pan is comparatively smoother, offering better stick resistance than any other option we have tried. It uses comparatively lesser oil too. But, its edges flare out so much that a 22 cm pan has just about 15cm cooking surface. Even so, it has good built quality with a stable base that doesn’t wobble. Also, the handles are longer, compared to Stahl, so you can flip and toss food easily with this frying pan.
The smoother finish also helps you clean it easily. But, on the flip side, you need to clean it gently, else the surface may develop scratches quickly.
Check the latest price-
Kadai ( Available in 18-36cm)
Frying Pan (Available in 20-24cm)
Vinod Stainless Steel Cookware
Check the latest price (Amazon)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has wider range of stainless steel cookware. | Frying pan wobbles a bit. |
| Excellent built quality and durability. | Handles get warm after continuous cooking. |
| Competitive pricing. |
Vinod is one of the best selling brands of triply stainless steel cookware. Just like Bergner, they too use 18/10 grade stainless steel and offer normal and deep Kadai. To understand the difference between the two, a 26cm normal Kadai has a 3.2-litre capacity, but a 24cm deep Kadai has a 3.3-litre capacity.
The deep Kadai is more suitable for making curries and rice, while the shallower one would be better for stir-frying vegetables. But, you notice that the handles of the deeper Kadai are closer to the body, while the handles of the normal Kadai flare outside. Though both handles get hot when cooking for a longer duration, you find that the handles of the deeper Kadai get hotter way more quickly.
The built quality and thickness of the Vinod stainless steel Kadai are at par with Bergner and Stahl. However, price-wise, Vinod is a bit more competitive, making it a pretty good option to consider.
The frying pan of Vinod is fairly good. The 22 cm frying pan offers an 18cm cooking surface, which is better than Bergner. Its finish is also smooth, offering better stick resistance. A drawback however is that it wobbles a little bit, making it not the best option for induction stoves.
Check the latest price-
Deep Kadai (Available in 18-28cm)
Normal Kadai
Frying Pan (Available in 18-24cm)
Hawkins Stainless Steel Cookware
Check the latest price (Amazon)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Highly competitive pricing | Base wobbles a bit. |
| Fairly good built quality. | Comparatively less thick than other options. |
| Overall their products are quite durable. | Not dishwasher friendly |
Hawkins offers the most budget-friendly triply stainless steel cookware among the various options. Also, their pressure cookers are among the best in terms of durability and efficiency.
A noticeable aspect of Hawkins triply cookware is that they come with wooden handles that have better heat resistance. The base of Hawkins frying pan wobbles a little bit. So, if you use it on an induction stovetop, you may find the cooking uneven. But, if used on a gas stovetop, it wouldn’t really be a cause of concern.
Compared to other options, the thickness of the Hawkins frying pan is a bit less. So, you may find oil marks around the edges due to overheating. To prevent it, you have to always cook on a low to medium flame.
The Kadais come in sizes ranging from 1.5 to 4 litre capacity. The material is a bit thinner comparatively. But, an advantage is that it comes with transparent lids. So, you have a better idea of the cooking progression without having to open the lid frequently.
A drawback of the Hawkins triply cookware is that unlike other options listed so far they are not dishwasher friendly. The wooden handle may expand in a dishwasher and ruin it. So, you have to handwash it every time.
Check price-
Kadai (1.5 to 4 Litres)
Frying Pan ( 22 and 26cm)
Your post was a breath of fresh air amidst complex subject matter. Your clear and concise explanations made it a pleasure to read.