Black Friday (er, Now) Is the Best Time to Buy Pots and Pans

All-Clad is hard to beat in the realm of stainless steel pots and pans. Sure, the prices are steep, but it really is a BIFL (buy it for life) brand. I can’t tell you how many things I have boiled, melted, steamed, and accidentally burnt in this sauce pan over the years, and it still looks mirror-shiny after a wash. This is thanks, in part, to the durable 18/10 stainless steel (translation: stronger steel with a better shine) material, as well as the fact that the interior layer of aluminum allows for the stainless steel to heat up quickly and evenly. Other pans may entice with lower price tags, but an All-Clad pan wins with consistency.

I will continue to shamelessly praise the frying pans from Eater x Heritage Cookware, because they can really pull their weight in any kitchen. A favorite amongst Eater staff, they’re designed to function well on both induction and gas stovetops, and are made with 5-ply fully-clad construction, sans potentially toxic PFAS, and have a metallic matte finish for a more understated look than, say, the veneer-white shimmer of an All-Clad pan. This bundle unites the 8.5-inch, 10.5-inch, and 12-inch fry pan — the perfect trifecta.

When a ginormous, sparkling All-Clad lobster pot is on sale, you simply must share it with the people. Granted, this two-piece set (you’ll receive a stock pot and an insert) isn’t just limited to shellfish; use it to blanch veggies, boil potatoes, cook pasta for your demanding Italian American mother-in-law, or make enough popcorn in one go for all the kids at a sleepover. You almost don’t even need to wrap this beauty if you’re planning on giving it as a gift this year — just slap a big red bow on it, and voilà. Big impact pot right here.

I have nothing bad and everything reassuring to say about my Caraway pans, which, granted, belong to the wave of Instagrammy cookware brands from a few years ago that has otherwise over-saturated my brain. But I love that the nonstick coating is staunchly free of PFOA, PFOS, and PFA, as well as lead, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals. Sometimes I don’t feel like I’m getting the most even cooking experience with the pan (but also, my landlord installed our stove on a tilt), but I know that every time I cook I am going to get a virtually nonstick experience. I’m almost five years in with my Caraway cookware, and it also has yet to scratch.

The Perfect Pot is Our Place’s interpretation of, well, a 5.5-quart pot that is designed to be a multi-purpose tool that can replace your stockpot, braiser, Dutch oven, strainer, steamer, and more. Does it belong to the aforementioned world of Instagrammy goods? Absolutely, and the Perfect Pot does have a bit of an identity crisis: It can’t handle the same temps as Le Creuset’s Dutch oven (but it gets damn close at 450 versus 500 degrees Faranheit), and it’s made out of aluminum in lieu of cast-iron, which sure makes the 5.5-quart pot easier to carry. That being said, aesthetics do matter, and I think there’s something wonderful about the fact that brands are playing around with functionality and silhouette when it comes to cookware. Honestly, my only serious gripe with the Pot has been its price tag, but right now it’s barely over $100 for Black Friday.

GreenPan takes the cake for affordable nonstick pans. The brand’s 12-inch nonstick skillet is made out of Lima, a kind of hard anodized aluminum designed to last, and is then given a PFAS-free nonstick coating. And, perhaps best of all, you can take home both the skillet and its lid for the price of a booze-filled brunch during Black Friday.

Le Creuset is my kind of clout cookware, and not just because it was inadvertently peddled to me from an early age via Jacques Pépin’s enthusiastic TV cooking spots. The heritage cookware brand’s enamel cast-iron Dutch oven is one of those items your descendants will fight over in the will, because it simply will not quit; this 5.5.-quart beast is made out of durable cast-iron, and the interior enamel coating will develop a natural patina over time, according to the site, that will continue to protect the cast-iron while allowing you to cook red sauces and braise tough meats for decades to come.

Last but not least, a favorite from our under $50 gift guide. This French-made crêpe pan from De Buyer would be a flex in any context, but right now you can bring one home with some Bon Maman’s hazelnut spread from Williams Sonoma.