Tramontina Cookware Review – The Ultimate Guide
When it comes to choosing cookware, you really want the best. It’s often well worth it to invest in something that will last for many years. Finding a quality brand is important to know that your money is going to pay off with a quality set.
We always recommend a set to start with and then you can add individual pieces and build on to your set as needed. One such brand is Tramontina.
Tramontina is a quality brand and they have a ton of different options to choose from. They have just about any possibility you might be considering.
How do you know which Tramontina cookware set is right for you? Or if this brand is even right for you? We’ve got you covered!
Tramontina cookware, is it worth it? Overall, Tramontina is a quality cookware brand and is generally worth the investment across its wide product line. Tramontina uses high quality materials and makes reliable brands.
If you are investing in cookware, we recommend all or part of Tramontina’s Tri-Ply (all-clad) set, though their stainless steel series with a tri-ply base is also of high-quality.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the options that you find under this brand but you should know all of the details before you pick a set out.
In this guide, we will cover the brand Tramontina in full detail. We have a lot to share about the company in general and we will compare some of their most popular cookware sets so you know everything you need to know about the brand.
Stick with us as we share the ultimate review of Tramontina cookware.
Tramontina Cookware Overview
Tramontina is a long-standing cookware company that makes more than just pots and pans.
They have things for kitchen and dining use as well as home kitchens and professional kitchens. You can even find outdoor living and BBQ solutions from the Tramontina brand.
Tramontina has been around for more than a century. They have a dedication to innovation and that dedication has led them to provide cookware and other solutions in more than 120 countries around the globe.
This brand has always been known for both quality and innovation. They have been market leaders and won a variety of awards for their quality and style.
Whether you need utensils, tools, furniture, kitchen items, appliance, or even electric hardware, they can help. They have their hands in a lot of different industries and across the board, quality is key.
Tramontina has a U.S. branch that was formed in 1986. This branch specifically works and delivers items within the USA. Their mission and vision speak clearly of a devoted team and product quality and you see that displayed when you take a look at their products as well.
Our goal in this guide will be to review the company as a whole, but to also take a close look at two of Tramontina’s most popular cookware sets.
But before we take a closer look at a couple of popular sets, let’s talk about Tramontina cookware sets and their overall quality.
Tramontina Cookware Options
When it comes to what Tramontina offers for the kitchen, there is a pretty long list. From a variety of cookware sets to other options like just purchase individual pans, they have something for everyone.
Let’s have a quick overview of the cookware items that Tramontina has available.
This first list covers the Tramontina cookware sets:
- Nonstick fry pans
- Nonstick cookware sets
- Stainless steel fry pan set
- Stainless steel cookware sets
- Tri-Ply Clad stainless steel cookware sets
- Induction aluminum nonstick cookware sets
- Essential cookware sets
These sets come in different sizes and some even have different color options.
If you don’t want a full set, here are some of your other items that Tramontina offers:
- Skillets
- Fry pans
- Sauce pans
- Dutch ovens
- Sauté pans
- Stock pots
- Multi-cookers
- Grill pans
- Griddles
- Casseroles
- Braisers
- Specialty cookware
- Outdoor cookware
- Roasting pans
We’re not going to get into the details of every single cookware piece that they have but we wanted to make you aware of the options and provide a general overview so that you know there are plenty of choices available.
In each of these categories above, you can find a variety of materials as well as sizes and even colors. Each category is pretty broad. Some of their specialty cookware includes cast iron solutions as well.
They’ve thought of and provided just about everything. This really barely scratches the surface of their solutions but our focus is primarily on cookware for the purpose of this guide.
One thing you will notice is that the price isn’t so bad for Tramontina cookware or cookware sets. For the quality, it’s really pretty reasonable compared to some of the options out there. You can spend this amount of money on a cheap set that won’t last.
Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Vs Stainless Steel
If you noticed in our list of the cookware sets, we mentioned both stainless steel and try-ply clad (or all-clad) stainless steel.
These are both stainless steel, right? Yes, they are both stainless steel, but they are different overall.
Tri-ply or all-clad stainless steel actually has three layers that are bonded together to give you the perfect blend of construction as well as other properties that make the pan easier to clean and maintain.
This means you get the durability of steel with the convenience of nonstick and induction compatibility.
Stainless steel is composed of mostly or exclusively stainless steel, which is the primary difference between the two.
Now, we want to take a closer look at the two most popular cookware sets for Tramontina.
We are going to review each one and compare them in full detail for you here. Coincidentally, the sets we are comparing below are all clad and base stainless steel.
Tramontina Gourmet Tri-Play Clad Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Let’s start by taking a deeper look at the stainless steel set. We chose the 12-piece stainless steel set because it has a little bit of everything in it and it really is the best deal overall. However, you can downsize to an 8 or 10 piece set if you want to.
This tri-ply stainless steel set is suitable for induction use and is NSF-certified. It is a very fine set, designed for gourmet style. The elements of these pans are made in Brazil with high-quality materials but the pans are assembled in a USA facility and packaged from there as well.
With induction capabilities, this cookware is ultra-durable and lasting and can withstand more direct heat than some other sets out there.
This 12-piece stainless steel set includes the following pieces:
- 8-inch fry pan
- 10-inch fry pan
- 5-quart covered deep sauté pan
- 1.5-quart covered sauce pan
- 2-quart covered sauce pan
- 3-quart covered sauce pan
- 8-quart covered stock pot
The lids do count as numbered pieces within the set. You will notice that 5 pieces have accompanying lids.
This set does have premium tri-ply or all-clad construction. It’s made with a layer of 18/10 stainless steel, aluminum in the center, and magnetic stainless steel. The handles are sleek and slender with precision cast. They are riveted and polished to a mirror shine.
The lids are also mirror-polished stainless steel rather than your traditional tempered glass lid.
This set of stainless steel cookware can be used on any cooktop surface, including induction. It can be challenging to find induction-compatible options so that is a nice element with this set.
This set is also considered to be oven-safe up to 500 degrees.
Again, this is a higher temperature than most cookware sets. We often see limitations of about 425 to 450 degrees but this one is much higher and a temperature capability that you will probably never use.
Pros:
- Oven safe for up to 500 degrees
- Covered by a lifetime warranty
- Comes with a full 12-piece set
- Tri-ply construction that you can depend on
- The lids and handles are mirror-polished
- Gourmet-style set
- Compatible with induction cooktops
Cons:
- The gradual sides can make flipping food within the pans a challenge.
- The handles do get pretty hot while cooking.
Tramontina Tri-Ply Base Stainless Steel Cookware Set
Next up, we have a classic stainless steel set that is very nice. This cookware set looks much like any other traditional home cookware set that is stainless steel.
It is still a tri-ply stainless steel but that is where the similarities in these two sets end. You will notice this is a slightly smaller set. It has 9 pieces instead of 12, but the overall design of the set is also different. It’s still great!
This set of cookware was ergonomically designed so it is comfortable to handle, hold, transport, and work with in every way that you need. The handles are sturdy and stable so you always feel like you have strength and control when you need it.
This is a cast stainless steel set so while the listing mentions tri-ply, please note it is not the same overall design as the tri-ply we shared in the 12-piece set. This stainless steel set is very nice and sleek. It looks great and works great all around.
Here is what is included in this set:
- Small frying pan
- Large frying pan
- Small covered sauce pan
- Large covered sauce pan
- Large covered stock pot
- Steamer insert
Notice that the covered pans include a fitted lid and that is part of the total number of pieces in this set.
The lids included with this set are very nice. They are made with tempered glass so that you can see into your pans and monitor whatever is going on in there. They are sturdily built and reliable and have nice, comfy handles attached as well.
The handles for each pan are ergonomic and designed with a small rivet that is supposed to keep them from getting too hot during the cooking process. Not sure that it is effective but that is the intention.
These pans are rated as safe with any cooktop, including induction cooktops. They are also oven-safe but only in fairly low temperatures, up to a maximum of 350 degrees. The lids should not be placed in the oven at all.
Pros:
- Stainless steel base design
- Designed to be ergonomic and sturdy
- Oven safe up to 350 degrees
- Safe for all types of cooktops
- Tempered glass lids with comfortable handles
- 9-piece set that includes a steamer
Cons:
- The handles are hot to the touch when you are cooking.
- The lids are pretty sensitive and have even been known to shatter while cooking.
Tramontina Cookware Review: Tri-Ply Clad Vs Stainless Steel
Detailing and reviewing an entire line of cookware piece by piece would be quite the undertaking.
To make things simpler, we’ll outline the overall quality and features of Tramontina cookware using the popular sets we tackled above, Tri-Ply Clad and Stainless Steel.
Let’s get started!
Quality of Materials
All of the cookware from Tramontina are made with reliable materials. Tramontina is known for using the best materials and even bringing ingenuity to the table with development and forward thinking.
You see high-quality stainless steel in both the tri-ply and stainless steel base sets.
However, you can see a clear difference in the quality of the all clad set vs. the traditional stainless steel set here.
If you’re looking for the very best materials, go for the tri-ply or all-clad options. We did notice that the traditional stainless steel set seems to have an issue with the lids shattering even with just routine stovetop use.
Set Pieces
The nice thing is that each set is unique and has a good variety of pieces. Both sets come with multiple sizes of each type of pan and they each come with lids for a good number of the pots and pans provided.
It would be nice if they would start including a fry pan lid, but this is a common issue among all cookware sets on the market.
The smaller set even has a steamer insert included, which is always nice if you do any sort of steaming on a regular basis.
Cooktop & Oven Compatibility
Both of these sets and a good majority of Tramontina’s cookware are safe for all types of cooking tops. They can even be used with induction cooktops, which can sometimes be more challenging to find.
Both sets are also oven-safe but the base stainless steel set is far more limited here.
The tri-ply all-clad set can withstand oven temperatures up to 500 degrees while the other set only withstands temperatures up to about 350 degrees. This is a pretty significant difference.
Summary
Overall, we find that Tramontina is a quality brand and they care about delivering quality pieces.
We do recommend that if you are going to make the investment, you look at all of the details and go ahead and spring for the premium investment over the base set.
The nice thing is that it’s totally up to you, though! You really can’t go wrong with anything that this company has to offer, even if you choose to look at other cookware we didn’t cover in detail here.
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