Stainless steel

Circulon's elegant hybrid pans will brighten up any kitchen with their mirror-like stainless steel finishes, squiggly handles and unique circular patterned ...

If you love cooking with stainless steel and are in the market for some of the best looking pans a sizeable chunk of readies can buy, then I have no hesitation in recommending these elegant high-end pots. I experimented with a number of disciplines using my Neff induction hob – all at the suggested medium heat setting of between 5 and 7 – and all three pans performed exceedingly well no matter what zone they were placed on. If aesthetics is something that has a place in cooking, then these pans are right at the top of the tree, along with Robert Welch’s stunning Camden set. In fact the only thing I can think of where full nonstick would be better is when making scrambled eggs which sticks like glue if you don’t agitate the ingredients on a regular basis. Professionals and competent home cooks know this and use their stainless steel gear with care and attention – and in most cases with some extra butter or oil for better lubrication. You can normally see the difference between a hybrid pan and a normal stainless steel or nonstick pan by looking at the interior – and specifically the internal base – of the pan. But this mostly applies to frying pans because stainless steel is especially brilliant for searing meats and fish. Welcome to our review of the Circulon SteelShield Nonstick Stainless Steel C-Series 3 Piece Saucepan Set. [Circulon](https://www.circulon.com.au/products/steelshield-non-stick-stainless-steel-c-series-10-piece-set-with-bonus-tools) (opens in new tab) direct where a 10-piece version of these pans – replete with included frying pan and pasta pan – is selling for A$799.95. Hybrid cookware is essentially a marriage between stainless steel and nonstick. However, the otherwise elegant shape of these handles means that they are impossible to stack on top of one another and that could mean extra clutter in the pan cupboard. Although they’re quite weighty (the smallest 16cm pan weighs in at 1.1kgs), the polished stainless steel outer layer not only looks the business on any hob, whether it’s gas or induction, but it also provides superior heat control and excellent heat distribution.