My daughter will be moving into a new nyc apt and has asked for a cookware set. She is a good cook but leads a busy life and I’m not sure how well she’ll care for the set.
this wirecutter article suggests a 12 peice, tri-ply tromontina set, $230 at costco.
other suggestions?
best,
Sunshine had a girlfriend who escaped an abusive situation and we went to IKEA and bought her a set of pans/pots for $10 (now $20) IKEA Pot set
And a skillet was $5 (now $6.99) IKEA skillet
We got her a bunch of other stuff at IKEA, but the pots, pans and skillet did a surprisingly good job (for the price) and she was able to cook her meals. Moreover, if she ruined a pot or skillet – no major loss.
I’m generally opposed to sets, since it seems like you always get a few pieces that you’ll never use, but at least 20 years ago and probably more, we purchased a set from Costco that was pretty close in composition to this: https://www.costco.com/p/-/tramontina-ceramic-non-stick-12-piece-cookware-set-with-utensils/4000277532?DM_PersistentCookieCreated=true&langId=-1
I can’t vouch for dishwasher compatibility because I handwash all cookware, but we still have and use most of the pieces from the set. And if your daughter doesn’t like it, you/she can take advantage of Costco’s generous return policy. I don’t regret the purchase.
multi-ply stainless/aluminum performs quite well for the buck.
a 12 piece set? thats overkill on steroids.
small+large ‘pot’ - lids required! (1 qt / 2 qt size)
10" fry pan
(ceramic) casserole dish with lid . . .
about covers it . . .
if she likes 2-3 vegetables at a meal, add additional 1 qt pot(s)
unless she’s going to be throwing dinner parties for x people…
like (mebets) most others here, I have bunches and piles of pots&pans.
most of which sit unused except for ‘special’ dishes/needs.
Tramontina has a good rep for reasonable cost and good quality.
if you want to go upscale, I have some of the Zwilling Aurora line - which has definitely impressed me for performance.
I agree with others that a 12-pc set might be overkill — unless her kitchen is larger than most NYC apts I’ve been to 
A couple of pots, a couple of pans of good quality might do her for now.
Another vote against a ready set vs assembling it for her, based on how and what she cooks.
I’d go with stainless steel tri ply / multi ply. Calphalon has a couple of inexpensive lines that are very sturdy and last well, also Tramontina and several others — they’re often available at home goods / TJX / marshalls, Amazon, Macy’s, etc. Macy’s has good deals this time of year.
1-1.5qt, 2.5-3qt chefs pan / sauteuse, and maybe one larger pot (though if she gets an instant pot, a stand-alone bigger pot may not be necessary). She can add more pieces later, once she figures out what’s missing.
Add a nonstick pan or two (Oxo is excellent and not expensive), a carbon steel crepe pan (multi use, and I prefer it it cast iron for many reasons), and a 3 or 6qt instant pot.
A good, compact countertop oven is also a great tool (though not breville — too large a footprint vs usable inside space for a small apt kitchen, and even inexpensive ones work almost as well).
A 15-piece set of Farberware Classic Stainless Steel set of pots and skillets - $139.99. You get 1-Quart, 2-Quart, and 3-Quart Saucepans with Lids, 4-Quart Saucepot with Lid, 8-Quart Stockpot with Lid, 8-Inch and 10-Inch Nonstick Frying Pans, 3 Nylon Kitchen Utensils. (The ONLY thing I’d think she’d not really need would be the 8-quart stockpot - so perhaps they make a smaller set? Yes, they do - I’ve linked that one below as well.)
I still have my Farberware set from the late 1980s (which I’ve since augmented with pots from my late Mom that I remember using while I was growing up, and stainless steel skillets from Calphalon. The only thing I had to replace was the 2-quart, because I put it on the stove-top thinking I was going to be steaming something…and forgot to put water in. 
Ended up melting it on the old coil stovetop I had at the time.
ETA: You might want to think about going to HomeGoods and looking at a few individual pieces there. Their pots/pans aisles always has a LOT (especially now) and they’re constantly refreshing with more skillets and various size pots with lids.
https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-15-Piece-Cookware/dp/B00006IFQH/?th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-15-Piece-Cookware/dp/B0FMGRQ6FD/
That’s a really nice set of cookware, especially because the lids are metal, not glass. If she’s a good cook and asked for cookware, this should cover all of her needs. She’ll discover over time what will or will not get regular use. I would have loved a set like this when I started out. Btw, I don’t think it’s overkill because they look like they will stack to take up less space. Lucky girl.
I am very, very happy with my two Tramontina tri-ply saucepans.
I would look for an open stock offering of a clad pan, be it Tramontina, Cuisnart, or something else, OR go to a restaurant supply store for EITHER clad or disc bottom. Any of these choices will serve well. Then I would get those pieces most likely to be used, probably a medium sized frying pan, a couple of saucepans, and a five to six quart casserole. I would also consider a carbon steel wok, pretty much any brand. Woks are so versatile.
I agree with the notion that for all of us seasoned cooks, choosing a few pans that we know will be our work horses makes sense. But I think for a young person starting out, who has not yet developed their cooking style, and wants to feel like they are building a home, there is something very emotionally satisfying about a full cookware set. I would respectfully submit that that should be part of the buying decision.
thanks for all the suggestions, in the end, after talking with her, we decided upon the costco 12-piece tramontino set. She’ll take what she wants from the set and we’ll farm the rest out to her sibs. I did toss around the idea of 3-4 all clad on sale but I think we’ll save that for another housewaeming event when she’s older.
i should have added in the OP that she’s a foodie and loves to cook, so I think she’ll appreciate the quality of the set.
Sounds like the perfect solution!
I think the Costco Tramontina will make her happy. Wish something like that (or even Costco,for that matter) had existed when I started out. Best we could do for cheap was Woolworth’s
Agreed. A good quality, reasonably priced set is a great way to start out.
@vinouspleasure I think the Tramontina set you chose will be appreciated and well used in her kitchen. As others have mentioned here, many pieces can be obtained open stock along the way.
Best of luck in her new kitchen!
Tramontina and IKEA would be fine, but busy as she is, she ought to hit a couple of GoodWill and salvation Army stores. (Not thrift stores or Housing Works, which are designed to raise money. GW & SalArmy are more oriented toward helping people who have real budgets)
On top of my mind, i think get one good pan and a good pot is enough.
Tramontina is good
Absolutely, as long as whatever you cook is the right size!
