I just tried HexClad's 7-piece cookware set and I can confirm these cutting edge pans are well worth the hype

They say a bad workman blames his tools, but in the case of pans, a bad set can easily lead to disastrous results in the kitchen. And while I’d always advise buying the best saucepan set you can afford, stretching to the premium price tag of the HexClad 7 Piece Hybrid Cookware Set might be a step too far for most people.

But if you are considering HexClad, then buying several pans bundled together in a set like this does represent a cost saving in comparison to buying them individually. Not to mention the fact that these are no ordinary pans. The hybrid technology is revolutionary, so great in fact, that even Gordon Ramsay has invested in the brand.

It’s heavily advertised that you can use metal utensils with these pans thanks to the unique way they’re made. Yet, they’re non-stick and oven safe. It all sounds too good to be true. That said, for the money I want them to be pretty special, and it’s safe to say they didn’t disappoint.

Hexclad 7 Piece Cookware Set specs

• Materials: Cooking surface is stainless steel combined with non-stick. Aluminium core. Steel base.
• Metal utensil safe? yes
• Dishwasher safe? yes
• Pan Diameters: 30cm wok, 30 cm frying pan, 25cm frying pan, 20cm frying pan
• Warranty: lifetime
• RRP: £439

Unboxing and first impressions

Each pan is individually wrapped in its own protective drawstring bag. And once I’d removed them all I was struck by how high-tech they look. The finish is unlike any other pan I’ve seen. I wouldn’t say they’re pretty, they somehow look both expensive and industrial. You would expect to see them in a chef's kitchen for sure.

This seven piece set includes a 30cm wok, 30 cm frying pan, 25cm frying pan, 20cm frying pan and three corresponding lids. The largest lid fits both the 30cm frying pan and the 30cm wok. All the lids are glass and have a steam hole too.

The pans aren’t the lightest I’ve ever lifted, but that tends to be the way with very good quality, well built pans. However, the weights listed on the website must be the weights including lids because they all came up lighter when I weighed them on my kitchen scales.

Not including the lids, the weights are roughly 1.4kg for the 30cm pan, 1.1kg for the 25cm pan, 770g for the 20cm pan, and 1.6kg for the wok. So while they’re not super light, they’re certainly not excessively heavy - but that will of course depend on how much food is in the pan when you need to lift it.

Before the first use, you have to wash the pans and then season each one. This isn’t a complicated or lengthy process, all you need to do is place the pan on a medium-low heat on your hob, thinly coat the interior of the pan in oil and heat for 2-3 minutes.

I used a silicone pastry brush to help coat the entire surface of the pan in oil and after it had cooled, I wiped it out with kitchen paper. I did all the pans one-after-the-other and it didn’t take long at all. The instruction leaflet also says that the pan’s performance will continually improve over the first few weeks of use.

The other interesting point that’s reiterated a few times in the instruction leaflet, is that the design of the pans mean they distribute heat faster. Because of this, you rarely need to turn your hob up to the highest heat. Apparently you should get the same results at lower temperatures.

For best performance the pan should be preheated, then after 1-2 minutes if you sprinkle some water in the pan and it forms tiny droplets, the pan is the perfect temperature and ready to go. But, if it evaporates immediately, the pan is too hot. This is a technique that’s commonly used with stainless steel pans, but I’ve never used it for non-stick pans.

What are they like to use?

Frying pans

After seasoning the pans I couldn't wait to put one to the test, so I made a quick halloumi salad for my lunch. I would normally fry halloumi on a high heat to get that crisp, golden appearance on the outside, but I stuck to the advice on the product leaflet and preheated the pan on a medium-low heat. When I sprinkled in water and it sizzled into little balls, I added a dash of olive oil and the slices of halloumi.

Even on a medium low heat, both sides of the halloumi were golden and crisped in a little over five minutes. Not all slices browned at the same rate, but I think that was my fault as I didn’t have the pan properly centralised over the gas ring.

In an attempt to test out the non-stick I made a batch of caramelised pecans. In the smallest of the frying pans I melted butter and sugar into a smooth rich caramel before adding pecan nuts and stirring them through to coat in the caramel.

I scraped it all out onto baking paper to cool, and allowed the caramel residues to go cold and hard in the pan. You can read more about whether this turned into a cleaning nightmare in the ‘cleaning’ section later on in this review.

The instruction leaflet advises always using a low heat for eggs, which certainly felt counter intuitive when cooking fried eggs.

I only used a small glug of oil and the eggs fried well. There was no sticking whatsoever.

Similarly when I made omelette and scrambled eggs, both cooked perfectly, without overcooking or sticking.

Searing and cooking a sirloin steak in a HexClad pan is a joy. The steak sealed and browned quickly but evenly, and creating the perfect medium rare steak was fast and effortless.

When cooking a butterfly chicken breast I made use of the lid for part of the cook time, this helped to keep in the heat and ensure the chicken cooked through, without drying out. I only used a small dash of oil and the chicken cooked perfectly, the meat was succulent and it was evenly browned.

Creating a crisp skin on a sea bass fillet is effortless in a HexClad pan. The skin crisped and browned evenly and the fish cooked through beautifully. I served the sea bass fillets with pan fried tenderstem broccoli and asparagus that I cooked simultaneously in a separate pan.

I started the vegetables off with a dash of water in the pan and the lid on. Once they had begun to cook through, I removed the lid and added oil and seasonings, to create a seared, lightly crisped texture. The result is far tastier than boiling or steaming, but not as dry as roasting them in an air fryer.

I made pancakes in the largest frying pan, adding a small knob of butter before the batter went in. The pancakes cooked evenly and moved around the pan freely. This larger pan has quite shallow sides which makes it well suited to tossing pancakes - should you feel the need to show off. My advice here is to hold the handle with both hands as this is the weightiest of the three frying pans.

The pan handles are advertised as stay cool handles and I didn’t ever notice them getting warm during use. Similarly, the lid handles stayed cool enough to touch as well.

Wok

The first time I used the wok was to make a sticky chilli paneer dish that’s a regular on my weeknight meal rotation. In a slight shift from my usual routine, I heated the wok over a medium-low heat instead of high. Once it was hot I added some coconut oil and stir fried red onions and peppers.

When the vegetables were nearly cooked I added cubes of paneer as well as chopped chilli and garlic. Soon after, I threw in my homemade sauce. Everything cooked just as I’d hoped, but I did have to crank up the heat up to medium as it was a little too low to begin with.

I also cooked a couple of different vegetable stir fries in this wok. Both worked well and cooked as I’d expected. The wok felt roomy, with plenty of space for stirring and tossing the contents during cooking. But it was pretty heavy when full of food, so I had to use both hands to lift it and toss the stir fry.

There was never any sticking or during wok cooking and the ingredients moved freely around the wok. Plus it’s an ample size for most families and the flat base means it’s suitable for electric/ induction hobs too.

Cleaning

The pans are dishwasher safe and you can also use metal scourers without damaging them, so it’s really your call when it comes to how you go about cleaning them.

Because I’ve spent years writing advice about how to care for your cookware, I tend to practise what I preach and wash expensive cookware by hand. However, I did clean these pans in the dishwasher and that worked fine too.

The good thing is nothing stuck to the pans, so I didn’t have to do any scrubbing, they came clean very easily. Even that dreaded cold caramel wiped away with a quick swish of a cloth and some warm soapy water.

Should you buy the HexClad 7 Piece Hybrid Cookware set?

These pans are undoubtedly very well designed and cook foods brilliantly. I really love the combination of the hardwearing stainless steel with the non-stick for effortless cooking and cleaning. The design really is very clever and all foods glide across the surface of these pans.

The set is expensive though, so it’s worth bearing in mind that they’re available to buy separately. You could invest in just one and slowly build up your collection over time. Either way, if you’re really into cooking, these are hard to beat.

About this review, and the reviewer

After completing a Home Economics degree, Helen went on to work for the Good Housekeeping Institute and has been reviewing home appliances ever since. She lives in a small village in Buckinghamshire in the UK, where she reviews all sorts of home and garden appliances using her wealth of experience.

Helen used the HexClad 7 Piece Hybrid Cookware set at home on a gas hob, but the pans are suitable for all hob types. She used the set to make a variety of sweet and savoury foods and meals over a week and they’re probably the best pans she’s ever used.