Granite Stone Cookware Reviews

Granite Stone Premium 13-Piece Set

Design:

Black in color with silver handles and rims, the pots and pans in this set have a stately and timeless appearance. The skillets feature gently sloping sides, while the stock pot and saucepans have straight edges. The lids and stock pot have loop-style handles, and short riveted handles allow for easy handling of the smaller pans.

Materials:

Granite Stone uses a hard anodized aluminum construction for these pieces. The material is nonporous, wear-resistant, and conducts heat incredibly well. A nonstick ceramic coating is in place to keep oil and butter consumption to a minimum.

This coating is strong enough to be used with metal utensils, so there's no need to worry about causing long-term damage to the pieces. The handles and rims are composed of stainless steel for added durability.

Usability:

Thanks to the superior nonstick coating, these pieces can be used for a multitude of cooking applications. While some nonstick surfaces are suitable only for egg dishes and sauces, this coating is highly versatile, allowing chefs to experiment with everything from souffles to stir-fries.

Each piece in the set is oven safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes them even more versatile. They can be used on glass, electric, or gas ranges, but they're not induction-compatible.

Because of the glass lids, it's easy to monitor the progress of each dish. We're especially fond of the 3-quart saute pan, which is an excellent choice for stovetop-to-oven dishes.

Cleaning:

This cookware set is dishwasher safe, and the material is sturdy enough to withstand repeated washings. While we typically recommend washing nonstick cookware by hand whenever possible, that's not really necessary with these pieces, because the ceramic coating is top-notch.

That said, the sloping edges on the skillets make it easy enough to reach into the corners to remove stubborn burned-on ingredients if necessary.

The set contains:

Granite Stone Blue 20-Piece Set

Design:

The eye-popping cobalt blue color is the first thing we noticed about this comprehensive cookware set. With the exception of a few secondary units, each piece offers the "Granite Stone Blue" nonstick surface. The deep saute pan and larger frying pan both come in the shape of a square, which makes them a great fit for casseroles and other baked dishes.

Materials:

This set offers a solid aluminum construction, with each piece stamped from a single aluminum sheet. This ensures efficient heat distribution, with no problematic hot spots. The trademark nonstick surface features a triple-ply coating and diamond reinforcement, making it stronger than most of the competition. This coating is free of lead, cadmium, PFOA, and PFOS.

Usability:

The Granite Stone Blue 20-Piece Set is equipped with enough pieces to set up a full kitchen. In addition to the requisite stock pot, frying pans, and saucepans, the set includes a muffin tin, a loaf pan, a cookie sheet, and much more.

The nonstick coating releases food easily, even with no oil or butter added. There's no need to season the pans—they're ready to be used right out of the box, although we would recommend giving them a preliminary washing first.

Thanks to these diamond-hard surfaces, the pots and pans are metal-utensil safe. They can even be used with electric beaters, which comes in handy when making whipped potatoes or vegetable purees.

The ergonomic handles represent one of the best aspects of this set. Not only does the Y-shaped design allow them to remain cool to the touch, they're suitable for both left-handed and right-handed chefs. Any lefty who's struggled to get a decent grip on a saute pan will be grateful for this minor touch.

Also, note that Granite Stone offers a 10-year limited guarantee with this purchase. Considering the reasonable price tag, this is an excellent bargain.

Cleaning:

While these pieces are all dishwasher safe, there are a few caveats. First of all, we would recommend cleaning the fry basket by hand, especially if the fried foods were coated in batter.

Second, the square pans might require a little extra scrubbing to ensure that all the food particles are removed from the edges. The same goes for the loaf and cake pans—the crevices can be too much for the dishwasher to handle. Otherwise, the pots, pans, and lids all clean up well in the dishwasher.

The set contains:

Granite Stone Stackmaster 10-Piece Set

Design:

Like the 13-piece set reviewed above, this one is black in color, with thick riveted steel handles. The saucepans are narrow with high edges, which is ideal for boiled eggs. There are loop handles on every lid and the far end of the saute pan, while the rest of the pieces have long, stout handles.

Additionally, the glass lids offer thick steel rims to help them form a tight seal. This is a "nesting" cookware set, so the pieces will fit neatly into one another to save space.

Materials:

The pots and pans are made of aluminum, with the same triple-ply diamond-reinforced nonstick coating that distinguishes the Granite Stone Blue set. The tempered glass lids are interchangeable, meaning they can be used with any of the saucepans or skillets in the set. The steel rims and handles are efficient and sturdy, helping to keep those flavors right where they belong.

Usability:

Two major perks set this collection apart from the competition. First of all, the pots and pans are induction-ready, in addition to being compatible with gas and electric ranges. Second, they're oven safe to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. That's hot enough to make homemade pizza and flatbread, meaning it's possible to use the skillets for traditional Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.

As we mentioned, the high edges make the saucepans a good fit for boiling and poaching eggs, but there's no need to limit their use. These pieces are suitable for homemade sauces, soups, casseroles, omelets, and much more. Best of all, because the pieces are stackable, this is a great set for cooks who are working with limited kitchen space.

Cleaning:

Each piece in this set is dishwasher safe, lids included. The nonstick surface helps them to come clean with relatively little interference, but we would suggest scrubbing out the bottoms of the saucepans if the ingredients were particularly sticky. Fortunately, the coating also makes the scrubbing task go much more quickly.

The set contains:

Granite Stone Diamond 3-Piece Set

Design:

This is another Granite Stone Blue offering, but the set contains fewer pieces than the behemoth we've listed above. It features a round saucepan with a lid and Y-shaped handle, a small frying pan with sloped edges, and a larger frying pan with a similar design and a tight-fitting lid. The pieces have a generous capacity for their size, and the sloped sides make it easy for the spatula to reach right into the corners.

Materials:

This set is composed of hard aluminum with a diamond-reinforced nonstick coating. The glass lids are tempered, and the lid for the saucepan is break-resistant as well. All of the Y-shaped handles are made of stainless steel and suitable for both righties and lefties. They'll also remain cool to the touch during stove top cooking applications.

Usability:

While this set doesn't contain as many pots and pans as some of the others listed here, it makes the most out of the ones it does have. The pieces are oven safe to 500 degrees, so they transfer easily from the stove top to the oven.

They're compatible with gas, electric, and glass ranges, but they're not induction-ready. Shoppers who need a set that's compatible with their induction stove top should consider the Stackmaster set instead.

Although the company advertises a healthier approach to cooking thanks to the effective nonstick surface, these pans can be used to cook just about anything.

We think the smaller one comes in especially handy when making one or two fried eggs at at time. While there's no need to use oil or butter, adding these ingredients won't damage the surface. A 10-year limited warranty is included with the purchase.

Cleaning:

Both of the frying pans, the saucepan, and the glass lids can all be put in the dishwasher. Buyers who don't have a dishwasher needn't worry, however. The pieces aren't particularly large, and the nonstick surface makes them easy to wash by hand. Make sure to reach into the crevices of the saucepan, as its high edges give ingredients plenty of places to hide.

The set contains:

Granite Stone 10-Piece Set

Design:

These pieces are coal-black with tiny white flecks in the surface, as if to illustrate the diamond-reinforced coating. The saucepans and stock pot have a traditional straight-edged appearance, while the frying pans offer a saucer-style shape with sloping sides. The loop handles on the stock pot and lids are raised high enough to prevent burns. A bulky steamer insert with broad handles is included in this set.

Materials:

This 10-piece collection features pots and pans made of hard anodized aluminum with a durable nonstick coating. Stainless steel handles remain cool on the stove top, and tempered glass lids are equipped with broad steel bands to keep them from cracking upon contact.

Usability:

The 5-quart stock pot is large enough to be used as a roasting pan for a whole chicken or pot roast, which is a huge plus. The above-average heat retention also makes it a good option for homemade soups and pasta sauces. We think the steamer insert is an especially nice touch, as it allows users to prepare large batches of fresh veggies at once.

The set is oven safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, but it's not induction-ready. While metal utensils shouldn't damage the surface, it's better to stick with wood or silicone for these pieces.

Cleaning:

The pots, pans, and lids are all dishwasher safe. Buyers who don't have access to a dishwasher should have an easy enough time getting the pieces clean, as food residue tends to slide right off. We would recommend drying the pieces thoroughly before putting them back in the cabinet, or water spots might appear on the tempered glass.

The set contains:

Granite Stone 14" Frying Pan

Design:

This oversized frying pan features a long Y-shaped handle with a loop handle on the opposite side to offer stability. The handles are silver in color, while the pan itself is black with white specks. It's a deep pan with high, sloping edges, making it a nice fit for one-skillet family meals.

Materials:

Hard aluminum and a triple-reinforced diamond-infused nonstick coating are the hallmarks of this piece. The surface is strong enough to survive the use of metal utensils, and it's PFOA- and PFOS-free. Both of the handles are made of stainless steel, which remains cool even when the pan is heated to high temperatures.

Usability:

Because of its high capacity, this is the go-to pan for big family gatherings. It can easily hold enough spaghetti and meatballs or American chop suey to feed a crowd. Because it's oven safe up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, it can also be used to make casseroles and deep-dish pizza.

It comes in especially handy when turning out large batches of fried or scrambled eggs. Anyone who feels that their 8- and 10-inch frying pans aren't getting the job done should be happy with this purchase.

Cleaning:

Most of Granite Stone's nonstick cookware is dishwasher safe. This pan is no exception. That's a relief, because it's big enough to make hand-washing an awkward prospect. Most sinks won't have enough depth to accommodate the entire surface. In fact, some dishwashers might require some reconfiguration as well. Fortunately, it usually comes clean after a single washing.