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December 11, 2024

Connie Park/NYTimes Wirecutter

Restocking your kitchen essentials ahead of the holidays? Don’t impulsively buy whatever cheap pots or pans come across your feed (no matter how pretty they may be). Instead, consider investing in a high-quality heirloom set that will last for years.

Cookware tends to cost more when sold separately. Buying—or gifting!—a set can be a good alternative to tracking down good pots and pans one piece at a time.

There are countless options out there, but if you want the true top of the line, we recommend this All-Clad set. In our tests, each of the pots and pans impressed us with their even heat distribution and extreme durability. Just take it from editorial director Lauren Sullivan, who received a set as a wedding gift years ago: “11 years of marriage—and dinner parties and quarantines and toddler birthday brunches—later, each pot, pan, and lid is as good as new.”

Why Lauren has loved this set for more than a decade→

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›

Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

A holy-grail frying pan would be one that is nonstick, lightweight, relatively affordable, great at searing, and magically clean at the end of the night—sadly, that doesn’t exist. But good carbon steel pans come pretty close. Of the nine we tested, our top pick checks many of those holy-grail boxes: It’s lightweight, heats evenly, and is slick right out of the box.

Fry an egg without it sticking→

How to store (and send!) holiday cookies Our kitchen expert has a few tips to ensure your sweets stay fresh and don’t crumble→

The best chef’s knife We’ve loved this razor-sharp one since 2013→

The cutting boards we recommend After chopping mountains of produce, here are the best options→

Our favorite Dutch oven costs less than $100 It aced all of our tests, and its design rivals that of pricier models→

Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter

When it comes to baking the best holiday cookies, the right gear can make the difference between sad, crumbly pucks and perfectly chewy delights. To help you churn out batches like a pro this year, we’re giving away a bundle of our favorite baking essentials, including a reader-adored stand mixer, an essential rolling pin, and the very best cookie scoop.

Head to our Instagram post to enter to win→

(Terms and conditions apply.)

Alex Mill

Though it’s a favorite in our gift guide for boyfriends, we think just about anyone would appreciate a versatile workwear jacket to don. Made of garment-dyed, recycled denim, this Alex Mill coat is surprisingly soft and comes in great colors.

A timeless jacket we love→

See more of our absolute favorites for the season—from luxe and sparkly splurges to precious stocking stuffers.

A gift for the foodie in your life: A set of this (currently on-sale!) smoky, spicy, and delicious tinned salmon.

You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can’t always respond, but we do love to hear from you.

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