I tried ProCook’s new Elite TriPly Signature 6 piece pan set

There are few items in your kitchen that get more use than your pots and pans. However, many people leave home with one non-stick frying pan and a medium saucepan, reaching for them again and again until the non-stick coating wears off thanks to frequent use.

That’s when people often turn to buying one of the best saucepan sets instead. The top tier sets out there are the ones that offer a variety of pans in different sizes, are easy to use and to clean without taking up too much space in your cupboards. So, if you’re looking for a new set, the Elite TriPly Signature 6 piece pan set from ProCook is might appeal, with a durable tri-ply construction so you don’t have to worry about scratching a non-stick surface. Plus, at £295 they’re a great mid-range option if you want to upgrade your pans.

I’ve used this pan set for a week in my kitchen to cook all my meals, everything from a weeknight quick pasta to pan-fried duck breast for a Friday night treat. Here’s how I got on with it.

In a nutshell

This ProCook pan set is brilliant for smaller households or couples, especially if you have a compact kitchen and are limited on storage space.

In the set you get three sizes of sauce pan, stock pot, saute pan and frying pan. Each of the pans comes with a lid except the frying pan, although the largest lid fits on this too.

The saucepans stack tightly so you can store the pans easily. It’s worth noting though that the pans are pretty compact, with a 2.9L capacity for the stockpot, which makes them well suited to small households like mine, but you might want to opt for something larger if you’re regularly cooking for a crowd.

The uncoated pans have a sleek, modern look with a brushed stainless steel exterior, and they look so smart I ended up bringing the saute pan straight to the table when hosting friends for dinner.

Each pan feels super sturdy, and since they’re uncoated you don’t have to worry about using metal utensils. They tick lots of boxes when it comes to ease too: they’re dishwasher safe, compatible with all hob types, and oven-safe up to 260C.

At £295 it’s not the most affordable pan set on the market by any means, but if you’re looking to invest in pans that are going to last when you’re cooking on them day after day, this is a brilliant option.

Product specs

• Materials: 3mm tri-ply 18/10 stainless steel with aluminium core
• Metal utensils safe? Yes
• Dishwasher safe? Yes
• Pan diameters: 14cm, 16cm, 18cm, 20cm, 24cm, 20cm
• Warranty: 25 year guarantee
• RRP: £400

Who tested this cookware set?

Unboxing the product and first impressions

Straight out of the box these pans look expensive and high quality. They come in entirely recyclable packaging (as we’d expect from ProCook’s B corp status), with instructions printed on the underside of the cardboard for care and first use.

Each pan had a nice weightiness to it but not so much so that I struggled to lift them. Each of the larger pans also has a second carry handle so you can lift them with two hands for ease.

The modern, sleek look of the pans impressed me and the brushed stainless steel exterior is really attractive. The handles and lids are comfortable and I was excited to get cooking. After a wash in warm soapy water as outlined in the instruction the pans were ready to use.

What is the pan set like to use?

Overall this pan set is super easy to use. For the saucepans we cooked rice, pasta and broccoli. Each of the saucepans has a marking on the inside for measuring 500ml or 1 litre which I found really useful, especially as it meant I didn’t have to dirty a separate measuring jug.

The saucepans each heated quickly with no discernible cool spots, which is likely thanks to the fact that each one is made from an individual piece of tri-ply stainless steel with an aluminum core. That basically means the base and sides of the pans aren’t made from separate pieces of metal, so they heat very consistently.

The lids for the pans all fit very snugly, with a small dip on one side which allows trapped steam to come out in a controlled way which I thought was very clever and stopped my broccoli from boiling over.

The handles of the pan stayed cool to the touch, although it’s worth noting that I found the handles on the lids got pretty hot and I had to use a pan holder to take them off safely.

The stock pot has a 2.9L capacity, which I found a little on the small side – it was about the right size to cook pasta for four people. I was a little disappointed by how long this pan took to heat though. It took 15 minutes to bring 2 litres of water to the boil from cold, which is far longer than I would have expected.

The saute pan is the largest in this set and I found it a lovely size that was really easy to cook with. The short handle meant it fit in my oven easily and was safe to transfer from the hob into the oven.

What most impressed me about this pan was the gentle curve where the edge meets the sides. I used it to cook the sauce for some crispy chilli beef and the edges were perfectly shaped to move a spoon around the edge, so there wasn’t any stickage or bits that didn’t get mixed in.

For me a stainless steel frying pan is a must and the one from this set seriously impressed. Again it’s on the small side, but worked well when I was cooking for two people.

I did the mercury ball test to see if there were any cool spots and if my pan was ready for searing. This is key if you’re frying with stainless steel to avoid your food sticking, and essentially means you flick some water droplets into the pan. If they sizzle and steam, your pan isn’t hot enough, but if they dance around the pan, forming one ball of water, you’re good to go.

This frying pan has a lovely depth, and I used it to deep fry the beef strips for my crispy chilli beef. I also used it to fry an egg – always an important test for all frying pans! Cooking eggs on an uncoated pan can be a bit of a nightmare, but once my pan was properly preheated I was able to achieve a deliciously crisp fried egg with golden, lacey edges and a runny yolk.

How easy is it to clean?

These pans are dishwasher safe, and even if you don’t have a dishwasher, I found them easy to clean by hand too. The rivets connecting the handles to the pans are on the outside, which means there aren’t any hidden spots where food can collect, and you can reach every corner to clean.

Living in London means I have hard water, which I found made the pans pretty difficult to keep clean since water drips and finger prints showed up even when the pans were clean. If you also have hard water where you live, and don’t want to be polishing your saucepans, and let’s face it who does, this is definitely a drawback of this set.

How does the ProCook Elite TriPly Signature 6 piece set compare to competitors?

There are a few features that set this ProCook saucepan set apart from similar models. For the price you get a really good selection of pans and sizes. Le Creuset is one of my favourite brands when it comes to cookware, but a set of three stainless steel uncoated saucepans costs more than this entire set at £425 via Le Creuset.

I’ve tested so many non-stick coated pan sets where the coating scratches so easily, but these pans are so durable by comparison, they’re likely to see you through years of wear and tear. Plus that 25 year guarantee is pretty hard to beat.

Most pans of this design have rivets which act as real dirt traps. I put these pans through their paces by getting some halloumi stuck to them (oops) and they were still super easy to clean – no scrubbing required.

Should you buy the ProCook Elite TriPly Signature 6 piece set?

If you’re a small household, looking to invest in some pans that will work for you day in, day out, that won’t take up all your cupboard space but will still get the job done, these are a brilliant option. That’s especially true if you want to ditch the non-stick in favour of uncoated cookware. They look sleek, are super hard wearing and produce a lovely finish for searing, boiling, steaming, stewing and much more.