When looking to purchase a new cookware set or even just a single piece the choices of style, quality and price can become quite overwhelming. In the end, low price often wins out over quality and style, leaving the chef with plain or mismatched cookware that will have to be replaced in a year. However, this doesn’t always have to be the case. Rachael Ray Cookware is the exception. This line of cookware combines all the best qualities with very few drawbacks at a low price for consumers. Rachael Ray offers two main types of cookware. They include a line that is completely hard anodized aluminum and a line that is has an anodized interior and a porcelain enamel exterior.

The styles of the Rachael Ray cookware line can best be described as contemporary classics. Bright vibrant colors and modern science are combined with the traditional shapes of stockpots and sauté pans. The two colors that are available at this time are a festive orange and a bright blue. For the more contemporary chef, Rachael Ray offers the classic gray with only a touch of bright orange color on the handles. The long handles on the pans are equipped with an opening in the end to hang them for a beautiful display. The silicone handles are also long enough to handle safely without fear of heat transfer or burn. Each individual pot has a clear glass lid. This lid allows the user to be able to see the food without lifting the lid and letting the heat and steam escape, allowing the food to cook faster and more evenly.

The Rachael Ray cookware pieces are made from high quality aluminum that resists dents and corrosion. The interior surface is non stick and scratch resistant. In addition, all of the pieces can be moved directly from the stove top to the oven up to 400 degrees. This eliminates the need for additional cookware and aids in a quick and easy clean up. The aluminum makes them lightweight and easy to maneuver from stove to oven or pour from pan to pan. Both the aluminum exterior and the porcelain enamel exterior are designed to distribute heat evenly to throughout the pan. However, it must be said that the cookware line with the anodized interiors and orange or blue porcelain enamel exteriors are not recommended for ceramic or glass counter tops as damage can occur.

In customer reviews, most consumers gave the Rachel Ray cookware line five stars out of five. Users liked that the pieces were lightweight and the silicone that prevented the handles from getting too hot. They also liked that they looked nice enough to hang in their kitchens and not be hid in a cupboard. The most common complaints were that the pieces are not all dishwasher safe and you can not use metal utensils due to the risk of scratching the non stick surface. Also, users didn’t like that it is unadvised to use the pieces on the stove over high heat. However, the non stick surface makes for an easy cleaning and there is a silicone utensil line that is available in the complementary colors of blue, green and orange. The utensil sets range from $10 to $30 depending on the size and are completely dishwasher safe. Some are even made to rest on the sauce pans and stock pots. A few consumers reported that the cookware with the porcelain enamel finish started to wear off after repeated washings. Instructions are given with each item on how to properly wash them to preserve their life span.

Rachael Ray cookware can be bought in a 10 piece set or can be bought individually. The set includes the more common pieces such as a 6-quart stockpot, 1-1/2-quart sauce pan, 3-quart sauce pan, 8-inch skillet, 10-inch skillet, 10-inch sauté pan and all the lids but does not include any casserole dishes, grill pans or other sized sauce pans. Individually, these items would cost between $20 and $90 depending on the item. If you buy the set the prices can range from $125 to $250 depending on where and when you buy them. So, buying the set first and adding other pieces later would be the most cost efficient.

In short, considering all the pros and cons of the Rachael Ray cookware sets, these products are some of the most practical when searching for the best style, quality and price for cookware. That is, if you don’t mind hand washing them. Each piece is lightweight, versatile, stylish and of great quality for sensible price. Sets or individual pieces can be purchased at just about any store that carries cookware and for a reasonable price and will last much longer than cheaper similar items if taken care of properly.