Not Heritage Steel Or All-Clad: Consumer Reports' Highest-Rated Stainless Steel Pan Is An Unexpected Pick

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Choosing the right product for you is about more than following trends. You have to dig deeper to find out what other people are really saying about it. When it comes to stainless steel pans, Consumer Reports didn't give popular Heritage Steel or All-Clad brands the top spot — the Oxo Mira series stainless steel pan took the title. For one, the Oxo pan is versatile. You can use it on the stovetop, in the oven, or even atop an induction cooker. When you're done, you can also toss it into the dishwasher. With its limited lifetime warranty, the $80 price tag for a single 10-inch pan — the highest-rated of its kind — it seems like kind of a bargain.

When compared to Heritage Steel and All-Clad, it looks like Oxo has more convenient touches that make it an all-rounder in the kitchen. Neither of those contenders is dishwasher-safe, which might deter consumers who rely on the appliance daily. Price-wise, Oxo is much more appealing too. Heritage Steel's 10.5-inch pan will set you back $120, while All-Clad's D3 and D5 models cost $100 to $180, respectively. That alone should entice any home cooks who want quality without the premium price tag — because who says you can't have both? When in the market for the best cooking pans to add to your arsenal, it seems that the Oxo Mira series stainless steel pan has it all, but first, take a closer look to see if it really belongs in your kitchen drawers.

Consumer Reports notes the product's ability to provide even cooking, rating it just as high as Heritage Steel and All-Clad's pricier models. The Oxo Mira series has an easy release feature, too, and Consumer Reports even put it to the test by cooking four eggs back to back, adding vegetable oil before the first one hit the pan. Lo and behold, the eggs lifted off without issue. Of course, this assumes you know how to get perfect nonstick results with stainless steel cookware. All-Clad fared well in the test, too (if Consumer Reports conducted this test on Heritage Steel pans as well, the results don't appeared to be published). If there's one thing Oxo really excelled in compared to its competitors, it's the sturdiness of the handle, which maintains its temperature even when the pan is hot. It's also pretty easy to clean compared to the other two brands, thanks to its recessed rivets, so clean up the stainless steel pan won't be as intimidating. 

However, despite Consumer Reports' sparkling reviews, some were disappointed with the brand's easy release claims. There were also complaints from some consumers regarding longevity and how its quality quickly degraded after a few months, despite consumers taking good care of it. On the flip side, most people were generally more pleased with Oxo's pan, so the negative reviews could be outliers. Nonetheless, it does have its appealing points, and if you're willing to shell out a few bucks to try a product many people like, it seems worth the shot.