Over the last decade, we have seen the cookware market flooding with different copper lines of pots and pans. And, a new generation has been discovering the joys of cooking with copper. Not only is copper a gorgeous material, but it’s energy-efficient and easy to clean.
That said, not all copper cookware is made equal.
But how do you know which sets are worth investing in?
That’s where we come in. We’ve put together this article to help you work out whether this best selling copper set is worth your money.
Today we will be reviewing Anolon Nouvelle’s 11 piece copper cookware set, which includes all their copper cookware items. If you are looking to get more than a couple of pieces, then purchasing this set will be the best value way for you to do this.
Read on to find out if the Anolon Nouvelle Copper Cookware line works well in a family kitchen.
Table of Contents
Who is Anolon?
Anolon is a British company that began to develop what its designers hoped would be the perfect cookware in 1984. After 5 years of innovation Anolon finally launched its first pieces in 1989.
In the 30+ years since, Anolon has become the trusted brand of choice for many home cooks and restaurant chefs alike. Its pieces are now sold all over the world.
Since the first launch, Anolon has developed many different lines including its top-shelf Luxury range and its Nouvelle Copper collection.
Anolon Nouvelle 11 Piece Copper Cookware Set Review
You can check the price of the 11 pieces set here.
Now that we have a little context about the brand and its reputation in the cookware industry, let’s take a closer look at the products.
What is included in the 11 piece set?
The 11 piece set includes:
- 1 small frying pan
- 1 stock pot + lid
- 1 sauté pan with helper handle + lid
- 1 large saucepan + lid
- 1 small saucepan + lid
- 1 large frying pan + lid
*The lids in this set are made of stainless steel.
The Basics
This is an 11 piece set made up of a combination of stainless steel lids, and pots and pans crafted with copper layering.
The set is made up of the following: 1.5-Quart Saucepan with Lid, 3-Quart Saucepan with Lid, 8-Quart Stockpot with Lid, 3-Quart Sauté with Lid and Helper Handle, 8.5-Inch Skillet, 12-Inch Skillet.
The pots and pans are made from hard-anodized aluminum that is layered with copper to provide even and quick heating. These bases contain multiple layers.
This line is designed to be as simultaneously sleek and practical as possible. It comes in two gorgeous colors. The handles of the range are smooth, easy to clean, and heatproof. The rivets on the inside of the pans are flush to the walls. This smoothness prevents any food or bacteria from building up after use.
This set comes with a very in-depth owner’s manual. This manual will provide you with a full overview of how to use these products safely, and how to look after them correctly. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about how to correctly care for copper items. For best results, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
On top of all of that, all Anolon products come with a lifetime warranty that can be activated on their website. No matter which seller you brought from.
Infinity Slide Non-stick
One of our favorite features of the Nouvelle Copper line is the Infinity Slide non-stick coating on all of the pots and pans.
This coating is lead free, PFOA free, and Cadmium free. It is non-toxic and Anolon claims it is dishwasher safe (read more on this in our section on dishwasher safety).
Infinity Slide claims that its non-stick coating lasts 16 times longer than traditional non-stick coating. It also claims that it lasts 80 times longer than the average ceramic cookware.
This is some of the best non-stick coating we have used. Eggs slide right off it. Animal fat doesn’t stick. We even had no issue cleaning badly cooked rice from the skillet.
The quality of this non-stick coating alone makes this set worth the larger price tag.
Are they oven-safe?
Yes, this set is oven safe.
The entire Nouvelle Copper line is oven-safe up to 500F. This includes the lids of the pans, and the Nouvelle Copper kitchen equipment (tongs, spoons, and spatulas).
Thanks to Anolon’s smart use of copper layering when placed inside the oven the pans will evenly heat up. This will provide you with better bakes and your food will be less likely to burn.
Are they dishwasher safe?
It depends which flavor of the Anolon Nouvelle Copper line you mean. Here, the devil is most certainly in the details.
This is a little bit of a contentious issue as this set has a different product description on the different sites that it’s listed on. Some sites say that it is not suitable for dishwashers, others do.
Fortunately, Anolon provides a chart on its website identifying which of its products are dishwasher safe (as well as safe for metal utensils and inductions stovetops). According to the official chart, the Anolon Nouvelle Copper Luxe, Onyx & Sable lines, as well as the Anolon Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel line, are all dishwasher safe.
Are they heavy?
Yes, this is a very heavy set of cookware.
A side effect of having long-wearing, oven-safe cookware is that it is inevitably very heavy. The thick sides of the pans mean that you will get a more even bake, and your food will taste better. However, older and younger uses will struggle with the weight of this set.
We will not be able to use these to cook with the little ones, as when the bigger pans are full we struggle to move them ourselves.
This is a con, however, that we are more than happy to put up with as this set has so many other benefits.
Pros and Cons
Here is a pros and cons list to sum up everything that we’ve talked about so far:
Pros
- Handle and lid do not heat up during use
- Comes with an in-depth owner’s manual
- Oven safe up to 500F (both pots and lids)
- Heat spreads evenly and quickly
- Non-stick coating
- Classic, sleek designs
- 11 piece set is great value
- Lifetime warranty provided, no matter where you buy it from
Cons
- This range is not dishwasher safe*
- This is a heavy range that older cooks may struggle to lift
- Copper pans do not work well on an induction hob**
**There’s a variation in the way that sellers describe this product. Some say it is suitable for induction hobs, others disagree. Our own tests and the customer reviews suggest that these pans do not perform well on induction hobs.
Is the Anolon Nouvelle 11 piece copper cookware set worth the investment?
Is this set worth the money? Yes.
We have fallen in love with this set from Anolon and we definitely recommend it.
The one issue that we do have with this set however is that it is very heavy. They can be a struggle to lift when they are full. If you want to regularly cook with your kids, you should consider getting a second, lighter cookware set to use with them.
Excluding its weight, we have no issues with this set.
Buying the range as an 11 piece set is a great way to save a little bit of cash and still get top-quality cookware. Bonus, the set is available on Amazon and occasionally goes on sale there!
We love how this set looks, but we love how it performs even more. Eggs slide straight off the pans, they’re easy to clean, and we adore that they are oven safe.
We will note again that if you have an induction hob, then you will struggle to use any copper pots. We would recommend looking into some of the other ranges offered by Anolon.
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