This Costco 10-Piece Cookware Set Has Mixed Reviews

Whether it's a nice knife block set or an expensive coffee machine, Costco sells many kitchen products worthy of a splurge. Yet not all of the retailer's items receive glowing reviews — take the T-fal Excellence Ceramic Non-Stick Cookware Set, for example. This online-only 10-piece set retails for an appealing $119.99, but its mixed reception warrants careful consideration.

The set consists of two fry pans, a deep saute pan with a lid, two sauce pans with lids, and a Dutch oven with a lid. The purchase averages 4.3 out of 5 stars — a generally positive reception at first glance. Yet the nature of the poor ratings can incite understandable nervousness. One customer noted that "after one use[,] the ceramic [non-stick] started chipping." Another pointed out that "[even] unused pots started peeling." Such faults reveal the possibly faulty nature of the set's proprietary InoCeram Glide Technology coating.

Worryingly, customers take issue with the pans amidst use, too. One reviewer claimed that "both fry pan bottoms are not flat," thereby preventing uniform oil application and leading to food clinging to the surface. A different customer added that "all the food sticks even with oil," thus negating the set's non-stock properties. So just to be safe, steer clear of the T-fal set, and look elsewhere for cookware alternatives.

Not every Costco customer takes issue with the T-fal pan set; the product features some 170 five-star reviews. Some applaud both the functionality as well as design — "I love these pans. I purchased them in white. They look so elegant," one user raved. A few even praise the durability, noting seamless functionality alongside induction stovetops. Subsequently, it's reasonable to assume that not every set comes defective.

Instead, such hot and cold responses evince the generally unreliable nature of non-stick cookware. From improper heating to accidental scratching, many mistakes ruin non-stick pans, with defects potentially occurring right out of the box. Opposed to the common polytetrafluoroethylene covering, T-fal set does employ a proprietary non-stick layer atop the ceramic. The brand advertises "a coating that is 20 [times] harder than conventional non-stick" (per Costco). However, not all buy into the advertising; some cite that ceramic pans are actually more brittle and thus fragile than bog standard nonstick. Especially with the secret nature of the non-stick industry, consumer feedback serves as a more trustworthy marker of quality than unverifiable assertions of excellence.

So if you do buy the T-fal 10-piece set, just take note that such pans aren't built to last — once the coating has worn off, they're no longer salvageable. Instead, consider cooking with stainless steel or cast iron, two dependable options more worthy of a 10-piece investment.