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Pros
ergonomic handles, beautifully designed, oven-safe to 260C, metal utensil safe
Cons
lids are not transparent

Read our full guide to the best saucepan sets

What is the Samuel Groves stainless steel 3-piece set like to cook with?

Samuel Groves consistently get its packaging right. Each pan comes individually boxed, protected by recycled and recyclable material. The pans all come with their own protective hessian bag.

These are professional-looking pans that have a high-quality feel to them. They have long, slim handles that are easy and comfortable to grip. There are also hanging holes at the end. The pans themselves are nicely weighted – they're well-balanced and stable on the hob. We do notice that the base of the handle gets hot, as does the lid handle.

These versatile pans are oven-safe to 260C and suitable for all hob types. Handwashing is recommended, and frankly, these pans are far too beautiful to put in the dishwasher. Thankfully, nothing sticks during any of our tests, meaning dishwashing would be excessive anyway.

Results

These pans heat up in a careful and controlled manner to ensure even heat distribution. In the smallest pan, we cook scrambled eggs. Our eggs have a soft and custardy consistency thanks to gentle and even cooking. Where the sides meet, the base is nicely curved, allowing us to get our spatula right into the edges. The pan is also well-weighted at the bottom, so stays in place during continuous whisking.

After cleaning, we use the same pan to cook porridge. The milk comes to the boil quickly and bubbles away gently. Once cooked, a thin layer of milk remains in the pan, but this is to be expected. After soaking in hot, soapy water and cleaning it, the pan is as new.

These pans retain heat exceptionally well. This is evident when we fry onions and cook them at a low and slow temperature to allow them to caramelise. Nothing sticks to the pan.

Our water for pasta comes to the boil in around 3 minutes. After adding the pasta and popping the lid on, the pan starts to boil over. You’re not able to see what’s going on inside the pans as the lids aren’t transparent, but the lids do rattle when the pan is bubbling over. We find that keeping the lid slightly ajar stops the pan from boiling over.

Conclusion

These professional-quality pans are designed to last a lifetime. They’re beautifully designed, versatile and a joy to cook with, too. This isn’t the cheapest pan set we’ve tested, but you pay for quality and superior cooking results. If you have the money to spend and are serious about building a collection of high-quality cookware, look no further than Samuel Groves.