I Tried Stanley Tucci's New Cookware Line—Here Are My Honest Thoughts

Nonstick cookware is no longer just for eggs; now it’s part of the luxury cookware niche. While it’s not as durable as grandma’s cast-iron skillet, modern nonstick coatings, like the one on Stanley Tucci's new cookware line from Greenpan, are supposed to be metal-utensil safe, and even dishwasher safe. Those are pretty significant promises. Confession though: I’ve already abandoned most of my metal cooking tools for silicone implements. Still, it’s comforting to know that if someone grabs my metal ladle to serve soup, it’s not a big deal. As far as being dishwasher safe, cookware takes up a lot of space in a dishwasher, so I’m more likely to hand-wash my cookware.

While most of us can agree that nonstick frying pans are great for eggs and pancakes, we might question why we need a nonstick saucepan or stockpot. Stanley Tucci has been proving his cooking (and martini!) skills time and time again, but do you need his very stylish nonstick cookware? These are questions worth asking.

But what’s it like to cook with? I gave it a test run to find out.

Tucci by Greenpan 11-Piece Cookware Set

What I Liked About Tucci by Greenpan

The Tucci by Greenpan collection is a very attractive set of cookware, with gold handles and two attractive colors. I tested a set in Carrera White, with the other option being Venetian Teal, and either would stand out in any kitchen.

This 11-piece set includes anything you’d need. The 8-inch and 10-inch frying pans are perfect for your morning eggs—though you might need the 12-inch one for batches of pancakes—and the 4-quart saute pan is really excellent for saucy dishes, like Tucci's Mom's Chicken Cacciatore. For simmering, there are two saucepans (2-quart and 4-quart) and an 8-quart stockpot. Lids are included with the saucepans, stockpot, and saute pan, but two of them fit the frying pans as well, so everything has a cover.

The stockpot also includes a perforated insert that fits in the stockpot for steaming. The pot can hold a bit over a quart of liquid before it reaches the bottom of the insert, for steaming without the food swimming in the liquid. I used it for steaming a head of cauliflower, and there was plenty of space for more food. 

It's hard to imagine a recipe I’d cook on the stovetop that couldn’t be done in one of these pots, from mac and cheese in the larger saucepan to reheating leftover soup in the small one. I easily made morning scrambles in the frying pans and could fit a decent-sized pork chop in the larger one. And after my cauliflower was steamed, I added it to a curry in one of the saucepans, where it simmered nicely and didn't stain the interior coating.

One of the downsides to nonstick cookware is that food doesn’t brown well. You know how it usually works—food sticks to a cast iron pan and then releases when the food has browned enough. Nonstick never hangs on like that, so the browning isn’t the same. While it’s a downside when trying to sear a steak in a nonstick pan, it can also be an upside when cooking other foods, because sticking and browning is the precursor to unwanted burning. There have been more than a few times when distracted cooking led to a burned sauce or charcoaled pinto beans, but these pots were more gentle. There was a little browning when a pot boiled dry before I caught it, but the food wasn’t ruined. And of course, cleaning was easy, since nothing was glued to the bottom. 

Tucci by Greenpan 4-Quart Saucepan

Also worth noting is that this set can handle high heat—up to a whopping 600 degrees in the oven or under the broiler. The lids are also oven-safe, but only to 425 degrees. However, that’s more than enough for oven braising where a lid might be needed.

While these pans are technically dishwasher safe, hand washing is recommended. Fortunately, hand washing is easy, thanks to the nonstick surface. All I needed was a simple sponge to clean the pots, even when I let melted cheese dry on the surface.

The pots are all metal utensil safe, but wood and silicone utensils are suggested. When it comes to protecting the set in storage, three pan protectors are included if the pans need to be stacked.

Tucci by Greenpan 8-Inch Fry Pan

What I Didn’t Like About Tucci by Greenpan

There’s not much I didn’t like! One small glitch was that the stockpot I tested was a bit oval rather than round, so the insert didn’t fit the way it was supposed to. I’m unsure whether it was shipping damage or a manufacturing defect.

And while the frying pans can handle high heat, ceramic cookware, even if it has an aluminum core, doesn’t retain heat as well as cast iron when you want to sear. I’d still choose different cookware if I need to get a hard sear on a steak, but this did do a great job browning a pork chop.

In Summary

This is a gorgeous set of cookware that’s a pleasure to use. The price is a bit of a sticking point given that nonstick cookware will need to be replaced eventually. But if it’s in the budget and nonstick is desirable, this is a great set of cookware.

Our Favorite Tucci by Greenpan Cookware

Covered 12-Inch Fry Pan

6.5-Quart Essential Stanley Pan

6.5-Quart Dutch Oven

8-Inch and 10-Inch Fry Pan Set

Why Take Our Word For It?

Donna Currie has been writing about kitchen gear for well over a decade, including many sets of cookware and bakeware, along with plenty of countertop kitchen appliances. When she’s not putting food on the stove, you might find her using one of the recipes from her cookbook, "Make Ahead Bread," which helps bread baking fit into a busy schedule.