From Dutch ovens to cast iron skillets to complete sets of pots and pans, there's plenty of excellent Walmart cookware that lasts a lifetime.
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If you’re shopping for Walmart cookware, you’ll be thrilled to know the mega-retailer carries some of the absolute best on the market. And you deserve nothing less! The best cookware is built to last for decades. When shopping for kitchenware, remember that you’re investing in something that you’ll be using every single day, and whatever you pick should be up to the challenge.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of Walmart cookware that meets the highest of standards. In addition to celebrity kitchen brands like Pioneer Woman and Beautiful by Drew Barrymore, you’ll also find Walmart cookware from chef-favorite brands like Lodge and others. Whether you’re looking for a single skillet or a complete pots and pans set, we found the best Walmart cookware money can buy.
Thyme & Table—a Walmart-exclusive, budget-friendly brand—delivers big style for small coin, and this 12-piece Signature Cookware Set is proof. The heavy-gauge aluminum and Teflon-free ceramic coating keep things light, slick and dishwasher safe, and the five chic colors with gold hardware make it look far fancier than the price tag suggests. You get the essentials: a 5.5-quart stockpot, 2.5-quart saucepan, 2-quart sauté pan, 10- and 8-inch fry pans, plus three lids that fit across the whole set.
I tested the Thyme & Table set as my everyday cookware for over a month, and the nonstick fry pans quickly became the stars of the show. The 8- and 10-inch skillets cranked out eggs, French toast, grilled sandwiches and pancakes like champs, often without a drop of oil and with zero sticking. After several months, the frying pan is still a reliable go-to for quick meals, and with careful use (no metal utensils and no heat above medium), the nonstick surface is still going strong.
If you’re on a budget and need a single reliable fry pan, the 10-inch ceramic pan from the Beautiful by Drew collection is an excellent value. It was a top performer in testing, thanks to impressive nonstick performance at a price under $20.
Beyond affordability, the pan truly is beautiful. It comes in multiple colors, weighs just 1.5 pounds—tied for the lightest ceramic cookware we tested—and is a great option for anyone with limited wrist strength.
“I’ve made scrambled egg whites pretty religiously every morning for the last few years, and was excited to see how this pan compares,” says long-term tester Lauren Pahmeier. “With other nonstick pans, I almost always encountered uneven heating which resulted in crispy, burnt egg whites at the edge of the pan. I rarely encountered this with this frying pan, and it’s improved my egg-making experience every morning.”
It also surprised us with its cooking power, searing chicken faster than the other pans. “This pan cooked the breasts faster than the others, so I pulled them off a minute earlier,” adds product tester Sheri Kaz, who recommends it to any home cook looking for great bang for their buck. Although the bottom discolored after only a few uses, we think that’s a fair trade for its strong performance and value.
The Beautiful Hero Pan is a versatile 4-quart ceramic nonstick pan with a flat bottom and high sides, allowing you to boil, braise, steam, sear, sauté, fry and more—all with an impressively slick, fully nonstick surface.
It comes with a snug-fitting lid, two pour spouts and a stainless-steel steamer basket, making it a true multitasker. Despite its lightweight feel, the light-cast aluminum build is durable, heats evenly and works on gas, electric and induction cooktops with an ergonomic, stay-cool handle for easy use.
Cookbook author and recipe developer Allison Robicelli tested the all-in-one pan. In addition to being a professional food writer, Allison is also the mother of two teenage boys. Together, they spent a month putting the pan through the wringer.
“Where the pan impressed me most was pan frying. I tend to avoid this because of the mess, but the high sides of the hero pan are suitable for frying oil without too much splatter. When making Sichuan chicken, I easily went from frying chicken to sautéing aromatics without a ton of hoopla,” Allison says.
“As for durability, my sons used this pan to cook noodles, pancakes and pasta, and not once did the pan spend the night soaking in the sink to remove burnt-on food.”
I got my hands on the pumpkin cast iron Dutch oven from the Pioneer Woman fall collection to serve as a dupe for similar, more expensive gourd-shaped pots from brands like Le Creuset and Staub. The enameled cast iron construction, burnt-orange hue and gold stem knob brought fall flair to my kitchen for months, making me a little giddy every time I passed it in the kitchen.
While the pumpkin version is sold out, you can get the Pioneer Woman Dutch Oven in a beautiful dark green, just in time for the holidays. I was impressed by the weight and performance of mine, using it for everything from taco soup to homemade mac and cheese. It proved to be not just pretty but genuinely functional. Oven safe up to 500 degrees, it’s easy to move between the stove and oven, and I frequently used the mini version for baking party dips.
As with any enamel-coated cast iron, you’ll want to handle it carefully—drops and bangs can chip the enamel. It’s also heavy and not entirely nonstick, so if you want everyday, low-maintenance cookware or quick cleanup, this may not be the best fit. But if you love soups, stews and cozy one-pot meals, it’s a great option.
A good sauté pan should tackle quick scrambled eggs just as well as rice dishes and flaky fish fillets, and this cast aluminum option rises to the challenge. The generously-sized 6-quart pan features a smooth, nonstick surface that makes cooking and cleanup a breeze, whether you’re searing, sautéing or roasting. The tempered glass lid adds convenience by allowing you to check on your food without lifting it.
The speckled exterior gives it a stylish, versatile look that suits nearly any kitchen. Finished with light wood handles and a coordinating lid knob, the pan brings a warm, rustic touch and fits right in with the rest of The Pioneer Woman cookware line.
If you’re ready to invest in a stainless steel cookware collection, this Cuisinart set offers impressive value. The 12-piece lineup covers all the basics—saucepans, a sauté pan, a stockpot, skillets, a steamer insert and lids—giving you everything you need right out of the box. Its triple-ply design, featuring a heat-responsive aluminum core between layers of stainless steel, ensures excellent heat retention and even cooking.
The tight-fitting lids help seal in moisture and flavor, while the tapered rims make for drip-free pouring. It’s compatible with induction cooktops and oven safe up to 500 degrees. Whether you’re making quick meals or tackling something a little bold, this set keeps up. It’s good-looking, dependable and a solid addition to any kitchen.
Nothing heats up quite like a heavy seasoned cast iron pan. Made in the USA, the Lodge cast iron griddle sears like it means it, delivering deep brown crusts and mouth-watering caramelization. A long handle makes it easy to maneuver on your gas grill, and it can move from the stovetop directly into the oven to finish your cooking after searing.
This versatile, pre-seasoned pan has a naturally nonstick surface, providing excellent heat retention and distribution for even, consistent cooking. It’s great for the stove, oven, grill and even a campfire. Here’s how to gently clean a cast-iron skillet.
When buying Walmart cookware, consider the sort of cooking you want to do and how many people you regularly cook for. If you’re only cooking for one or two people and like preparing simple one-pot meals, two or three quality pieces might be all you need. If you have a large family and enjoy preparing varied menus, a complete set of Walmart cookware could be for you.
Always consider durability when purchasing any type of cookware. You might save money in the short term by buying flimsy pots and pans, but because you’ll need to replace them every few years, they’ll end up costing you more in the long run. When buying Walmart cookware, remember that it’s an investment that should ideally last you decades.
It’s also important to consider materials when browsing Walmart cookware.
In general, look for cookware with a thick, heavy base that provides uniform heating. Cast-iron pans truly can’t be beat for their versatility and ability to conduct and retain heat. Plus, their surfaces gradually become non-stick the more you use them, making them a superior alternative to Teflon-coated pans. Stainless or carbon steel pans with aluminum bases are also an excellent choice.
As shopping experts, our job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the basics—researching what items are made of, what they look like, and how much they cost—to make sure we’re only recommending options that are worth your time and money.
From there, we dig into the features that signal quality, consulting industry insiders and experts to understand what makes a product a smart buy (or a worthy investment). We also comb through user reviews to see how real people interact with items and how they holds up over time. When possible, our team puts products to the test, giving us firsthand insight into performance, durability and overall usability.
Walmart offers a variety budget-friendly cookware options, with Walmart-exclusive brands like Beautiful by Drew Barrymore and Thyme & Table offering great performance at a lower price point.
Yes. In addition to the Walmart-exclusive brands mentioned above, Walmart also carries items from popular, well-known cookware brands like Cuisinart, Lodge and more.
Most chefs prefer cookware made of stainless steel, cast iron and sometimes copper for their heat conductivity, durability and versatility. These materials are great for precise temperature control and even heating, making them ideal for professional cooking.
Higher end cookware brands like All-Clad, Le Creuset and Calphalon are known for their durability, high-quality materials and performance. However, there are a variety of affordable cookware finds available at Walmart that perform well, too.
Ceramic and stainless steel cookware are generally considered some of the healthiest options, as they are non-toxic and don’t release chemicals at high temperatures. Cast iron is also a great choice as it naturally fortifies food with iron.
For everyday use, nonstick cookware is a popular choice because it requires less oil and is easy to clean. However, stainless steel is also highly durable and versatile for daily cooking needs, while cast iron can work well for a range of dishes (needs proper care, though).
As an amateur home cook who loves great gear without the big price tag, I’m always on the hunt for accessible, affordable cookware. I tested a number of these items myself, and together with our editors and product testers, we carefully assembled and evaluated this list.
Product tester Sheri Kaz has reviewed dozens of home and lifestyle products for Family Handyman, Reader’s Digest, and Taste of Home. She has first-hand experience trying out countless kitchen gadgets and tools, making her a reliable source of information when picking the best Walmart cookware.
Allison Robicelli has over 12 years of experience as a professional chef and recipe developer and more than 10 years of writing experience at Taste of Home, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Eater, The Takeout and The Washington Post. She has written two cookbooks and regularly contributes her advice to cooking, baking and kitchenware content. With her extensive expertise in cooking, kitchen tools and the food industry, she helped review many of the cookware items on this list as well.
