Why buy top of the line cookware? Well, the answer is that premium cooking equipment tends to a) look better b) perform better, and c) last longer. The single exception I normally make to that rule is for rice cookers, although trying a couple of more expensive models has started to change my mind.
Anyway, here are five particular top of the line cookware brands I personally recommend. Most of this advice is applicable to Thai food but is generic enough to be helpful regardless of what you like to cook.
Whether you want some new pots and pans for your own kitchen or you want to buy a wedding gift for a loved one, these companies are all solid choices to buy from.
(Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links.)
Top of the Line Cookware Brands
1. Regalia
If you’re looking for a top-range set of superb knives, look no further than Regalia. This company makes the best, sharpest knives I’ve ever used.
Having the sharpest knives with grippy handles is a game-changer when prepping food for any cuisine. It just makes life so much easier.
If you want to slice your way through onions, chilis, ripe mangoes, protein, cucumbers, and more like, well, a hot knife through butter, I can’t recommend this brand enough.
What makes many premium cookware brands stand out is not only the quality of their products but the quality of their customer service too. Regalia provides free shipping and free returns.
You can initiate a return within 30 days if unsatisfied. This policy essentially amounts to a free trial of their knives!
If you were to only buy one knife from Regalia, I highly recommend the paring knife; it’s utterly superb. This all-purpose knife will delicately cut through juicy ripe mangoes, easily de-vein shrimp, and lots more besides.
Other individual Regalia knives that I highly recommend are the Series 8 Chef’s Knife and the Cleaver Knife. Cleaver knives are particularly common in Thai food and they don’t come better than this one with its hammered finish and Japanese steel.
Regalia draws its inspiration from the ancient Japanese bladesmithing art. All steel is sourced from Japan and the blades are hand-crafted. The packaging is extremely elegant; you know you’re getting high-end knives as soon as you see the box.
Le Creuset is a French company that has been in the business of crafting top of the line cookware for over 90 years. The company is famous for its colorful, beautifully crafted products and high-end performance.
In terms of products specific to Thai food, Le Creuset make a great cast iron wok. I also really like the company’s kitchen tools, including the stylish stoneware utensil crock (in the deep teal color…so slick!).
Creuset is a French word that means ‘crucible’. The company began crafting cast iron cookware with an enamel finish. Over the years, they branches out to other materials, including stainless steel and stoneware.
All Le Creuset products are hand-finished and sprayed with a double coating of enamel. This coating helps to ensure the cookware is completely non-reactive to any type of food you cook in it.
One fact that blew my mind is that every single Le Creuset product passes through at least 15 pairs of skilled craftsmen’s hands before it reaches your kitchen. If that’s not a sign of care, high-quality, and attention to detail, nothing is!
Le Creuset’s best-selling products are their cookware sets, beautiful cocottes, and Dutch ovens.
Personally, I’ve only ever tried the company’s cast iron wok. I wrote about my experience in a full review elsewhere on this website. But the quick summary is that the wok comes highly recommended! I also own the deep teal utensil crock I referenced above.
Cuisinart is a top of the line cookware brand I get quite excited about. The company has been crafting high-quality cookware for over 40 years.
What excites me about Cuisinart is that you’re getting premium cooking equipment at scale. Almost any kitchen necessity you can think of, Cuisinart makes it. There’s blenders, food processors, air fryers, coffee makers, bakeware, portable grills, juicers, cutlery, toasters, waffle makers, and more!
I haven’t even mentioned the company’s stunning sets yet, which come in a range of materials. Personally, I love their Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel set. Aside from stainless steel, you can get cast iron and hard-anodized sets. There’s something for everyone really with Cuisinart.
The company gained initial recognition for its food processors, but as you can tell from reading the above, they have branched out a tad! Whatever niche kitchen product you want, you’ll get it from Cuisinart and because of the reputation of the brand, you’ll know you’re getting high-quality.
Zojirushi is one of those premium cookware brands that you might be surprised to see on this list. The company itself is not even a cookware-specific company.
However, this is a Thai food website, and it would be remiss not to focus on at least one company specialising in Asian cookware. Zojirushi makes some of the best rice cookers around.
Zojirushi is a Japanese brand, and they’ve been trading since 1918. The company’s name means ‘elephant mark’; a reference to that unique company logo with the elephant symbol.
The rice cookers this company makes are renowned for being high-quality and high-tech. A combination of pressure and high heat leads to flavorful, perfectly cooked rice, every time.
Zojirushi’s stand out tech feature is the Micom cooking. This innovative way of designing rice cookers uses a microchip to judge the amount of rice and optimize the cooking with controlled heat and pre-programmed soaking/steaming.
You can also avail of conventional, basic one-switch cookers. And Zojirushi does a fine job with those. But where it excels is in its premium high-tech cookers. Some of the more expensive ones cook sticky rice to perfection; a rarity in the world of rice cookers.
Other slick features at the high end of the range incorporate AI to adjust cooking cycles and “learn” over time to deliver the best cooking results. Aside from white Jasmine rice and sticky rice, these machines can also cook porridge, congee, brown rice, and much more besides.
Hestan is another premium cookware brand whose longevity speaks volumes about the quality of its products. The company have been in business since the 1970s, and they are famed for their innovations.
They NanoBond stainless steel technology is 400% stronger than standard stainless steel cooking equipment. Their ProBond range manages to combine the performance of stainless steel with heavy-duty forged construction that gives superb durability.
Hestan’s products are professional-grade and are used by some of America’s greatest chefs. From a Thai foodie’s perspective, I’m happy to report they make excellent woks, saucepans, skillets, and more.
Closing Thoughts
That just about ends my round-up of some premium cookware brands to watch out for. Make sure to check out my essential Thai cookware page to get the lowdown on exactly what you need to cook great Thai food. Thanks for reading and best of luck with any purchases you decide to make.