On this week’s edition of Tried and Tested, we’re giving our kitchen a refresh by trying out three new products from Brazilian cookware brand Tramontina. If you’ve ever wandered through the cookware aisle of a large home store, chances are you’ve spotted the brand’s colourful pots, pans and kitchen tools occupying the top shelves. Naturally, we were curious to find out whether they live up to the premium positioning.
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The skillet, along with its lid, weighs roughly 6 kg, meaning you’ll almost always need both hands—and a fair bit of strength—to move it around. It is also far too bulky to fit comfortably into a standard cookware drawer and currently occupies almost an entire shelf in my kitchen.
If you regularly cook large batches, entertain often or own an oven, this skillet could be a worthwhile investment. However, for smaller households or those who simply want an everyday pan, I’d think twice before spending ₹8,049 on it.
Of the three products, this was by far the one I reached for most often.
Tramontina is perhaps best known for its knives, and this set explains why. The six-piece block includes a chef’s knife, bread knife, kitchen knife, tomato knife, fruit and vegetable knife, along with a wooden storage block.
All the knives feel lightweight, comfortable and well-balanced in hand, particularly the chef’s knife. Over the past month, I used them to prepare guacamole, peel potatoes and fruit, slice tomatoes and bread, and they handled every task with ease.
They’ve remained sharp, are easy to clean, feel sturdy and the wooden block looks smart enough to leave permanently on the kitchen counter.
Priced at ₹2,399, this is easily my favourite of the three products and one I’d happily recommend.
Founded in Brazil in 1911, Tramontina is a global housewares brand with more than 115 years of manufacturing expertise. Its premium cookware, cutlery, kitchen accessories and home essentials are sold in over 120 countries.
Note to readers: The products were sent to HT by Tramontina for review.
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For cooking, I used it to prepare matar paneer and shakshuka. While sautéing onions for the matar paneer, the bottom developed noticeable charring that required considerable scrubbing to remove. That said, the finished dish was beautifully cooked, with excellent heat retention and deep flavour development.
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Perhaps the biggest test was everyday wear and tear. The pan received no special treatment—it was used and washed almost daily and tossed into the cookware drawer alongside everything else. Even after a month of heavy use, it shows no visible scratches or signs of deterioration.
Retailing at ₹1,699 on the Tramontina website, this is an excellent value-for-money option for anyone looking for a spacious, reliable flat pan that also adds a pop of colour to the kitchen.
The Bestow skillet is crafted from durable HT150 alloy cast iron and is free from PFAS (including PTFE and PFOA), lead, cadmium and other harmful chemical coatings.
It comes with a ceramic lid featuring self-basting condensation ridges on the inside, a cast stainless steel knob, an off-white porcelain enamel interior and a matching porcelain enamel exterior.
This skillet is, quite simply, stunning. The deep blue finish instantly elevates any kitchen and makes it attractive enough to double as serveware.
Unfortunately, its beauty comes with one major drawback: weight.
Another drawback is the handle, which becomes extremely hot during cooking. You’ll need an oven mitt every time you move the skillet, which, combined with its considerable weight, makes handling it somewhat cumbersome.
Match Outlook
Over the past month, I tested three of Tramontina’s products extensively: the Aura 30 cm Non-Stick Dosa Tawa, the Bestow Enameled Cast Iron Covered Skillet and the Plenus Knife Block Set. Here’s how they performed in everyday use.
The Aura tawa is made from cold-forged aluminium with a ceramic-reinforced non-stick coating and is available in two colours—Blueberry and Sea Green.
Tramontina claims the pan delivers even heat distribution while requiring minimal oil, making it suitable for everything from dosas and parathas to toast and pancakes.
At first glance, the 30 cm size feels intimidating, but it is surprisingly easy to handle. Despite its generous cooking surface, the pan is lightweight enough for everyday use. It comfortably fits four slices of regular bread at once, making breakfast much quicker.
Over the course of a month, I used it to make aloo parathas, French toast and uttapam. Every dish cooked evenly, with toast browning uniformly from edge to edge and the uttapam flipping effortlessly without falling apart.
The non-stick coating also lived up to its promise. The parathas required very little oil, and I even managed to cook one entirely without it.
