The M&S x Tom Kerridge Stackable Cast Iron Pan set is the best value cookware I've ever tried – it's under £100 and bound to sell out before Christmas

With a total of three Michelin stars to his name, as well as multiple cookbooks and a TV career, Tom Kerridge is a renowned chef and restaurateur. So I was intrigued to see what would happen when he teamed up with M&S to deliver a range of cookware.

In this review I've put one of the standout pieces from his range, the 3 Piece Cast Iron Stacking Set (£100 at M&S) to the test in my kitchen. If you’ve ever lusted over or owned a cast iron casserole cooking pot you’ll know that even one can demand a chunk of stage space, so this three-in-one design could change the game.

At first glance this collaboration looked good, and after trying this product I've been very impressed and quite honestly wanted to get my hands on more pieces from the range. Though while they weren’t deal breakers, I did discover a couple of little niggles that are worth knowing about before you buy, so read on to see what they were and why they're worth overlooking.

In a nutshell

The new M&S X Tom Kerridge collaboration is a 50-piece collection. It includes restaurant quality chef-approved cookware such as saucepans and cast iron pots. It’s not limited to cookware though, the range also includes accessories such as tea towels, as well as dinnerware, and even chopping boards.

I've also tried the Stainless Steel 24cm Chef Sauté Pan (£35 at M&S) from the range but this stackable set is the real standout to me. Firstly, getting all three pieces of cookware bundled together for just £100, is outstanding value. Secondly, I was very impressed that despite the space saving stacking design, the individual pots still offered the capacity I needed (4.9 litre and 2.9 litre casserole dishes).

On the whole, when it comes to cooking with this set, I’ve got very few complaints. All my meals turned out great. I can’t ignore the staining that happened on the inside of the big casserole dish, but that hasn’t put me off. In fact, I'm ditching my existing cast iron cookware and griddle pan in favour of keeping this set.

Who tested this set?

Helen McCue

After completing a Home Economics degree, Helen went on to work for the Good Housekeeping Institute and has been reviewing home appliances in a freelance capacity ever since. She lives in a small village in Buckinghamshire, where she reviews all sorts of home and garden appliances using her wealth of experience.

Helen used the M&S x Tom Kerridge Pans in her home for two weeks. She used them on a gas hob and in an electric fan oven. She was allowed to keep the pans after the review and will be donating her two existing cast iron pots to family, in favour of the space saving, stackable cast iron set.

Unboxing and first impressions

The 3 Piece Cast Iron Stacking Set gives away its compact stacking design immediately when you see the size of the box it arrives in. Despite the ample capacity of each of the pieces in the set, it nestles so neatly together that it’s the perfect option if space is at a premium.

I love the slightly matte black finish, and the simple, minimalist styling. There’s an effortlessly cool appearance that differs from the glossy and colourful cast iron pots I’m used to. The lid fits all three pots and is engraved with Tom Kerridge's recognisable TOM logo. On the inside, the two main cooking pots are coated in a cream coloured enamel.

The griddle pan is not enamel coated, and I followed guidance on the box for how to season it. It’s pretty easy, simply coat it in oil and place upside down in a hot oven for an hour. Mine was a bit sticky for the first few uses, but soon settled down. It’s worth noting that you’ll have to keep an eye on it and season periodically if needed.

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Cooking

I used all three parts of this set on multiple occasions, but let's start with the big pot. First of all, I used it to make a slow cooked chicken balti curry. Starting on the hob I sauteed red onions, before adding a homemade curry paste.

Cooking was even across the base of the pot and the onions didn’t stick. There was a bit of browning on the pot, but this was easily deglazed when I added my liquid ingredients. Once all the rest of the ingredients were in the pot, I transferred it to the oven and cooked with the lid on at 140C for 3 hours.

Even though the lid was on, the curry thickened and reduced. You really can taste the deeper flavour when meals like this are slow cooked. The only downside was that the turmeric in my curry stained the enamelled interior of the pot.

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Undeterred, I used it later in the week to slow cook a dahl. Once again, I started by sauteeing onions and spices on the hob before adding lentils and coconut milk and stock. Then I transferred it to the oven with the lid on and cooked for four hours at 120C.

Like the balti, the dahl reduced and cooked nicely. I was able to make eight portions of dahl and six portions of balti, so there’s ample capacity for most families.

Lastly, I used this bigger pot to bake a loaf of sourdough. I heated the pot in a hot oven at 240C, then added my bread dough on a piece of baking paper. After 20 minutes, I removed the lid and baked it for a further 20 minutes, until well browned and crisped.

The diameter of this pot is slightly smaller than that of my usual cast iron pot, so I wasn’t sure how well my loaf would fit. But there was just enough space and it baked really well.

The smaller pot proved to be a great size for a crumble. I filled it with chopped apples and blackberries and heated the fruit on the hob until it started to soften. Then I added a nutty, oaty crumble topping and baked it in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.

The crumble cooked well and the dish can be taken straight to the table for serving. Since I’d managed to stain the larger pot with curry, I was keen to see if the vibrant blackberries would stain this one. After I’d washed it up I noticed there were a few spots of staining, but they were small grey patches that were a lot less noticeable.

Next up I used it for a smashed potato dish, I boiled new potatoes in the pot until softened. Once drained, I put them back in the pot, crushed them and added butter and seasonings. Then I baked in the oven at 190C until the potatoes started to crisp on top, which admittedly took slightly longer than when I cook this dish on a shallow tray.

My main complaint is that there was a fair bit of potato stuck to the base of the pot, even though I’d added plenty of butter and stirred it during cooking. In the end, I did manage to prize these crispy bits away and they were a tasty treat, but I’d probably stick to my usual non-stick tray next time I make my smashed potatoes.

I also used it for a cauliflower cheese. I decided to minimise the washing up and make the cheese sauce in the pot. This worked fine, but it’s worth saying that the corners of the pot (where the base meets the sides) are quite angular, and so to avoid the roux clumping into the corners, I had to make sure I stirred it thoroughly and pay attention to these areas.

After my cheese sauce was made, I threw in my cauliflower florets, topped with cheese and breadcrumbs and baked in the oven. I must say, it cooked to perfection.

The griddle pan has quite pronounced ridges, so adding those fancy bar marks to foods proved to be much easier than it normally is, with my lesser quality griddle pan.

I seared steak, toast, and courgette slices in the pan and everything ended up looking great with very pleasing restaurant quality bar marks. The cast iron griddle pan holds heat well and there’s plenty of space for a couple of steaks.

What's it like to clean?

This cast iron stacking set is apparently dishwasher safe, though personally, I would avoid putting heavy enamelled cast iron in the dishwasher. I think it stays in better shape if you hand wash it. Plus if you put the griddle pan through the dishwasher, you’ll need to re-season it again afterwards.

On the whole, washing by hand wasn’t a problem, I did leave it to soak in warm soapy water when needed. After a couple more uses and washes, the grey staining from the blackberries disappeared, but the turmeric staining on the bigger pot has yet to be removed. I even tried rubbing it with a paste made from water and bicarb, which usually works well on this type of enamelled surface, but sadly it didn’t shift the stain.

Personally I’m not all that fussed about the stain, on balance I think the benefits of the set far outweighs this one negative. But, if you’re a stickler for a spotless pot, this might put you off.

What's it like to store?

The 3 Piece Cast Iron Stacking Set is a fantastic space saver that solves the problem of storing multiple bulky cast iron dishes. It’s a game changer if you have a small kitchen. The set stacks together really neatly and the modern design means there’s no need to hide it away.

How does it compare to similar pans?

The Staub 3-Piece Cast Iron Pot set (£379) is probably the best comparison to the stacking set reviewed here. Staub is a well established brand with an excellent reputation, but at £379, its similar stacking set is almost four times the price of the £100 collaboration from Tom Kerridge and M&S. I haven’t tried the Staub set, but based on value for money, I reckon M&S comes up trumps.

Should you buy the M&S x Tom Kerridge pan set?

There’s always a danger with a celebrity collaboration that you’re paying for the name and not necessarily quality. However, I was really impressed with the design, quality, and usability of this set. For me, the only real drawback is the staining that happened on the inside enamel of the cast iron stacking set.

I really think the price is fair too for a three piece cast iron set, making this a bargain.