# Cookware sets: research notes

Date: 2026-10-25. Scope: multi-piece sets of stovetop pots and pans sold as one product (two or more cooking vessels, with or without lids and accessories), in any material: clad stainless, PTFE or ceramic nonstick, hybrid, cast iron, carbon steel, enamelled cast iron, copper core. Not single pans (siblings `frying-pans` and `saucepans` own those, including their per-pan facets such as diameter and depth), not bakeware sets (`baking-pans`, `baking-sheets`), not pressure cookers (`pressure-cookers`), not loose lids, steamer inserts or trivets (`cookware-stove-accessories`), not utensil or knife sets. Overlap: a two-piece skillet set is technically a set, but its facets are the frying-pan register's; this register only adds the set-level facets (vessel count, lids, oven ceiling) to it and leaves the pan facets to `frying-pans`. In the Zamana taxonomy this is `supplies > kitchen > cookware_sets`, composing `add-ons/cookware_set.jsonc` with `kitchen-standard.jsonc` and `supplies-standard.jsonc`.

Quote labels: **verbatim** = the words in quotation marks were in raw text I read myself (curl plus HTML stripping, or pdftotext on a downloaded PDF, saved under the scratchpad `cookware-sets/` folder); **fetched excerpt** = paraphrase of raw text I read; **search excerpt** = the claim came only from a search-engine summary. No search-excerpt-only number is in category.json.

## Seed

Seed output, verbatim:

```
=== Example entry (from an unrelated category) ===
category: olive-oil
what this shows: a facet that experts rank first, that almost no listing carries, and that is expensive to backfill. The honest answer is to list it, mark it researched, and limit backfill to the top of the catalog. Also shows a derived metric hanging off a researched facet.

<example>
{
  "id": "harvest_date",
  "label": "Harvest date",
  "definition": "The month and year the olives were picked, as opposed to the best-before date, which is set by the bottler and tells you nothing.",
  "why_experts_care": "Extra virgin oil is a fruit juice and loses the compounds that give it flavour and most of its claimed health effects within about 12 to 18 months of harvest. A bottle with a best-before two years out may already be a year old. People who buy well look for the harvest date and buy within a year of it.",
  "kind": "text",
  "roles": ["annotation", "sort_key"],
  "novice_answerable": false,
  "source": "researched",
  "listing_field_hint": "Rarely present. When it is, it is in a photo of the back label, not a field.",
  "backfill_cost": "high",
  "backfill_note": "Needs a label photo read or a producer page. Backfill the top 100 ranked oils and lazy-load the rest. Where the producer gives only a best-before, record it as unknown rather than guessing.",
  "visual": { "chartable": true, "encoding": "months since harvest on a horizontal scale, with the 12 and 18 month marks drawn" },
  "priority": { "narrows_set": 4, "cost_to_answer": 4 },
  "evidence": ["ucdavis_olive_center", "oliveoiltimes_freshness"]
}
</example>

Derived metric that follows from it:
{
  "id": "months_since_harvest",
  "label": "Months since harvest",
  "formula": "months_between(today, harvest_date)",
  "depends_on": ["harvest_date"],
  "unit": "months",
  "why": "The number a buyer actually needs. Under 12 is fresh. Over 18 and the oil is past the point most tasters would call it extra virgin."
}

=== Persona ===
An industrial designer, who thinks in materials, joins and what the manufacturer saved money on

Ask yourself two things and write the answers under 'Seed' in notes.md:
  1. What is the cookware-sets equivalent of the example above?
  2. What would this persona notice first about cookware-sets that a typical buyer would not?
Keep what survives the data check. Drop the rest.
```

1. **The cookware-sets equivalent of harvest date versus best-before is vessel count versus piece count.** The piece count is the number the seller chooses to print and it tells you little, because lids, inserts, utensils, racks and even a cookbook count (Consumer Reports, verbatim below). The number of pots and pans is what the buyer needs, and it is buried in the "set includes" line rather than missing, so unlike harvest date it is cheap to derive. **Kept** as `vessel_count` (a split), with `vessel_share` and `price_per_pan` hanging off it as the `months_since_harvest` analogue. A closer analogue in spirit, a "coating age" or "remaining coating life" facet for nonstick sets (nonstick is the one part of a set with a freshness clock), was **dropped**: no listing or maker gives a number beyond GreenPan's "two to five years" and Ninja's "five years", and there is no way to read wear from a listing. It survives as a judgement and a trade-off.
2. **The industrial designer notices where the maker saved money.** Four places survived the data check: (a) a disc of aluminium under the base instead of cladding to the rim, sold under the same "tri-ply" word (Tramontina sells both "Tri-Ply Clad" and "Tri-Ply Base" lines, verbatim) → `body_construction`; (b) small skillets and a small stockpot ("To reduce the overall price of a set, most manufacturers include smaller pot and pan sizes", Wirecutter, verbatim) → `largest_skillet_in`, `stockpot_qt`; (c) glass lids that cap the oven limit → `lid_type` and the `oven_ceiling_f` metric; (d) padding the piece count → `vessel_count`. **Dropped**: handle joins (rivets versus welds; All-Clad advertises "double riveted", but no source compares failure rates), lid gauge (one measurement: Wirecutter weighed the All-Clad 8-quart lid at 1 lb 5.8 oz against Goldilocks's 1 lb 0.5 oz, verbatim, and found the lighter one slightly warped; one data point is not a facet), and plastic handles (Wirecutter avoids them, verbatim "Even those made to withstand high temperatures can deteriorate over time"; folded into the oven-limit note instead).

## Sources and what each supports

### Specialist reviewers

**Wirecutter, The Best Cookware Set, by Michael Sullivan, updated November 25, 2025.** Live page blocked (bot wall); read from the Internet Archive snapshot of 4 August 2026, curl with decompression, HTML stripped.
https://web.archive.org/web/20260804134342/https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-cookware-set/
- verbatim: "nonstick cookware needs to be replaced every few years once the coating deteriorates. It also can’t be used over high heat or with metal utensils, which isn’t the case for stainless steel pans."; stainless "lasts a lot longer — maybe even a lifetime".
- verbatim: "Aluminum and anodized aluminum aren’t induction-cooktop-compatible."
- verbatim: "To reduce the overall price of a set, most manufacturers include smaller pot and pan sizes."; "We prefer 10- and 12-inch skillets ... but most manufacturers only offer 8- and 10-inch skillets in sets as a way to reduce costs."; "8-quart (or larger) stockpot with a lid ... Many sets only offer a 6-quart stockpot".
- verbatim: "most of our testers preferred skillets that weighed between 2 and 3.5 pounds".
- verbatim: "Glass lids: Glass lids can break or crack easily if dropped. They offer little advantage over stainless steel lids because you can’t see through them when they’re covered with condensation."
- verbatim: "Plastic handles: Even those made to withstand high temperatures can deteriorate over time."
- verbatim: "Five-ply cookware: ... In most of our tests, five-ply cookware took longer to heat up, didn’t heat as uniformly as tri-ply cookware, and was heavier. It also holds onto more heat and is slower to react when you lower the temperature on your stove."
- verbatim: "Sets that aren’t fully clad: If the aluminum core doesn’t extend up the sides of the cookware, it will be prone to scorching on the sides. Cookware with tri-ply disks welded to the bottom of the pan (also called encapsulated bottoms) distribute heat more evenly than pans made from a single piece of stainless steel, but we still wouldn’t recommend them for gas and electric stovetops. This type of cookware performs best on induction cooktops."
- verbatim: Tramontina Gourmet 12-piece "includes seven pots and pans, with five corresponding lids"; "All of the pieces in this collection are induction-compatible and oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit."
- verbatim: All-Clad D3 10-piece "has 8- and 10-inch skillets, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, a 3-quart sauté pan with a lid, and an 8-quart stockpot with a lid" (six pans, four lids).
- verbatim: "Washing any stainless steel cookware by hand is always best ... can damage pans (particularly the aluminum in the bonded cookware)."
- verbatim: after 6 minutes over medium-high heat, "the Goldilocks skillet reached an average of 179 degrees Fahrenheit, while the All-Clad skillet reached an average of 197 degrees" (single measurement; notes only).
- Supports: surface lifespan, sizes, disc versus clad, ply count, lids, induction, dishwasher care, vessel counts. Confidence high (tests, long-term use). Note: Wirecutter only tests clad stainless sets, so its view of nonstick is a reason for exclusion, not a test.

**Reviewed, The Best Cookware Sets** (curl, stripped).
https://www.reviewed.com/pots-pans/best-right-now/the-best-cookware-sets
- verbatim "Included in the set" lines for 15 sets. With skillet sizes in inches: GreenPan Valencia Pro 11-pc (8, 9.5, 11 in; 5-qt stockpot; "3 pan protectors"), Cuisinart MCP-12N (8, 10; 8-qt; "steamer insert with lid"), All-Clad D3 Everyday (8.5, 10.5; "6 quart stock pot"), All-Clad HA1 (8, 10; 8-qt), Hestan ProBond (8.5, 11; 8-qt), HexClad 12-pc (8, 10, 12; 8-qt), Made In ProCoat (10), Ninja 9-pc (8, 9.5, 11; "6-quart stock pot"), Made In 10-pc stainless (8, 10; 8-qt), Tramontina 80116 (10, 12; 5 and 12 qt stockpots), Anolon (8.5, 12; 8.5-qt), Caraway (10.5; "storage rack, lid holder"), All-Clad D5 10-pc (8, 10; 8-qt). That is 13 with skillet sizes, of which 3 (HexClad, Tramontina 80116, Anolon) have a 12-inch skillet. Our Place 13-pc: "Always Pan, Mini Always Pan, Perfect Pot, and Mini Perfect Pot, all with lids, two spatulas, two spoons, and steamer basket".
- verbatim: All-Clad D3 Everyday "each pot and pan is oven-safe up to 600°F, and they're all induction-compatible."
- verbatim: Ninja "claims its durable enough to withstand five years of regular use" and "withstands temperatures up to 550°F".
- verbatim: Made In five-ply stainless: "these pots and pans are heavy"; Made In ProCoat: "that multi-layer construction ... also results in a heavy build."
- verbatim: Tramontina 80116 "the only set that came with a 12-quart stockpot".
- Supports: piece lists, skillet and stockpot counts, five-ply weight, maker lifespan claim. Confidence high for the lists.

**Consumer Reports, 9 Best Cookware Sets of 2026** (curl, stripped).
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/cookware/best-cookware-sets-of-the-year-a2221791769/
- verbatim: "Cookware sets usually consist of five to 15 pieces. But be aware of the language manufacturers use. For example, a “12-piece set” won’t have a dozen pots and pans. “In boxed sets, manufacturers count a lid as a piece,” says Kelly Moomey, CR’s market analyst for cookware. “Even utensils and a cookbook may be counted as pieces.”"
- verbatim: "The Caraway Ceramic-Coated Cookware Set comes with 14 pieces, but only half are pots or lids. The rest are various racks, hooks, and other things you might not want or have space for."
- verbatim: Cuisinart GreenGourmet GG-12 "is only oven-safe to 400° F"; Figmint "oven-safe up to 450° F".
- verbatim: "piecemealing a set often ends up costing you more"; nonstick and stainless are "the two most commonly used types of cookware, according to a nationally representative CR survey (PDF) of 2,158 U.S. adults in April 2025."
- verbatim: "65 percent of home cooks we surveyed are at least somewhat concerned about" PFAS.
- Supports: piece counting, Caraway composition, coated oven limits. The "five to 15 pieces" range is single-source and not used as a facet range.

**Consumer Reports, Best Frying Pans If You Want to Avoid PFAS Chemicals** (curl).
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/cookware/best-frying-pans-if-you-want-to-avoid-pfas-chemicals-a1006253549/
- verbatim: "Most nonstick pans have to be replaced every few years and even sooner if they’re scratched."
- Supports: second source for nonstick replacement. Confidence high.

**Consumer Reports, Best Nonstick Frying Pans of 2026** (curl).
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/cookware/best-nonstick-frying-pans-from-consumer-reports-tests-a1041724599/
- verbatim: "In our most recent tests, nonstick frying pans with ceramic coatings performed admirably, beating out traditional nonstick pans for the top three slots."
- verbatim: "The cookware manufacturer GreenPan told CR that the ceramic coatings of its pans are expected to last two to five years, possibly more if they’re well cared for."
- verbatim: "nonstick frying pans aren’t necessarily expected to last a lifetime."
- Supports: ceramic durability disagreement, maker lifespan claim.

### Regulators and law

**Minnesota Department of Health, PFAS and Products** (curl). The MPCA pages returned a bot loader.
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/topics/pfasproduct.html
- verbatim: "Amara’s Law Phase 1 : PFAS in 11 product categories (see categories below) January 1, 2025"; "Amara’s Law Phase 3 : PFAS prohibited in all products unless determined to be “currently unavoidable use” January 1, 2032"; "Cookware ... Definition: Items used to prepare, dispense, or store food and beverages ... Examples: Baking sheets, bowls, cooking utensils, electric woks, pots, pans, skillets".
- Supports: Minnesota 2025 ban. Confidence high.

**BCLP, PFAS in Cookware: State-by-State Regulations** (curl). Quoting the MPCA:
https://www.bclplaw.com/en-US/events-insights-news/pfas-in-cookware-state-by-state-regulations.html
- verbatim: "For the purposes of the 2025 PFAS prohibitions, the MPCA interprets cookware to include only items that have a food contact surface that has a nonstick PFAS coating."
- Supports: in Minnesota the 2025 ban bites on the nonstick coating, not on PTFE in a handle or gasket. Not cited in the JSON (the Maine DEP page states the same scope for Maine); kept here.

**Maine DEP, PFAS in Products** (curl).
https://www.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/PFAS-products/index.html
- verbatim: list under "January 1, 2026" includes "Cookware product"; "Cookware refers to household products used for the preparation, dispensing, or storage of food and beverages with a surface that contains intentionally added PFAS that comes in contact with food. ... Cookware products without intentionally added PFAS in the food contact surface, but having internal components containing intentionally added PFAS that do not come in contact with food, are not within the scope of the 2026 sales prohibition".
- Supports: Maine 2026 ban and its food-contact scope. Confidence high.

**Morgan Lewis, State Regulation of PFAS in Consumer Products Continues to Gain Momentum in 2026 (January 2026)** (curl).
https://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/2026/01/state-regulation-of-pfas-in-consumer-products-continues-to-gain-momentum-in-2026
- verbatim (Colorado): "On or after January 1, 2026, no person shall sell or distribute the following products with intentionally added PFAS: ... Cookware".
- verbatim (Maine): "Beginning January 1, 2026, the following products containing intentionally added PFAS cannot be sold in the state: ... Cookware".
- verbatim (Minnesota footnote): "The first group of prohibitions of intentionally added PFAS in Minnesota became effective on January 1, 2025, and included ... (3) cookware".
- verbatim (Connecticut): "Beginning July 1, 2026, no person shall distribute, sell, or offer for sale the following products with intentionally added PFAS: ... Cookware ... Such products may continue to be sold or distributed only if Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection receives prior notification in writing."
- verbatim (New Jersey): S1042 "prohibits intentionally added PFAS in carpets, cookware, cosmetics, and food packaging beginning January 2028."
- Supports: Colorado and Maine 2026, Minnesota 2025. Connecticut is left out of the JSON: one source, and a search excerpt from another page said labels from July 2026 and a ban from 2028, so the two disagree; the notification exception also makes "cannot be sold" wrong for Connecticut.

**Safer States, Laws going into effect in 2026** (curl).
https://www.saferstates.org/resource/2026-analysis-of-state-policy-addressing-toxic-chemicals-and-plastics/laws-going-into-effect-in-2026/
- verbatim: "Colorado restricted PFAS in artificial turf, cookware, carpeting, ..."; Maine "a broad ban on unnecessary uses of PFAS is taking effect across products such as clothing, cleaning products, cookware".
- Supports: second source for Colorado and Maine 2026.

**California Attorney General, AB 1200 enforcement advisory, 17 October 2023** (PDF, pdftotext).
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/AB1200%20Enforcement%20Advisory%20(1).pdf
- verbatim: "beginning January 1, 2023, a manufacturer of cookware subject to A.B. 1200’s requirements shall post on the website for the cookware all of the following: 1. A list of all chemicals in the cookware that are also present on the designated list"; "The “designated list” includes many PFAS compounds."
- verbatim: "beginning January 1, 2024, a manufacturer of cookware ... must list in the product label the intentionally added chemicals present on the “designated list” in the handle of the product or in any cookware surface that comes into contact with food"; "A cookware manufacturer must ensure that the required statement on the product label is visible and legible to the consumer, including on the product listing for online sales."
- verbatim: "a manufacturer shall not claim on the website for the cookware that the cookware is free of any specific chemical if the chemical belongs to a chemical group or class identified on the designated list unless that chemical was not intentionally added".
- Supports: the PTFE disclosure on labels and online listings; the limit on "free of" claims. Confidence high. All-Clad's "This product contains PTFE for its nonstick properties. Click here for more information about chemicals in this product." (verbatim, brand page) is this disclosure in practice.

**US FDA, Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications.** Live fda.gov returned "Not found" to curl; read from the Internet Archive snapshot of 6 October 2026. A 2022 copy on regulations.gov (https://downloads.regulations.gov/FDA-2022-P-3257-0004/content.pdf) says the same.
https://web.archive.org/web/20261006143741/https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/authorized-uses-pfas-food-contact-applications
- verbatim: "Non-stick applications on pots & pans PFAS molecules are polymerized* ... applied to the surface of the cookware at very high temperatures, which tightly binds the polymer coating to the cookware. The manufacturing process vaporizes off virtually all the smaller (i.e., migratable) PFAS molecules. ... Studies show negligible amounts of PFAS in this coating can migrate to food."
- Supports: the FDA side of the PTFE judgement. Confidence high.

**US FDA, Lead in Food and Foodwares** (Internet Archive snapshot of 11 October 2026).
https://web.archive.org/web/20261011173241/https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/lead-food-and-foodwares
- verbatim: "certain imported cookware products made from aluminum, brass, and aluminum alloys known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium, demonstrate the potential to leach lead into food. The letter informs retailers and distributors of cookware that such products should not be distributed in the U.S. market."
- verbatim: "There are no FDA regulations that authorize lead for use as a color additive or food additive (including as a component of foodware, cookware, or food contact surfaces)."
- Supports: the lead judgement. Single source, but the regulator itself.

**US EPA, Fact Sheet: 2010/2015 PFOA Stewardship Program** (curl).
https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/fact-sheet-20102015-pfoa-stewardship-program
- verbatim: companies committed "to work toward eliminating PFOA from emissions and product content no later than 2015"; "All participating companies state that they met the PFOA Stewardship Program goals."; "Domestic production and import of PFOA has been phased out in the United States by the companies participating".
- Also EPA, Risk Management for PFAS under TSCA (https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/risk-management-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas), verbatim: "PFOA is no longer used in United States to manufacture fluoropolymers but some fluoropolymers containing PFOA are imported as part of articles." Not a separate reference in the JSON; it backs the vocabulary line on PFOA.
- Supports: "PFOA-free" carries no information. Confidence high.

### Primers and reference data

**Wikipedia, Cookware and bakeware** (curl).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakeware
- verbatim: "Some pans feature a copper or aluminum interface layer that extends over the entire pan rather than just a heat-distributing disk on the base. Generally, the thicker the interface layer, especially in the base of the pan, the more improved the heat distribution."
- verbatim: "Stainless steel is 25 times less thermally conductive than copper".
- verbatim: "PTFE coatings remain stable during normal cooking but begin to degrade at around 260 °C (500 °F)".
- verbatim: "Ceramic coatings, typically derived from silica sol‑gel and free of PFAS, can tolerate higher heat thresholds (up to ~370 °C/700 °F) compared to PTFE. However, they often wear out faster and are more prone to abrasion than PTFE variants."
- verbatim: "Anodized aluminium has had the naturally occurring layer of aluminium oxide thickened by an electrolytic process to create a surface that is hard and non-reactive."; seasoning is "a dry, hard, smooth, hydrophobic coating formed from polymerized fat or oil".
- Supports: mechanism, cladding, PTFE breakdown temperature, ceramic chemistry. Confidence medium (encyclopedia; the 700 °F ceramic figure is not used).

**Engineering ToolBox, Metals: Thermal Conductivities** (curl).
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-metals-d_858.html
- verbatim table rows: Aluminum 236 W/m K at 0 °C; Copper 401 at 0 °C; "Iron - Cast" 52 at 20 °C; "Steel - Chrome Nickel, 15% Cr, 10% Ni" 19 and "20% Cr, 15% Ni" 15.1 at 20 °C.
- Supports: copper about 25 times stainless (401 / 16 ≈ 25) agreeing with Wikipedia; aluminium about 15 times stainless. Only the copper ratio is in the JSON.

**Environmental Health News, Nonstick pans can emit harmful fumes at high temperatures** (curl).
https://www.ehn.org/nonstick-pans-can-emit-harmful-fumes-at-high-temperatures
- verbatim: "Polymer fume fever occurs when nonstick pans, coated with PTFE, are overheated above 500°F, releasing harmful fumes."
- Supports: second source for the 500 °F line.

**Wikipedia, Polymer fume fever** (curl): verbatim "caused by the fumes released when polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, known under the trade name Teflon ) reaches temperatures of 300 to 450 °C (572 to 842 °F)". Not in the JSON (single source for the 300 to 450 °C band); kept here as the reason the register says "starts to break down around 500 °F" rather than "is dangerous at 500 °F".

**KitchenAid Product Help, Induction Compatible Cookware: How to Tell** (curl).
https://producthelp.kitchenaid.com/FAQ/Induction_Compatible_Cookware:_How_to_Tell
- verbatim: "Hold a magnet against the bottom of your cookware. If the magnet sticks firmly, the cookware is induction compatible."; "While aluminum and copper are excellent conductors of heat, they typically do not work on induction cooktops unless they have a magnetic base."; "Some pots and pans have only a part of the bottom in a ferromagnetic material".
- Supports: induction facet and vocabulary. Confidence high (appliance maker).

**T-fal, PTFE Nonstick Coating Explained** (curl).
https://www.t-fal.com/ptfe-nonstick-coating-explained
- verbatim: "T-fal and its suppliers have not used PFOA in their processes since 2012, well before the introduction of regulations."
- Also states "PFOA is a short-chain PFAS", which is wrong (PFOA is long-chain per EPA: "PFOA is a long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid"). Not used.

### Brand spec pages (fields they list)

Read by curl with HTML stripped. The order of fields on the pages is: what's included, construction, oven limit (pans, then lids), stovetops including induction, dishwasher and care, coating chemistry.

- **All-Clad D3 Everyday 10-piece** https://www.all-clad.com/d3-stainless-everyday-10-piece-pots-and-pans-cookware-set.html. verbatim: "The D3 Everyday Stainless 10-Piece Set includes a 8.5 & 10.5-inch Skillet, 1.5 & 3-quart Sauce Pan with lid, 3-quart Sauté Pan with lid, and 6-quart Stockpot with lid."; "Our cookware is oven & broiler safe up to 600°F and compatible with any stovetop, including induction. Handwash Only."; "Tri-ply bonding all the way to the rim". URL found in the t-fal.com sitemap, which serves All-Clad's URLs.
- **All-Clad Essentials Hard Anodized Nonstick 13-piece** https://www.all-clad.com/essentials-hard-anodized-nonstick-cookware-set-13-piece.html. verbatim: "a high quality PTFE nonstick surface"; "Oven safe up to 500°F and compatible with any stovetop excluding induction. Glass lids are oven safe up to 350°F. Dishwasher safe."; "Although dishwasher safe, we recommend washing by hand"; "includes 8.5, 10.5, and 12 inch Fry Pans, 4 quart Sauté Pan with lid, 2.5 Quart Saucepan with lid, 4 quart Soup Pot with lid, 7 quart Stockpot with lid and insert, 13-inch Square Pan, and 2 bonus silicone trivets."; "This product contains PTFE for its nonstick properties."
- **GreenPan Valencia Pro 13-piece** https://greenpan.us/products/valencia-pro-13-piece-nonstick-set. verbatim: "Oven safe up to 600˚F (lids up to 425˚F)"; "Durable glass lids"; "Magneto induction base"; "Dishwasher safe, but hand washing recommended"; "PFAS-free nonstick is made without intentionally added PFAS".
- **GreenPan GP5 Stainless 10-piece** https://greenpan.us/products/gp5-stainless-steel-10-piece-cookware-set-mirror-handles. verbatim: "This high-performance set features five layers ... and each pan is finished with our groundbreaking Infinite8 ceramic nonstick."; "GP5 features three aluminum layers between two stainless steel layers"; "Oven safe up to 600˚F". A set titled "Stainless Steel" that is a nonstick set.
- **HexClad Hybrid 12-pc** https://hexclad.com/products/pots-and-pans-set. verbatim: "TerraBond™ ceramic nonstick, which is free from PTFE and forever chemicals"; "Tri-ply construction features an aluminum core"; "Pan is metal utensil–safe, dishwasher-safe and oven-safe up to 900°F."; "Break-resistant, tempered-glass lid is vented and oven-safe up to 400ºF." (Reviewed's older review of the same set describes the hybrid surface; HexClad switched coatings, so treat older PTFE-era reviews with care.)
- **Misen Stainless Steel Cookware Set** https://misen.com/products/stainless-cookware-set. verbatim: "Steel: 3.0 mm, 5-ply Stainless Steel + Aluminum"; "Oven safe up to 800°F / 426°C"; "Dishwasher safe"; "Induction compatible".
- **Misen Carbon Nonstick Complete Set** https://misen.com/products/carbon-nonstick-complete-set. verbatim: "Four coating-free pans (no lids included)"; "The set includes four pieces: an 8” Carbon Nonstick™ Frying Pan, 10” ..., 12” ..., and an 11" Carbon Nonstick™ Square Griddle."; "Construction: 3-ply Nitrided Carbon Steel + Aluminum Core"; "oven safe up to 1100°F and induction compatible"; "free of PFAS, PTFE, and PFOA".
- **Our Place Essentials Cookware Set** https://fromourplace.com/products/essentials-cookware-set-11-pc. verbatim: "made without PFAS, PTFE, PFOA, lead, or cadmium"; "Every piece in the Essentials Collection has a dotted induction base"; "The cookware (including aluminum lids) is oven-safe up to 450°F . The tempered glass lids are oven-safe up to 425°F"; "never put it in the dishwasher"; "Every set includes a modular storage system".
- **Tramontina USA home page** https://www.tramontina.com/en-us/. verbatim menu and product names: "Signature Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel", "Tempo Tri-Ply Base Stainless Steel", "Tempo Tri-Ply Base Stainless Steel Cookware Set". (The product URL first tried returned 404; the home page carries the line names.)

### Could not reach

- Serious Eats (People Inc bot wall, also blocked for WebFetch; no Wayback snapshot of the set guide).
- America's Test Kitchen set review (the guessed URL served a grater review; the session's web-search budget ran out before the right URL could be found).
- r/cookware wiki and FAQ (Reddit blocks curl; no Wayback snapshot). No enthusiast-community source is used; the trade-offs rest on testers.
- MPCA pages (bot loader); Minnesota covered by MDH, BCLP quoting MPCA, and Morgan Lewis.
- Cookware & Bakeware Alliance engineering standards (paywalled; the public "Good Science" page only links to FDA and EPA pages).
- Amazon and other retail listings were not fetched. No facet is marked `listing` on the strength of a retail field; `surface_family` is marked `listing` because the material is in the product title of every set name read here, and titles are carried onto retail listings.

## Answer-to-value rules for the splits

- `surface_family`: "Nonstick" → `nonstick coating`; "stainless steel" → `stainless steel`; "cast iron" → `cast iron or carbon steel` (carbon steel and enamelled cast iron included). `mixed set` stays in the results for any answer whose surface it contains, with a card note.
- `coating_chemistry`: "Teflon-type okay" → keep `PTFE`, `ceramic (PFAS-free)` and `not stated`; "PFAS-free only" → keep `ceramic (PFAS-free)` only. Stated in the split rationale.
- `induction_compatible`: the question is the facet; yes or no.
- `vessel_count`: a number; show sets within one pan of it, never fewer pans than asked.

## Data points used for derived metrics

- `vessel_share` (pans ÷ stated pieces): All-Clad D3 Everyday 6/10 = 0.60 (All-Clad page; Reviewed); All-Clad D3 classic 6/10 (Wirecutter); Tramontina Gourmet 12-pc 7/12 = 0.58 (Wirecutter); GreenPan Valencia Pro 11-pc 7/11 = 0.64 (Reviewed); All-Clad Essentials 13-pc 8/13 = 0.62 (All-Clad page: 3 fry pans, sauté, saucepan, soup pot, stockpot, square pan = 8; four lids and an insert); Caraway 14-pc 4/14 = 0.29 (Reviewed lists four pans, three lids, rack, lid holder; CR: "only half are pots or lids"); Our Place 13-pc 4/13 = 0.31 (Reviewed); Misen Carbon Nonstick 4/4 = 1.0 (Misen).
- `price_per_pan`: needs only price and `vessel_count`; CR's point that piecemealing usually costs more is why per-pan, not per-piece, is the comparison.
- `oven_ceiling_f` (min of pan and lid): HexClad 900 / 400 → 400; GreenPan Valencia Pro 600 / 425 → 425; All-Clad Essentials 500 / 350 → 350; Our Place Essentials 450 / 425 → 425; All-Clad D3 Everyday 600 with stainless lids → 600 (one figure stated for the cookware).

## Against the existing add-on schema

Add-on read: `supplies/kitchen/add-ons/cookware_set.jsonc` (`set_piece_basis`, `interior_cooking_surface`, `induction_compatible`, `body_construction`, `ply_count`), composed with `kitchen-standard.jsonc` (`materials[]` with roles, `max_heat_temp`, `dishwasher_safe`) and `supplies-standard.jsonc` (`high_signal_markdown`, `sizing.pieces_included_text`, `sizing.pack_count`, `sizing.capacity`, `sizing.weight`, `sizing.dimensions`). Kinds follow `zamana-expertise/AGENTS.md` rule 4 (vertical anchor, category quality currency, hard filter, sizing) and rule 5 (dead). Proposals only; nothing in zamana-expertise was edited.

| Facet in this register | In the schema today | Proposed kind | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| surface_family | yes, `interior_cooking_surface` (14 values) plus `materials[]` | hard filter | Already finer than the split; the split's three values roll up from it (ptfe/ceramic/unspecified nonstick → nonstick coating; stainless_uncoated → stainless steel; seasoned cast iron, carbon steel, enamel → iron). Add a `mixed` value or allow a list, since mixed-metal sets exist (Misen). |
| coating_chemistry | yes, inside `interior_cooking_surface` (`ptfe_nonstick`, `ceramic_nonstick`, `nonstick_unspecified`) | hard filter | No new field needed. Add to the trap comment that "PFOA-free" alone maps to `nonstick_unspecified`, and that HexClad-type hybrids map by their coating (now ceramic). This is the field state PFAS laws act on. |
| induction_compatible | yes | hard filter | Keep. |
| vessel_count | no; `set_piece_basis` and `sizing.pack_count` approximate it | sizing (rule 2: set composition counts differ by variant) | Proposal: `sizing.vessel_count` (number) and `sizing.lid_count` (number). The 8-, 10- and 12-piece versions of one listing differ in exactly these. |
| set_piece_basis | yes | dead once vessel_count and lid_count exist | Derivable (pieces − vessels − lids > 0 means accessories counted), and per-variant, so it would otherwise have to move into sizing. Rule 5 cuts derivable fields. |
| body_construction | yes | hard filter | Keep, and keep the trap comment; it is exactly the Tramontina "Tri-Ply Clad" versus "Tri-Ply Base" case. Meaningless for cast iron (`cast`) and most coated aluminium. |
| ply_count | yes | high_signal_markdown | This register treats it as noise for ranking (testers find 5-ply heavier and slower, not better). It is in the title when it matters, so the markdown line carries it; not quality currency we would happily augment. |
| oven_safe_f | yes, `max_heat_temp` (kitchen-standard) | hard filter | Proposal: define `max_heat_temp` for sets as the lowest limit across pans and lids, or add `lid_max_heat_temp`. Today a single value hides the 350 to 425 °F glass-lid cap. |
| lid_type | yes, via `materials[]` with `role: lid` (`tempered_glass`, `stainless_steel`) | vertical anchor (already) | No new field. "No lids" is `lid_count: 0` under the sizing proposal. |
| largest_skillet_in | no; only in `pieces_included_text` | sizing | Proposal: `sizing.largest_skillet_diameter` (in). Bought by number ("needs a 12-inch"), and it varies by variant. |
| stockpot_qt | no; `sizing.capacity` is one value for a whole set | sizing | Proposal: repurpose `sizing.capacity` for sets as the largest pot's capacity, or add `sizing.largest_pot_capacity` (qt). |
| dishwasher_safe | yes (kitchen-standard) | hard filter | Keep; this register's three values map to `yes`, `yes` with a markdown note, and `no`. |

Schema fields this register considers noise for cookware sets: `sizing.weight` and `sizing.dimensions` (the whole box's shipping weight and size say nothing about how a skillet handles; the weight that matters is per skillet, which no listing states consistently), `sizing.capacity` as a single set-level value (see stockpot row), `ply_count` as a structured field, and `set_piece_basis` once vessel and lid counts exist.

## Branches

Every leg, with the sentence it rests on. Updated 2026-10-25 after the blind check; changed legs marked.

- `surface_family = nonstick coating` → ask `coating_chemistry`. The facet is defined "For coated sets", so it exists only on this branch; and the coating is what PFAS laws act on (Maine DEP: "a surface that contains intentionally added PFAS that comes in contact with food"). SUPPORTED. Unchanged.
- **CHANGED.** `surface_family = nonstick coating` → ask `lid_oven_safe_f` (was `oven_safe_f`). The checker showed the chain's own data contradicts asking the pan figure: HexClad pans 900 °F but lids 400 °F, GreenPan 600 °F but lids 425 °F, Essentials 500 °F but lids 350 °F — the lid is the binding number, not the pan, and coated pan limits (400–900 °F) overlap clad stainless (500–800 °F) anyway. Added the `lid_oven_safe_f` facet so this leg has something to point at that is actually the constraint.
- `surface_family = stainless steel` → ask `body_construction`, `ply_count`; `coating_chemistry` irrelevant. Wirecutter's fully-clad and five-ply sentences are both about stainless; stainless sets have no coating. Caveat handled in the backfill note: a stainless-titled set with a ceramic interior (GreenPan GP5) is classed as nonstick, so it never reaches this branch. SUPPORTED. **CHANGED:** added `largest_skillet_in` to `then_ask` (checker's Part B(d): pan count was the only split doing real work on the stainless path; body_construction isn't askable, so the branch needed a second lever).
- `surface_family = cast iron or carbon steel` → `coating_chemistry` irrelevant. Bare iron is seasoned with oil (Wikipedia) and enamel is not one of the facet's values; Misen's carbon set is "free of PFAS, PTFE, and PFOA". SUPPORTED. **CHANGED:** added `induction_compatible` to `makes_irrelevant` (the missing leg the checker named: KitchenAid, "Common materials that work well with induction include cast iron, enameled steel").
- **DROPPED.** `induction_compatible = no` → ask `body_construction`. The checker graded this WEAK: it fires for every surface, but for nonstick aluminium (`single layer`) and cast iron (`cast`) body_construction is fixed by material and tells the buyer nothing; on stainless it only duplicates what the stainless branch above already asks. Removed the branch rather than add an unsupportable "and surface is stainless" condition (branches can only test the split's own facet).
- Considered and not written: `induction_compatible = yes` → drop hard-anodized sets. That is a filter, not a change to what is asked next. `vessel_count` → skillet size for large sets: no source ties set size to skillet size.
- Considered and not written (checker's suggestion, not taken): a `mixed set` branch on `surface_family` that would still ask `coating_chemistry` for a stainless-plus-one-nonstick-skillet set. The schema's `when` only takes the split facet's own values, and `mixed set` already is one of those values with no branch; adding a real cross-cutting rule here would need a schema change, out of scope for this pass. Left as a documented gap, as the checker itself did.

## Numbers in category.json and how many sources stand behind each

| Number | Sources |
|---|---|
| Minnesota PFAS cookware ban from 1 Jan 2025 | MDH (verbatim), Morgan Lewis (verbatim) |
| Maine ban from 1 Jan 2026 | Maine DEP (verbatim), Morgan Lewis, Safer States |
| Colorado ban from 1 Jan 2026 | Morgan Lewis (verbatim), Safer States |
| Connecticut: sale banned from 1 Jul 2026 unless DEEP gets written notice | Morgan Lewis (verbatim, specific); Safer States describes CT's 2026 duty as reporting only, not a ban — added 2026-10-25, flagged as a scope disagreement between the two sources rather than resolved |
| Vermont cookware ban from 1 Jan 2026 (disputed, not added to the category.json ban list) | BCLP (verbatim, re-fetched 2026-10-25, matches the checker's quote exactly) says yes; Morgan Lewis's 2026 state list and Safer States' Vermont entry both omit cookware — 2 sources against 1, so treated as unconfirmed |
| California AB 1200: website 2023, label 2024, online listing | CA AG advisory (verbatim); BCLP summary agrees |
| PTFE breaks down around 260 °C / 500 °F | Wikipedia (verbatim), EHN (verbatim) |
| PFOA out of US fluoropolymer production by 2015 | EPA fact sheet (verbatim), EPA TSCA page (verbatim), T-fal 2012 (verbatim) |
| Copper about 25 times more conductive than stainless | Wikipedia (verbatim), Engineering ToolBox values (401 vs 15 to 19) |
| D3 set 6 pans + 4 lids | All-Clad page, Wirecutter, Reviewed |
| Tramontina 12-pc 7 pans + 5 lids | Wirecutter (verbatim); Reviewed lists a different Tramontina 12-pc (7 pans + 5 lids as well) |
| Caraway 14 pieces, half pots or lids | CR (verbatim), Reviewed's piece list |
| Our Place 13 pieces with four utensils | Reviewed (verbatim); single source, product-specific fact |
| 3 of 13 Reviewed sets with a 12-inch skillet; most sets 8 and 10 inch | Reviewed (count from its lists), Wirecutter (verbatim) |
| 8-quart stockpot preferred; many sets 6 quarts | Wirecutter (verbatim); Reviewed lists (D3 Everyday 6, Ninja 6, GreenPan 5) |
| Glass lids 350 / 400 / 425 / 425 °F | All-Clad, HexClad, GreenPan, Our Place pages (each verbatim, each its own product) |
| Pan oven limits 400 to 1,100 °F | CR (400, 450), Our Place 450, All-Clad 500 and 600, Wirecutter 500, GreenPan 600, Misen 800 and 1,100, HexClad 900, Reviewed (600, 550) |
| Ply 3 to 5 | Wirecutter, Reviewed (All-Clad D5 10-pc), Misen, GreenPan GP5, All-Clad D5 (sitemap name) |
| Ceramic coating life 2 to 5 years / 5 years | GreenPan via CR (verbatim), Ninja via Reviewed (verbatim); both maker claims |
| Nonstick replaced every few years | Wirecutter (verbatim), CR (verbatim) |

## Dropped

- Skillet weight (2 to 3.5 lb tester preference): one source, and no listing gives per-piece weight consistently.
- Heating speed (Goldilocks 179 °F versus All-Clad 197 °F after 6 minutes): one test, two products.
- Metal-utensil safety as a facet: every coated maker hedges ("Metal utensil safe, but silicone tools recommended", GreenPan; Our Place "Avoid metal utensils"); folded into the surface trade-off.
- Handle material and rivets: see Seed.
- Open-stock availability (can you buy the missing 12-inch skillet later): Wirecutter values it, but it is a brand-line fact with no field; it sits in the vocabulary and the skillet facet.
- Connecticut and New Jersey PFAS dates: see Morgan Lewis entry.
- Copper wall thickness grades (Wikipedia: over 2.5 mm commercial): applies to solid copper pans, rare in sets.
- EU rules (Regulation 1935/2004 on food-contact materials, the EU PFOA ban): not fetched this run; the register is US-sourced and says so.

## Trimmed detail

- `coating_chemistry`: Minnesota's regulator reads "cookware" as items with a nonstick PFAS coating on a food-contact surface (BCLP quoting MPCA); Maine says the same. PTFE in a handle or gasket is not caught until 2032 (Minnesota) or the later Maine phase. Connecticut's July 2026 rule allows sale after written notification to its DEEP.
- `coating_chemistry`: the add-on comment warns that PTFE hides behind "granite", "diamond" and "stone" marketing; the backfill note follows that rule. No external source was fetched for it.
- `surface_family`: CR's April 2025 survey of 2,158 US adults found nonstick and stainless the two most used types, and 65 percent of home cooks at least somewhat concerned about PFAS.
- `oven_safe_f`: All-Clad notes "Extended exposure to temperatures over 500°F can cause stainless steel to change color, but will not affect its performance." Avoid the broiler with the Essentials PTFE set ("Avoid use under the broiler").
- `vessel_count`: Reviewed's GreenPan set adds "3 pan protectors" outside the 11-piece count; All-Clad's Essentials adds "2 bonus silicone trivets"; the counting is inconsistent even within one maker.
- `body_construction`: Wirecutter notes disc-base pans still heat more evenly than single-layer stainless; the problem is the walls.

## Script problems

- `validate.py` rejects `"vertical": "supplies"`: the skill's `schema.json` enum is `formulations, machines, fashion, furnishing, other`, and the brief requires `supplies`. The delivered category.json keeps `supplies` as briefed, so validate reports exactly one error: `schema  vertical: 'supplies' is not one of [...]`. A copy with `"vertical": "other"` validates clean ("11 facets, 4 splits, 27 references"). render.py and viewer.py accept `supplies` and ran clean. Scripts and schema were not modified.

## Corrections

None yet; no blind check has run on this register.

## Corrections after the blind check (2026-10-25)

Fetched myself this pass (budget: this session's own WebFetch calls, not the original research session's exhausted WebSearch budget): BCLP's cookware-ban page (confirms the Vermont S.25 quote the checker found, verbatim: "a manufacturer shall not manufacture, sell, or distribute cookware to which PFAS have been intentionally added in any amount"), and re-read Safer States' 2026 page specifically for Vermont and Connecticut (new finding: neither state's entry there mentions cookware — Vermont's is textiles/turf/personal care, Connecticut's is a 12-category reporting duty, not a sale ban). That gives two trackers (Morgan Lewis, Safer States) against one (BCLP) on Vermont, so I did not add Vermont to the three-state PTFE-ban list; I flagged the three-way disagreement instead. Also tried to reach the Vermont legislature's own bill page to settle it with a primary source; connection refused, so it stays a documented disagreement, not a resolved claim.

1. **PFOA inference (finding 1).** Added `epa_pfas_risk_mgmt` (EPA's TSCA risk-management page, already quoted in notes.md's Research section but never added as a reference) and changed "says nothing" / "is not evidence of anything" to "says little" in `coating_chemistry.why_experts_care` and judgement 4's claim and note. Judgement 4's note now says the 2015 goal bound only participating makers and that imports can still carry PFOA.
2. **State bans (finding 1/2).** `coating_chemistry.why_experts_care` keeps Minnesota/Maine/Colorado and now notes Maine's exceptions; split 2's rationale and `skip_if_known` now name Connecticut (banned since 1 July 2026 unless the seller notifies DEEP in writing) and make the MN/ME/CO skip state the implied value ('PFAS-free only') instead of leaving it blank. Vermont is flagged, not asserted, in `coating_chemistry.backfill_note` (see the three-way disagreement above) and in judgement 3's note. Judgement 3's claim now says "three states bar it and Connecticut restricts it" instead of the flat "three states." Cited All-Clad's own ship-block statement (CO/ME/MN) as a new `allclad_essentials_13` supports line. Added `morganlewis_2026`'s Connecticut quote, `saferstates_2026`'s Vermont/Connecticut lines, and a new reference `bclp_cookware_states` (the Vermont claim and the MN food-contact-only scope, already in notes.md but never cited in the JSON).
3. **Surface classification (finding 3).** Took "Carbon Nonstick" out of `surface_family.listing_field_hint`'s coated-title examples and added it as a watch-for case in the same field. `backfill_note` now states explicitly that Misen's "Carbon Nonstick" sets are coating-free carbon steel (cast iron or carbon steel), that hybrid sets (HexClad) are classed as `nonstick coating` by their coating, and that "ceramic" here means a coating, not a solid ceramic pot (this register doesn't cover solid ceramic cookware). Added `misen_carbon` and `hexclad_set` to `surface_family`'s evidence, and a coating-free quote to `misen_carbon`'s references.supports.
4. **Branch legs (finding 4).**
   - Dropped the `induction_compatible = no → body_construction` branch entirely: it only duplicated the stainless branch's own ask of `body_construction`, and firing it for every surface (including nonstick aluminium and cast iron, where body_construction is fixed by material) was the checker's WEAK finding.
   - Added a new facet `lid_oven_safe_f` (researched, low, numeric °F, annotation role) so the lid-bound ceiling has somewhere to live, and pointed `oven_ceiling_f`'s formula and `depends_on` at it instead of the unfillable "lid oven limit (brand spec)" string.
   - Changed the `nonstick coating → then_ask` leg from `oven_safe_f` to `lid_oven_safe_f`, since the checker showed the lid, not the pan, is what actually binds on coated sets.
   - Added `induction_compatible` to the `cast iron or carbon steel → makes_irrelevant` leg (KitchenAid: cast iron and enameled steel work well with induction, so the question is answered before it's asked).
   - Added `lid_oven_safe_f` to the "Oven ceiling scale" visual grammar's `encodes`.
5. **vessel_count skip_if_known (finding 5).** Removed both entries. The household-size mapping had no source anywhere, and the piece-count entry called itself redundant while admitting "still needs converting" — contradictory on its face, with no converter precise enough to act on (vessel_share ranges 0.29 to 1.0 across the sets read). Dropped the whole `skip_if_known` key from this split rather than replace it with something equally unsourced.
6. **Stockpot claim (finding 6/claim 7).** Rewrote `stockpot_qt.why_experts_care` to the checker's own correction: most of Reviewed's list hits 8 qt or more, and names the D3 Everyday, Ninja, GreenPan Valencia Pro and Caraway sets as the ones that don't, instead of cherry-picking the under-8 examples as if they were typical. Labelled the 8 qt figure itself as "a threshold only Wirecutter states" in the same sentence, rather than leaving that caveat for notes.md only.
7. **Lifetime claims (finding 7).** No fetched source backs cast iron lasting "a lifetime" or "decades." Removed cast iron from `surface_family.why_experts_care`'s lifetime sentence, from judgement 2's claim and note, and from trade-off 1's `plain`; attributed the stainless lifetime claim correctly (Wirecutter's "maybe even a lifetime", Reviewed's "will last a lifetime" for one set). Added a Reviewed supports line for that stainless-lifetime quote.
8. **Five-ply judgement (finding 8).** Judgement 7's note now says Wirecutter alone found five-ply slower and less even to heat (against makers' retention claims), while Wirecutter and Reviewed agree only on weight — not "Wirecutter and Reviewed against makers" on both counts, which overstated Reviewed's actual finding (D5 "superior heat distribution," ProCoat "retain heat better").
9. **Disc-base judgement (finding 9).** Judgement 6's claim no longer says "on induction the gap narrows," which isn't in Wirecutter. It now restates Wirecutter's own sentence: disc-base pans "perform best on induction cooktops" instead of gas or electric.
10. **Stainless narrowing (finding 10).** Added `largest_skillet_in` to the stainless branch's `then_ask`, since pan count alone was the only real split on this path. Also appended a sentence to `body_construction.why_experts_care` saying to default to fully clad for a broad stainless query and treat disc base as an annotation, since the facet itself can't be a cold-start question (`novice_answerable: false`).
11. **Scope (finding 11).** category.json had no scope statement at all (schema has no free-text scope field at the top level), so added a judgement recording that two-piece skillet sets keep `frying-pans`' per-pan facets and that two-vessel combo cookers route to `saucepans`, marked as an internal taxonomy call with no external source. The fuller scope paragraph stays at the top of this file.
12. **Data-source honesty (finding 12).** Raised `largest_skillet_in` to backfill_cost `medium` with a note that brand-named pieces (Our Place's Always Pan, Mini Always Pan) carry no inches and need a lookup. Raised `body_construction` to `medium` with a note that unbranded "tri-ply" sets need a side-photo check. Expanded `vessel_count.backfill_note` to name square pans/griddles as vessels and pan protectors/bonus trivets as items some makers ship outside the stated count. Added a backfill_note to `lid_type` saying to fill it per variant (Misen ships both a no-lid and a glass-lid version of the same set).
13. **Minor (finding 13).** Lead judgement now says "aluminium, brass and Hindalium" instead of "uncoated aluminium," matching the FDA's own wording. Fixed `reviewed_sets`' reference supports line from "15 sets" to "14 sets." Added a supports line on `ourplace_essentials` making explicit that it is the 11-piece set and that Reviewed's 13-piece Our Place figures are a different bundle.

**Rejected or only partly taken:**
- The checker's Part B findings about hybrid/hybrid-value classification gaps and the missing scope sentence in category.json (vs. notes.md) are addressed above via backfill_note and a judgement entry, not by adding new schema fields (the schema has no `scope` field and adding one would mean editing schema.json, which is out of scope for this pass).
- Did not add a `mixed set` branch (noted by the checker as "not graded, but a gap"): the checker explicitly didn't grade it as a required fix, and the schema's branch `when` values are limited to the split facet's own values, so a cross-cutting "mixed set gets a chemistry question too" rule can't be expressed as a branch without restructuring; left as a known limitation.
- Did not change `induction_compatible`'s own facet definition or `coating_chemistry`'s skip_if_known beyond the address wording; the split's rationale sentence about disc-base stainless stays, since it's still accurate context even without a formal branch now that the branch itself is removed.

## Viewer check

`tests/viewer-browser.py` (Playwright, pyenv 3.11, offline) run on a scratchpad copy of `viewer.html`: PASS at 1380, 768 and 390 px in light and dark (6 of 6). The 1380 light first screen was read by the author: tree labels at full size, all eleven facets on the priority map, no overflow. The script wants the HTML at the top level of its reports folder (it globs `*.html`), not in a category subfolder.