Both of these sets are made by the same company. Both are impact bonded base construction, but the Kirkland base is much more substantial.

The Gourmet essential set has a silicone over cast handle, oven safe to 400 degrees. The Kirkland is an all cast stainless handle so it's broiler safe (nonstick pieces under the Kirkland name are oven safe to 400 as well)

On the performance side, the Kirkland saucepans have a "tulip" shape so they perform much better when making reduction or pan sauces.

If the price is equal, Kirkland is a better value.

Hope this helps.

Immensely, thank you very much for answering!

I just bought the Kirkland set over the weekend for use on my induction cooktop. I have only used a few of the pans so far, and the dishes have turned out great. The pieces also feel very sturdy and look nice. I am happy with them, and for the price it's a great deal.

I am looking at the Kirkland set for my soon-to-be-installed induction cooktop. I would like to know if the mirror look is hard to keep looking clean. Does it show every fingerprint? Does the copper line look tarnished after a while? It's so shiny (and beautiful) in the store that I wonder how long it stays looking this nice with regular use.