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My collection of pots and pans has always been less of a complete set and more of a mish-mash assortment of pieces I’ve found or have been gifted and liked over the years. One of my staples is a cast iron pan that my dad used to use to cook his meals on over an open fire while working as a park ranger in Montana in the ’80s. Another is my Le Creuset Dutch oven which has made me more pots of delicious comfort soup than I could possibly count. But my pieced-together collection of cookware is in desperate need of revamping. Some pans are too worn out to use, I have an exorbitant amount of saucepans that take up too much space and so I set out on my search for a single cookware set that would provide me with all of the cookware I need. That’s when I landed on Caraway cookware.
I’d seen it used by several celebs and food influencers (Kate Hudson and Emily Mariko just to name a few) praising the cookware line’s quality and I love that their ceramic-coated products are non-toxic, but you never truly know until you test something out for yourself and as SheKnows’ senior food editor who has had the opportunity to try tons and tons of pieces of cookware over the years, I felt like I would be able to give a pretty well-rounded review of Caraway’s best-selling cookware set.
The set includes a 10.5-inch fry pan, a 3 qt saucepan, a 4.5 qt sauté pan, and a 6.5 qt dutch oven and is available in eight aesthetically pleasing colors but I chose something neutral and went with classic cream — a decision I would eventually regret but more on that later.
I love the compactness and versatility of products like Our Place’s Always Pan but as someone who cooks at least two meals a day, 4-5 days a week, one pan isn’t going to cut it for me so the fact that Caraway’s cookware set comes with four pieces already gives it a leg up in the internet-famous cookware competition.
I read over the instructions when my set arrived and two notes stuck out to me: handwash is really preferred and you should avoid cooking on high heat to maintain the cookware’s non-stick coating. Metal or abrasive utensils are also a big no-no as the sharp edges can damage the ceramic coating. I wasn’t thrilled about the handwash-only rule, but if it extends the life of the pan, then count me in.
I started off with something simple: a fried egg to go on top of my avocado toast. I used the 10.5-inch fry pan and to really test just how non-stick it is, I didn’t coat the pan in any oil or fat first. I simply cracked an egg into the pan, sprinkled it with some salt and pepper, and cooked it until the whites had hardened. To my surprise, the egg slid out of the pan with total ease.
I have since used every piece in the set to make everything from sourdough bread and shakshuka to braised beef stew and with each meal I cook in my Caraway cookware, I continue to be impressed with the pans’ ability to maintain their non-stick coating. I’ve used the cookware set for over six months now and honestly, every piece works as beautifully as it did on day one which is pretty impressive.
The set truly comes with every piece I need. Granted, I’m not cooking for a family, but I was able to donate all of my other cookware (aside from my beloved cast iron skillet and Le Creuset Dutch oven) and my cupboards have never looked so beautifully minimalistic. So, are the internet-famous pans worth it? I answer that with a resounding yes. The set is an especially great deal because while each piece is available for individual sale, the set will save you a whopping $150.
The only downside I have found to the cookware in my six+ months of use is that the outside of the pans seem to stain easily. Yes, the stains can be greatly reduced with some heavy scrubbing but the outside is definitely not as easy to clean as the ceramic-coated interior. For reference, below is a picture of the stains I am referring to. As you can, see they’re pretty minimal, but this is after quite a bit of scrubbing.
Not a huge deal, but something to consider when making a large purchase like this. The set is still worth it (in my opinion), but maybe choosing a light color that shows every little stain wasn’t my wisest choice. My advice? Buy the set in one of the darker available colorways, always handwash it, never cook with metal utensils and don’t cook with anything hotter than medium-high heat. If that sounds like cookware that will work for you, then I highly recommend the gorgeous, functional and quality Caraway cookware collection.
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