Product Review: Caraway Cookware Essential Set

This product review is based on our own experiences and opinions. We have owned the Caraway essentials cookware set for about 3 months now and use them nearly every day. We will never review a product that we don’t own ourselves or haven’t had the proper time to test thoroughly.

Product Review

In the few months that we’ve been using our Caraway set, we’ve been very impressed with the quality and performance. The sections below will dive into detailed pros and cons, and who this set is and isn’t right for, but here are a few key takeaways:

• Design – When it comes to balancing form and function, Caraway rides the line carefully. Their cookware is really beautiful and comes in lots of pretty colors (we picked out the navy set, but sage was a close second), so it looks great on your stove. The materials feel premium compared to other cookware we’ve used as well. The only drawback is that the aesthetics take a bit away from the function of the standard lids (more on this later).
• Performance – This is the most non-stick cookware we’ve had the pleasure of using. There’s a noticeable difference in the slipperiness of these pans compared to our other ceramic cookware. They also hold heat nicely, so we don’t have to worry about uneven cooking.
• Ease of care – Because they’re so non-stick, these pans are super easy to clean. Very little food gets stuck to them in the first place, so a quick swipe of a sponge usually does the trick! We also love how easy Caraway makes it to store our pans and lids properly, with the storage racks included in the set.
• Upgrade/expansion opportunities – After browsing their website some more, we love how many options Caraway has for expanding or upgrading our set. Not only do they have more cookware pieces and storage options, but they also have bakeware, food storage containers, and even prepware. As fans of beautiful, high-quality kitchenware, the idea of being able to deck out our entire kitchen with matching pieces from Caraway is exciting.
• Longevity – We can’t speak to this yet as we’ve only had this set for a few months, but we promise to come back and update this review as we continue to use the pans!

Our Take

Pros And Cons

Pros:

• Extremely non-stick: We’ve used other ceramic cookware before, and Caraway’s is much more non-stick than anything else we’ve tried. These pans are downright slippery, which is great for cooking things like eggs or cheese sauces.
• Doesn’t require lots of oil: Because they’re so non-stick, you don’t have to use that much cooking oil in these pans. While there are always foods that benefit from cooking in oil, you’ll be able to be a little healthier and save some money when cooking the foods that don’t require it.
• Heats evenly: Ceramic cookware is known to heat evenly, and Caraway pans easily check that box.
• Thoughtfully designed lids: We love that one of the lids fits two of the pans, so you only need to store 3 lids for the 4 pieces of cookware. The lids are also conveniently flat, so they lay nicely inside the canvas lid holder against whatever surface you hang it on and take up minimal space.
• Included storage solutions: Storage is always a nightmare, so we appreciated that Caraway included a thoughtfully designed storage solution for both the pans and the lids. The magnetic pan racks stack side-by-side so you can store the pans without stacking them and keep them in good condition. The canvas lid holder comes with super strong adhesive hooks, so you can hang it on virtually any surface.
• Easy to clean: Again, because of how non-stick these pans are, they’re super easy to clean. Just let them cool down before washing, and then any residue left in the pan comes off easily with a soft sponge and warm, soapy water.
• Premium look and feel: What can we say – Caraway pans are gorgeous, and they feel just as premium as they look. The ceramic coating feels higher quality than other ceramic pans we own, and it seems like it will hold up to years of use. (We’ve only had these for a few months, so we’ll have to come back with an update about the longevity of these pans in a few years!). They’re also slightly heavier than other cookware, which gives them a premium feel.
• Thoughtful packaging: We were also really impressed with the packaging we received our set in. The box had inserts with cutouts for each pan to fit snugly into so they wouldn’t move around or bump into each other during transit. The lids were also wrapped up individually in thick paper. Packaging might not be something you’d think about, but when you’re ordering expensive cookware online, it’s nice to know that it’ll be shipped in something that keeps it from getting damaged.

Cons:

• Extremely non-stick: While this is mostly a positive thing, it’s a little bit of a con if you’re not used to cooking with non-stick pans. We do a lot of cooking with cast iron and stainless steel, so whenever we use our Caraway pans we have to remind ourselves just how slippery they are. We’ve had vegetables jump out of the pan on multiple occasions by stirring slightly too aggressively.
• Hot handles: The handles are stainless steel, so they can get quite hot if you have a large flame going under the pan. When we boil pasta in the dutch oven, we need to use oven mitts to drain the pot. The other pans do have a small bump on the underside of the handle so that you don’t accidentally grab it where it will be the hottest; but even still, we find that the handles can overheat easily.
• Opaque lids: The lids included in this set aren’t glass, so you can’t see what’s going on inside the pan. We find this is only a drawback in some situations, not all, but we would prefer glass if given the choice. (They do have glass lids available for purchase – we might have to invest in these eventually!)
• Small lip on lids: Because the lids are flat, they have a very small lip to hold them in place. This means that when you take them off, any condensation that has built up on the lid runs off the edge and onto the stove. Compared to our other cookware lids that are slightly rounded and have a sizable lip to catch excess moisture, we find this mildly annoying.
• Slightly heavy: While the substantial weight of the pans gives them a premium feel, they are on the heavier side for cookware. This has only been a problem for us once or twice, as the sauté pan can be difficult to maneuver with one hand if you’re trying to transfer food out of it and into a blender or onto a serving dish.

Product Specs

• Material – ceramic coating, aluminum core, stainless steel handles
• Frying pan – 10.5 inch diameter, 2.7 quart volume
• Sauté pan – 12 inch diameter, 4.5 quart volume
• Sauce pan – 8 inch diameter, 3 quart volume
• Dutch oven – 10.5 inch diameter, 6.5 quart volume

Alternative Recommendations

Tier Down

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on ceramic cookware because you’re not sure you’ll like it, or you don’t need it to last a long time, you can find cheaper options out there. While they won’t be as premium as Caraway and may not last as long, they’re a great introductory option.

We don’t generally recommend “mid-tier” nonstick pans because it’s better to either go with something cheap and know that you’ll have to replace it sooner rather than later, or get something that’s made properly and will last a lot longer, like the Caraway set. Anything that’s marketed in between these two options is kind of a waste of money because you’re not necessarily going to get better quality than the cheaper “low end” pans, but you’re going to pay more for it.

Our first set of ceramic pans was actually from Target’s Made By Design line. Each piece cost us about $25 to $30, and they’ve lasted us about 5 years now without showing too much wear and tear. The Caraway pans are noticeably nicer, more non-stick, and easier to clean, but we still keep the Target ones around in case we need an extra pot or pan. Check out Target’s Figmint line, or head to TJ Maxx or Home Goods to look for affordable ceramic cookware. 

A La Carte Cookware

If you don’t want an entire set, Caraway does have a la carte options available (you can shop all of their cookware here):

• Frying pans – You can purchase a fry pan (10 inch), mini fry pan (8 inch), or the sauté pan (12 inch) as individual pieces. They also have a fry pan duo and a fry pan trio if you want to bundle these, and they even have a wok-style stir fry pan if you’re looking to expand your collection.
• Pots – All of their pots are available for individual purchase as well, including the sauce pan, dutch oven, mini sauce pan, stock pot, rondeau, and petite cooker.
• Lids – A la carte fry pans don’t come with standard lids, but the pots do. You can buy individual glass lids (or sets of them) in all sizes though.