My Honest Review of Those Caraway Pans You’ve Seen on Instagram — Plus, the Best Prime Day Deal!
Caraway, a direct-to-consumer cookware brand, has taken over my social media feeds in recent years with pots and pans in gorgeous colors and clean silhouettes. In fact, I’ll bet you’ve seen Caraway all over your own Instagram and TikTok — either in ads or your friends’ posts. The cookware is just so pretty!
Of course, you can’t (and shouldn’t!) buy everything you see online, so we had to test the brand for ourselves. Spoiler alert: I’ve been using Caraway’s signature pans for more than four years, and they’re still just as nonstick as they were on day one.
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After more than four years of testing, our editors are still impressed with the performance of their Caraway pans. Here are their favorite features.
There are lower-priced ceramic cookware sets on the market. However, we feel the quality of this brand justifies the price. In fact, our favorite 12-piece Caraway cookware set is on sale during Amazon Prime Day on July 16 and 17 for $316, down from the usual $395 — this is even cheaper than shopping on Caraway’s direct site!
What’s So Great About Caraway?
The brand made a splash in fall 2019 with its cookware in fun colors and with clean lines — and as well as for its tagline: “Non-Toxic Cookware Made Modern.” It claimed to offer a better kind of cookware both for home cooks and the environment because it used ceramic enamel rather than Teflon or another harmful “forever chemical” to achieve a nonstick surface.
Caraway has since expanded its cookware collection, and has also developed bakeware, accessories, a tea kettle, and even mini versions of its best-selling cookware — all of which our team has tested and reviewed.
Where to Shop Caraway
Caraway doesn’t have a traditional brick-and-mortar store, so you’d have to shop online at its website. You can also buy certain items, including the cookware set that I tested, at stores like West Elm, Target, Crate & Barrel, and even Amazon. We’ve got a full list of places to shop here, so it’s worth checking all your options to see if there’s a deal or sale.
Are There Any Caraway Deals?
Yes, Caraway cookware, bakeware, and accessories are on major sale during Amazon Prime Day, which starts today July 16 and runs through July 17. The cookware set I tested is down to $316, a huge 20% discount from the original price. It’s a solid deal on great nonstick cookware, and one I’d gladly take advantage of if I didn’t already own a set.
Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set
Amazon
$316 (was $395)
An Honest Review of Caraway Cookware
Caraway isn’t the only ceramic-coated cookware on the market — far from it. But it’s definitely one of the more popular brands I’ve seen recently. I tested the best-selling Cookware Set to try out multiple pieces of cookware that would best represent the brand, and here’s what I thought.
It’s Worth Getting a Set
I’ve never loved the idea of buying cookware sets because there are usually too many pieces I never use, but Caraway’s was well-curated and I found myself using each item regularly.
The set comes in a bunch of fun colors, and the brand is always coming out with limited edition and exclusive shades, like the Copper Collection that featured three limited-edition cookware shades with copper hardware, as well as the Iconics Collection with four Millennial-forward shades and gold hardware. That said, you can’t go wrong with Perracotta, the brand’s signature pink-forward terracotta color.
With Caraway’s Cookware Set, you’ll get the following:
10.5-inch frying pan
4.5-quart sauté pan
3-quart saucepan
6.5-quart Dutch oven
3 low-profile lids
This set comes with a few useful accessories, too, including a canvas lid holder with rivets so you can hang it on the back of a cabinet door or wall, and a magnetic rack so you can neatly store the pans on their sides in a drawer or on your kitchen counter.
Earth-Friendly Packaging
The set arrived in a slim cardboard box, and each piece was nestled into slots within the cardboard, so there was no need for a bunch of Styrofoam or plastic to keep them from banging around. It was nice to be able to just recycle one box and not cringe at wasteful packaging.
Super-Slippery Nonstick Surface
The first thing I cooked was a fried egg in the smaller sauté pan (which is quite generously sized). I was immediately impressed by the super-slippery nonstick ceramic surface. I then spent the next few weeks cooking omelets, scrambled eggs, more fried eggs, and even dosas. I used very little oil each time, and everything just slipped right out with no sticking.
I turned to the larger pan for sautéing all sorts of veggies for dinner — mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, and more. The veggies got great color and nothing stuck, and I came to love that the pan is deep enough to hold a ton of ingredients. This larger pan is also a dream for tofu.
I’ve cooked small batches of rice in the saucepan with no sticking, and I’ve also used the Dutch oven to make a really thick bean soup. Even when I forgot to stir the dense soup, the beans never stuck to the bottom. And because the pans are so nonstick, cleanup has been ridiculously easy.
The pans are made of aluminum with stainless steel bottoms and handles, so they have really even heat distribution. I didn’t experience any hot spots, and the foods cooked evenly. The light gray (and subtly sparkly) interior makes it easy to see how things are progressing during cooking.
The one caveat (and this is true for all nonstick pans): I get a deeper color when searing meats and veggies in a cast iron, carbon steel, or traditional stainless steel skillet. The nonstick ceramic coating doesn’t encourage a dark crust and as a result, you get very little fond. For dishes where I really want those browned bits sticking to the pan so I can deglaze and get a rich sauce, I’ll use my other pans. But for everything else? Caraway.
These pans have been a joy to cook with these last few years — they’re lightweight; responsive to temperature changes; truly nonstick; compatible with induction, gas, and electric cooktops; oven-safe to 650 degrees; and they heat evenly. And of course, they look great, too.
Impressive Durability
I haven’t noticed any big issues with durability. The ceramic nonstick coating is still going strong, though I’m careful not to go above medium heat, I avoid metal utensils, and I always wash pieces by hand. These are all things I do with all my nonstick cookware.
If I had to find a flaw, I’ve noticed some dark discoloration on the outside of the larger skillet at the bottom, but you have to really look for it to see anything. Who’s looking at the bottom of the pan anyway?
All in all, I’m beyond pleased with my Caraway set and will keep reaching for these pieces for years to come.
What Else Does Caraway Sell?
For small spaces or those cooking for one, the Minis Duo, which we reviewed here, is a great three-piece set that includes an 8-inch fry pan and a 7-inch saucepan with the same slick coating and fun colors. There’s also a roasting pan (part of the Squareware collection), as well as a stainless steel set that we’ve also tested and reviewed here.
In addition to cookware, Caraway sells stellar bakeware. Food Editor Patty Catalano tested the whole line, and she was impressed with the quality and the nonstick properties of the bakeware. Plus, like me, she also loved having a colorful set of essentials to complement her kitchen.
The brand has also dropped cutting boards and utensil sets, the latter of which we’re currently testing. To round out the rest of the kitchen, tea drinkers would love the Whistling Tea Kettle, which has a generous 2-quart capacity. When we reviewed the kettle, we were impressed by how quickly and quietly it worked, and how absolutely lovely and relaxing it was to put on a pot of tea before bed.
For more, we’ve got a full list of editor-favorites here to inspire your next shopping spree.
Buy: Caraway 12-Piece Cookware Set, $316 (originally $395)
Have you tried Caraway? Do you have nonstick cookware you love?
