If your Instagram feed is anything like mine, chances are you've scrolled past a lot of posts featuring the pretty pots and pans from Caraway in recent years. The direct-to-consumer brand, founded in 2018, is known for its cookware, bakeware and food storage sets that many people find to be aesthetically pleasing, partly because of the wide range of beautiful colors available.
Given the popularity of Caraway's best-selling cookware set, we knew we had to see first-hand how these pots and pans perform in the real world beyond social media. For almost three years, our Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab analysts have been rigorously testing and evaluating Caraway products in the Good Housekeeping Institute, and our panel of consumer testers and food editors (myself included!) have been trying them out at home, too. Here's our honest review.
What is the Caraway Cookware Set all about?
While you can purchase pieces individually on its site, Caraway's Cookware Set includes a solid assortment of various-sized pots and pans in a collection of colors ranging from classic (i.e., cream, navy, sage) to bold (black, white, silt green). Each complete set includes:
- 10.5-inch fry pan
- 3-quart sauce pan
- 4.5-quart sauté pan
- 6.5-quart Dutch oven
- Matching lids and a storage system
You can also purchase a Deluxe Cookware Set that includes a mini fry pan and mini sauce pan.
Pros
- Come in an array of eye-catching colors
- Distributes heat evenly, for the most part
Cons
- Heavier than many other nonstick options
- Lid handles get hot
The brand claims each of the cookware pieces work with gas, electric and induction cooktops and are oven-safe up to 550°F (though, it's unlikely you'll ever need to cook at such a high temp). They are not suitable to be used in a broiler.
All of the pans included are ceramic-coated, which helps to give the cookware some nonstick properties and makes clean up relatively easy. Caraway claims that it commits to using no potentially toxic materials, such as PTFE, PFOA, PFAS and heavy metals in its cookware.
Here’s a breakdown of what that means: PTFE, also known as Teflon, is a material commonly used to make nonstick cookware. It used to commonly be made with PFOA, a fluorinated compound that’s part of the PFA family, that has been linked to some health concerns. The use of PTFE in cookware has been phased out in the United States. One thing to keep in mind is that "its replacement[s] haven’t been around long enough for researchers to fully understand if they might have the same (or even different) health effects," according to the American Cancer Society.
Some people who are looking to avoid Teflon have started to opt for ceramic-coated cookware in its place. That said, we have found that ceramic-coated cookware's nonstick properties often fade at a faster rate. Plus, strong claims that products are "toxin-free" are hard to substantiate. The term is not currently regulated by government agencies, such as the FDA.
How we tested the Caraway Cookware Set
In the past eight years, the kitchen gear experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliance and Innovation Lab have tested over 115 cookware sets — and many more before that! — in a range of cookware materials (think: stainless steel, ceramic, carbon steel, you name it). So, when testing the Caraway Cookware Set, our pros utilized their well-established set of testing protocols to assess the performance and ease of use of this particular cookware set.
Our analysts put each element to the test on gas stoves, cooking a variety of items (think: steak, eggs and sauces) and comparing results to other pots and pans currently on the market. When testing the Caraway Cookware Set in the Lab, our analysts evaluated:
- How quickly and evenly each pan heated up
- How evenly the pans distributed heat
- Each pan's nonstick properties (i.e., their ability to release foods)
- How easily each pan cleaned
The Lab also sent the pans to some of our GH consumer product testers, who had a chance to test out the cookware in their own homes, then analyzed the data and incorporated it into the final scores.
Simultaneously, I switched up my pots and pans and cooked the majority of my meals for a total of two months with the Caraway Cookware Set. I tried a range of recipes to test the cookware's functionality, durability and convenience in the real world — from scrambled eggs, pancakes and frittatas to soups, pastas, sauces, fried rice, chicken, tacos and more.
Our honest review of the Caraway Cookware Set
Our review includes a breakdown of the Lab's results, as well as real-world testing data culled from our panel of consumer testers and my own experience with the Caraway Cookware Set.
Performance
In the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab's heat distribution test, our analysts found the pans heated evenly, for the most part, though the pans did tend to heat darker in the center than toward the handles. When testing how well the pans could sear a steak, they found that steak browned mostly even on both sides, though one side browned more evenly than the other.
When the team conducted the egg test, "frying" three eggs in a row with no grease, our pros found the first egg was pretty easy to flip but the subsequent eggs did start to stick and eventually became a bit difficult to flip with a spatula, leaving behind residue. (The best egg release tests result in eggs that are all easy to flip with no effort, sliding off the pan with ease.)
But what did our consumer testers think? In terms of functionality, the pans received high scores from in-home testers for their ability to mostly distribute heat and cook food evenly, though to achieve the best results some found it was important to cook on lower temps — this was a point of frustration for some consumer testers, as well as myself. (I love a good seared steak, which you can only achieve by hitting those higher cooking temps.) But by investing in a solid stainless steel skillet in addition to this cookware set, though, you can easily solve that issue. (Of note: Caraway is coming out with a stainless steel set soon, which we're intrigued to test.)
Finally, while this cookware set is relatively medium-weight, these pans are a bit heavier compared to other nonstick options out there. And while the slim lids with flat handles are pretty and functional, in Lab tests, the handles got noticeably hot while cooking and the lids collected condensation. It's best to keep a kitchen towel or pot holder nearby as a reminder that you should grab one before lifting the lid.
Cleaning
As tempted as you may be to pop these in the dishwasher, the brand recommends giving these pans a gentle scrub with warm, soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge — and our Lab experts agree that nonstick cookware should always be washed by hand to help it last longer, as some dishwasher detergents can cause the coating to break down faster.
After the Lab's egg tests, our analysts found that the pans were a bit hard to clean, requiring some scrubbing. And during the Lab's scorch test — where our analysts simmer pasta sauce for 30 minutes to see how easy the pans are to clean after — they experienced easy clean up but the inside of the pan turned pink, though that vanished after a couple of washes.
In terms of overall cleanup, our Lab experts noted that while the pans' exterior did get stained after use, they were able to easily remove new stains with Barkeeper’s Friend. That said, it got harder to remove exterior stains the more the team cooked with the pots and pans.
Lab Tip: In addition to hand-washing, if you want to keep your pans in tip-top shape and extend the shelf-life of nonstick coating, avoid cleaning with aerosol sprays, using metal utensils, cooking over high heats and drastic shifts in temperature (read: don't rinse a hot pan under cold water).
Meanwhile, consumer testers gave the pans high scores for easy cleaning and I was also impressed with how little effort it took to clean the fry pan after cooking scrambled eggs at home. That said, I found the inside of the pot had the potential to stain somewhat easily (as mentioned above, the inside of the saucepan stained red after the Lab's sauce test, but they say this stain eventually wore off over time).
Storage
While I've found that some other cookware sets contain far too many pieces, especially for anyone living in an apartment with a small kitchen, this set contained an appropriate amount of pots and pans in my opinion. I found the sizes to be convenient, too. While I commonly cook for two, it wasn't stressful to cook for four some nights or meal prep a big batch of soup on occasion.
Our consumer testers also appreciated that the storage system is included (one raved, "I loved the lid storage system" and another cited that the "sleek lid storage sleeve" was one of her favorite features), though some flagged that the rack took up too much space in their kitchens — and our Lab experts agree it can be quite bulky. As for me, the magnetic rack fit in the corner of my kitchen perfectly, and made it simple to store all the pots and pans without worrying about them scratching.
The bottom line: Is the Caraway Cookware Set worth it?
If you're looking for a starter set of pots and pans that are pretty enough to display on your kitchen counter, you have found a match. (I think they'd make a useful gift for college grads or be a nice addition to a wedding registry.)
"Overall, they're beautiful pans and would look good in anyone's kitchen," says Nicole Papantoniou, director of the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. "That said, they require a little extra care to use than some cookware since you can't use them over higher temps, and we found that the exterior stains easily. The nonstick coating also doesn't last long, but that's common with ceramic cookware."
The Lab included the Caraway Ceramic Cookware Set on its list of best ceramic cookware sets, with the label of "most stylish ceramic cookware set" — which makes sense, given how beautiful these pots and pans are. As for me, I will personally continue to use these pots and pans at home, admiring their aesthetic as I make a big-batch of soup or throw a frittata into the oven.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
This article was written by Trish Clasen Marsanico, the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen's deputy food editor. She has more than a decade of experience writing about food for GH, Women’s Health, Prevention, Redbook, Woman’s Day, The Daily Meal and Food Network.
Trish, who has been using the Caraway Cookware Set at home for over two months (and counting!), worked closely with Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou to put together this review. Nicole, an experienced product tester and recipe developer, oversees all of GH's kitchen gear content and testing, including cookware. The Lab has been testing Caraway's Cookware Set for almost three years, and continues to test the brand's products to evaluate long-term performance.
Trish (she/her) is the deputy food editor at Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things food, from cooking trends and delicious recipes to top-tested kitchen products and grocery finds. She has more than a decade of experience writing about food for GH, Women’s Health, Prevention, Redbook, Woman’s Day, The Daily Meal and Food Network. When she’s not at the supermarket or trying out a new recipe, you can find her at the beach, in her backyard or on the couch — typically with a glass of wine in hand.
