Caraway Cookware Review: Is It Worth It?

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By now, you’ve most likely heard of Caraway’s legendary cookware. Their non-toxic cookware sets come in the dreamiest colorways that not only look stunning your kitchen but are insanely easy clean. What’s not to love? Let’s take a deeper look into Caraway’s Cookware.

Who is Caraway?

Caraway is non-stick cookware brand that uses a non-toxic coating in their beautiful cookware. I love their commitment to health as they maintain the ease of non-stick cookware. There’s a reason non-stick is so popular but traditional coatings have their issues.

Caraway’s mission is four-fold. They aim to have:

• No Harmful Chemicals: With their ceramic-coated, aluminum based cookware, they are third party tested to be free of PFOA, PTFE (like Teflon), lead, and cadmium.
• Eco-friendly: The manufacturing process of their cookware uses 60% less carbon dioxide as compared to other non-stick coatings.
• Sustainably-packaged: Their packaging does not use any single use plastic. It is made from recycled cardboard and also included biodegradable cork trivets! Super cool.
• Ethical manufacturing: You’ll also find it reassuring to know that they support BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) and SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) certified manufacturing partners.

One thing I enjoy about Caraway is that they have prioritized a non-toxic non-stick coating. Non-stick bakeware is so convenient to use and clean but many studies have found that the chemicals used can have harmful effects on the body.

These include PFOA and PTFE that begin to breakdown at higher temperatures and leach into your food. Once these effects came to light through extensive research, changes began to be made in the cookware manufacturing industry. However, there are still products that exist with these chemicals.

They’ve done their due diligence to make sure none of these harmful chemicals are in their cookware and that they don’t leech into your food.

Caraway’s cookware has an aluminized steel core that is coated using the sol-gel process (which involves a process of activation, filtration, surface preparation, and application) to form a ceramic coating that includes 5-15% silicon composition. I’ve asked about their 3rd party tests and the results are here, here, here, and here. This way you can see for yourself that their coatings are non-toxic!

The Best Parts of Caraway Pans:

I have a lot to say here, so buckle up! From the first time I used my Caraway pans, I loved them. And a year later, I still do!

Here’s a rundown of the best qualities, in my opinion:

The Ease of Cleaning:

From the first time you use them, you’ll notice how easy they are to clean. I hate doing dishes yet it has somehow always been my role (ever since I could see over the sink my parents had me washing dishes).

And now as an adult, it’s still my role in the house. So ease of cleaning is a MUST for me. I don’t want to leave things “to soak” or have to scrub them endlessly. Everything on my pans cleans up super easily. It’s truly game-changing.

They Are Oven-Safe:

Other than my cast iron pans, I have never had pans that are oven safe. And, oh boy, what was I missing? I made Thanksgiving dinner last year for six people and having oven safe pans made it SO easy to finish and make all of my dishes.

They Are Ethically Manufactured:

This is not a quality of the pans necessarily, however, as someone who has come to, over time, learn more about fair wages and safe work environments, I feel good about purchasing from a company that goes the extra mile to work with certified manufacturing partners where employees are safe, paid fairly, given benefits, and work regulated hours.

They Are Actually Non-Stick:

True to their name, these pans are actually non-stick! As long as you cook at the recommended temperatures, I have had no issues with sticking. It’s truly amazing!!

The Colors:

I’m adding this as a pro because I love that they come in a huge variety of colors. They also recently came out with their Iconics collection which comes in black and white with gold hardware (it’s absolutely stunning!).

The Storage:

Being completely honest with you, this is one of the things I love the most about Caraway. They’ve thought about the storage! The magnetic pan holders at honestly a dream. Once you use them you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them! I keep them in my cabinet below my stove for easy organization and it’s truly amazing.

The Number of Pans and Lids:

This is definitely a pro because you always have the pans and lids that match and fit each other!! It really simplifies cooking for me.

Bigger sets might seem like a “better value” but truly all they do is add unnecessary clutter to your life. There is beauty in simplicity!

Are There Any Cons of Caraway? My Thoughts After 1 Year of Use:

I have had my set of Caraway pans for about a year now. And in my opinion they are still holding up very well and I don’t regret purchasing them.

One thing you have to keep in mind is that (like with most cookware) you cannot cook at high temperatures on your stove. You should cook on medium-low to ensure your pans last as long as possible.

I made the mistake of cooking with one of mine over high heat and the coating started wearing away. I could tell because the center of my pan was no longer non-stick. I immediately stopped using it because of this.

However cooking over high heat is something that should be avoided with most types of cookware so this is completely my fault and not a result of Caraway’s products.

I bought these soon after we moved into our house as we needed new pots and pans at this time and I am pleased with our purchase.

I’ve also gifted Caraway pans. After my brother sent me a picture of him using a Teflon pan, I knew I had to upgrade him ASAP.

Is it worth the cost?

The Caraway price tag might seem a little hefty at $395 for the four pan set but I actually think it’s a really great value!

For the price, you’re getting:

• 10.5″ fry pan
• 3 qt sauce pan
• 4.5 qt sauté pan
• 6.5 quart dutch oven
• 4 magnetic pan racks
• canvas lid storage holder
• 2 hot pads
• 3 lids that fit all of the pans

I use all of these pans in any given week. It’s not like you’re paying $395 to get a 25 piece set full of things you won’t actually use. You’re paying for very high quality, ethically produced, non-stick pans that are easy to clean and will last. I think they were worth the investment.

My husband and I both agree that we would purchase them again. We’re huge fans.

Related: Caraway Bakeware Review – Is It Worth It?

Is Caraway Greenwashed? Let’s Chat About It

There’s a lot of talk about non-stick pans and the chemicals they use. The truth is no cookware is going to be perfect. There are always going to be pros and cons.

But in my opinion, Caraway is the best non-stick non-toxic cookware on the market. They make the effort to test their products for harmful chemicals and leaching. As long as you use them properly, I feel that they are safe to use and not greenwashed.

In Summary: Is Caraway Worth It?

I don’t think you will regret investing in Caraway. I certainly don’t and I have both the cookware and the bakeware sets. I’ve been using the cookware for over a year and will continue to use it for years to come. The main question is, which color will you pick?

About the Author

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com