Caraway’s Cookware sets are probably the most attractive pots, pans and baking sheets I’ve ever seen, so I was keen to get my hands on some to see if their performance lives up to the hype and expectations.
At Trail & Kale, eating clean, whole foods is part of our ethos, and so of course we want the food that we bake and cook to be cooked using kitchenware that we can trust to be safe for our bodies, too.
This Caraway Cookware review covers my experience using the Caraway Cookware Set (pots and pans) and Bakeware Set (baking dishes and sheets), which come with storage solutions for storing pots, pans, sheets and lids and are available in a range of desirable colors and metal finishes.
About Caraway Home’s Cookware range
You’ve probably seen or heard of Caraway Home‘s cookware from advertisements on YouTube or social media such as Facebook and Instagram.
The three key features of Caraway’s cookware range are that the pots, pans and baking trays are:
- Made with non-toxic coatings
- Made with non-stick proprietary ceramic coating
- High-design – there’s no doubting this is some good-looking and well-designed cookware – that’s probably what grabbed your attention in the first place, right?!
Non-toxic, non-stick coating
Of course, all cookware should be made and sold with non-toxic coating, and in recent years, from any known brand, then that’s what you should get.
Specifically, Caraway Home’s cookware and bakeware products are made using a proprietary ceramic coating that’s not only non-toxic, it’s also non-stick.
It’s desirable to have non-stick coating on your bakeware because this means your food slides easily around and off the pan, with you using minimal lubricating grease such as butter or oil to aid the process.
While pans coated with Teflon tend to dominate the mass-market when it comes to kitchenware, pans with these types of coating don’t appeal to many – and Caraway has stepped in offering an alternative option.
Design
Yes, these pots, pans and baking tins are probably some of the most aesthetically-pleasing options on the market.
Made from colored aluminum with a choice of colors and contrasting metallic handle options, it’s fun choosing a set that appeals to you or matches your kitchen.
It’s worth noting that these colorways can be limited edition – for example, my cookware set is in the limited edition ‘Stone’ color with copper handles, which isn’t currently available on Caraway’s website.
So, for this reason, if you are interested in Caraway Cookware you may want to consider buying a comprehensive set all in one go, or avoiding a limited color set, in case the color is discontinued in future just when you decide you want to add to your range of pots or baking sheets.
My experience using Caraway Home’s cookware sets
Both the ceramic-coated cookware and bakeware sets arrived well-packaged, in 100% cardboard packaging (no plastic!) and together with the included pot, sheet and lid storage solutions that come as part of the bundle.
When I say storage solutions, I’m talking about:
- A canvas pot lid hanger that’s designed to sit on the inside of your cabinet door. Very neat!
- A magnetic pot rack that allows you to store pots side-by-side rather than stacking them one on top of the other – both this and the lid hanger came with my Cookware Set
- Two fabric covered bakeware storage units come with the Bakeware Set
For cooking and baking we have an induction cooktop and electric oven, so I’ve been testing the Caraway pots, pans and sheets using these appliances.
Caraway Cookware Set Review
With this set, which retails at $395 (but may be discounted, for example they’re currently on sale for $355 – check the product page of Caraway’s website) you get four items, plus storage:
- 10.5″ frying pan
- 3 quart saucepan
- 4.5 quart saute pan
- 6.5 quart dutch oven
- Cabinet door lid storage
- Magnetic pot storage rack
All the pots and pans in the cookware set are induction-compatible.
While the pans themselves are made with heavy-duty aluminum, they have a steel base that makes them suitable for use on an induction cooktop.
The robust construction does mean these pans feel heavier than other cookware you may be used to. That’s especially true if your previous set had any plastic or rubber in the construction, rather than being 100% metal.
My other cookware set is a stainless steel Le Creuset set, which is also heavy duty and at the more expensive end of the cookware spectrum. So this serves as a basis for comparison to the Caraway set.
The non-stick surface of the Caraway pans is a delight to cook with, and cleans off easily. Time will tell how long the coating lasts – this is one downside of these pots and pans in that the non-stick coating will not be there forever, which is a little concerning when I contemplate the longevity of these pans.
I was surprised to find the Caraway pans take a significantly longer time to heat up on the induction cooktop than my Le Creuset set – to the point where I have to keep checking the cooktop is on and working, because I feel no heat in the pan for quite a while.
If you cook using gas this may not be an issue for you, but for me it poses a challenge when induction is a method that will cook so quickly, given the right pots.
I like the all-metal construction. These pans are aluminum with a steel induction plate and no plastic or rubber, so they can handle higher heats and being placed in the oven or under a grill.
This is particularly useful for the dutch oven, as it can be used to bake bread in the oven using high heat (around 500F). I’ve made some excellent round loaves of bread in my Caraway dutch oven!
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I really appreciate the thought that has gone into shaping the handles. These pans can get heavy when full, and the curve on the bottom helps maintain a grip and stops your hand sliding towards the hot part of the pan – although that’s not really an issue with induction it will be important if you cook on gas, for example.
The storage accessories are a nice touch. Pots and lids are so awkward to store quickly and still have easy access to all the pots at once.
The storage pot rack lets you store them on their sides, so no stacking involved, and the lids are kept out of the way in the canvas lid storage hanger.
That being said, check the rack and hanger will actually fit in your cabinets and allow you to close the doors. Our kitchen storage is mostly comprised of deep drawers, however we have not been able to use the magnetic rack pot as it makes the pots taller than the drawer height when stored on their side.
The lid hanger, however, is great as it fits on the inside of our pantry closet door.
Caraway Bakeware Set Review
With this bestselling bakeware set, which also normally retails at $395 and is currently discounted to $355 (check the Bakeware set product page for current discounts), you get 11 items:
- 2 sizes of baking sheet
- 12-cup muffin pan
- Cooling rack
- 9×13″ Rectangle pan
- 2x 9″ circle pans
- 1lb loaf pan
- 9″ square pan
- Storage racks
These pans and sheets are so aesthetically pleasing that they really make you want to bake, that’s for sure.
My bakeware set is in the Sage colorway (green).
My favorite pan is the 1lb loaf pan – it’s perfect for making things like banana bread and lemon drizzle cake in, and the curved corners and non-stick surface mean my baked creations slide right out once cooked, leaving nothing behind.
Unfortunately, the largest baking sheet doesn’t fit in my 24 inch wide European-brand oven.
That’s a shame as it looks perfect for making crispy roast potatoes, and the cooling rack that fits onto it is also something I’m unable to use. So unlike me, definitely check the measurements if you have a smaller oven, too.
Other FAQ about Caraway Cookware
Are Caraway pans dishwasher safe?
Caraway recommends their cookware is handwashed. This is my biggest issue with these products.
Sometimes the pans will clean up quickly using a sponge and some dish soap, so that’s fine, no dishwasher needed on those occasions.
However, I don’t really think it’s practical for most households that would buy this kind of premium ceramic cookware to have to avoid using the dishwasher for these items.
Not being a fan of hand-washing myself, I have put them through the dishwasher consistently since receiving them, and they’ve come out just fine. Time will tell whether this has an impact on the pans’ longevity.
Can you use Caraway cookware on induction cooktops?
Yes! We have an induction cooktop and use Caraway cookware on it.
The aluminum pots and saucepans have magnetic steel plates bonded to the bottom which allows them to work with induction.
However, I do find it takes significantly longer for the Caraway pots to heat up, compared to my Le Creuset pots.
Can you use olive oil on Caraway pans?
Yes, but they recommend you avoid using spray oils. You shouldn’t need to use too much oil anyway, though, given the slickness of the non-stick coating.
Are Caraway dishes worth it?
If your kitchen cooking and bakeware are not performing for you then it’s definitely worth considering switching underperforming items out for new cookware that will make cooking more enjoyable for you.
After all, most people cook meals at home on most days, so this is something you’re going to use a lot, which to me means I believe it’s worth having the ‘good stuff’ to make everyday life (cooking, at least) easier.
You can probably get other sets for less money. But the allure of Caraway in their quality construction, non-toxic coating and selection of attractive color and metal handle options means you may just find it worthwhile to spend that bit more – but make sure you don’t mind committing to hand-washing your cookware as opposed to putting it through a cycle in the dishwasher.
Where to buy
Caraway often offers some pretty significant discounts to customers on their website, which is the best place to shop the full range (color options and sizes) of bundles as well as individual products and accessories:
Review summary
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