I’m a private chef and Caraway’s cookware made me cancel my All-Clad order

There’s something intimate about cookware. You’re not just sauteing onions — you’re summoning sustenance after a day from hell, whipping up something impressive for a date, or preparing a feast for fifteen socialites as a private chef. As the latter (chef, not socialite), I’ve used everything from professional-grade All-Clad to thrifted cast iron that hasn’t seen proper hydration in decades, I mean it. My standards for pots and pans are higher than most people’s standards for relationships (or things that matter).

As a private chef in New York City and the Hamptons, I don’t have the luxury of bad tools. I cook for clients who spend $500 on face serum and expect their salmon skin seared like it’s opening night at Le Bernardin. So when I tested Caraway’s cookware — both the nonstick ceramic and the newer stainless steel line — I didn’t go easy. I used it for everything: midnight eggs, three-hour stews, and the kind of pan sauce that makes you want to lick the spoon.

Spoiler: Caraway passed. With flying, satin-finish, oven-safe colors. Here’s why.

About Caraway

What is Caraway? Caraway is a design-forward cookware brand known for its sleek, non-toxic ceramic nonstick pots and pans that actually perform. Caraway pans come in Pinterest-perfect colors and promise toxin-free cooking (their ceramic coating is free of PTFE, PFOA, PFAS, and other sketchy chemicals). Think modern, minimalist, and surprisingly pro-grade.

The Caraway cookware line includes the Caraway fry pan, sauté pan, sauce pan, and Dutch oven, available individually or as a bundle (which includes a magnetic pan rack and lid holder that Marie Kondo would faint over). Recently, the brand added Caraway stainless steel cookware, expanding beyond ceramic to appeal to cooks who want more control and browning power.

TL;DR: Caraway cookware is non-toxic, stylish, and shockingly effective, ideal for beginners who want ease and aesthetics, and pros who want performance with polish. This Caraway cookware review confirms what the brand promises: beauty meets brawn.

Our review

Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Cookware Set

Caraway

The Caraway Nonstick Ceramic 12-Piece Set is the cookware equivalent of upgrading from a twin mattress on the floor to a king with a linen duvet and mood lighting. You get all the heavy-hitting essentials: a 10.5-inch fry pan, 3-quart sauce pan, 4.5-quart saute pan, and 6.5-quart Dutch oven, along with matching lids, a magnetic pan rack, and a canvas lid holder that will make your cabinet look well put together.

Each piece is coated in Caraway’s signature ceramic nonstick surface — free of PTFE, PFOA, and other chemicals you can’t pronounce — making it safe, effective, and genuinely easy to clean. It’s oven-safe to 550°F, works on all stovetops, and comes in colors so chic they double as counter decor. Whether you’re making midnight eggs or hosting a dinner party, this set will make you feel like the main character of your own cooking show.

Kendall Cornish’s Caraway set at work. New York Post

Material: Aluminum core with mineral-based ceramic nonstick coating; free of PTFE, PFOA, PFAS, lead, and cadmium | Colors: Cream, Navy, Sage, Perracotta, Slate, Gray, Black, White, Marigold, Mist, and Limited Editions (varies by season) | Cooktop Compatibility: Induction, gas, electric, and ceramic | Oven-Safe: Up to 550°F | Dishwasher-Safe: No (handwash only to preserve nonstick coating).

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Cooking with the Caraway nonstick set feels a little like cheating. You throw eggs in, and they slide around like they’re on ice skates. You sauté vegetables and barely need oil. Cleanup? A quick wipe with a sponge and it’s done. I’ve used every piece in this set — from the sauté pan for one-skillet chicken thighs to the Dutch oven for short rib stew — and not once have I had a scorched, stuck-on mess. As someone who regularly works as a private chef and knows my way around “nonstick” products that, frankly, lie, this one lives up to the hype.

The ceramic coating is a dream — truly non-toxic, truly nonstick, and holds up better than I expected. And yes, is Caraway non toxic? Completely. The mineral-based ceramic surface is free of all the usual suspects: PTFE, PFOA, PFAS, lead, cadmium. So you can feel virtuous while searing your salmon.

Over the past year, I’ve been rougher on these pans than a normal person probably would be. And while I do see a few light scratches, the coating is still intact and wildly effective. Aesthetically, these pans are hot. The color options are tasteful and rich, and the included storage system (that magnetic pan rack and canvas lid holder) is actually a game-changer. My cabinet has never looked better.

In terms of performance vs. price, Caraway easily beats mid-tier cookware like GreenPan, and in a Caraway vs Our Place face-off, I’d take Caraway every time. The Our Place Always Pan definitely has its time and place, but it struggles with higher heat. Caraway gives you the whole culinary toolkit, plus consistent results.

I used the Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Set almost daily across three years — at home and during client gigs — cooking everything from crispy tofu to duck breast to Sunday stews. I compared them with All-Clad, HexClad, Our Place, GreenPan, and Made In, evaluating heat conduction, stick resistance, durability, and ease of cleanup.

Camryn La Sala, our Commerce Editor, tested the pan separately and summed it up best: “This durable kitchen workhorse is bound to last you much longer and give you an edge with all kinds of cooking.”

Camryn La Sala’s Caraway set at work. New York Post

This is more than a cookware set; it’s a gateway drug to loving your kitchen again.

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Caraway Stainless Steel Cookware Set

Caraway

Caraway’s Stainless Steel 12-Piece Set is what happens when you take pro-level performance and dress it in brushed runway-ready stainless. This set includes a 10.5-inch fry pan, 3-quart sauce pan, 4.5-quart saute pan, and a 6.5-quart Dutch oven, plus lids and modular storage racks that make you feel like an organized adult.

Constructed from 5-ply stainless steel with an aluminum core, each piece offers excellent heat control, perfect for browning, braising, and deglazing without hot spots. Unlike traditional stainless, these pans actually feel balanced in your hand — solid but not punishingly heavy. It’s dishwasher-safe, oven-safe up to 550°F, induction compatible, and unapologetically sleek. This is the set you get when you’re done pretending to like that warping pan from college.

Kendall Cornish’s Caraway set neatly stored. New York Post

Material: 5-ply stainless steel with an aluminum core for superior heat control and durability | Colors: Silver (brushed stainless steel exterior, polished interior) | Cooktop Compatibility: Induction, gas, electric, and ceramic | Oven-Safe: Up to 550°F | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes (though handwashing is recommended to preserve shine)

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Let’s shift gears to the Caraway stainless steel set, which I’ve been using daily for the past three weeks, and spoiler: it’s not just for looks. This is serious cookware for serious cooking. The 5-ply construction (with an aluminum core for fast, even heating) makes a noticeable difference, especially when you’re searing proteins or building flavor layers in sauces. I’ve cooked steak, deglazed pans with white wine, and simmered ragu, all without scorching or hot spots.

The fry pan alone rivals my All-Clad, which is saying something. And the sauté pan? A total workhorse for risotto and curries. I also love how the Dutch oven holds steady heat over time — ideal for braising. Everything feels balanced in the hand, which makes it easier to pour, toss, and flip like you know what you’re doing. These aren’t lightweight pans, but they’re not unwieldy either.

Compared to HexClad, which I’ve tested, the Caraway stainless steel set feels more refined. HexClad vs Caraway comes down to aesthetics and heat retention — Caraway wins on both, though HexClad may be more forgiving for beginners who aren’t used to cooking on raw stainless. But once you get the hang of stainless steel cooking, Caraway gives you better results, a more elegant design, and, again, less clunky storage.

Also, this set is fully dishwasher safe, which is rare for high-performance stainless steel. That makes it a standout for anyone who wants pro-level results without committing to a full chef lifestyle (aka hand-washing everything at 10 p.m.).

Our Updates Editor, Holly J. Coley, said of Caraway’s Stainless Steel Set, “I’ve owned stainless steel cookware before but never fully appreciated it or knew what to look for until testing Caraway’s Stainless Steel 7-Piece Cookware Set. Good cookware is pricey but after reviewing this set, I understood why. Never have I experienced such lightweight stainless steel that seemed to evolve with my cooking process. Being more mindful of the heat and cleaning is something I’ll have to get used to, but it’s worth it.

Holly J. Coley’s Caraway set unboxing. New York Post

“The meal I made to test it with came out perfect — heated all the way through (I was cooking with frozen vegetables as well as fresh), and I was even able to brown some bits without damaging the cookware the way I have with other sets. It’s an investment but will pay for itself in years of culinary masterpieces. I absolutely love it.”

How we tested

I’ve had the Caraway stainless steel cookware set in rotation for three weeks, and let me tell you, I didn’t baby it. I broke it in with high-heat sears, acidic sauces, and reckless late-night pasta experiments. The kind of cooking that leaves lesser pans permanently scorched or emotionally traumatized.

I tested each piece — fry pan, saute pan, sauce pan, and Dutch oven — across a range of techniques: searing steak, deglazing with wine, caramelizing onions, slow-simmering a tomato ragu, and boiling pasta. I compared the heat distribution and browning quality against my All-Clad D3, which has been my ride-or-die stainless for years. The Caraway set held its own, browning evenly, heating quickly (but not too aggressively), and cleaning up shockingly well with just a bit of Bar Keepers Friend when needed.

I also paid attention to ergonomics. These pans are balanced. The handles stay cool enough to grab mid-cook (unless you’re torching the whole thing on high), and the weight feels sturdy without being arm-day heavy. The sauté pan, in particular, became my go-to for risotto and one-pan dishes — it gave me enough surface area to reduce liquids evenly without scorching the edges.

For three weeks, I cooked like I was trying to kill these pans. They didn’t flinch. That’s high praise from someone who treats her kitchen tools like test subjects, not decor.

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The final verdict

This isn’t hype, it’s a hot pan renaissance. Caraway cookware looks like it belongs in a Nancy Meyers kitchen, but cooks like it belongs in a Michelin-starred one. Whether you’re shopping for your first apartment, upgrading old cookware, or debating between Our Place vs Caraway, go with Caraway if you want reliable performance and max versatility.

While not the cheapest pans on the market, they’re an investment in your daily life, and in my very biased, chef-brained opinion, that’s what makes the splurge worth it.

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Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Kendall Cornish, New York Post Commerce Editor & Reporter. Kendall, who moonlights as a private chef in the Hamptons for New York elites, lends her expertise to testing and recommending cooking products – for beginners and aspiring sous chefs alike. Simmering and seasoning her way through both jobs, Kendall dishes on everything from the best cookware for your kitchen to cooking classes that will level-up your skills to new dinnerware to upgrade your holiday hosting. Prior to joining the Post’s shopping team in 2023, Kendall previously held positions at Apartment Therapy and at Dotdash Meredith’s Travel + Leisure and Departures magazines.

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