Move Over Nonstick, Caraway's Stainless Steel Cookware May Be Its Best Yet

All Stainless Steel

There’s a reason stainless-steel cookware has been in use for so long—it’s a durable option. It won’t stain, flake, or peel, and any scratches from metal utensils are just cosmetic and won’t render the cookware ineffective. Stainless steel can handle acidic foods like tomato sauces or even vinegar brines for refrigerator pickles with ease. 

Unlike nonstick cookware that can’t handle the heat, this set can handle oven heat up to 550 degrees, which is the usual maximum for home ovens. Plus, this stainless-steel cookware set has a timeless look that fits in well in any kitchen, from farmhouse to modern. (And even though this set shows fingerprints pretty easily, they are a breeze to wipe off.) The pans have heavy bases that offer even cooking when simmering sauces or stir-frying vegetables, without being too heavy for comfortable use.

While a nonstick skillet might be a good addition to this set (and Caraway certainly has many options), the pieces in this set take care of most cooking needs, whether it’s sautéing, stir-frying, or braising in the sauté pans, making soup or stew in the Dutch oven, or cooking a sauce or boiling potatoes in the saucepan.

Rounded Corners, Flat Lids, and Big Handles

The rounded corners on this cookware made me happy for two reasons. First, it was easy to get a spoon or spatula into those corners when stirring, keeping food from sticking and potentially burning. Even a whisk and a ladle fit well in the corners. And second, when emptying a pot, it was easy to scoop food out of the pan and into a serving bowl or storage container since food didn’t get stuck in corners.

After some skepticism about the flat lids, I have to admit that they’re just as good as the domed lids on other cookware. There’s a small hole that lets steam out, and the handles are generously sized so they’re easy to grab when it’s time to check inside the pot. Plus, they take less space in storage.

That generous handle arch also came in handy when grabbing them with an oven mitt or a towel. While they were slower to heat up than the pot, they did eventually get hot enough to need some protection. The handles on the pots were comfortable to use and hold, whether I was simply moving the cookware on the stove, or pouring sauce from the saucepan.

Easy and Convenient Storage

The brand recommends handwashing these pieces, which is less convenient than a dishwasher but can help preserve them. But after cleaning, there is no trouble putting this set somewhere out of the way. Caraway has always included storage racks with its cookware sets, but storage with this set is minimalistic, which makes it easier to fit into a fully equipped kitchen. Lids fit into a cloth holder that takes up very little space when hanging on a wall or cabinet door. Each pot has a small matching cradle that holds it securely, so the pots can be stored on their sides. The cradles hold onto each other with magnets, so they can be arranged in any order, and they make it simple to grab the right piece of cookware.

One final note…

While there is currently just one stainless steel cookware set, there are actually two versions of this set. The other one includes a mini saucepan and a mini frying pan that some cooks might find useful.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats? 

Donna Currie has been writing about kitchen gear for over a decade, and her kitchen has seen more styles of cookware than some kitchenwares stores. Her love of cooking and baking led her to write "Make Ahead Bread," a cookbook that’s all about making bread-baking less stressful.