Caraway Cookware Review (After 3 Years)

Content may contain affiliate links. When you shop the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business.

I’m sharing my honest Caraway Cookware review after owning my set for over 2 years. If you’ve been debating whether or not to buy the set, you’ll want to read this first!

Introduction to My Caraway Cookware Journey

Almost two years ago, we started our kitchen renovation. As part of the remodel, I wanted to get a new set of cookware, since the ones we were using were old ones that we inherited from my husband’s parents. Of course, I didn’t just want any cookware set, I wanted one that looked pretty on my stovetop and that was nonstick (but without the nasty toxic materials).

After some research, the name Caraway kept coming up so I reached out to them in the hopes of getting a gifted set.

Well, long story short, I didn’t get a full set but they did gift me a Caraway frying pan and a 6.5-quart Dutch oven. It looked pretty, and I didn’t have to pay for it so I wasn’t too bothered if I ended up liking them or not.

Well… let me tell you – I find that a lot of things that are “hyped” in the influencer world are because the people hyping them are getting large commissions to sell them. I know how this works since that’s my business, too. But for once, the hype is spot on for this cookware set. The set is so amazing and blows anything I’ve ever previously owned out of the water.

So much so, that once they released more colors (hello gold handles!) I went out and bought an entire set with my own money. And it does not disappoint.

Why I Love my Caraway Ceramic Cookware Set So Much

1. No Toxic Coating

First off, if you’ve ever owned traditional cookware with a non-stick Teflon coating, you’ll know that eventually, that coating starts to come off. When your pan reaches a temperature of 500 degrees, that Teflon coating can also start releasing toxic chemicals. Which means it’s probably in your food that you’re eating. Not good. Caraway Cookware is ceramic, which is a mineral-based coating that won’t leach toxic materials into your food.

2. Non-Stick & So Easy To Clean

The big selling point for me is that it’s naturally slick and incredibly non-stick. You need so little butter or oil for cooking, and food cleans right off (most of the time with just a rinse). This nonstick coating on both caraway pans and pots has made my life in my small kitchen so much easier.

I’ve cooked everything from fried eggs to caramelized onions and even chili in my pots and pans. Almost everything has rinsed right off, but sometimes needs a little help from my nylon pot scrubber.

Only once, when I allowed some pasta sauce to bubble over and get burnt, did I need a little extra help from my favorite non-abrasive scrubber, Bar Keeper’s Friend, to get some residue off the side of the pan.

Feedback from Followers: A Note on Care and Maintenance

Interestingly, I’ve noticed some comments on social media from folks who’ve had a less than stellar experience, mentioning their pans lost their non-stick surface after just a few weeks.

Naturally, this piqued my curiosity, so I reached out to a few of them to understand what was going on.

It turns out there were mainly two issues at play: First, they were cranking up the heat too high and inadvertently burning their food, then using metal utensils to try to scrape it off.

Second, their cleaning approach wasn’t quite up to snuff. Here’s the thing, and I can’t stress this enough – the way you treat your Caraway cookware makes a world of difference. High heat is a big no-no; it’s not just about the food burning, but it also compromises the integrity of that non-stick ceramic coating.

As for cleaning, gentle is the name of the game. A soft sponge should be your go-to, and for those more stubborn bits, the non-scratch sponge that comes with the set works wonders. I won’t pretend my Caraway set is invincible.

In over two years, I’ve had a couple of instances where something got a bit too toasty and clung on for dear life. But even then, a little Bar Keeper’s Friend came to the rescue and got all the burnt-on food right off without damaging the pans.

So, if you’re hearing stories of early wear and tear, consider the care routine – it makes all the difference.

3. Heats Quickly

The first week I had my Caraway cookware set, I kept burning and overcooking my food. Why? The pans get hot so much quicker than the cheap ones I’ve had in the past! They have an aluminum core which aids in quick and even heat distribution, a must for any quality cookware.

They heat evenly and don’t have cool spots that result in unevenly cooked food. So definitely keep that in mind! I went from frying an egg on medium-high to having to bring my stove temperature closer to low.

I also used to have to wait 5 minutes for my pan to warm up, but my Caraway pan is hot within 60 seconds.

Oh, and the pots and pans work on electric, gas, and induction stovetops.

4. Beautiful Colors

As amazing as the pots and pans are, they are equally beautiful. You’ll find a color that works without your home decor and fits perfectly in with your kitchen. It’s not often that functional kitchen items actually look pretty sitting out, but Caraway Cookware does! These gorgeous pans and pots have become one of my favorite things in the kitchen.

I read somewhere that someone had issues with the paint chipping off their pans. As you can see from mine (the blue is what I’ve had for almost 2 years) I have not had a single issue with paint chipping.

I hand wash everything – which is super quick to do, and something I always hated before but now it doesn’t bother me – and I don’t use anything abrasive to clean them.

5. Easy to Organize

When you purchase the full set, it comes with an awesome magnetic organizer and a handy canvas lid holder. The organizer is nice enough to sit on your countertop, or you can put it inside a cabinet. The lid organizer can be hung up, again inside a cabinet or on the back of a cabinet door.

This storage system with magnetic racks and cork trivets makes it easy to keep your caraway pots and pans organized and accessible.

Cons

1. Handles Can Get Really Hot

This is me being ridiculously picky and trying to come up with some negatives because this issue is not unique to Caraway. The pots and pans all have stainless steel handles, and can get really hot. I guess previously most of my frying pans had rubber handles. The easy solution here is to use oven mitts or pot holders before grabbing the handle. But just thought I’d mention it!

2. Limited Selection

My only other gripe is that when I originally purchased my set, smaller pots and pans were not available. The ones that come in the set are large, and sometimes I just want a mini fry pan for one egg, or a small saucepan to heat soup or make sauce.

Caraway recently launched a new line of mini-cookware, so I guess that solves my problem and I’ll just have to go out and buy more! They now also offer bakeware, a squareware set, and even food storage containers! So I should really check this off the list of cons!

Final Thoughts

On social media, I’ve seen a growing community of Caraway users, each sharing their favorite things about their cookware. From the minimal oil needed to cook a perfect fried egg to the gorgeous pans available in different colors, it’s clear I’m not the only one impressed.

As long as you follow the guidelines to keep your cookware in good condition – no extreme high heats, no metal utensils, and cleaning them properly, you will love the Caraway Home cookware set. However, if you are someone who prefers metal utensils and cooking at high temperatures, then this set is probably not for you.