Caraway and Made In both sell direct-to-consumer cookware in the $100-$800 range, but they solve different problems. Caraway makes ceramic-coated nonstick pans in 13+ colors, designed for easy cooking and a kitchen that looks put together. Made In builds 5-ply stainless steel cookware used in over 2,000 restaurants, designed to last decades.
The short version: Caraway is for cooks who want effortless nonstick performance and care about aesthetics. Made In is for cooks who want restaurant-grade heat control and a pan that won't change in twenty years. We compared materials, cooking performance, price, and long-term value to help pick the right set.
How Caraway and Made In Got Started
Caraway launched in 2019 after founder Jordan Nathan got sick while cooking with a traditional nonstick pan at high heat. The culprit: chemicals in the coating. Nathan built Caraway around ceramic nonstick that's free from PFAS, PTFE, PFOA, lead, and cadmium. The brand has since been featured in Vogue, Architectural Digest, and Good Housekeeping, and its products are sold at Crate & Barrel and Costco.
Made In started in 2017 when childhood friends Jake Kalick and Chip Malt, backed by a 4th-generation family kitchen supply business, decided to bring professional-grade cookware to home cooks at fair prices. Made In partners with family-owned factories in the US and Italy. The brand has collected over 100,000 five-star reviews and counts chefs at over 2,000 restaurants as customers.
Materials and Construction
The core difference between Caraway and Made In comes down to what your food touches.
Caraway uses an aluminum core wrapped in a mineral-based ceramic coating derived from sand. The ceramic layer provides nonstick performance without synthetic chemicals. Eggs slide, vegetables release, and cleanup takes about 30 seconds with warm water. The downside: ceramic coatings wear down over time. Customers who cook daily report the nonstick surface losing performance after 12 to 18 months, particularly if they use high heat or metal utensils.
Made In's Stainless Clad line uses 5-ply construction, with five alternating layers of stainless steel and aluminum bonded together. There's no coating to degrade. The raw stainless steel cooking surface won't change in year one or year twenty. The trade-off is that stainless steel is not nonstick by nature. You need to preheat your pan, add oil, and let it come to temperature before adding food. Most cooks adjust to this in a week or two.
Cooking Performance
Caraway pans are built for low-to-medium heat cooking. Scrambled eggs, sauteed greens, a quick pan sauce: these are Caraway's strengths. The ceramic coating makes food release almost effortless, and the aluminum core spreads heat across the cooking surface without hot spots. The pans are oven safe up to 550°F. Caraway recommends keeping the burner at medium or lower to extend coating life.
Made In's stainless steel excels at the opposite end. Searing a steak, browning chicken thighs, building fond (those caramelized bits that form the base of a great pan sauce): this is where 5-ply construction pays off. In independent tests, Made In's frying pan boiled water faster than All-Clad and Calphalon. The pans are oven safe up to 800°F, which opens up pan-to-oven techniques like starting a pork chop on the stovetop and finishing it under the broiler.
For a lot of home cooks, the answer is both. A ceramic nonstick pan for eggs and quick weeknight meals, a stainless set for the cooking that requires high heat and control.
Caraway Cookware Set
The Caraway Cookware Set ($395) is the brand's bestselling product and the entry point most buyers choose.
Cookware Set
Four ceramic-coated pans in 13+ colors with magnetic storage racks. PFAS, PTFE, and PFOA free.
Shop NowThe set includes a 10.5" fry pan, 3 qt saucepan with lid, 4.5 qt saute pan with lid, and 6.5 qt Dutch oven with lid. Every piece comes in your choice of color, from muted Sage and Cream to bolder Navy and Marigold. Caraway also ships magnetic pan racks, a canvas lid holder, and magnetic trivets with the set, which solve the universal problem of pans scratching each other in the cabinet.
All four pans work on gas, electric, and induction cooktops. Our editors recommend this set for the home cook who values nontoxic materials, quick cleanup, and a kitchen where the cookware matches the backsplash. Keep heat at medium or below and use wooden or silicone utensils to get the longest life from the ceramic coating.
Best for: Everyday cooking, nontoxic kitchens, and anyone who wants cookware that looks as good as the food it makes.
Made In 10-Piece Stainless Clad Set
The Made In 10-Piece Stainless Clad Set ($799) costs twice what the Caraway set does, but it's built on a different promise: this is the last cookware you buy.
10-Piece Stainless Clad Set
Ten pieces of 5-ply stainless steel, crafted in Italy. Oven safe to 800°F with a lifetime warranty.
Shop NowThe set covers the full range: 8" and 10" frying pans, 2 qt and 4 qt saucepans with lids, 3 qt saucier with lid, and 8 qt stockpot with lid. Each piece uses Made In's 5-ply clad construction, manufactured in Italy from bonded stainless steel and aluminum. Independent reviews compare the heat distribution favorably to All-Clad, at roughly half the price. The pans are dishwasher safe, induction compatible, and backed by a lifetime warranty.
Our editors recommend this set for cooks who want professional-level heat control without paying professional-level prices. You'll spend the first couple of weeks learning how stainless steel behaves (preheat, oil, patience), and then the learning curve flattens out.
Best for: High-heat cooking, long-term value, and cooks who prioritize performance over convenience.
If You Want to Start Small
Not ready to commit to a full set? Both brands sell individual pans that let you test the material before going all in.
The Caraway Fry Pan ($125, 10.5") is a good way to see if ceramic nonstick fits your cooking habits. The Made In Stainless Clad Frying Pan (~$109, 10") costs slightly less and gives you a feel for how 5-ply stainless performs on your stovetop. Buying one of each, then building out the brand you prefer, is a move we see a lot of cookware buyers make.
Design and Kitchen Aesthetic
Caraway treats cookware as a design object. The brand offers 13+ colors with a smooth matte ceramic finish: sage green pans on a brass pot rack, navy blue against white subway tile. The included magnetic storage system keeps pans organized and scratch-free. If you have open shelving or a pot rack, Caraway pans pull their weight as both tools and decor.
Made In goes the other direction. Brushed stainless steel has a clean, professional look that doesn't call attention to itself. It's the kind of cookware you'd see in a restaurant kitchen behind the pass. If your kitchen skews functional over decorative, Made In fits without trying.
Price Comparison
| Caraway | Made In | |
|---|---|---|
| Full set | $395 (sale) / $545 (regular) | $799 (sale) / $1,024 (regular) |
| Individual fry pan | $125 (10.5") | ~$109 (10") |
| Construction | Aluminum + ceramic coating | 5-ply stainless steel clad |
| Oven safe | Up to 550°F | Up to 800°F |
| Warranty | Limited | Lifetime |
| Made in | China | USA and Italy |
Caraway costs less upfront and includes storage accessories that Made In doesn't offer. But stainless steel's durability changes the math over five, ten, or twenty years. If you replace a Caraway set every two to three years due to coating wear, the cumulative cost overtakes Made In's one-time price.
Our Recommendation
Pick Caraway if nontoxic materials are a priority, you cook mostly on low-to-medium heat, and you want cleanup that takes seconds. Caraway works best for home cooks who value ease and aesthetics.
Pick Made In if you love searing at high heat, you want cookware that lasts a lifetime, and you care more about performance than picking the right color. Made In is for the cook who treats the kitchen like a workspace.
A third option: own both. Keep a Caraway fry pan ($125) for eggs and weeknight stir-fries, and use a Made In stainless set for the rest. You don't have to commit to one brand for every pan in your kitchen.
5 More Reasons to Upgrade Your Cookware
PFAS-free cookware is more accessible than it was five years ago
Caraway's ceramic fry pan starts at $125, and the brand runs regular sales that bring the full set under $400. Safe cookware no longer requires a premium budget.
DTC pricing cuts out the retail markup
Both Caraway and Made In sell direct, which means better materials at lower prices. Made In's 5-ply stainless rivals All-Clad's construction at about half the retail price.
Even heat distribution improves your cooking
Cheap pans have hot spots that scorch garlic in the center and leave edges cold. Both Caraway's aluminum core and Made In's 5-ply construction spread heat across the full surface.
Good storage prevents scratches and cabinet chaos
Caraway ships magnetic pan racks and a canvas lid holder with every set. If your cabinets look like a game of pan Jenga, that detail alone is worth the price.
Both brands offer hassle-free shipping and returns
Caraway ships free on orders over $90 with 30-day returns. Made In ships free with no minimum and backs stainless steel products with a lifetime warranty.
Explore Caraway's cookware lineup or shop Made In's stainless clad collection and find the set that fits the way you cook.
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