Choosing between DTC cookware sensations Great Jones and Caraway often comes down to personal style and priorities. Great Jones offers vibrant, statement-making cookware at a mid-range price point with a focus on functional, modern design, while Caraway provides sleek, minimalist pieces with a strong emphasis on non-toxic, eco-friendly materials at a premium price.
Let's compare everything you need to know to choose the right cookware for your kitchen.
Great Jones: The Colorful Modern Kitchen
Launched in 2018, Great Jones is known for its joyful and design-forward approach to kitchen essentials. The brand appeals to home cooks who value aesthetics as much as performance, offering durable, user-friendly pieces in a signature palette of bright, eye-catching colors that are meant to be displayed.
- Product mix: A focused collection of cookware, bakeware, and accessories, including Dutch ovens, frying pans, saucepans, sheet pans, and utensils.
- Style/vibe: Playful and modern. Their products feature bright, primary colors like broccoli green and blueberry blue, complemented by matte finishes and contemporary shapes.
- Price point: Mid-range and accessible. Individual pieces generally fall between $30–$150, with cookware sets starting around $150.
- Quality: Constructed with durable aluminum cores for even heat conduction and coated with a non-toxic, PFOA-free non-stick surface. Most pieces are oven-safe and dishwasher-friendly.
- Target Customer: Style-conscious millennials, young professionals, and home cooks who want kitchen tools that add personality and color to their space without a premier price tag.
- Key Selling Points: Vibrant and unique color options, exceptional heat retention in pieces like its famous “Dutchess” oven, and a strong brand community.
Great Jones delivers reliable, attractive tools for the modern cook who believes kitchenware should be both functional and fun.
Shop Great Jones: greatjoneskitchen.com
Caraway: The Non-Toxic Minimalist Choice
Caraway has built a loyal following on its commitment to health, sustainability, and clean design. Their mission is to provide thoughtfully designed, non-toxic cookware that makes cooking safer and more enjoyable. The brand's aesthetic is calm, clean, and minimalist, designed to integrate seamlessly into a modern kitchen environment.
- Product mix: Features core cookware (skillets, saucepans, Dutch ovens), bakeware sets, and accompanying magnetic storage solutions.
- Style/vibe: Minimalist and contemporary. Caraway uses a soothing, neutral color palette including cream, gray, sage, and navy, all with a sleek matte finish.
- Price point: Upper-mid-range. Individual items range from $50–$150, while their popular cookware set starts at $395.
- Quality: Features a mineral-based ceramic non-stick coating that is free of PTFE, PFOA, PFAS, and heavy metals. The body is aluminum for consistent heating, and the finish is highly scratch-resistant.
- Target Customer: Health-conscious and eco-aware consumers, design-savvy professionals, or anyone who values a minimalist aesthetic and is willing to invest in non-toxic materials.
- Key Selling Points: Completely non-toxic ceramic coating, eco-friendly manufacturing and packaging, and clever storage solutions that come with their sets.
Caraway is the go-to for shoppers prioritizing health-safe materials and a clean, sophisticated look in their kitchen.
Shop Caraway: carawayhome.com
Great Jones vs. Caraway Comparison
Price Comparison
Great Jones is the more budget-friendly option. With popular pieces available for under $100 and full sets at an accessible price point, it’s an excellent choice for those building a kitchen from scratch or looking to expand their collection without a significant financial commitment. This makes Great Jones an outstanding value for its level of quality and design focus.
Caraway is positioned as a premium product, and its pricing reflects that. The higher cost is justified by its signature non-toxic ceramic coating, eco-conscious production, and thoughtful extras like the included pan racks and lid holders. Shoppers paying the Caraway premium are investing in health and sustainability as much as they are in cookware.
Style & Aesthetic
Style is the most significant differentiator. Great Jones embraces a bold, retro-modern look with vibrant colors meant to be a focal point in the kitchen. Their cookware is for someone who sees their kitchen tools as part of their home's decor and personality.
Caraway's aesthetic is the opposite: quiet, minimalist, and understated. Its neutral, earth-toned palette is designed to blend in and create a sense of calm and order. It pairs best with modern, Scandinavian, and minimalist interior designs, appealing to those who prefer a cohesive, refined look.
Quality & Materials
Both brands produce high-quality cookware designed for longevity. Caraway’s main advantage is its non-toxic, mineral-based ceramic coating, which is completely free of potentially harmful chemicals often found in traditional non-stick pans. This coating is also known for being very easy to clean and quite durable. It's a key selling point for a health-conscious audience.
Great Jones also uses non-toxic, PFOA-free coatings that offer reliable non-stick performance and are perfectly safe for home use. The main construction features enameled cast iron for its Dutch oven and solid aluminum cores for many pans, ensuring excellent heat distribution. While durable, its coating may require slightly more careful handling than Caraway’s ceramic to avoid scratches over the long term.
Shopping Experience
Both brands offer excellent direct-to-consumer shopping experiences. Great Jones' website feels bright and engaging, filled with recipes, stories, and colorful product photography that showcases the brand’s personality. The company has also built a strong social media presence and community around its products.
Caraway's website is clean, educational, and focused on transparency. It clearly explains the benefits of its non-toxic materials and sustainable practices. The checkout process is seamless, and they provide helpful content on how to care for their cookware to maximize its lifespan.
Sustainability & Ethics
While both brands have an eco-conscious mindset, sustainability is a core pillar of the Caraway brand identity. Caraway’s manufacturing process releases up to 60% less CO2 compared to traditional non-stick coatings, and they ship their products in recycled cardboard packaging with no single-use plastics.
Great Jones also prioritizes responsible manufacturing by using PFOA-free coatings and creating products designed to last, thus reducing waste. However, Caraway is more explicit and brand-focused in its communication about its sustainability initiatives.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on your style preferences, budget, and priorities for material safety.
Choose Great Jones if:
- You want your cookware to be a colorful, fun, and expressive part of your kitchen decor.
- You're looking for great performance and style at a more accessible, mid-range price point.
- You appreciate a modern-retro aesthetic inspired by classic designs.
- You are active on social media and enjoy being part of a vibrant brand community.
Choose Caraway if:
- A completely non-toxic and eco-friendly cooking surface is your number one priority.
- You prefer a clean, minimalist, and modern aesthetic with a calming, neutral color palette.
- You are willing to invest a bit more for premium materials and thoughtful design features like storage.
- Organizational extras, such as included magnetic pan racks and lid holders, are important to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Great Jones or Caraway cheaper?
Great Jones is significantly cheaper. Its individual pieces and cookware sets are priced more affordably, making it a better option for budget-conscious shoppers who still want quality and style.
Which has better quality cookware?
Both brands offer high-quality products, but they prioritize different material strengths. Caraway's quality is centered on its durable, chemical-free ceramic coating. Great Jones offers excellent construction with reliable heat distribution and a durable PFOA-free non-stick surface.
Is Caraway cookware really non-toxic?
Yes. Caraway's signature feature is its mineral-based ceramic coating, which is 100% free from PTFE (like Teflon), PFOA, PFAS, lead, cadmium, and other toxic metals, making it one of the safest non-stick options on the market.
Can you use metal utensils on Caraway or Great Jones?
No. For both brands, it's strongly recommended to use wood, silicone, or nylon utensils to protect the non-stick coating. Metal utensils can scratch and damage the surface, reducing its effectiveness and lifespan.
Is Great Jones cookware oven-safe?
Yes, most Great Jones cookware is designed to be oven-safe. For example, their popular "Dutchess" Dutch oven is safe up to 500°F. It's always best to check the specific product guidelines on their website.
Which brand is easier to clean?
Both brands are designed for easy clean-up. However, many users report that Caraway's super-slick ceramic surface is exceptionally easy to wipe clean, often requiring just a gentle wipe with a soft sponge and soapy water.
Where can I buy Great Jones and Caraway?
Both are primarily direct-to-consumer brands that sell their products through their official websites and online cookware retailers. This helps them control the customer experience and keep prices competitive by cutting out the retail middleman.
Which cookware lasts longer?
The lifespan of any non-stick cookware depends heavily on proper use and care. With gentle handling (no metal utensils, avoiding extreme temperature changes, hand washing), both Great Jones and Caraway pans can last for many years. Caraway's ceramic formulation is marketed as being especially durable and resistant to chipping and scratches.
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