Caraway vs. Always Pans : Switching to Non-toxic Cookware
Are you looking for nontoxic cookware, but not sure which brand will work best for you? I have been using both for an entire year and I have a lot of thoughts!
Hi, I am a not-so-5-star-home-chef who cooks nearly every meal all week long. I occasionally forget that brown sugar turns into glue in the bottom of the pan and also sometimes forget I was cooking at all… which leads to burnt dinner! I do not say this for pity, but for you to know that I use and abuse my cookware to its fullest capacity. That being said, 1 year ago I decided that my ancient Teflon pans needed to GO in a bad way. When I was researching which pans to buy, I stumbled through data that showed that non-stick cookware is full of toxins and chemicals called PFOA and PTFE. These chemicals release toxic fumes when heated that disrupt hormones inside our bodies. So, what is a girl to do?!
Well,
It turns out that after a large amount of reading on my part, there were two highly recommended brands of ceramic non-toxic cookware on the market. But how did I choose?!
I did not!
Both options came with reasonable warranties based on satisfaction and I had quite a collection of cookware to replace, so I ordered BOTH the Caraway and the Always Pans. After an entire year of using, abusing and cleaning them all, I have some thoughts that you will want to see before you decide which to purchase!
Caraway: A Brief Description
Caraway is a company that makes mineral-based coating for ceramic cookware that makes it non-stick without toxic ingredients. Their website says they release up to 60% less CO2 during use than Teflon and promise “less scrubbing”. Caraway is supported by fair-trade manufacturing groups that ensure fair pay and benefits for the people making this cookware. They also use 100% recyclable cardboard packaging. Most of their products are sold as complete sets that even come with trivets and storage options which makes it a functional replacement for a set of cookware you may be replacing.
Always Pans (Our Place): A Brief Description
The Always Pans made by Our Place are toxin-free ceramic non stick pans that are all sold as separates. The coating for these pans has a sol-gel made primarily from silicone. Our place is a company owned by women and immigrants that specializes in cookware made for traditional foods, so even though the cookware is sold as separates, they sell numerous accessories that fit the two sizes they offer to make them multipurpose wares. Their packaging is also 100% plastic free.
So how do they cook, you ask?
Well, now is where I tell you that one brand was totally terrible and I sent it back right…? Not exactly! It turns out that they occupy completely different niches in my kitchen and I LOVE them both but for different reasons.
The Caraway set comes with a large and medium pot and pan plus lids. That can replace a full set of pots and pans in a kitchen that consistently has multiple wares going at once. They NEVER stick! I have completely burned (to coal!) sticky sauces to the Caraway pans and with almost no effort, it all slides right out of the pan. These pans cook multiple meals in my household daily. I ADORE them!
The Always Pan works with a similar amount of non-stick ability. I have yet to burn anything in it that has not just rinsed out with ease. But, in my house this pan gets used for a very special purpose- steaming veggies. Those accessories I mentioned earlier are AMAZING! The Always Pan comes with a steamer basket that I use for dinner pretty regularly and was a thing that I didn’t know I needed in my life. I use it for veggies, reheating leftovers, making pot stickers and dumplings – it really is a game changer. But they make 9 more pot and pan accessories that fit this one pan that range from egg poaching to a flipping platter for Tahdig.
For these reasons, I will spoil the ending and tell you I never returned any of the pots or pans.
Are there downsides?
Both brands have the same downside, if you can even really consider it a downside. Both the Caraway and Always Pan require using silicone or wooden utensils, which for me was not an issue because I already only used silicone. Metal utensils will scratch the coating on either brand which would disrupt the integrity of the non-stick abilities. The same idea has to be applied to how you clean them. You can only use soft scrub brushes with plastic bristles. Quickly after you wash the first time you realize you wont be doing any serious scrubbing anyway because water washes nearly everything off them!
Both brands also cannot withstand going directly from cold to hot or vice versa because they risk cracking. This was something I had to get used to because I would usually throw the hot pan into the sink immediately, but now I just leave them to cool on the stove before washing.
One notable downside to the Always Pan that may be important to anyone with sensory issues – they outside of this brand feels and sounds similar to a terracotta pot to me for some reason. It was not a big enough issue for me to not use it, but it does give me the ick if I touch it wrong on a bad day.
Return Policies:
For the Always Pan, you have 100 days after the item has shipped to try it out. They do not refund shipping costs. Caraway has a 1 year warranty to replace or repair items as well as a 30 day trail period based on satisfaction.
So, with either brand, if you do not like them, you can get your money back!
So which do you get?
I think it largely depends on what you are replacing and what style of home-chef you are. I was replacing a 12 piece set from a big box store. I am also the type of kitchen user that has multiple burners going at the same time. For that reason, I would recommend that Caraway set because it is sold as a 7 piece set with accessories. If you are a big fan of foods that need specialized accessories like steaming baskets or Tahdig trays, Always has got you covered! They do not sell a set that comes with more than two pans so it is a little less easy to replace an entire set if you, like me, use multiple burners at a time. I still love both of them though! They just serve different purposes. The choice really comes down to knowing what needs you have in the kitchen!
Are they cost effective?
Caraway Cookware Set : $395 full price (It is often on sale for under $400) You get a large Dutch oven, medium saucepan, large skillet, medium fry pan, lids for all, a lid storage hanger, magnetic storage containers and trivets.
Always Pan: $315 full price (On sale sometimes for under $200) You get the Perfect Pot which is a large Dutch oven style pot and the Always Pan with steamer basket and wooden spoons. All the accessories they sell sit these two wares.
For reference, other cookware sets available range from $250-$600 so the prices are within range for non-stick cookware but are much better health wise.
