10 Cookware Brands You Should Never Buy (And Why)

It’s tempting to buy cookware from brands making bold claims in ads and infomercials. But, despite their clever marketing, many fail to perform as promised.

Through extensive testing, I’ve found ten cookware brands that aren’t worth your hard-earned money despite their hype.

In this guide, I’ll reveal which ones to avoid, explain their drawbacks, and recommend better alternatives.

Don’t feel like reading? Watch me reveal the cookware brands you should never buy in this quick video:

All-Clad D3, D5, and Copper Core Non-Stick

The first brand you should avoid is one of the most popular and best-selling brands on the market: All-Clad.

Now, before you roast me in the comments at the end of this article, I am not talking about their stainless steel cookware or aluminum non-stick cookware.

I’m a big fan of those products, and I’ve recommended them in dozens of videos. 

I’m talking about the frying pans within their D3, D5, and Copper Core stainless steel collections that have a non-stick coating applied to the cooking surface.

These pans are made with the same construction and materials as the other pans in those collections. So they perform well, and as a bonus, the non-stick coating makes it easier to cook sticky foods like eggs and fish.

The problem with these pans is not the performance; it’s the incredibly high prices.

On All-Clad.com, the 8-inch pans are $149 or more. The 10-inch pans start at $189. And the 12-inch pans are well over $200.

No matter what the website and advertising say, no non-stick pan will last forever. The cooking surface will eventually look like this:

So, spending that much on a non-stick pan you’ll need to replace is not a wise investment.

Some of these pans are included in sets with other stainless steel pans but never buy them individually. The value is not there.

The Tramontina Professional frying pan is a much better option. It performs similarly, but it has an aluminum body instead of fully-clad stainless steel, so it’s a fraction of the price.

If you want a fully-clad stainless steel pan with a non-stick coating, Made In and Cuisinart MultiClad Pro are less expensive options.

Hestan ProBond TITUM

Hestan hasn’t been around as long as All-Clad, but it’s an up-and-coming innovative cookware brand with a lot of hype, a handful of awards, and a partnership with Michelin-star chef Thomas Keller.

While I love the fully clad construction, flush rivets, sealed edges, and comfortable and secure handles, the Hestan ProBond TITUM non-stick frying pans are absurdly expensive.

The 12.5-inch frying pan is almost $300 on HestanCulinary.com when it’s not on sale, which is a ridiculously high price for a non-stick pan.

On their website, they say the “multi-layer non-stick finish is reinforced with diamond particles,” making it 22x more durable than a typical non-stick pan. But there are no test results or details to prove that claim. I reached out to Hestan and asked to see the report or data associated with that claim, but I haven’t heard back.

All that said, I’ve been testing the ProBond TITUM non-stick pan, and it heats evenly, nothing sticks, and there are no signs of wear on the coating.

But even if it’s the best-performing, longest-lasting non-stick pan ever, you still shouldn’t pay that much for a pan you will eventually need to replace.

It’s possible to justify the cost of Hestan’s stainless steel collections, like NanoBond, since they can last a lifetime, but not with this non-stick collection.

Caraway

Caraway is best known for its colorful non-stick pans, but it recently released a stainless steel collection. This brand advertises heavily on social media platforms and targets young, health-conscious home cooks. 

One of their primary marketing tactics is to play on people’s fears of the chemicals used to make traditional non-stick pans. The words “natural” and “non-toxic” are plastered all over their website. They also claim that producing their pans releases less CO2 than traditional non-stick coatings. But there’s nothing published on their website to back up this claim.

They also have a box on their stainless steel product page that says its cookware is free of PTFE, also known as Teflon. Since all stainless steel cookware is free of PTFE, that’s like having a gluten-free label on a water bottle.   

If you scroll further, you’ll see a comparison chart that implies Caraway is the only stainless steel cookware that’s non-toxic and comes with a lifetime warranty. That is simply not true.

Despite Caraway’s marketing tactics, their stainless steel pans aren’t bad. They’re fully clad, have a nice brushed finish, modern design, and flat lids. But I don’t love the rounded handles because your hand can rotate when tilting, the lid handles are too shallow, and the handle on one of the pans I tested arrived dented.

The non-stick pans perform well at first, but the ceramic non-stick coating doesn’t hold up over time, and the exterior coating chips and flakes. When it arrives, it’s a nice-looking pan, but don’t expect the beauty or performance to last.

I appreciate Caraway’s focus on cookware that’s safe for you and the environment, but it has some design elements I don’t like, and the non-stick pans don’t maintain their non-stick properties for long. The worst part is that it’s expensive. Their 10.5-inch non-stick fry pan is $95 on CarawayHome.com. Brands like GreenPan offer similar pans for much less.

Great Jones Stainless Steel

The Great Jones Dutch oven is a good alternative to the more expensive legacy French brands. However, I would avoid their stainless steel cookware for several reasons.

After a comprehensive review of 45 popular frying pans, I found that the walls of most stainless steel pans are around 3 mm thick. In contrast, Great Jones measures at only 2.2 mm, leading to quick heat loss and poor performance in my heat retention tests.

I’m also not a fan of the looped handles. They look nice, but this is a situation where looks are prioritized over function. They’re uncomfortable, awkward to hold, and annoying to clean. To me, this is a deal breaker.

Our Place Always Pan

The Our Place Always Pan is all over social media and claims to be a 10-in-1 all-purpose pan that can perform nearly all cooking functions and replace several other pans.

While you certainly can use many different cooking techniques, it’s just an aluminum non-stick pan with tall sides, a wooden spoon, and a steamer basket.

At first, the Always Pan performed great; eggs slid around, and nothing stuck. But not too long after I started testing it, the ceramic coating started to wear down, and I had to use more and more oil and butter to prevent sticking.

This all-in-one style pan saves space and helps you declutter your kitchen, but the notion that one pan can do it all is simply not true in my experience.

The Always Pan is 10.5 inches in diameter and has a 2.6-quart capacity, which might work for one or two people but not for a family of three or more. Unless you cook one-pot meals, you’ll need more than one pan.

The handle is thick, squared, uncomfortable, and has a peg that you have to clean around. They based the entire handle design around resting the wooden spatula on it, but they neglected comfort and function.

They also designed the lid so the spatula can slide underneath, but the space allows steam to escape. Even when you remove the spatula and twist the lid, steam escapes. 

Another aspect I don’t like about the Always Pan is the steamer basket. The metal legs are short, so you can only put a small amount of water in the pan. If you add too much, you’ll boil instead of steam, but if you put too little, it burns off quickly before fully cooking the food.

The metal legs on the included steamer basket can also scratch and further damage the delicate coating over time.

On top of all that, this pan is not broiler-safe, and you should only use low to medium heat to preserve the coating. For a pan that touts itself as the ultimate all-purpose system, it has several limitations.

Overall, it’s a decent pan, and I appreciate Our Place’s mission to reduce waste and simplify cooking. But it’s overpriced for a pan you’ll need to replace eventually.

Instead of the Always Pan, consider the Made In 3.5-quart stainless steel sauté pan. Its thick (3 mm) 5-ply body heats evenly and retains heat well. The wide cooking surface provides plenty of room for searing, while the straight sides make it possible to braise and simmer sauces.

Unlike the Always Pan’s delicate ceramic coating, the Made In pan’s exposed stainless steel surface is broiler and oven-safe up to 800°F, making it far more versatile. The flared rim enables drip-free pouring, and the handle stays cool on the stove.

Farberware Classic

Farberware has been around for over 100 years, and some of their non-stick cookware is of decent quality, but avoid their Classic Series stainless steel pans.

The best thing I can say about this cookware is it’s affordable. But, like most things, you get what you pay for.

This cookware is thin and lightweight. For example, the Farberware Classic 10-inch skillet weighs 1.3 pounds. Most 10-inch skillets weigh well over 2 pounds, sometimes over 3.

The thin walls and lack of heft make controlling the heat a challenge. The temperature fluctuates significantly as you add and remove ingredients, making it difficult to get consistent results. In fact, it’s one of the worst-performing pans in my heat retention test.

Another negative is that the sides of the pan don’t heat at the same rate as the bottom. Since Farberware Classic stainless steel pans have a cladded base with thin steel sides, the whole pan doesn’t heat evenly.

The thin sides won’t impact food that cooks primarily on the flat part of the cooking surface, like chicken or steak, but it makes a difference when sautéing, stir-frying, or cooking other meals that touch the sides.

Another downside worth mentioning is the short handles. At only 6 inches, the handles on the 10-inch skillet force you to place your hand closer to the heat.

Also, since the handles are plastic, these pans are only safe in the oven up to 350°F. Most stainless steel cookware can handle at least 500°F.

Because of its thin construction, short plastic handles, and low heat tolerance, Farberware Classic is a cookware brand to avoid.

If you’re looking for affordable stainless steel cookware, check out Misen and Tramontina Tri-Ply. Both are fully clad with thicker and heavier construction. They cost a bit more and heat up slower, but they heat more evenly, retain heat better, and are much less likely to warp.

Blue Diamond Pan

You’ve probably seen the commercials for the Blue Diamond pan, the one with millions of tiny diamonds infused into the ceramic non-stick coating.

The makers of the Blue Diamond pan claim it’s five times harder, lasts ten times longer, and transfers heat four times faster than the competition.

However, there’s nothing to substantiate these claims in the fine print. There are no links to test results or reports.

Also, the fine print says, “Diamonds are 4X’s more heat conductive than copper.” That’s true, but the pan is not made of diamonds. It’s an aluminum pan with a ceramic non-stick coating that contains a minimal amount of diamond dust.

I called Blue Diamond and asked about these claims, but the customer service representative hurried me off the phone and told me to email them. I emailed and am still waiting for a response months later (I will update this article if I ever hear back).

Besides the bold claims and unhelpful customer service, the performance of these pans is nothing special.

Like most ceramic-coated non-stick pans, they heat fast and evenly, and food doesn’t stick initially. But over time, things start to go south. When the coating wears down, eggs and other delicate foods begin to stick.

Also, the hollow handle is open on the end, which allows grease from neighboring burners to splatter inside. It feels cheap and is difficult to clean.

Instead of the Blue Diamond pan, I’d recommend Misen or All-Clad Essentials non-stick pans.

Misen non-stick cookware is made from thick, commercial-grade aluminum that distributes heat evenly and remains flat.

The cooing surface is coated in a long-lasting non-stick coating (DuPont Platinum), and the exterior has a ceramic coating, which makes it easy to clean oil and sauces that spill over the sides.

 The stainless steel base plate makes it compatible with all stovetop types, including induction.

All-Clad Essentials pans are made of heavy gauge (4 mm thick) aluminum for even heating and excellent heat retention. The high-quality PTFE non-stick coating lasts long and provides easy food release.

The double riveted stainless steel handles are secured permanently for safety and comfort. These pans are oven-safe up to 500°F and dishwasher-safe.

Gotham Steel

Gotham Steel is another brand similar to Blue Diamond that I don’t recommend. In their early commercials, celebrity chef Daniel Green claims using Gotham Steel is “Like cooking on air. Everything slides right off.”

I tested the 12-inch fry pan from the original collection, and the first thing I noticed was how lightweight it felt. The walls are thin, and it doesn’t have the heft of thicker, more expensive pans.

The advantage of lightweight cookware is that it’s easy to maneuver. The downside is that it’s super responsive to heat, so it’s easy to mistakenly burn or overcook food.

The thin handles were the next thing that stood out. Gotham Steel handles are flat, which makes it easy to tilt the pan, but the grip is uncomfortable, and the edges can dig into your hand.

Overall, Gotham Steel is another As Seen on TV pan with an intriguing name, bold claims, and disappointing performance. It’s inexpensive, so the risk is low if you want to try it. But if my experience is any indication, it’s not worth the hassle.

For an in-depth look at how Gotham Steel pans performed across a variety of tests, along with up-close pictures, check out my in-depth review.

Pioneer Woman Cookware

Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman, has a cooking show on Food Network, an award-winning blog, and several cookbooks. And while I enjoy her show, I can’t say the same about her cookware, specifically the ceramic non-stick pans.

Like Blue Diamond and Gotham Steel, Pioneer Woman non-stick pans have a thin aluminum body with a ceramic non-stick coating. And the more I tested it, the less non-stick it became.

The handles have a silicone wrapper, which makes them secure and comfortable but also limits the oven-safe temperature to 350°F.

Because of the thin walls, these pans do not retain heat well. I conduct the same test on every pan I review to evaluate heat retention.

First, I bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then remove the pan from heat. After 5 and 10 minutes, I measure the temperature. The best retaining pans keep water above 120°F at the 5-minute mark.

Only one brand out of the 25 I tested performed worse than Pioneer Woman. After boiling, the water temp fell to just 104.3°F after 5 minutes, a significant drop compared to top performers like Demeyere Atlantis at 122°F. After 10 minutes, the 90.9°F reading matched the 2nd worst pan.

Since Pioneer Woman pans don’t retain heat well, the temperature drops when you add cold ingredients like steak or chicken. When this happens, the meat steams instead of searing. The rapidly fluctuating heat also prevents food from cooking evenly.

If you’re a fan of Ree Drummond’s show and are looking for low-cost, colorful cookware, go for it. But there are much better options if you want high-performing, long-lasting pans that retain heat well.

Rachael Ray

I recently tested Rachael Ray cookware, specifically the Create Delicious collection.

While these pans are inexpensive and a bit more sturdy than Pioneer Woman, it’s not a brand I’d recommend buying. It has big rivets, clunky handles, and the glass lids don’t fit snugly on the pots.

Before buying a celebrity cookware brand, read lots of reviews. In many cases, the company will slap a well-known name on an inexpensive product and jack up the price.

Bottom Line

When shopping for cookware, avoid products that make bold claims without evidence.

Brands like Caraway, Our Place, Farberware, Blue Diamond, Gotham Steel, Pioneer Woman, and Rachael Ray may seem appealing due to celebrity endorsements, infomercials, or bold claims in their ads. But they fail to deliver reliable performance based on my experience.

And while brands like All-Clad and Hestan make high-quality cookware, some of their non-stick pans are not worth the high price.

For stainless steel cookware that heats evenly, retains heat well, and will last for years, look for fully-clad pans that are at least 3 mm thick and made from quality materials like 300 series 18/10 stainless steel.

You can’t go wrong with All-Clad, Demeyere, and Made In, but check out my guide to the best cookware to learn about all the brands I recommend.

For affordable but good-quality non-stick cookware, look for commercial-grade aluminum pans with PTFE coating from brands like Misen, Tramontina, or All-Clad Essentials.