Food & Wine USA - (02)February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021 25

JOIN US IN THE PEANUT GALLERY of new pots, pans, and chef’s knives, all lobbying for atten-

tion on your Instagram feed. One claims to be incredibly lightweight and ergonomic; another

promises to take up minimal space in your kitchen. And then there’s one that’s just so darn

pretty. Welcome to the Wild West of direct-to-consumer cookware, where middlemen like

department stores are pushed out of the picture by chatty, oh-so-relatable brands that peddle

their products almost entirely online. Since it’s (somehow) not yet possible to get a feel for

a knife handle or develop opinions about a nonstick surface through social media, our test

kitchen scrambled eggs, baked bread, cooked rice, and sliced onions with contenders from

eight different brands. The result? Five DTC pieces we’d proudly add to our already overflowing

home kitchens, and that you should, too.

EDITORS’ PICKS

Cookware’s New Crop We put the new class of

direct-to-consumer cookware through its paces.

By Oset Babür

1. GREAT JONES DEEP CUT
   Shockingly lightweight, this stun-
   ning pan is perfectly curved for
   hollandaise, stir-fries, and cur-
   ries. Its rivetless design makes
   for easy cleaning whether you’re
   frying up bacon or sautéeing
   delicate leafy greens, and we love
   using the loop handle to display it
   prominently in the kitchen. For a
   special housewarming gift, go for
   the engraving. ($8 5, great
   jonesgoods.com)


2. MATERIAL COATED PAN
   Unlike most skillets of its size,
   this emerald-green stunner is
   oven-safe and, as our testers
   confirmed, bakes a faultless frit-
   tata. You’ll still need to use a bit of
   oil for a truly nonstick experience,
   but the copper core makes for
   impeccably even heat distribu-
   tion, and the thin, angled handle
   is exceptionally ergonomic. ($95,
   materialkitchen.com)


3. MADE IN SAUCEPAN
   Made In’s humble 4-quart option
   has a ton going for it. The long
   handle makes avoiding splatters
   and splashes blissfully easy, its
   lid nestles inside for storage, and,
   best of all, it’s dishwasher-safe for
   newbie cooks (or absentminded
   veterans) who might dabble in
   some scorching and burning.
   ($99, madeincookware.com)


4. CARAWAY HOME
   DUTCH OVEN
   We’re admittedly skeptical of
   newcomers to the Dutch oven
   market because let’s face it:
   Legacy brand loyalty is big here.
   That said, Caraway Home’s 6.5-
   quart offering is startlingly light,
   has a tidy footprint, and comes in
   modern colors worthy of stove-
   top real estate. It’s also incredibly
   well priced for its value, relative
   to competitors. This is the Dutch
   oven we wish we had when we
   first started cooking. ($125,
   carawayhome.com)


5. MISEN CHEF’S KNIFE
   With knives, the less you notice
   how the handle feels or how much
   you need to shift your grip, the
   better. Misen’s chef’s knife devel-
   oped a following via Kickstarter
   for good reason—this is an
   affordable go-to knife that stays
   sharp, has a low profile in our
   knife block, and cleans in a snap.
   Plus, the colorful handle options
   (we’re partial to the powder blue)
   add a dash of personality. ($65,
   m ise n .c o)

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PROP STYLING: PRISSY LEE

photography by VICTOR PROTASIO