Made In's frying pan is the most-used pan in my kitchen because it's versatile and durable — it also costs less than $100, Business Insider - Business Insider Singapore
by Connie Chen, Business Insider US- With Made In, you get all the quality of high-performance, premium cookware at a fraction of the traditional cost.
- I tried the company’s nonstick frying pan and after cooking a variety of dishes with it, I was impressed.
- It’s now my go-to pan to cook with because of its versatility, even heat distribution, and durability.
- See more: Made In is changing the way home cooks and professional chefs shop for high-quality pots and pans – we tested pieces from its collection and these are our favorites
Cooking is an art, oftentimes guided by intuition and creativity, but like any self-respecting painter or sculptor, a good cook wouldn’t be caught without the proper equipment and technique. Cooking is as much an art as it is a science, and precision comes down to two key elements: heat and surfaces.
Good cookware handles heat with ease and provides the foundation upon which great textures and flavors take form, but not too many home cooks can say this is their experience with the pots and pans they use regularly. I’ve spent more time soaking and furiously scrubbing a pan than eating the meal itself – and I’m talking about a simple egg dish. Don’t get me started on the horrors of a more involved meal.
We all deserve to be using better pots and pans that work for us, not against us, cookware that yields tastier food, and less clean-up. While I’ve considered investing in premium cookware, sometimes the prices are truly just out of reach for me at my current financial level and I can’t splurge.
Made In, a direct-to-consumer kitchen brand, provides the perfect solution for amateur cooks like myself who want to take their cooking to the next level without overspending.
The premium cookware is made in the USA by workers with more than 150 years of cumulative experience in the industry. The company is so confident in the quality of its cookware that it even offers a 100-day trial and lifetime warranty on its products.
I tested its 10-inch nonstick fry pan in my own kitchen, and it’s now the most-used and most-loved pan in my apartment, by far, for a few key reasons.
Made In’s frying pan stays true to its nonstick claim without using harmful chemicals – and it’s a dream to cook with and clean
It’s free of PFOA, a chemical typically used to make nonstick coatings. Instead, it uses FDA-approved PTFE to achieve its nonstick surface.
I use oil or butter to cook with, but you don’t have to use either with this pan. It handles ingredients of all types, from meat and fish to vegetables and sauces, with no sticking, burning, or residue. My roommate who cooks often attests that “flipping eggs has never been so painless, which makes it great for even those new to the kitchen.”
The pan also takes less than a minute to clean, cutting down dishwashing time significantly.
It’s versatile, built to last, and distributes heat evenly
Made In’s cookware is composed of five layers of bonded stainless steel and aluminum. It’s heat resistant up to 500 degrees and is also dishwasher-, oven-, and induction top-safe.
You can’t go wrong with a good stainless steel fry pan in your kitchen. Stainless steel is lightweight, much easier to clean than cast iron, and won’t impart the flavors of past meals that you’ve cooked. With proper heat management (it’s recommended to cook on low to medium heat), your pans will be in good shape for years to come.
The particular pan I tried is also available in 8- and 12-inch versions, so you can size up or down depending on how many people you’re feeding.
The price is accessible compared to other brands of similar construction and quality
A 10-inch All-Clad stainless steel nonstick fry pan, which shares virtually all the same characteristics as Made In’s, retails at $130. Made In’s model is only $79. That’s $50 you can spend on more kitchen tools or specialty ingredients. Your dollar goes a lot farther for the same quality.
The bottom line
Made In is one of the few brands we’ve seen that provides an accessible foray into premium cooking and isn’t pretentious about it either.
We’ve tested most of Made In’s pots and pans, which you can read reviews of here, and if you don’t know where to start, you can always take its Build Your Kitchen Quiz to discover which cookware is best for you and your needs. The company also sells regular stainless steel frying pans, sauce pans, saute pans, and stock pots.
If you’re looking to update more than one piece, their bundled kits are worth looking into and will save you some more money.