The days of buying full cookware sets at department stores are coming to an end, thanks to an ever evolving list of direct-to-consumer companies that deliver kitchenware at more affordable prices. While early DTC companies often marketed to those who were starting a kitchen from scratch, like recent grads and newlyweds, now it seems like there's a market-disrupting pot or pan geared toward every kind of cook. So whether you want a refresh, or you're looking for a simple selection of essentials—or just want to try out a new brand—here are the companies making the best cookware sets right now.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
Our Place
Our Place co-founder Shiza Shahid designed Our Place's signature Always Pan with the goal of creating cookware “to fit the needs of the modern, multiethnic American kitchen”. The photo-ready flagship product aims to replace “eight traditional pieces of cookware.” Does it achieve that? The short answer is: kind of, but you can read our full review of the Always Pan here. If you are interested in the Always Pan, we suggest adding the spruce steamer basket, since the original metal basket that comes with the pan has some issues. Our Place also sells a small range of stylish stackable plates, glasses, and cups.
Perfect for: The kitchen newbie with limited space
Photo & Prop Styling by Joseph De Leo
Equal Parts
In 2019, design-firm-turned-lifestyle-company Pattern released Equal Parts, a line of “chemical-free” nonstick cookware (Pattern also produces storage and organization products under the brand Open Spaces). Basically, the company makes home goods that look nice. Equal Parts cookware originally came in all-black, but they recently redesigned their line in WGSN-approved muted colorways like cream and light blue.
You probably recognize Equal Parts for their “egg spin” ads, wherein a disembodied hand whips a fried egg around a frying pan at warp speed to demonstrate the supreme non-stickiness of the nonstick pan—a feat staff writer Kendra Vaculin couldn’t quite achieve when she fried eggs in the pan for a review. Still, they aren’t bad pans, and they look pretty good to boot. Their line now boasts four nonstick pans, a 10-inch sauté pan, an 8-inch frying pan, a 3.5 quart saucepan, and an 8-quart stock pot. They’ve also added a chef’s knife, a cutting board, a baking sheet, and an array of kitchen utensils to their lineup.
