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The number of companies creating DTC kitchen equipment has exploded in the last 10 years, and after trying dozens and dozens of items from a whole range of them, I can confidently say that their performance is all over the place. But one of the most consistently good of all the brand’s we’ve tried has been Made In.
The Austin company has gone beyond the normal “brand-name quality, wholesale prices” pitch used by many Instagram-friendly brands and actually become a reliable presence in restaurant kitchens around the country.
We’ve tested a lot of Made In gear over the years and some of their best stuff is on sale for Labor Day. Here’s what we recommend.
The small spaces set
We’re not big into paying big bucks for high-end nonstick pans, mostly because they’ll need replacing after their nonstickiness starts to wear off, but Made In’s Ceramiclad pan is an exception to the rule. It has the same five-ply construction as the brand's stainless-steel cookware, making it heavier duty and able to heat more evenly than lots of nonstick options out there.
For Labor Day, the small spaces set of Ceramiclad cookware is 25% off.
A small stainless-steel cookware set
Speaking of Made In’s stainless steel cookware, that’s on sale too. A six-piece set, which includes both a stainless steel frying pan and a Ceramiclad one, along with a stainless stock pot and sauce pan, offers up the best of all worlds. The performance of Made In’s stainless cookware was comparable to long-time Test Kitchen favorite All-Clad’s in our testing.
Carbon steel griddle
My personal favorite piece of Made In cookware is the carbon steel griddle (yes, the one that's all over your Instagram feed). It's lighter than cast iron griddles, heats evenly, offers a generous nonstick cooking surface once seasoned, and comes with an amazing heavyweight burger press. It also works great on a gas or charcoal grill.
It was one of my great disappointments that its shape, with integrated carbon steel handles, didn’t fit on my personal stove. I donated it to the Test Kitchen where it's been put to good use. (If you have a cooktop flush with the back wall of your kitchen, it might not fit your stove either. Just make sure to measure the back-to-front space on your range if you’re considering this one.)
Japanese Damascus steel knives
In the past, Made In’s knives haven’t topped our product tests because they didn't stay sharp for long. But the brand's Damascus knife, which is on sale right now, uses VG-10 steel, the same metal our top pick from Mac is made from. It has a higher carbon content than the steel in Made In’s standard knife line, which means it’s harder and will keep its edge better. The Damasus set doesn’t have a paring knife, but it does have a nakiri, which is a great addition for vegetable prep.
There’s a whole rash of other Made In gear we love around the office, including the brand's flatware, Dutch oven (a convincing, less expensive stand in for a Le Creuset), and butcher block cutting board.
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