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Cookware

Cookware, according to chefs

Only claims about cookware made by people we have grounds to call chefs. The unrestricted cookware evidence is on the cookware page.

9 people we have grounds to call chefs make 143 quoted claims about cookware across 13 sources. Membership of the chefs group is recorded per person with its own evidence, and authority is scoped to cookware rather than to fame.

Which cookware do chefs recommend?

Endorsements and objections about cookware from chefs, together, strongest evidence first.

Lodge cast iron skillet

3 voices 11 claims 2 objections

3:31 supports Julia Chef
If you want a really nice cast iron skillet, check out the Smithey Ironware number 12 for $200, or for the best buy, check out the Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet for just $43.

recommendation tested it The Best Cast-Iron Skillets

Cites price

Field cast iron skillet

1 voice 14 claims 4 objections

1:30 supports Kent Rollins Chef
when I picked it up the very first time out of the box the thing that I liked about it was it was similar to the design of old authentic cast iron folks this is a pretty good lightweight skill it's sort of like the old stuff was made

appearance tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites appearance, surface finish, weight

getting on down the field I think the thing that really impressed me the most about it was the weight sure but they had such a good machine finish on there to it
4:31 supports Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
when we did our unboxing video they sent us an 8 I love the skillet I do

recommendation owns and uses it daily Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “when we did our unboxing video they sent us an 8” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

but I will tell you what they done went and done they don't went and went to making a 10-inch skillet now I've had this about a week and I love this rascal
1:00 supports Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
but when I run my hand across it it was the smooth finish

performance owns and uses it daily Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites non-stick surface, surface finish

so I fried me some bacon in there without doing a thing to it I just washed it out good with hot water dried it put that bacon in there it wasn't no sticking it wasn't like heated meaning something other ovens where I had to get to a putty knife a chisel and a hammer to knock it off there no it was good
what I put in there a scrambled egg and folks I was amazed there was no sticking like them egg whites will do too to where you can't even get them out of there
1:00 supports Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
but also when I look down at it I've seen the thickness of the walls it reminded me so much of an old Griswold or an old piece of Wagner ware

durability owns and uses it daily Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites build quality, ease of cleaning, seasoning durability

the more you use it the better it is going to become to you the slicker it's going to get the better finish it has
now what I have found that really helps these new skillets a whole lot deep fry you something in for you enough grease in there that you can fry something I cook me some deep fried chili rellenos in them I'll deep fry some fishing deep fry some potatoes in it really works good on seasoning easy to clean up that away…
they finish quicker and smoother than any of that other iron I ever used unless you get back to the Griswold in the Wagner so many years ago
5:01 supports Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
it ain't no work to it this skillet pays dividends every day that I cook into it because number one we're getting to absorb iron number two Shannon and the beagles really happy because I didn't burn nothing

value owns and uses it daily Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites maintenance

1:00 supports Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
number one thing I liked about it when I pull it out of the box was the weight

handling owns and uses it daily Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites weight

3:00 notes Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
I've been using this skillet for a month and a half every day is it solid black everywhere no it's got some bronze coating to it a little spotted in colored a little motley color

durability owns and uses it daily Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Owned 2 months

Cites seasoning durability

2:30 notes Kent Rollins Chef was given the product
I've noticed in these filled skillets too that they finish a little different than say that other stuff that I had I won't say it's slower but it comes out looking a little different than anything I'd ever seen I won't say it spotted but I'll call it a little lacy is that a bad thing no not that it's not seasoned…

appearance owns and uses it daily Field Company Cast Iron Skillet Follow Up Review

Kent Rollins was given the product. Stated in the source: “we got this box in the mail we did an unboxing video on an 8 inch field skillet” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites appearance

Marquette cast iron skillet

1 voice 8 claims 4 objections

6:02 supports Kent Rollins Chef
My overall pick for just best in design is I'm gonna have to go with the Marquette just because of the way it feels in my hand and the way that I know it performs and the two poor spouts

best in class tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites ergonomics, handle, seasoning durability, shape and form, surface finish

if we had to pick a winner on a handle that was most comfortable to your hand it would be the Marquette
next we're going to go to Marquette this review not long ago to me this was the smoothest Skillet coming to me of anyone that I got out of the bunch
so my overall winner for seasoning is eeny meeny miny mo is going to be the Marquette because to me it had the smoothest glossiest finish when I got it and accepted seasoning the easiest
4:31 supports Kent Rollins Chef
when I first picked this up right out of the box I'm thinking feels like a Wagner or a Griswold into me just the way it sort of felt it's got a light weight to it and look here right off the bat two poor spouts now I really do like that I do

appearance tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites appearance, shape and form, surface finish, weight

we get down to the Marquette to me the thing that really just stood out most of all to me what is the closest resemblance to the old cast iron I'm talking Griswolds and Wagner's to me it was the closest design to it and had this finish that was just like they used to have on them

Stargazer cast iron skillet

1 voice 7 claims 2 objections

2:31 supports Kent Rollins Chef
right off the bat when I looked at this the very first time I'm thinking whoa I love the design of this handle because look how far I can stand away from the Heat and this thing is rounded to where it really don't hurt your hands when you grab a hold of it and it's got this v-notch in here which is going to keep it…

handling tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites handle, heat resistance, weight

here look at here a two-handle deal I really like this deal I do
a shorter handle means it's heavier for you to pick up you ain't got the leverage that you might have over here with this Skillet so that longer handle does help you out some on the weight that it's got
3:01 supports Kent Rollins Chef
one other thing that I really liked about it from the start when I first seen it was the depth that it had I think this thing right here you could put a lot of gravy in there folks and that'd be some fine dining

performance tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites seasoning durability, shape and form, size and capacity

you can pour out of it without it running down the side of your Skillet all the time
it accepted seasoning fairly well in the beginning it did
so all in all the skillet performed well and it's seasoned well

HexClad Terrabond

1 voice 7 claims 3 objections

6:32 supports Joe Chef earns commission on this
if you clean your pans properly, you shouldn't have any problem keeping this rim clean, too.

durability owns and uses it daily HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Joe earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I do have an Amazon affiliate link for them down in the description of the video. If you buy anything through those links, I do make a small commission, but it doesn't change the price that you pay 1 cent.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites appearance, coating durability, durability, ease of cleaning, maintenance, scratch resistance

It's uh nice and well-formed all the way around. And if you look at the bottom of the pan, it's the same deal. In fact, I'm going to try to get this so you don't get your eyeballs glared out right here. But, the surface of this is perfect. There's no discoloration anywhere. It looks pretty much like a brand new pan.
Hex patterns on the side. No problem there. No discoloration. No busted hexagons or anything. And then down on the surface here, you can see how even that looks. There's not any problems with this.
So again, you wouldn't think that this had anywhere near this kind of usage on it. It's still in perfect shape as far as I'm concerned.
Yes, this is ceramic, but I haven't seen enough data saying that it's not going to be bad for a ceramic coating, too. And even if there was data that said that, I still wouldn't put them in the dishwasher. I just hand wash them, hand dry them, and then they just stay perfect. It's not that difficult to do.
This one uh has a few scratches on here. It's not so bad. But again, this would still pass as a new pan, too.
we don't really have any imperfections, we don't have any scratches anywhere, there's no areas where that nonstick coating has come off. So, from a physical appearance standpoint, all of these pans look cosmetically perfect.
You can see that my rim is still nice and shiny.
I use them on my pans and I haven't seen any problems with it, but it is a lot more abrasive.
After 2 years of use, my Hexclad pans have held up really well.
And also when I clean them, I make sure I don't use anything overly abrasive.
11:34 supports Joe Chef earns commission on this
In fact, these do heat pretty evenly. I do like them,

performance owns and uses it daily HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Joe earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I do have an Amazon affiliate link for them down in the description of the video. If you buy anything through those links, I do make a small commission, but it doesn't change the price that you pay 1 cent.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites ease of cleaning, even heating, non-stick surface

And you look at this pan and there's really just there's not much sticking. I could probably take a paper towel and just wipe this clean. In fact, let's see what happens if I actually do that. Oops. See what I mean? It's uh there's not much sticking to this at all.
11:34 objects Joe Chef earns commission on this
but when the heat comes off, they cool down a lot faster, too.

performance owns and uses it daily HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Joe earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I do have an Amazon affiliate link for them down in the description of the video. If you buy anything through those links, I do make a small commission, but it doesn't change the price that you pay 1 cent.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites heat retention (against), non-stick surface (against)

Well, that's where there's a little bit of fallacy with HexClad. HexClad pans are not nonstick pans. HexClad pans are hybrid nonstick. This is one of the things that they kind of run into some problems with sometimes because yes, they have a ceramic nonstick coating, but those raised little bits of stainless steel are…
But you can feel it try to stick just that little bit. See even if I try to swirl this around, it's not really going anywhere. There is a little bit friction there. But you can see I can move the egg around, no problem.
2:00 objects Joe Chef earns commission on this
And that's because if I were to just stack this in here like this, then the bottom of this pan is going to be rubbing directly on the top of this other HexClad pan, and that could damage it over time, especially if this rotates around.

durability tested it HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Joe earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I do have an Amazon affiliate link for them down in the description of the video. If you buy anything through those links, I do make a small commission, but it doesn't change the price that you pay 1 cent.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites coating durability (against), durability (against), heat resistance (against), maintenance (against), non-stick surface (against), oven safe (against), scratch resistance (against), warranty (against)

Just because HexClad says that this surface is really strong. In fact, on their website, they say that this is almost indestructible. There's going to be a repeating theme to this video, and that is just because HexClad claims certain things about these pans doesn't mean that you have to push the limits all the time,…
if you put your pans into the oven, these are only rated up to 400° F, but the pans can handle more than that. So, just remember that if you're cooking over 400°, that you can't [music] put these in the oven, otherwise you can shatter them.
I got a bit of a hard time with that. I mean, I don't want to say that Hexclad's lying about that or anything, but 900° is pretty hot. And the reasoning behind it, I'm not really sure if I buy it or not.
I do have a few little scratches in the handle, but it's no big deal. There's one right there. And in fact, that scratch, I believe was there right out of the factory.
I personally won't use metal utensils on any of my pans. I'm just not going to do it. I don't care if HexClad says that you can. I never have, and I never will. I'll use wooden utensils, or I'll use silicone utensils, but it's never going to be any kind of metal on this. It makes a lot of sense when you look at this,…
That's much different than the complaints you might have seen in other YouTube videos and from people complaining online elsewhere. Cuz I see people with all this stuff starting to chip off of here, the pans just not being nonstick at all, and everything's sticking to them, and all sorts of other complaints.
In fact, um HexClad does have a lifetime warranty on their pans, but uh usually a lifetime warranty is the lifetime of the pan. It's not your lifetime.
Now, this is made for stainless steel pans. And if you're going to use it on a HexClad pan, you got to be a little bit careful because you don't want to be using that on that nonstick surface. You can really wreck that, I think.
Remember, keeping them clean is a big deal because if you got stains on a pan and you repeatedly heat that pan up again with those stains on it, those will get harder and harder to remove.
6:32 objects Joe Chef earns commission on this
There's been a lot of people that complain that they can't keep this clean.

reliability relaying someone else HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Joe earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I do have an Amazon affiliate link for them down in the description of the video. If you buy anything through those links, I do make a small commission, but it doesn't change the price that you pay 1 cent.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

I've seen some people complain about that.
I know a lot of people haven't had the same experience and reading the comments, I can see all kinds of different reasons why.
0:00 notes Joe Chef earns commission on this
Today, you and I are going to be talking about how these HexClad pans are holding up after 2 years of regular use.

ownership owns and uses it daily HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Joe earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I do have an Amazon affiliate link for them down in the description of the video. If you buy anything through those links, I do make a small commission, but it doesn't change the price that you pay 1 cent.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Owned 2 years

This is my wok. It gets the least use. In fact, in 2 years, I think I've maybe used this thing six or seven times.
15:35 notes Joe Chef earns commission on this
Luckily, I've never had to call them for anything, but it also means I can't really comment on their customer service much because uh I have no idea.

reliability owns one HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Joe earns commission on this. Stated in the source: “I do have an Amazon affiliate link for them down in the description of the video. If you buy anything through those links, I do make a small commission, but it doesn't change the price that you pay 1 cent.” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Finex cast iron skillet

1 voice 6 claims 2 objections

6:02 supports Kent Rollins Chef
it is a great piece of cast iron to me really if you're sitting on the table full of something to eat and you want to make a statement and you set this out there that is a statement piece it is

appearance tested it Don't Buy a Cast Iron Skillet Without Watching This! Which Cast Iron Brand is Right for You?

Cites appearance, handle

you want to make a statement this is the piece I mean a great different unique design that I've never seen on a piece of cast iron and the handle I mean it is the talking point of the kitchen but also the dining table because this thing is fancy enough to serve right out of it is

AGA cast iron pan

1 voice 3 claims no objections from chefs

14:04 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts was given the product
I now own a hundred of them and we've had them for over 15 20 years which they look like we've had them 15 20 years but yeah they're they're a brilliant pan

durability uses it professionally, daily 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Adam Byatt was given the product. Stated in the source: “they gave me these pans to cook on and I really loved cooking in them” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Owned 15 years

Cites durability

13:34 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts was given the product
I just felt they were like the perfect size to make a one pot dish and they the the heat retention was brilliant in them.

use-case fit uses it professionally, daily 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Adam Byatt was given the product. Stated in the source: “they gave me these pans to cook on and I really loved cooking in them” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites heat retention, size and capacity, versatility

we tried making a tat tatan in them and um there on in we only made tat tatan in these pans
we use them for all sorts for cooking pieces of meat cooking fish cooking tatans cooking all sorts of stuff but I'm a real fan of these Arga cast iron pans
13:34 supports Adam Byatt Buy It For Life Enthusiasts was given the product
I guess actually one of the most important pans in our armory are these these little um cast iron solid heavyweight Arga pans. These are actually Arga pans.

recommendation uses it professionally, daily 35 Years of cooking equipment - What I use everyday

Adam Byatt was given the product. Stated in the source: “they gave me these pans to cook on and I really loved cooking in them” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Hestan CopperBond

1 voice 3 claims no objections from chefs

Onine titanium lined pan

1 voice 3 claims 1 objection

Mauviel copper-clad stainless steel pan

1 voice 3 claims 1 objection

All-Clad pan

1 voice 3 claims no objections from chefs

Revere Ware pan

1 voice 3 claims no objections from chefs

Hestan frying pan

1 voice 2 claims 1 objection

All-Clad stainless pan

1 voice 2 claims no objections from chefs

2:00 supports David Chang Chef paid by this brand
what I'm most excited about this pan is that it's an all clad this is one of the very few things that America produces that is like Best in Class

best in class uses it professionally, daily Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ

David Chang paid by this brand. Stated in the source: “I feel like one of those Hair Club for Men guys it's like not only do I like sponsor this like I use it myself” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites build quality

2:31 supports David Chang Chef paid by this brand
they're just workhorses they're fantastic you know you don't even have to treat it well if you just clean it it'll last you your entire lifetime

durability uses it professionally, daily Momofuku's David Chang Reveals What You Need in Your Kitchen | GQ

David Chang paid by this brand. Stated in the source: “I feel like one of those Hair Club for Men guys it's like not only do I like sponsor this like I use it myself” Kept and labelled rather than dropped — a paid endorsement is still evidence, and you should be the one to decide what it is worth.

Cites durability, maintenance

Corningware Pyroceram cookware

1 voice 2 claims 1 objection

Smithey cast iron skillet

1 voice 2 claims no objections from chefs

3:31 supports Julia Chef
If you want a really nice cast iron skillet, check out the Smithey Ironware number 12 for $200, or for the best buy, check out the Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet for just $43.

recommendation tested it The Best Cast-Iron Skillets

Cites price (against)

Le Creuset dutch oven

1 voice 2 claims no objections from chefs

Calphalon Soup pot

1 voice 2 claims no objections from chefs

Calphalon cookware

1 voice 2 claims no objections from chefs

Griswold cast iron skillet

1 voice 1 claim no objections from chefs

Made In Stainless Clad Saute Pan

1 voice 1 claim no objections from chefs

What do chefs say about cookware in general?

Not a recommendation for a specific product — technique, materials and what to look for in cookware. Citable on its own terms.

13:04 objects Joe Chef
they're also notorious for being bad for stainless steel pans if you have standing water staying in them. Remember, stainless pans have two different layers. They've got an 18/0 magnetic layer and an 18/10 nonmagnetic layer, usually. One of those layers is noncorrosive, and the other one is. So, if you have standing…

durability HexClad Pans Still Worth It? 2-Year Reality Check!

Cites rust resistance (against)

How do cookware score among chefs?

Computed only from claims about cookware by people we have grounds to call chefs, so the axes answer “according to chefs” rather than “according to everyone”.

Domain authority

1 recommender, weighted by demonstrated expertise in cookware. Weighted by expertise in this category, never by audience size.

0.06

Independent consensus

1 independent voice across 2 sources. How many independent voices converge, unweighted.

0.08

Long-term ownership

3 dated ownership reports, median 2 months. Volume and length of dated first-hand ownership reports.

0.03

Performance

23 performance claims. Claims about how well it does the job.

0.07

Value

8 claims about price relative to what it does. Claims about what it costs relative to what it does.

0.15

Repairability

no repairability claims yet. Claims about whether it can be maintained or rebuilt.

—

Community breadth

2 distinct communities. How many distinct communities converge, rather than one echo chamber.

0.00

Recency of evidence

most recent evidence from 2026. How recent the evidence is. Old evidence is not wrong, just older.

0.17

Objections raised

4 negative claims, mostly performance and durability. Weight of negative claims. High is not bad — it is well-documented.

0.16

These are separate measurements, not components of a score. They are never added together, and there is no overall rating — which of them matters depends on what you are buying the thing for. A dash means no evidence on that axis yet, not a low result.