In this video, I reveal the five cookware brands that you should
never buy. Although these brands are popular, based on my testing they don't live up to the
hype. The first brand I would avoid is Our Place, specifically the Always Pan. The Our Place Always
Pan is one of the most popular pieces of cookware on the market. It's all over social media and
claims to be a 10-in-one all-purpose pan that can perform nearly all cooking functions. While
you can certainly use many different cooking techniques, it's just an aluminum non-stick pan
with tall sides, a wooden spoon, and a steamer basket. When I first started testing the Always
Pan, the performance was good. Eggs slid around and nothing ever stuck. But not too long after I
started testing it, the ceramic coating started to wear down and I had to use more and more oil
and butter to prevent sticking. This all-in-one style pan saves space and helps you declutter
your kitchen, but the notion that one pan can do it all is simply not true in my experience.
The Always Pn is 10.5 inches in diameter and has a 2.6-quart capacity, which might work for one
or two people but not for a family of three or more. And unless you only cook one-pot meals,
you'll need more than one pan. Another aspect I don't like about the Always Pan is the steamer
basket. The metal legs are short so you can only put a small amount of water in the pan. If you add
too much you'll boil instead of steam, but if you put too little it burns off quickly before fully
cooking the food. On top of all that, this pan is not broiler-safe and you should only use low to
medium heat to preserve the coating. For a pan that touts itself as the ultimate all-purpose
system, it has several limitations. Overall, it's a decent pan and I appreciate Our Place's
mission to reduce waste and simplify cooking, but $150 is way too much for a pan you'll need
to eventually replace. Instead pick up a quality stainless steel saute pan. For just about the same
price, the Made In 3.5-quart stainless steel saute pan gives you more capacity, you can use it to
broil, and it will last forever. Farberware has been around for over a hundred years and
some of their non-stick cookware is okay, but I don't recommend buying their Classic Series
stainless steel pans. The best thing I can say about this cookware is that it's affordable.
But like most things, you get what you pay for. This cookware is thin and lightweight, which
makes controlling the heat a challenge. The temperature fluctuates significantly as you add
and remove ingredients, making it difficult to get consistent results. In fact, it's one of the worst
performing pans in my heat retention test. Another negative is that the sides of this pan don't heat
at the same rate as the bottom. Since Farberware stainless steel pans have a cladded base with thin
steel sides, the whole pan doesn't heat evenly. This won't impact food that cooks primarily on
the flat cooking surface like chicken or steak, but it makes a difference when sautéing, stir
frying, or cooking other meals that touch the sides. Another downside worth mentioning is the
short handles. At only six inches, the handles on the 10-inch skillet force you to place your hand
closer to the heat. Also, since the handles are plastic, these pans are only safe in the oven
up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Most stainless steel cookware can handle at least 500. Because
of the thin construction, short plastic handles, and low heat tolerance, I would not recommend the
Farberware Classic stainless steel pans. If you're looking for affordable stainless steel cookware,
check out Misen and Tramontina Tri-Ply. They cost a little bit more, but you get much better
performance. You've probably seen commercials for the Blue Diamond Pan. The one with millions of
tiny diamonds infused into the ceramic non-stick coating. The makers of the Blue Diamond pan
claim it's five times harder lasts 10 times longer and transfers heat four times faster
than the competition. But there's nothing to substantiate these claims in the fine print. There
are no links to test results or reports. Also, the fine print says diamonds are four times
more heat conductive than copper. That's true, but this pan is not made of diamonds; it's an
aluminum pan with a ceramic non-stick coating with diamond dust sprinkled in. I called the company
and asked about these claims but they hurried me off the phone and told me to email them. I emailed
them and I'm still waiting for a response. Besides the bold claims and unhelpful customer service,
the performance of these pans is nothing special. Like most ceramic coated non-stick pans, they heat
fast and evenly and food doesn't stick at first, but over time things start to go south. When the
coating wears down, eggs and other delicate foods begin to stick. Also, the hollow handle is open
on the end which allows grease from neighboring burners to splatter inside. It feels cheap and
it's difficult to clean. If you're looking for low-cost aluminum non-stick pans, brands like
Zwilling, Misen, and All-Clad Essentials are better options. Gotham steel is another brand
similar to Blue Diamond that I don't recommend. In their early commercials, celebrity chef Daniel
Green says, using Gotham steel is like cooking on air, everything slides right off. I tested the
12-inch fry pan from the original collection and the first thing I noticed was how lightweight it
felt. The walls are thin and it doesn't have the heft of thicker more expensive pans. The advantage
of lightweight cookware is that it's easier to maneuver. The downside is that it's super
responsive to heat so it's easy to mistakenly burn or overcook your food. The thin handles
were the next thing that stood out. Gotham Steel handles are flat which makes them easy to tilt the
pan, but the grip is uncomfortable and the edges can dig into your hand. Overall, Gotham Steel is
another as seen on TV pan with an intriguing name, bold claims, and disappointing performance. It's
inexpensive so the risk is low if you want to give it a try, but if my experience is any indication,
it's not worth a hassle. Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman, has a cooking show on
Food Network, an award-winning blog, and several cookbooks. And while I enjoy her show, I can't
say the same about her cookware, specifically the ceramic non-stick pans. Like Blue Diamond and
Gotham Steel, Pioneer Woman non-stick pans have a thin aluminum body with a ceramic non-stick
coating and the more I tested it, the less non-stick it became. The handles have a silicone
wrapper which makes them secure and comfortable, but also limits the oven safe temperature to 350
degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the thin walls, these pans do not retain heat well. Only one
brand out of the 25 I tested performed worse than Pioneer Woman in my heat retention tests.
If you're a fan of the show and are looking for low-cost colorful cookware, go for it. But if you
want high-performing long-lasting pans that retain heat well, there are much better options. If you
want to learn more about the brands in this video, including the alternatives that I mentioned,
I'll link to them in the description. Those are affiliate links, so I'll earn a commission
if you click and buy but at no extra cost to you. Now that you know which brands I
don't recommend, check out this video where I highlight the brands I do recommend that are
all made in the USA. And don't forget to click the logo to subscribe to the channel. Thanks
for watching, we'll see you in the next video.
