The most valid items of each kitchen startup

Photo: Emma Wartzman

Between 2015 and 2019, a multitude of direct cooking startups to consumers arose on the market. Misen was the first, with more to follow, each proclaiming their added value to a space full of inherited brands experienced like All-Clad and Cuisinart. Similar to casper mattresses and Warby Parker glasses before them, what each of these companies delivered was a range of ultra -clever, aesthetic and not too expensive parts to buy online.

Many have started with modest collections, and sometimes a signature product broke out from the pack and has become, in the era of Instagram and Youtube, also immediately recognizable as a Dutch oven Le Creuset. When everything was still very new, in 2018, a writer then with the strategist tested by knives, stoves, spatulas and pans of six of these brands (some of which do not exist or have become practically out of words).

During the seven years that followed, the companies who have remained players on the market have widened their stock a lot – and a few, she could not make herself relevant. Their offers are now even wider with household appliances, dishes, glassware, sheets, tools and just a ton of new kitchen utensils.

However, I have the impression that many people buy in the void of one brand or another, and I am here to say: it is not the way of doing it. Me, my colleagues and a lot of professionals who I regularly talk to in this work have long used the products of these brands. To this end, I have a good idea of ​​what individual pieces are. And while many are listed in our Best in Class series, others are buried in gift guides, strategists and other stories that do not obtain regular updates.

So here I compiled the best of the best. It is not supposed to be an exhaustive examination of each company. (Indeed, you will notice Caraway as the only large brand to have I tried something almost all, and a lot of parts in most cases. So consider this as a conservation of those I like the most – the articles that I would enthusiastically recommend to friends or family and I think it will really resist the test of time – now that this DTC space has settled.

For me, Made in has the best photo of all these societies to become a really durable staple in kitchens for generations to come. The only category I would jump is the table: its plates, its bowls and its glassware are completely good, but I think you can find parts with a similar look and quality for a lower price.

As for other things: I like its knives and its cooking utensils – but it is the quality of the kitchen utensils that stand out.

Made of stainless steel is stellar. These include the same price as the whole dressed in industry – so you choose to be summed up with details. I like the pan of the pan and I find all the handles particularly comfortable to grasp. The covers adapt safely. The stock pot, which you can buy with an adjusted pasta insert, is excellent: large enough to manage a generous portion of stock and more than a book of pasta if I cook for a crowd, but not so big that it is heavy to move or difficult to store.

Again, made success with his Dutch oven. I have had my staub for more than a decade, and I would never abandon it. But the smaller version of Made in is a more recent addition to my kitchen which, so far, works as well.

Made in makes both a traditional non -stick pan and a ceramic pan. The two work well – but I call this last material here in particular because I am generally more skeptical. Overall, I find that the performance of non -stick ceramics are worse than those made with PTFs. But for more than nine months that I have been using this one, I have been impressed.

Great Jones has solid stuff – although it is more a random handle than made. Before entering my favorite products, I will note that many people like the brand of the brand; There is a reason why it is on our best list, and I suppose. I have had one for more than a year now, and it is always in good shape, although I alternate it with aluminum and other non-stick (which means that I may take it once or twice a month). And other bakers, cooks and strategists also approve of it. However, I heard a report on the scarage of the non -stick coating after a few months. And in general, I think the price is high enough for what you get and that you mainly pay for aesthetics here.

By far, my favorite product from Great Jones is his cooking dish. I have a lot of these pieces in my collection (from Pyrex, Staub, Dansk, etc.). What I decide to cook is often limited to the shape and size I need – but it is certainly one of my most used. It is very deep and robust with comfortable handles and has a large thermal conduction – and the surface resists beautifully. It seems just as new as when I bought it about five years ago.

The other winner is the enameled Dutch oven. I have never heard only good things about it – a trusted home cook and several strategist employees. All are fans of the oval shape, who say they heat super even on a round burner. Aesthetic details are another advantage. And in particular, it is cheaper than the crucible and staub – and the fact above.

I am definitely not a fan of the best known product in our place, the Pan Always. (I even tried the new titanium version and I found that it was very disappointing.) I do not think that the appliances of the Kitsch brand are a good investment: you should stick to well -established and reliable brands in this category.

However, I really like the table items from our place – and especially its night and day glasses, which I have shorter size and use for wine, cocktails, water, juice – essentially anything and anything. For me, they establish the perfect balance between design and not too trendy. In addition, they pour, they feel incredibly durable but not heavy or large, they are comfortable to hold and sip, and the colors are pretty.

The set of Misen's knives has been on my best list for several years as a good value. And although this recommendation is true, two products that came to my radar more recently have highlighted this brand.

The carbon frying pan is our best class, as tested by a contributor. It prompted Senior Winnie Yang editor to buy it, and she loved it so much that she wrote an ode. Thanks to it, it has become a recent player in my kitchen too, and I am super impressed by its light weight, its ability to heat evenly and its non -stick properties.

This is another strong recommendation of Yang. The brand calls this a roasting, but it is really a hybrid pastry plate and a roasting – with sides whose height is between the traditional measurements of each, important handles for easy lifting and a stainless steel body which does not discolor over time like aluminum. I have the two sizes (a traditional half fever and a quarter sheet) on the way to myself-but I really have the impression that the design is a bit genius.

Material Kitchen is another of my favorites. There are – in a fairly sensitive way – many items that are currently in stock, such as its high -quality stainless steel kitchen utensils and the wooden spoon that I use regularly. But several articles still available are particularly excellent.

Material Kitchen's knives are generally solid, but in my mind, the only real star is the six -inch serrated knife. It is shorter than you generally find a serrated knife, but it gives real control. It is perfect for cutting through tomatoes, kernel fruits and breads with smaller surfaces, such as chopsticks and bagels, as well as to cut chocolate and more.

I have this clear set (right now, only the haze color is available). As a person who broke almost all the rod wine glass that have ever made its way in my kitchen (be it thin, luxurious and expensive stems or cheap ikea stems), I like it to give me the feeling of something elegant without precariousness.

These kitchen scissors are super Sharp (and mine has maintained their advantage for several years at this stage) and comfortable to hold. The two pieces separate easily to clean, but never defeated themselves when I don't want them to do it (not Still the case with kitchen scissors).

A former colleague wrote an ode to the whip of Material a few years ago – and I have been using it for almost so long and I love it too. Due to the shape of the sons, this thing has a power like the others. He blurs the eggs, whipped whipped whips and emulsifies better and faster than any balloon whisk that I have ever used. (Material, consider it as a plea: if you make a smaller version, I will buy it in a second too.)

I admit that I did not try any Golidlocks product other than this one – but I think it is a very good purchase if you store your kitchen from zero. For only $ 80, you get a full range of kitchen utensils (a rubber spatula, a fish spatula, a wooden spoon and a ladle), as well as a bunch of essentials that generally do not come in these types of sets. The stars are the two bowls of mixing light metals that nest, a robust colander and both cups and spoons.

The strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy in the vast landscape of electronic commerce. Each product is selected independently by our team of editors here. We update the links when possible, but note that transactions can expire and that all prices are likely to change.