Caraway's ceramic bakeware is stunning, but is this nonstick set really worth the high price? We tested it to find out.
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There’s plenty of gorgeous cookware and bakeware out there. Whether it’s the timeless Made-In porcelain baking slab, the colorful Great Jones Holy Sheet or the do-it-all Our Place Always pan, it’s easy to wonder if these vessels are as practical as they are pretty.
The same goes for the wide range of Caraway bakeware, which has been expanding over the last year. Baking sheets, muffin tins, pie pans, you name it, Caraway offers just about every item home bakers could need in their signature ceramic design and beautiful colors. But how do they really perform?
Food writer, cookbook author and former professional baker, Allison Robicelli originally put the Half Bake Set through the paces in her home kitchen back in 2024. Since then, the brand has launched a new Bakeware+ line. So, we tested the new Caraway bakeware to see if it performs as well as it did a few years ago. Here’s what happened.
Caraway Bakeware
A full line of ceramic nonstick bakeware for all your baking needs
What is Caraway bakeware?
Caraway originally launched back in 2018 with a line of revolutionary, eco-friendly pots and pans. They’re made from aluminum and coated in ultra-slippery ceramic. Unlike many nonstick pots and pans on the market, Caraway’s products are free of potentially toxic materials like heavy metals, PTFE, PFO (a.k.a. Teflon) and PFAs. We tested Caraway cookware—and loved it.
Three years after taking the cooking world by storm, Caraway first introduced ceramic-coated bakeware in the fall of 2021. Since then, the bakeware line has expanded, offering bundled sets as well as individual pieces.
Caraway’s bakeware line includes a variety of baking sheets and pans, cooling racks, muffin, cake and pie tins, pizza pans, loaf pans and more. Each piece comes in Caraway’s signature array of stunning colors, including cream, navy, slate, gray, perracotta, sage, marigold, black and white.
How We Tested It
I was excited to see Caraway expand its bakeware collection earlier this year with the Bakeware+ Set, which includes a pizza pan, fluted cake pan, pie pan, mini muffin pan and cookie sheet. I put three pieces to the test: the pizza pan, mini muffin pan and cookie sheet.
Pizza Pan
The new pizza pan was first up. As a mom to a pizza-loving toddler, we make our fair share of homemade pies. And when I’m short on time (or haven’t made it to the grocery store) I’ve been known to grab a frozen pizza from the deep freezer and call it dinner alongside a salad and a side. The only thing that can derail homemade pizza night? Dough sticking to the pan and ripping your pizza apart. So, I was all for testing a truly nonstick pizza pan.
First, I made a gluten-free pepperoni pizza. It wasn’t the prettiest, but I was impressed when it slid right off the pan with a slight tilt after coming out of the oven, especially considering my almond flour dough was fairly sticky to begin with. No flour on the bottom, no pan spray, no foil added. I did put a little olive oil to the dough, but even burnt cheese wiped away with ease.
After just two pizzas, the Caraway pizza pan earned a spot among my favorite kitchen staples.
Mini Muffin Pan
Next up: carrot cake mini muffins. Normally, I generously grease my muffin and cupcake pans or reach for liners. But to see if Caraway’s ceramic bakeware really lived up to its nonstick claims, I skipped both and poured the batter straight into the muffin pan.
After baking, the muffins popped out with the slightest push of a finger. Incredible.
Cookie Sheet
A few nights later, I put the cookie sheet to work on dinner duty, using it to roast potatoes and bake chicken thighs. Diced potatoes tend to stick to my pans, even when tossed in olive oil and seasoning and baked on foil. Not this time. I could pull the sheet from the oven mid-bake for a quick toss without a struggle, and not a single potato was left behind.
The marinated chicken thighs were just as impressive. I added no oil, just placed them directly on the sheet next to the potatoes. Again, zero sticking.
Some of the marinade slid off the chicken and charred around the edges, but it wiped away easily once the sheet cooled. I was also pleasantly surprised by how well the cookie sheet’s slight lip contained the chicken’s juices. I noticed mid-bake that the thighs had released quite a bit of liquid, and I worried it would spill over the flat sheet and into my oven. Thankfully, the raised edge kept everything contained.
That said, if you’re planning to use Caraway bakeware for one-pan dinners or other juicy dishes, I’d opt for one of the brand’s baking sheets with higher sides.
Oven-Safe to 550 Degrees
It may seem obvious that bakeware should be oven-safe, but the temperature rating is worth noting. Traditional nonstick cookware can release fumes and degrade at high temperatures, while Caraway’s ceramic-coated bakeware is oven-safe up to 550 degrees, giving you more flexibility when baking and roasting.
Prior Testing
Allison Robicelli also tested Caraway bakeware back in 2024. The set she tested contained two different sized baking sheets, a muffin pan, a rectangle pan and a cabinet organizer for storage.
She tested a number of different sweet and savory recipes without lining or greasing the pans. She also made sure to test ooey gooey recipes that are notorious for sticking.
First up? The stickiest of all baked goods, which is, of course, the sticky bun. “I made a big batch of honey and walnut-topped sticky buns, put them directly into Caraway’s large rectangular baking pan, and braced for failure,” Allison says. “When I unmolded the hot sticky buns, there were a few walnuts that stubbornly remained attached to the bottom. But for the most part, the buns, nuts and warm, sticky honey slid right out of the pan and onto my serving board.”
Later, when the pan was cool, she plucked out the walnuts that had chosen to stay behind and easily wiped away whatever stickiness was left behind with a damp sponge. No scrubbing, no soaking, no chiseling off burnt caramel bits with the back of a spoon. Caraway bakeware literally takes seconds to clean. (If you ever are in a pinch, here’s how to clean a burnt pan.)
For her next test, she kept with the honey-glazed theme and made a pan of sweet corn muffins with honey butter. “I deposited each spoonful of batter directly into Caraway’s muffin pan without cupcake liners,” Allison says. “Once cool, the muffins slipped right out without any need for loosening them with a butter knife or giving the pan a few good thumps on the countertop.”
And finally, to test the Caraway baking sheets, Allison whipped up a batch of her favorite quick and easy coconut macaroons. “Once cool, all it took to remove the cookies from the pan was a slight tilt,” she says. “The coconut macaroons slid right off!”
Pros
- Made from sturdy, high-quality aluminum steel and mineral-based ceramic
- Heats quickly and evenly, and held steady temperature during testing
- Oven-safe up to 550 degrees
- Truly nonstick
- Nontoxic
- Hefty weight
- Easy to clean
- Gorgeous colors
- Baking sets are easy to store with included organizers
- Made with eco-conscious materials and fair labor practices
Cons
- Higher price point
- Not dishwasher-safe
Final Verdict
There’s no denying that Caraway bakeware is pricey, but there’s also no denying that it’s worth every penny. This is a bakeware, if cared for correctly, may very well last you many years. It’s a worthwhile investment that will likely save you money in the long run.
I’d recommend purchasing pans individually if you’re giving them as a gift, and these would be a truly spectacular gift for any person in your life who’s serious about baking. They fit right in with our other gift ideas for cake bakers, bread bakers and pie bakers!
But if you’re purchasing Caraway bakeware for yourself, it makes sense to splurge on our tested Half Bakeware Set or the new Bakeware+ Set.
Where to Buy
Caraway Bakeware
Editor-tested nonstick bakeware that doesn't need greasing
You can pick up Caraway bakeware at a variety of retailers. Grab the Half Bakeware Set and Bakeware+ Set (both $275) on Caraway’s website. You can also shop select Caraway bakeware items on Amazon.
While you wait for your brand-new bakeware to arrive, start daydreaming about all the delicious baking recipes you’re going to make!
FAQ
What’s so special about Caraway cookware and bakeware?
Caraway makes some of the safest cookware and bakeware on the market. It offers nonstick cooking surfaces without the use of harsh, toxic chemicals. Compared to traditional nonstick coated pans, Caraway pans are eco-friendly, too. They release 60% less CO2 during the manufacturing process and ship in recycled cardboard packaging with low impact print dyes and zero plastic.
Caraway cookware is also ethically made. The company works with manufacturing partners where employees work in safe conditions, and are paid fairly with health benefits.
Does Caraway bakeware scratch?
While Caraway bakeware comes with a lot of great benefits, any baking cookware with a ceramic coating will chip or scratch eventually. This can be avoided by treating the bakeware carefully or by using a wooden or silicone tool when scooping or scraping baked goods out.
Can you use metal utensils on Caraway?
Just as with other nonstick cookware, metal utensils can scratch and chip ceramic coating. Stick to wood, nylon or silicone utensils to keep Caraway in good condition.
Speaking of nonstick cookware, you might like the new Caraway steamers (they deliver perfect dumplings in minutes!).
Do you need to grease Caraway bakeware?
While there is a ceramic coating on Caraway bakeware, best results are found when they are slicked with some butter, oil or ghee to prevent sticking and create better baking performance. However, you should not need a lot of oil or butter before baking so use sparingly!
How long will Caraway pans and bakeware last?
Caraway pans, cookware and bakeware last for several years with regular use (if properly cared for). Always make sure you are cleaning cookware after every use and applying grease when necessary.
Why You Should Trust Us
Shopping Editor Mary Henn has tested a wide range of cookware and kitchen gear for Taste of Home over the years. For this piece, she tested three additional items from Caraway’s all-new Bakeware+ line to see how they compared with our team’s original testing in 2024.
Alison T.S. Robicelli has over 12 years of experience as a professional chef and recipe developer and 10 years of full-time writing experience at Taste of Home, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Eater, The Takeout and The Washington Post. She has written two cookbooks and regularly contributes her advice to cooking, baking and kitchenware content. She first reviewed Caraway cookware for Taste of Home in 2024.
Alexandra Mantella, Content Updates Editor at Taste of Home, updated and contributed research to this piece. She has over five years of experience in product testing, research and commerce writing. Previously, she served as a commerce content update editor at Bob Vila.
