The Most Worth-It Items From Every Kitchenware Start-up
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Between 2015 and 2019, a slew of direct-to-consumer cookware startups cropped up on the market. Misen was first, with more to follow, each proclaiming their value-add to a space full of tried-and-true legacy brands like All-Clad and Cuisinart. Similar to Casper’s mattresses and Warby Parker’s glasses before them, what each of these companies delivered was an ultracurated, aesthetically minded, and not-too-expensive array of pieces to shop from online.
Many started with modest collections, and sometimes a signature product broke out of the pack and became, in the era of Instagram and YouTube, as immediately recognizable as a Le Creuset Dutch oven. When it was all still very new, back in 2018, a then-writer at the Strategisttested knives, skillets, spatulas, and saucepansfrom six of these brands (a couple of which don’t exist now or have become virtually irrelevant).
In the seven years since, the companies that have stayed players in the market have expanded their stock quite a bit — and a few she didn’t get to have made themselves relevant. Their offerings are now even more wide-reaching with appliances, dinnerware, glassware, linens, tools, and just a ton of new cookware.
Still, I get the sense that many people shop in a vacuum of one brand or another, and I’m here to say: That’s not the way to do it. I, my colleagues, and a lot of the professionals I talk to regularly in this job have been using products from these brands for a long time now. To that end, I have a good sense of what individual pieces are standouts. And while many are listed across ourBest In Classseries, others are buried in gift guides,Strategist Hauls, and other stories that don’t get regular updates.
So here, I’ve compiled the best of the best. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive review of every single company out there. (Indeed, you’ll notice Caraway as the one prominent brand missing. This is partially my own blind spot: Its nonstick skillet is the only product I’ve used, and though I have one colleague who loves it, it’s just not my favorite.) But Ihavetried something from virtually all of them, and quite a few pieces in most cases. So consider this a curation of the ones I love most — the items I would enthusiastically recommend to friends or family and I think will really stand the test of time — now that this DTC space has settled.
Updated on January 27, 2026
Our favorite kitchen start-up picks have been updated with the latest pricing and availability. FYI:Caraway’s four-piece cutting-board setis nearly 30 percent off now.
To me, Made In has the best shot of all of these companies at becoming a truly long-lasting staple in kitchens for generations to come. The only category I’d skip is tabletop: Its plates, bowls, and glassware are totally fine, but I think you canfind pieceswith a similar look and quality for a lower price point.
As for other stuff: I like itsknivesandbakeware— but it’s the quality of the cookware that sets Made In apart.
Made In’s stainless steel is stellar. It is, notably, right around the same price point as industry-standard All-Clad — so which you choose will come down to the details. I like the slope of the skillet and find all the handles especially comfortable to grip. The lids fit securely. The stock pot, which you can buy with a fitted pasta insert, is excellent: big enough to handle a generous portion of stock and more than a pound of pasta if I’m cooking for a crowd, but not so big that it is cumbersome to move or hard to store.
[Editor’s note: The Stock Pot Set is currently out of stock, but individual Stock Pots are still available for purchasehere. Sign up for restock notifications on the sethere.]
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Again, Made In hits with itsDutch oven. I’ve had my Staub for more than a decade, and I would never give it up. But Made In’s smaller version is a more recent addition to my kitchen that, so far, performs just as well.
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Made In makes both a traditional nonstick skillet and a ceramic one. Both work well — but I’m calling out the latter material here in particular because I am generally more skeptical of it. Across the board, I find the performance of ceramic nonstick to be worse than thosemade with PTFEs. But in the more than nine months I’ve been using this one, I’ve been impressed.
Great Jones has some solid stuff — though it’s more of a random smattering than Made In. Before I get into my very favorite products, I will note that many people love the brand’ssheet pan; there’s a reason it’s on our best-of list, and I stand by that. I’ve had one myself for more than a year now, and it’s still in good shape, though I alternate it with some aluminum and other nonstick ones (meaning, I only pull it out maybe once or twice a month). And other bakers, cooks, and Strategist staffers endorse it, too. However, I heard one report of the nonstick coating chipping after a few months. And in general, I think the price point is pretty high for what you get and that you’re mostly paying for aesthetics here.
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Hands down, my favorite product from Great Jones is itsbaking dish. I have many such pieces in my collection (from Pyrex, Staub, Dansk, and more). Which one I decide to cook with often comes down to the shape and size I need — but this is certainly one of my most used. It’s high-sided and sturdy with comfortable handles and has great heat conduction — and the surface holds up beautifully. It looks just as new as when I bought it about five years ago.
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The other winner is the enameledDutch oven. I’ve only ever heard good things about it — from one trusted home cook and several Strategist staffers. All are fans of the oval shape, which they say heats super-evenly even over a round burner. The aesthetic details are another plus. And notably, it’s cheaper than Le Creuset and Staub — and the Made In above.
I am decidedly not a fan of Our Place’s best-known product, theAlways Pan. (I even tried out the newer titanium version and found it to be very disappointing.) I also don’t think the brand’s kitschy-looking appliances are a good investment: You should stick with well-established, reliable brands in this category.
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Our Place Short Night & Day Glasses
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Our Place Tall Night & Day Glasses
However, I really like Our Place’s tabletop goods — and especially its Night & Day Glasses, which I own in the shorter size and use for wine, cocktails, water, juice — basically anything and everything. To me, they strike the perfect balance of being design-forward but not too trendy-looking. Plus they stack, they feel incredibly durable but not hefty or chunky, they’re comfortable to hold and sip from, and the colors are pretty.
Misen’sknife sethas been on my best-of list for several years as a good value buy. And while that recommendation holds true, two products that have come onto my radar more recently have made this brand stand out.
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In a previous version of this story, I had Misen’sPre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Panas a favorite pick (and it also used to be our Best in Classcarbon-steel skillet). And while it remains a nice piece of cookware overall, this one — which is a cross between carbon steel and nonstick (with an aluminum core) — has surpassed it. You can read mymore detailed reviewif you’re interested, but the bottom line is that it generates supremely even heat, gets way hotter than traditional nonstick (but is still more responsive than carbon steel if you change the temperature), and has a truly sleek surface thanks to the way the material is treated during the production of the pan. It’s a best-of-all-worlds performance I’ve never seen from another product.
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This is another strong recommendation from Yang. The brand calls this a roasting pan, but it’s really a hybrid baking sheet and roasting pan — with sides whose height falls between the traditional measurements of each, significant handles for easy lifting, and a stainless-steel body that doesn’t get discolored over time like aluminum. I have both sizes (a traditional half-sheet and a quarter sheet) on the way to test out myself — but I really do feel like the design is kind of genius.
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I’m more of a recent convert to Caraway, and thesecutting boards, originally recommended by a Strategist contributor, are what first got my attention. It’s harder than you might think to find solid-wood boards that aren’t too thick and heavy. A Boos Block — or butcher block of any kind, for that matter — certainly has its place, but I find them a bit cumbersome to use day in and day out for all my cooking. These, on the other hand, feel substantial but are much lighter than many others I’ve tried. The medium size (you can buy them individually or in this set of three) is my most-reached-for board in my collection.
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These glass containers are also some of my favorites, especially forpantry storage(though I do use the middle size for leftovers a fair amount). They are made from glass but aren’t too delicate. They stack. And the lever on top creates an actually airtight seal (I don’t think it’s as airtight asvacuum sealing, but it certainly helps).
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Caraway Mini Fry Pan
Like Made In’s, Caraway’sceramic nonstick skilletis a great option. It works just as well and is even slightly less expensive. (I personally find it slightly less aesthetically pleasing, though that gripe is both personal and minor.) I’ve been using this one for nearly a year, too, and it’s still nearly as nonstick as when I first got it.
Material Kitchen is another overall favorite of mine. There are — quite noticeably — a lot of items that are currently out of stock, like its high-quality stainless-steel cookware and the wooden spoon I use regularly. But several items that are still available are especially great.
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Material Kitchen’s knives are generally solid, but in my mind, the one true standout is the six-inch serrated knife. It is shorter than you generally find a serrated knife, but that gives real control. It’s perfect for slicing through tomatoes, stone fruit, and breads with smaller surface areas, like baguettes and bagels, as well as for chopping chocolate and more.
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These kitchen scissors are super-sharp (and mine have held their edge for several years at this point) and comfortable to hold. The two pieces come apart easily to clean, yet somehow never come undone when I don’t want them to (notalways the case with kitchen scissors).
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A former colleague wrotean odeto Material’s whisk a few years ago — and I’ve been using it for just about as long and love it, too. Because of the shape of the wires, this thing has power like no other. It scrambles eggs, whips whipped cream, and emulsifies salad dressing better and faster than any balloon whisk I’ve ever used. (Material, consider this a plea: If you make a smaller version, I’ll buy it in a second, too.)
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I’ll admit I haven’t tried any products from Golidlocks other than this one — but I do think it’s a really great buy if you’re stocking your kitchen from scratch. For only $80, you get a full suite of kitchen utensils (a rubber spatula, fish spatula, wooden spoon, and ladle), plus a bunch of essentials that don’t generally come in these types of sets. The standouts are the two lightweight metal mixing bowls that nest, a sturdy colander, and both measuring cups and spoons.
[Editor’s note: The Utensil Set is currently sold out. Monitor restocks on the product pagehere.]
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
