Made In Cookware

First of all, Made In is kind of a weird name, right? But, hey, it's also memorable.

The nice folks at Made In sent me their new saucier (coming soon!) as well as a small nonstick frying pan so I could test and review them. So, that gives a pretty good idea of what the rest of the cookware like is like, yes?

The first thing I noticed with the frying pan was how well balanced it was. You hear that a lot about knives, but it matters with a lot of things - pens, swords, cookware, flaming torches, chain saws - and it means that when you're using it, you're not struggling to maintain it at a good angle for use. When you lift a pan off the stove, you don't want it to feel like it's going to tip downwards and spill all over the place. When you're juggling flaming torches, you don't want to accidentally grab the flaming end.

Of course, what you put in a pan is going to affect that balance. A full pot of water will feel different than a pot that's full of air. But still, that balance is important. It makes using the pot much easier.

Second, I've been using that 8-inch nonstick frying pan as often as I have a use for a small pan, and it shows very little wear. The bottom is getting a little discolored from the heat, but I'm not the type who scrubs cookware until it looks new, and particularly not on the bottom. I mean, I don't let them get caked with goo, but if there's a little heat-staining, I don't fret. I own pans because I use them, not so I can show them off.

I have no idea what the nonstick interior stuff is, but it's definitely not old-style Teflon that flaked off. This stuff is sturdy and very slippery. While the pan is 8 inches across the top, the sides have a pretty steep slope, so the bottom surface is small. Which isn't a bad thing. It's a great pan for cooking one or two eggs and not having them spread all far and wide. Particularly nice if I'm planning on an egg sandwich. Or an egg on a sandwich.

And then there's the saucier.

I have to say that I'm rather fond of that shape in general, but this one is a bit different than other sauciers I have.

In a good way.

The sides on this are tall enough so you can fill the thing with a decent amount of sauce, but the magic in a saucier is that instead of a sharp corner between the bottom and sides, there's a rounded edge. The idea is that if you're stirring with a whisk or even a spoon or spatula, you can get right into those corners so your sauce will blend evenly with no burned or overcooked bits at the edges and less chance of burning.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I like the shape of this one better than others that feel more like slope-sided frying pans with taller sides. Whisking in this feels more like whisking in a bowl. And that's a good thing.

Like the little frying pan, this had good balance and a comfortable handle, so it's easy to hang onto and when it's time to pour stuff out, it's not a juggling act.

Overall, I like both of these, and I'll be keeping them in regular use, along with the other cookware that I'm fond of.

OH! And the Made In folks also sent me some of their cleaner for stainless steel cookware. I haven't needed it yet in the saucier, but I have used it on other stainless steel and it works really well.

Who's it for: People who are looking for better cookware without breaking the bank.

Pros: Nice stuff.

Cons: Sold direct to consumer, so you can't put it in your Amazon cart.

Wishes: Colors! Oh, wait. They just recently introduced colored cookware.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.