Made In: Premium Stainless Steel Cookware

CRYSTAL H.  |   |   Updated
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Interested in buying stainless steel cookware? Here I investigate the Made In cookware stainless steel cookware.

Is Made In cookware good?

It must be good! The Made In premium stainless starter kit received the Consumer Reports’ Best Stainless Steel Cookware Set award in 2019. The company says that more and more professional cooks are using their products.

The company promises that you can try out the cookware for a period and if you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason, the company will pay the return shipping.

That sounds good at least.

About the Made In company

The company state’s its cookware are made in USA, France, and Italy, where it also sources material suppliers and manufacturers. I cover how the Made In company started in 2017 in my article exploring who’s behind the kitchen brand names.

Made In stainless steel cookware pieces are induction-compatible. They can be used on all stovetops. This is a must if you are using or considering buying an induction cooktop.

Like most good company’s, Made In offers a lifetime warranty of their cookware, which you can check out here.

The meaning of ‘lifetime’ can be confusing. Is it the lifetime of the user, the expected lifetime of the goods, or is it a specific number of years? I wrote an article covering what they mean for cookware purchases.

So make sure to take that trial period they offer in the ‘Made In promise’.

Stainless Clad Collection

Made In started with the stainless steel clad cookware. This cladding means multiple layers of bonded metal, i.e., Made In‘s stainless steel clad cookware has five layers of metal.

We launched in 2017 with a bold mission: to create the best-performing 5-ply cookware and deliver it to our customers at half the price of our premium competitors.

Made In company statement

The 5-layered design is about durability and heat retention. Your pan is not likely to warp and your food will be cooked evenly.

Made In Cookware - 8-Inch Stainless Steel Frying Pan - Stainless Clad 5 Ply Construction - Professional Cookware

This involves three layers of aluminum sandwiched between premium stainless steel. The three layers of aluminum in the interior provides for fast and even heat conductivity. So these pans are excellent at conducting heat, which you might need to get used to if you haven’t used this quality before.

The handles on Made In cookware are stainless steel. The long handle is hollow and that bit longer. No need to worry about them getting hot to handle as the heat disperses over a larger surface area. The design of the long handle means they stay cooler towards the end, as you move away from the handle base.

Made In cookware also includes a carbon steel range and a non stick pan line.

The non stick pans of Made In are not the ceramic type, but rather have a PTFE nonstick coating. In another article, I explain the differences between the ceramic and the Teflon PTFE nonstick type.

The company claims their nonstick pans last “10 times longer than other premium brands” and that they are oven-safe to 500 ºF.

Minimalism – Space-saving advantages

One neat thing about the Made In brand is that you can buy their pots and pans without lids and use a universal lid to save storage space and clutter.

Their silicone universal lids fit multiple sizes of pots or pans and are much easier to store.

The advantage here is not only the space you save in storage, but also the clutter and clang of lids in your drawer or cupboard that can chip or cause damage to your other wares.

Is Made In cookware safe to use in the oven?

The company claims its premium stainless steel range is safe to use in the oven at very high temperatures. It has stainless steel handles and lids. The company states you can use these in oven temperatures up to 800 ºF.

Even their non stick pans can be used in a very hot oven, according to Made In. The limit stated is 500 ºF.

I cover the oven safety of cookware materials in my article about whether you can put that pan in the oven.

What is Made In cookware made of?

Made In has a top layer of 18/10 stainless and a base layer of 430 stainless steel in its premium stainless steel range of cookware.

Stainless steel is made of chromium and nickel – compare this to ceramic, which has no metals.

Aluminum is sandwiched between these outer layers and so does not come into contact with the food. Read why you should avoid aluminum contact with food in my article on cookware materials.

The cooking surface of the Made In range is 18/10, known as 304 food-grade stainless steel. The 18/10 numbers indicate the ratio of chromium to nickel in the product. The chromium grading indicates the rust-resistant quality and that of nickel the shine and added rust-resistance.

The 430 layer is 18/0 stainless steel, meaning it has no nickel. Unlike the food-grade one, this stainless steel is magnetic, which makes it suitable for induction cookers, and why the Made In range uses it in the base layer. Other brands market stainless steel cookware that has nickel-free cladding as well. This is the 21/0 type that I cover in my ultimate guide to buying stainless steel cookware.

While a 2013 study found certain grades of stainless steel react with acidic foods resulting in the release of nickel during cooking, the Made In range uses rust-resistant 18/10 s/steel, which is considered non-reactive. This aligns with a 2017 study finding of 18/10 stainless: “the amounts [of chromium and nickel] released were below known allergy-triggering thresholds”, based on one hour of cooking acidic food in this type of steel.

Low-quality stainless steel (low chromium) is more likely to corrode and so more prone to leach metals into foods, especially when cooking with acidic types, such as tomatoes and lemons, during cooking.

The Made In premium stainless steel meets standards set for cookware sales in the US.

Made In cookware care and maintenance

For first time use, rinse the cookware in a base of hot water and vinegar.

Although the stainless steel range is dishwasher-safe, the company recommends you hand wash the cookware. This is something I talk about in my article on why your stainless steel cookware discolors. Also, avoid metal utensils and the use of steel wool and harsh scourers to keep them looking their best.

Don’t use excessive heat if you want to avoid rainbow speckles forming on your pan. This won’t affect the performance, but if you are concerned about the look, you can rid it with a stainless steel cleaner, available from Made In.

You really only need to use low to medium heat with these 5-ply pans.

When using oil, if you overheat the pan before adding contents, the oil will burn onto the pan and will be a pain to remove. You might need some stainless steel cleaner in that case.

Don’t add salt to the water before it is boiling or you can cause pitting of the cooking surface.

Always let your cookware cool before putting it in the sink or in cold water. This way your cookware will maintain its proper form and performance.

Where is Made In cookware sold?

You can buy Made In cookware direct from the company. Go straight to their website and see the collection …

Info sources

2013 study: Stainless steel leaches Cr & Ni into food | 2017 Study: 18/10 Stainless Steel

©ceramiccookwarehub.com original article created: 2020-03-03