Compare Stainless Steel Pans
Heritage Steel Eater Series 12-inch Frying Pan scores higher on safety - here's why.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
Caraway uses 18/10 stainless steel on the cooking surface — the same grade as All-Clad and Heritage Steel. Buyers with nickel sensitivity should be aware that 18/10 contains nickel, though leaching stabilizes after a few weeks of regular use.
Heritage Steel explicitly labels their pan as '304 stainless steel (also known as 18/10)' — the clearest grade disclosure of any pan in this comparison. You know exactly what you're cooking with from day one.
Five layers of bonded metal give the Caraway even, responsive heat across the full cooking surface — not just the base. This is the same construction standard recommended by independent safety researchers as the benchmark for stainless cookware.
Heritage Steel's 5-ply fully-clad construction is the recommended benchmark — five bonded layers running the full height of the pan, not just the base. Heats evenly from edge to edge.
Fully-clad means the aluminum core extends up the sides of the pan — food touching the sidewalls gets the same even heat as food on the base. This matters most when searing proteins or reducing sauces that climb the sides.
Five layers extending throughout the entire body — Heritage Steel is explicit that their cladding doesn't stop at the base. One of the strongest construction disclosures in the category.
Oven safe to 550°F covers virtually all home cooking: roasting, baking, and standard broiling up to 450°F. If you regularly finish dishes under a high broiler or cook at 600°F+, Heritage Steel or All-Clad D5 give more headroom.
800°F is the highest oven-safe rating available in stainless cookware — equal to Made In and far above most competitors. The all-stainless handle makes this possible. You'll never hit a residential oven ceiling with this pan.
At 2.58 lbs, the Caraway 10.5-inch hits the sweet spot for daily use — light enough for one-handed flipping and oven transfers, heavy enough to feel substantial on the stove. One of the lightest 5-ply pans in this comparison.
2.9 lbs for the 12-inch is exactly in America's Test Kitchen's sweet spot (2.8–3.0 lbs) — substantial enough to feel premium, light enough for effortless daily use and one-handed cooking. Best weight-to-construction ratio in the category.
At $135, Caraway sits in the premium tier alongside Heritage Steel and All-Clad — a fair price for 5-ply fully-clad construction with steel grade transparency.
At $150 with lid, Heritage Steel offers 5-ply construction, 800°F oven rating, optimal weight, and explicit grade disclosure — the strongest value proposition in this comparison when weighed against specs.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You want a lightweight 5-ply stainless pan under 2.7 lbs for daily one-handed cooking
You like the Caraway brand's clean aesthetic and are already using their cookware ecosystem
Your stovetop-to-oven workflow stays below 550°F
Nickel transparency matters to you and you want a brand that discloses their steel grade
You want the highest-scored stainless steel pan in this category with the best oven rating
You frequently use the stovetop-to-oven workflow and benefit from 800°F headroom
You want USA-made cookware with the most transparent steel grade disclosure in the category
Weight efficiency matters — 2.9 lbs for a 12-inch 5-ply pan is the best ratio here
You want a pan with lid included at the $150 price point
The main thing to know
The 550°F oven rating is the lowest among 5-ply competitors — if you finish dishes under a high broiler regularly, All-Clad D5 (600°F) or Heritage Steel (800°F) give more headroom.
Heritage Steel uses nickel-containing stainless steel — the same as most premium cookware. If you have a diagnosed metal sensitivity and have been told to avoid nickel, this pan isn't for you. New pans release more nickel until they're broken in over the first several cooking sessions.
Skip this if you...
You frequently finish dishes under a high broiler or cook at 600°F+ in the oven
You need steel grade confirmed from a brand spec table — not an editorial source
You have a diagnosed metal sensitivity that requires nickel-free cookware — look for pans made from nickel-free grade stainless
You prefer a brand with wider retail availability — Heritage Steel is primarily direct-to-consumer
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Stainless Steel Pans options at every price pointEvery Stainless Steel Pans in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated Caraway and Heritage Steel across 3 independent criteria: Safety (54%), Efficacy (44%), Usability (2%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with Heritage Steel Heritage Steel Eater Series 12-inch Frying Pan - it scored 8.9/10 overall in our scoring system. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Stainless Steel Pans across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects our weighted rubric, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
Not the right match? Explore these alternatives in the same category.
