If you watch any food-related show via Food Network, The Kitchen, or even Good Morning America, you've likely seen a celebrity chef promoting their exquisite cooking, with a side of marketing for their cooking line. There's nothing revolutionary about a chef creating and/or endorsing a line of kitchen gadgets with their name attached to it, but what do these 'exceptional' utensils actually bring to the kitchen? In the case of Ree Drummond's Pioneer Woman cookware line, these exceptional items are proven to actually be exceptional.
So we look to the new cooking line from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman that's featured at Walmart. But with so many different products in both the famed chef's world and designer gear, how is one to choose? How can one set stand out from another, and what do people look for when choosing pots and pans?
Before getting into the details and general consensus around Drummond's collection, let's talk about the basic must-haves when searching for kitchenware and cookware. First, you're going to want something with responsive heat, meaning it conducts heat and responds quickly to changes in temperature, especially when shifting gears from high heat to low heat in a timely manner.
Secondly, you're going to want your fry pan, pots, and skillets to heat evenly. It should be scrape-proof (for the most part) and feel comfortable to you. And depending on how much you value aesthetics, it should be stylish in some way. Now for Ree Drummond's gear, complete with a convenient non-stick surface that is not stainless steel, meaning you won't have that tinny taste stainless steel sometimes gives. Drummond has a 10-piece set of pots and pans, including a cast iron skillet, that are available at Walmart, or other online outlets, such as Amazon.
The most popular and beautiful set of Drummond's line sells is the Vintage Speckle 10-Piece Non-Stick Pre-Seasoned Cookware Set. It's the step below the Pioneer Woman 27-piece set, and is all around perfect for those looking to build their kitchen set out or replace a few war-torn pots and pans.
This particular set features an 8-inch pre-seasoned cast iron frying pan, a 9.5-inch frying pan, a 1.1-quart saucepan with a lid, a 2.5-quart saucepan with a lid, a 5.5-quart Dutch oven with a lid, and a 4.2-quart jumbo cooker with a lid. All of the items are dishwasher safe and oven safe.
The set can be found here on Walmart.com, and if you're interested, you can have it delivered to local Walmart stores for free shipping, or have it shipped to your home. This set makes a wonderful addition for the young person starting their own kitchen, or for the person who just deserves a new 10-piece cookware set that will last.
The classic vintage style set comes in four colors: black, linen, red, and turquoise. Currently, black is sold out, though linen is in stock and priced at $179.99 with free shipping. Both red and turquoise sets are priced down to $89.00, which is actually an incredible deal when the modern functionality of this set comes into play.
Consumer Reports recently pit this very product set against 14 other non-stick cookware sets to find out how Drummond's fares.
Durability Comes First
Most of Drummond's pots and pans are made out of porcelain-coated aluminum, with exception to the cast iron skillet, which is one of the most durable substances when it comes to cookware. While her other pans, including a beautiful 12-inch enamel cast iron skillet that you can read about here, are enamel cast iron, this vintage speckle cookware set boasts aluminum for a few reasons.
Why is this important? Well, cooking can get rough and sticky. Do you want a pan that endures the general woes of the cooking game, or one which the enamel and coating are scraped off little by little? It's not always easy to clean your cookware.
Additionally, it was the only set in the durability tests to score excellent in non-stick durability and cooking evenness reviews. Problems were found once the coating was scratched, but if you take proper care, this speckle cookware set is a line that will work for you for years to come.
Versatility is King
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Surely you've found yourself in a problematic kitchen situation where you need one specific pan, opening every cabinet and drawer only to be disappointed in your kitchen for hiding it from you. Or maybe it's the fact that you simply didn't have that specific pan, and you know what? That's completely fine and normal.
Who has a 20+ piece variation of pots and pans in their kitchen, besides Drummond? Not the average folk, that's for sure. However, with Drummond's set, you get 10 quintessential pieces for all of your cooking needs, and the customer reviews are phenomenal.
Fried eggs release beautifully from the nonstick surface, and you won't even need to take steel wool to the cast iron if you use this nifty cast iron scrubber for under $15.
Forget The Mess
If you've ever cooked with a pot or pan in the oven or on the stovetop, you know the cleanup process can be a bit meticulous. Drummond and her team kept this in mind while crafting these beauties by ensuring the nonstick coating lived up to its reputation for a smooth nonstick release.
When it comes to cooking, of course the goal and priority is the deliciousness of the food, and the dreaded part comes afterwards. But with Drummond's collection, clean up will be a breeze, and your pans will last you a heck of a lot longer than you may expect. In food-release tests, the set scored extremely well once again compared to the competition of high quality brand names and shares their rating in consistency tests.
Whatever your cooking needs or aspirations may be, make sure to fully research and seek out the product necessities for your kitchen that align with your life and your needs.
If you only plan on sautéing spinach and frying eggs, this might not be the best set for you. But if you're ready to take the plunge, invest in some of the cookware at Walmart or on Amazon. The new set will delight any first home cook or well-practiced kitchen connoisseur all the same.
