The Best Pots and Pans Set: Great Jones Cookware and Baking Sets

Interested in finding the best pots and pans set without breaking the bank? I was too, especially since I hadn’t bought a new set since back in college over 10 years ago… Thankfully, my friends at Great Jones partnered with me to try out their 5 piece Family Style set, and it’s officially made me fall in love with cooking again. Sharing my experience, and why everyone needs an affordable pots and pans set for their own kitchen!

For anyone who knows me well, they’ll know that I can call myself a lot of things – but a “chef” is not one of them. It’s a bit of a running joke that I have to Google “how to cook rice” to remember the proportions every time – and I may or may not have Googled “how to chop a cabbage” earlier this week. Either way, I won the boyfriend jackpot when I met Ray – not only did he go to culinary school (one of my favorite fun facts I like to casually mention), but he also finds great joy in cooking multiple meals a day effortlessly. And on the few days a week I have to cook something, he’s very patient in teaching me – and answering questions I’m too lazy to Google.

So needless to say, when we moved in together I wasn’t exactly a bundle deal with functioning kitchen equipment. I had a pretty beat up set of knives and a collection of mismatched pots and pans from college (most of which were probably handed down from other girls in my sorority). They definitely worked, and I didn’t know any better, so I didn’t quite realize what I was missing out on. Flash forward to this year, and I had the opportunity to partner with Great Jones and test out their Family Style pots and pans set – and let me just tell you, I’m kicking myself I didn’t get them sooner. I always thought nice pots and pans were something you waited to get from your wedding registry….but turns out it’s definitely worth getting an affordable set way before then. These pots and pans are seriously a gamechanger – even for someone like me who doesn’t typically want to be the one cooking!

The Best Pots and Pans Set – Why I Love Great Jones:

Great Jones has a ton of different pots, pans and bakeware, but I’m going to highlight the different pots and pans that come in the Family Style 5-Piece Cookware set, featuring all the essentials you need for the majority of your at home cooking. Here’s the skinny on each of the pots and pans I’ve officially fallen in love with (who knew you could be so passionate about kitchen supplies?!)

The Dutchess: This is your classic, cast-iron Dutch oven I didn’t know I needed until I tried this one from Great Jones. Not only is it beautiful (and currently lives on our stove top year round), but it’s a champ at retaining heat, and the enamel finish makes it super easy to deglaze and clean. It’s oven safe at high temps too, and I’m already looking forward to attempting my first whole roast chicken in it very soon. Plus, did I mention how beautiful it is?! That forest green is *chefs kiss!*
The Big Deal: This 8-quart stock pot boils water super fast and distributes heat evenly to make cooking a breeze. This is my go-to for when I make spaghetti and meatballs (a weekly occurrence) or my not-so-famous chili on a cold Sunday afternoon. It’s so sturdy that even on the highest boil or simmer it won’t shake, which to me is kinda a big deal…
Saucy: This 3 quart saucier has a pouring spout (WHY DO ALL POTS NOT HAVE THIS?!) and has really upped my game when it comes to making Kraft Mac and Cheese (and has seriously upped Ray’s game when he makes non-processed foods :))
Deep Cut: Turns out having a nice saute pan actually makes a huge difference (the more you know!) and this one is combined with a skillet to give you the best of both worlds. It’s deep enough that when you’re cooking you won’t have any liquid splash out, or you can dump veggies right into the pan for the perfect sear. We use this pan daily now – and I’m already feeling like we probably need a medium size one, just to better round out the collection.
Small Fry: Our new favorite non-stick frying pan is seriously a gamechanger when it comes to making the perfect egg for breakfast sandwiches. Ray loves it so much he supervises me while doing the dishes to make sure I hand wash it and give it the love it deserves. It’s the best non-stick pan we’ve ever had, and we won’t be going back to the one from my college dorm ever again!

While I don’t know much about cooking, I have learned that having high quality pots and pans really does make a huge difference (and now I’m scheming on how I can upgrade all my other kitchen equipment to feel more like a real adult!). And thankfully Ray is very patient about cooking with me, and teaching me the ropes so I can be a deserving chef of these pretty pots and pans from Great Jones.

If you’re looking for the best pots and pans, I’d highly recommend checking out Great Jones! I can’t say enough great things about their Family Style set – and I can’t wait to share more fo the delicious meals we make using them!