What You're Actually Getting With Celebrity Chef Cookware

It's not uncommon for celebrity chefs to have their own cookware line. In fact, it can be difficult to resist a celeb-backed product — even more so if you're a big fan of the particular chef. But surely the celebrity pots and pans can't all be as high-quality and top-notch as their Instagram ads and prices purport. Can they? To shed some light on this conundrum, we spoke with David Davidov, the creator of The Cooking Foodie, who actively avoids celebrity chef-endorsed products.

"I don't really like buying cookware with a celebrity chef endorsement," he admits. As a home cook, it's important to have the right priorities, and for Davidov, those are quality and brand reputation. "When I am shopping for cookware, I always go for tried-and-tested brands that have been manufacturing pots and pans for many years," he explains. "This is what they do, and they know how to make high-quality pots and pans." With 20 of the best cookware brands out there, we're definitely spoiled for choice.

Still, Davidov not completely against celebrity-endorsed products. "There is nothing inherently wrong about celebrity cookware; it can be very good," he says. The problem is that the famous name can blind the customer to potential cookware red flags. "Set aside the name on the package for a minute and ask yourself questions such as what material it is made of, how it is constructed, how does it perform, is it warranted and is it worth the money?" Davidov warns. "Sometimes you're paying extra for the name rather than getting a better pan."

Davidov adds, "Being a great chef and making great cookware are two very different things." Sometimes, celebrity endorsed cookware products are nothing more than a lucrative business venture, though it depends on the individual chef. "Some chefs may be genuinely involved in testing products, choosing features, or giving feedback," the expert adds. "In other cases, I suspect their involvement is much more limited and the celebrity name is mainly part of the branding and marketing."

There's an obvious problem with this, too. "As a consumer, it can be very difficult to know how involved that chef actually was," Davidov notes. "That's another reason I wouldn't buy a pan simply because I trust or admire the chef whose name is on it." Still, a celebrity's name on the cookware label should not be a dealbreaker in and of itself. "If the cookware is well-made, uses good materials, performs well, and is fairly priced, I'd absolutely consider it," he says. That said, with so many disappointing celebrity-endorsed cookware brands, it's just not worth trusting the name alone.

"My advice is simple: buy the pan, not the name," Davidov concludes. "A famous chef on the packaging might get your attention, but the construction, materials, performance, durability, and price should be what actually makes the decision." Sounds like firm advice to us. If you're looking for a place to start, we made a list of 11 absolute best places to buy high-quality cookware.