The Hidden Gem Cookware Brand To Look For At Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are excellent places to shop for cookware. Often, people will give away perfectly usable pots and pans that just need a good scrub to be good as new. When digging through the pile of pans in the cookware section, it's helpful to know what to look out for. Emily Huxford, an expert in home décor and DIY, spoke with MarthaStewart.com about what brands to hunt down, and one caught our eye: Pampered Chef.

Pampered Chef sells stainless steel cookware sets that are usually a good secondhand buy. "Stainless steel pots and pans have an incredible lifespan," Huxford told MarthaStewart.com. She advises: "Never let stains on stainless steel deter you," as they can always be cleaned up. Make sure you read our guide on how to properly clean stainless steel before you get to work.

Thrift store shoppers tend to get excited when finding the brand. On Reddit, a poster discussed a pan they bought for $8 that they often see used elsewhere for $30 to $60. Commenters felt that the brand used to be overpriced, but good quality — well worth purchasing used. Another Reddit poster pointed out that you can find deals on Pampered Chef stoneware, cupcake tins, and other equipment for significant discounts at secondhand shops.

You may notice that Pampered Chef is more common at secondhand shops than other stainless steel brands. This has more to do with the brand's method of selling its cookware than the quality of the pieces. Pampered Chef is a multi-level marketing company that employs "consultants" to throw parties demonstrating the products to sell to friends and family (similar to the model Tupperware used). The parties often get people to buy more than they need to avoid any awkwardness. Eventually, a household purge happens and little-used but good quality cookware ends up at Goodwill. "In the PHX [Phoenix] area, our Goodwills are FULL of the Heritage Stoneware pieces from PC [Pampered Chef]. If you ever need a replacement, go there first. There is an absolute ton of it around," wrote a commenter on Reddit.

The brand lasts a long time, according to more posters on Reddit. It seems that stores have enough of the brand that you don't need to go thrift store shopping at the right time of day to find the best kitchenware like you may have to with other brands. Feel free to sleep in next time you're looking for stainless steel!