Pioneer Woman Cookware Set Review: What’s Awesome About It?

Everyone needs some new cookware at some point, and the Pioneer Woman Cookware Set are a good choice.

They look great in any kitchen, are affordable, and they cook the food evenly!

If you don’t know this brand, we’ll provide all the details so that you can be as informed as possible when shopping.

Before we go any further, let’s learn a little about how they came to be, and who made them.

Pioneer Woman Cookware

What or Who Is Pioneer Woman?

Who Is Pioneer Woman

Pioneer Woman is also known as Ann Marie Drummond. She is the author of the cooking blog The Pioneer Woman.

Thanks to her blog’s success she also appeared on TV, on a cooking show with the same name. 

Today, The Pioneer Woman is a true brand with a blog, TV show, kitchenware and home decor products.

Now we know The Pioneer Woman is passionate about cooking, so let’s see what types of pots and pans she created!

Why Buy Pioneer Woman Cookware?

There are several reasons to want to purchase Pioneer Woman Cookware:

  • They have a very attractive price.
  • The food gets evenly cooked and doesn’t stick to the pot or pan.
  • A variety of materials to choose from: non-stick, stainless steel, cast iron, and ceramics.
  • Most of the items are lightweight, making them perfect for those who can’t handle well heavy products.
  • The handles remain relatively cool while cooking, unlike with other brands.
  • All the pots come with matching lids made of glass and equipped with steam vents. This is a very helpful feature when having to look at the food, but not lift the lid.

Learning where a product is made and where can it be purchased from, helps in deciding for or against it.

Where Is the Pioneer Woman Cookware Made?

Where Is the Pioneer Woman Cookware Made

Knowing where an item comes from gives a decent estimate on how long the product will last. Most of the dishes and pots are made in China, though the non-stick cake pans are made in USA. Some of the items are the result of collaboration with Hamilton Beach. These collaborations are the slow cookers. Regardless of where they’re made, all the products are designed in USA.

Types of Pioneer Woman Cookware

If you’re not familiar with this line of kitchen products, you’ll want to know what exactly you can find. Besides the Pioneer Woman dishes and cookware, you can find other kitchen tools as well, such as measuring cups and spoons, cooking utensils, or rolling pins.

This is not all, as most of the products are in a set form. The cookware has various types of pieces. They also come in a selection of sizes. Cast iron, glass, or ceramics, were used to make the different items and most have matching lids too. Some of the sets are available in different colors. Stick around to find out more about these sets, in the next section of the article!

Comparing the Various Pioneer Woman Pots and Pans Sets

As mentioned, you can find several cookware sets under The Pioneer Woman brand. You should know that the larger sets don’t contain all the pieces in the smaller sets. Some of the items in the smaller cookware sets may not be found in the larger ones, as they could be replaced by others. This is easily seen in the Pioneer Woman 17 piece cookware set: it has a ceramic baking dish instead of a soup pot as seen in 10 piece cookware set.

If you don’t cook very often a smaller set might be better. When choosing a line of products, don’t forget to take into consideration your storage space. Let’s have a look at a few sets now!

What Does the Pioneer Woman 10 Piece Cookware Set Contain?

The Pioneer Woman 10 piece cookware set is be the easiest one to find and might also be the most affordable of all. This is what it contains:

  • 2 saucepans of 1 and 2.5 quarts, with lids
  • A jumbo cooker of 4.5 quarts with a lid
  • A 5.5 quarts Dutch Oven with matching lid
  • 1 frying pan measuring 9.5”
  • 1 cast iron frying pan, measuring 8”
Pioneer Woman 10 Piece Cookware Set

What do we like about this set?

  • Enough pieces. You get all the pieces a kitchen needs. Perfect for a minimalist.
  • Beginner friendly. If you are starting to learn how to cook, too many pots can make you feel overwhelmed.
  • The lids. You get matching lids for all the pots.
  • Cast iron. The cast iron pan is the star of this set and you get it for a great price.

What don’t we like about this set?

  • Not enough lids. The frying pans don’t have lids and this is a let-down.
  • 2 frying pans. We would have preferred a lid instead of 2 frying pans.

If this set is too small for you, perhaps the next one is a better choice.

What Does the Pioneer Woman 17 Piece Cookware Set Contain?

This set is rather easy to find and seems like a good choice for those who bake quite often. A quick search will reveal all the items in the Pioneer Woman 17 piece cookware set. These are:

  • 2 saucepans, with matching lids. Their sizes are 1 quarts and 2.5 quarts.
  • 1 Dutch oven of 5.5 quarts, with a lid
  • An 10” skillet made of cast iron
  • A non-stick skillet of 9.5”
  • 2 wooden tools: a spoon and a turner
  • 2 silicone sleeves. Just like above, these are for the cast iron elements.
  • A rectangular baking dish made of ceramic
  • 4 ceramic bowls
Pioneer Woman 17 Piece Cookware Set

What do we like about this set?

  • The wooden tools. The food tastes better when using wooden tools to mix while cooking. They’re also safe to use with non-stick pots.
  • The silicone sleeves. Very useful when trying to handle the cast iron skillet and not be scared of getting burned.
  • The flowery design. Each of the ceramic items has a different motif, making them stand out more.

What don’t we like about this set?

  • No jumbo cooker. The jumbo cooker was used for making soup. You could use the Dutch oven instead.
  • The mismatched design. It gives the impression of a cluttered place.

If this set doesn’t fit your needs, check out the next one as it’s larger.

What Does the Pioneer Woman 20 Piece Cookware Set Contain?

This set is also easy to find, so why don’t you give it a try in your kitchen? Let’s see the pieces you’ll own, once you buy it:

Pioneer Woman 20 Piece Cookware Set
  • 2 saucepans of 1 quart and 2.5 quarts, with matching lids.
  • 2 frying pans - an 8” cast iron and a 9.5”, respectively
  • A Dutch oven with lid, of 5.5 quarts
  • A jumbo cooker with lid, of 4.4 quarts
  • 2 mini containers for au gratin dishes
  • 2 silicon sleeves
  • 3 nylon tools: a serving spoon, and slotted turner and spoon
  • 3 baking dishes made of carbon steel: a 12.5" x 9" cookie sheet, a 9.5" x 5.5" loaf pan, and a 13" x 9" baking pan

What do we like about this set?

  • Au gratin. The pieces are made of cast iron and will take your cooking to the next level, even if you are a beginner.
  • Baking pans. They’ll allow you to bake all sorts of treats, including your own bread.
  • Cast iron. You get 3 pieces made of cast iron, increasing the value of the set.
  • Many pieces. They make our kitchen look well equipped, and allow you to cook a wide array of dishes.

What don’t we like about this set?

  • Plastic tools. You can’t always check or control the temperature in your pans, and plastic can melt and leach harmful chemicals in your food.
  • No lids for the frying pans. Lids help with keeping the kitchen cleaner while cooking.

This Pioneer Woman 20 piece cookware set will meet your needs no matter your cooking level. We should mention that the brand makes even larger sets. Take for instance the Pioneer Woman 27 piece cookware or the Pioneer Woman 30 piece cookware. These are currently difficult to find. They contain extra pieces, including some cooking utensils.

If you don’t like the non-stick cookware, read on about the stainless steel line!

Stainless Steel Pots by Pioneer Woman

Pioneer Woman also designed stainless steel cookware. The stainless steel was fused with aluminum for the sides of the pots, and copper for their bottoms. Food may stick to these pots, but cleaning them is easier. Rubbing them may leave marks, but these won’t affect durability and safety of the dishes. 

Pioneer Woman Stainless Steel Cookware Set

The Pioneer Woman stainless steel cookware is available as sets, from various sellers. They differ from the non-stick when it comes to the types of pieces they contain. This line doesn’t feature cast iron pieces, but a steamer insert instead. The frying pan in this line also doesn’t have a lid.

Some people prefer cast iron, glass or ceramic cookware. Next section presents other materials used in the making of The Pioneer Woman pans and pots.

Can I Find Pioneer Woman Cast Iron Cookware?

It’s clear already that Pioneer Woman cast iron cookware is also available. The pieces made of this material are the frying pans, the au gratin dishes, and the Dutch ovens

Pioneer Woman Cast Iron Cookware

You can find them as enameled and non-enameled. The enameled items are available on a variety of colors and with floral decorations. The non-enameled units are pre-seasoned, so you can start using them right away. Most of the non-enameled cookware found in sets, comes with silicone sleeves.

The ceramic pieces are generally white and decorated with flowers or seasonal motifs. Various purposes, shapes and sizes are easy to find. Like mentioned earlier, measuring bowls and spoons are generally included in most sets. You can shop for cups, bakeware, and plates too.

Most of the other cookware items designed for stove-top use are made of anodized aluminum. These articles have a special non-stick coating on the inside, called Quantum 2. Their outer wall is painted in various colors, such as red, blue or linen, with speckles. They’re meant to look like something you’d use while camping, and make a nice addition to the home.

Where to Buy Pioneer Woman Cookware?

The Pioneer Woman dishes and cookware are primarily sold at Walmart. This is because “Ree” Drummond collaborated with them specifically for this purpose. Do know that with a quick online search you’ll find other sellers as well. These include places like Amazon and other online retailers. This makes it easier for you to find Pioneer Woman products that may not be manufactured anymore.

How Do You Care for the Pioneer Woman Pots and Pans?

Given what they’re made of, it’s safe to say that you can’t use metal tools while cooking with these products. This is especially true for the non-stick range.

When cooking, it’s best not to use heat higher than 300 degrees. The cast iron selection can be used in temperatures of up to 500 degrees.

Most of the merchandise can be used on any heat source, if it’s meant to cook in. All the vessels have a flat bottom, making them stable and compatible with many types of stove tops. They’re only not compatible with the electric induction cooktops.

How Do You Care for the Pioneer Woman Pots and Pans

The manufacturer says it’s safe to clean all the cookware in the dishwasher. However, the general recommendation is to clean them by hand. The advice is enforced for the cast irons. This way, the risk of damaging any of the pots is minimal. You might have to re-season the cast irons after cleaning them, to ensure they stay rust free and in top shape. 

Luckily, the stainless steel line doesn’t require special care. You can even use metal tools in them, and not worry about scratches, like mentioned earlier. It’s also safe to clean them in the dishwasher.

Are There any Setbacks?

Pioneer Woman Cookware Setbeacks

You already know that no product is perfect, at least not for a very long time. This is also true for The Pioneer Woman kitchenware. Some buyers had bad experiences with these products. This was especially the case with the items in the non-stick line. Everyone knows how easy it is to scratch this type of surface. This can happen even when using plastic tools, or during wash. You should know that not all customers had such bad luck with their Pioneer Woman cookware. 

Other customers had their porcelain and glass items shattering. At times, this happened during cooking, or by simply touching them. Unfortunately, The Pioneer Woman doesn’t sell separate lids. 


These incidents could point to poorly made batches. Of course, these accidents can happen with any other brand. Remember that you’re supposed to dispose of the pieces if they start flaking. And, you should do this with any pot or pan, regardless of brand. 

There are two drawbacks with the stainless steel line. One is that the pieces lose their “brand new” look rather fast. The other one is that you have to use more oil to avoid the food sticking to the pots and pans.

Some Last Thoughts

We hope you found this presentation helpful. If you’re on a budget and need some new pots or pans, give The Pioneer Woman brand a chance. Besides their attractive price, these pieces add a specific charm to your kitchen. They also make a great housewarming or wedding gift.

About the author 

Nate Lau

Nate is an aspiring chef, and father of two. He is always on the lookout to try new healthy recipes and kitchen gadgets. He has a passion for cooking delicious miso black cod and enjoys a nice sip of pinot on occasion.

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