Proclamation Goods — The Only Pans You Need? Plus A Food Gal Giveaway
Less is more — even when it comes to outfitting your kitchen.
That’s the philosophy of Proclamation Goods, a new cookware company built on the belief that you really only need two pans in your cooking arsenal: a 12-inch skillet and a 7-quart pot.
The company was founded by CEO Chris Burrage, former general manager of Casper mattresses, and Chief Product Officer Tony Leo, former head of design at Pottery Barn.
With that kind of pedigree, you’d expect the pans to be of high quality. And they are, as I found when I was given a free set to test drive.
Made in the United States, the set of two pans, which comes with one lid that can fit either, retails for about $379.
The first thing you notice when you pick them up is their heft. These are heavy-duty pans with a streamlined design. The pot is made of gleaming stainless steel, and the skillet comes in either stainless steel or carbon steel. I was kindly sent one of each, and I will say you will surely get an arm workout wielding the carbon steel one, which is much weightier like cast-iron.
There are no coatings on these pans so while they are billed as low-stick, they are definitely not non-stick. I cooked a salmon fillet in the carbon steel, skin-side down. When it came time to flip it over, though, the skin stuck to the pan in several spots. So it’s not as nonstick as a ceramic-coated Circulon pan or a Teflon pan, the coating of which, though, can start to break down after awhile. But the founders say that like other cast-iron pans, this one, which comes pre-seasoned, will develop a more slippery surface the more you use it over time. For your first few attempts, though, be sure to use a decent amount of oil so foods release more easily.
I fared better when I sauteed some chopped chard in the skillet, experiencing no sticking issues. I appreciated the depth of the skillet, which made it easy to stir-fry a generous amount of veggies without worry of them flying out of the pan.
The 7-quart pot is quite versatile. I used it to boil a pound of pasta easily. It can also be used as a dutch oven with the skillet cleverly acting as the lid. The short curved handle on the skillet also can be hooked onto the pot’s short curved handle to form a hinge. So, for instance, if you take the pot out of the oven to give the contents a stir midway through cooking, you can just lift the skillet onto the hinge without having to worry about placing it or another lid down somewhere.
At first I thought the straight handles of both pots might make it cumbersome to maneuver in and out of the oven. But actually, the straight handles are shorter than other skillets I have, so getting the pot out of the oven required no extra effort at all.
The two pots with the lid on top can be stacked up and stored efficiently in your cupboard, too, without taking up a ton of space. Proclamation Goods also will be releasing a smaller-sized version of the pan duo at 9-inches in diameter in the future.
For folks who cook a lot, it would be hard to get by with just two pans, though. For me, I know I would need to add at least one small saucepan — for making gravy, caramel, hard-boiled eggs or even heating up a can of soup. And with my Chinese heritage, you know I’d need a large, deep wok, too.
If you’re just starting to stock your kitchen, Proclamation pans are definitely useful in size and versatility. And you’re wanting to upgrade your collection of cheap, flimsy pans, these are definitely well-made workhorses that will last a long time.
For $20 off the Proclamation pans, use coupon code: foodgal.
CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a free set of Proclamation pans (valued at about $300). Entries, open only to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST Dec. 7. Winner will be announced on this blog on Dec. 9.
How to win?
Just tell me what your favorite pan is — and why. Best answer wins.
Here’s my own response to that question: “OK, I don’t know if technically they are considered ‘pans’ per se, but my favorite ones are my cookie sheets. That’s because baking cookies is my favorite thing to do in the kitchen. In fact, there are many times when I am up to my ears in deadlines, when all I want to do is free myself from all the stress by baking a batch of cookies. Stirring together the dough, dropping it by spoonfuls onto the baking sheets, then waiting for them to bake as the kitchen fills with the fragrance of butter and sugar, is pure nirvana. There’s the anticipation of the sweet reward, still warm from the oven, to enjoy at the end, too. Is it any wonder that I reach for these pans whenever I can?”
I love my big dutch oven. It is, of course, wonderful for soups, stews and braises. It’s also great for a big batch of jam or ketchup when I’m in canning season mode. I love it best though for making perfectly crusty loaves of bread. For years I had struggled with loaves coming out of the oven crispy and then softening upon cooling. I’d tried spray bottles of water, hot pans with hot water added as the bread dough went in, ice cubes tossed into the hot oven. None of them worked. Then I read a bread book that suggested a cast iron pan and magic happened! Perfectly golden and crusty bread that stayed crisp as it cooled. Love that pan!
Love a good saute pan…you can do anything in it from making eggs, veggies and even making sauce. It’s really a pan I cant do without in the kitchen. Fingers crossed!
I had to really think about this one. Our LTD 6 Quart pot does the job of many. The most obvious use is cooking pasta; the less obvious is a long braise with the contents snuggled below a layer of parchment and foil. The size just right for a slowly simmered stew as well. The diameter is perfect for further reduction of stock prior transferring to a 2 at saucier. The steamer insert adds to the versatility – happy us.
My favorite pan is the Le Creuset Dutch Oven. We use it for stews, spaghetti sauce, soups, curries, and even for making kalua pig in the oven. I love that it cleans up so easily, too.
Favorite pan by far is a beautiful copper-bottomed fish poaching or au-gratin pan with brass handles which was given to me as a wedding present by the parents of my college roommate. They lived just off campus so I got to know them well and they rapidly claimed the role of “surrogate parents”. So much did they become family, that my husband and I were married in their living room. Since they basically gave us a whole wedding, I was certainly not expecting a gift on top of that, but several months later the wonderful pan arrived with a note saying they hoped I would think of them with love whenever I used it. To this day, more than five decades later, I have continued to do just that.
Fast-forward to my “most-used” pan, however, and you will see me continuing to limp along with a badly deteriorating dutch oven which I use for *every*thing, especially now that it’s soup season! Wise elder son recently chided me on continuing to “poison the family” by serving soup from a pot where the teflon is almost worn completely off. “Get a new pot, Mom!” Sure, OK..I hear ya, Kid. But I really do detest shopping, and I’ve been busy, and it’s all rainy out there now, and, and, and…
Clearly, I need those pans!
May you and your readers stay warm, cozy and well-fed during the wintry weeks ahead. And thank you, as always, for the endless inspiration you provide to us all. No matter what condition my pans may be in, when cooking one of your recipes, Carolyn, they have never failed me!
My favorite pan is my Lodge cast iron skillet. We received it as a wedding gift 6 years ago. I had always heard how great cast iron skillets are, and easy to clean as long as you take care of them. My Mom didn’t subscribe to this thinking, and we never had cast iron growing up. I use my cast iron skillet almost daily for everything from frying, sauteeing, grilling cheese, heating tortillas, and evening freshening up saltine crackers that have been sitting in the cupboard a little too long. I stick it under hot water when I’m finished, don’t use any soap (something I had to get used to!)- give a scrub with a brush if it needs it, and let it air dry. I drizzle a little olive oil into it and rub it in with a paper towel before I put it in the cupboard– ready for the next use!
My favorite pan is a t-fal pan. It cleans easy and works well.
Over thirty years ago I was “gifted “a full set of Calphalon pots and pans. It was an amazing gift from my father for my wedding. Although the marriage didn’t pan out the Calphalons have not left my side. Thanks to my father I have many wonderful choices of what I can cook from, but my favorite pan is my saucepan with a steamer insert. I am a big sauce kinda gal and this pan does not disappoint and the steamer is just an added bonus.
What really makes these pans so special is that I cooked for my dad whenever I could. It has been six years since his passing, but his spirit lives on whenever I am using his wonderful gift. I am an extremely fortunate amateur cook.
My favorite pan cannot be determined, they are really like children. Each has it’s own character and flaws but each is loved dearly. So, I have to list three. My favorite “pan” is a small 6″ Scanpan non-stick skillet, it’s perfect for my one egg or ground beef patty (my typical breakfast). It was given to me by my husband as a Christmas gift many years ago. We laughed about it because I had always heard that you should NEVER give your spouse household items for Christmas, but I could not think of a better gift. My favorite “pot” is a huge, old, stained, heavy blue Le Cruset dutch oven that I found at Goodwill, I often stop and run in just to look for pots, pans, and knives and typically come away emptyhanded, but when I do find something, well the story of how I found it will be repeated hundreds of times over the years. My favorite “cast iron” item is a farinata pan that I hauled all the way back from the South of France, with my husband shaking his head about the weight of it the entire time. Each has so many memories and laughs, I love them all dearly.
My favorite pan is an old All-Clad pan that is skillet shaped with 2 short handles and a domed lid. They don’t seem to make it anymore. It makes excellent paella, braises meat, and holds spinach in until the heat does its job. I love it!
My favorite pan is also a cookie sheet, because it belonged to my paternal (and only one I ever knew) grandmother. She taught me how to bake thumbprint oat cookies with raspberry jam in the middle; classic chocolate chip cookies; and then she also taught me how to bake gingerbread men with icing. So many memories stem from one baking sheet that stands the test of time (as the saying goes).
I love my 13 inch All-Clad skillet. When I was getting married, my friend Lorraine went with me to create my wedding registry at Williams Sonoma. She is an amazing cook and she said this pan would be my best friend in the kitchen. She was right! I have a husband who LOVES to eat, more than anyone else I know, and a growing boy. I have made our small family many wonderful dinners in that skillet, from my chicken stir fry to Tuscan chicken pasta…all gobbled up so fast that there are rarely leftovers. When my son is all grown up and leaves home, I will look at that skillet and remember all warm meals it allowed me to make with love over the years.
My favorite is a 12-inch non-stick stir-fry pan (major brand not to be mentioned as I’d like a better quality!). Your photo of the chard looks like what I often cook; the colors always make me want to grab my camera for an Instagram share! I use this pan probably 5 times a week because it easily holds mounds of leafy greens. Like you say, no worry of leaves flying out of the pan! Sometimes I add rice or other grains, or just keep filling with more vegetables. Non-stick coating is not necessary for my use, and I’d love to try my style of cooking in a Proclamation pan!
My favorite is a small copper skillet I fix eggs in every morning. It cooks evenly, fast and easily cleaned unless family members get hold
of it and wash it completely clean. I can keep it perfectly able to use with not one bit of sticking from day to day without cleaning completely. Once cleaned to that degree, everything sticks and it takes several days to get it back to normal
My favorite pan is my 13-inch All Clad Skillet. When I put together my wedding registry at Williams Sonoma, my friend Lorraine, who is an amazing cook, accompanied me. She told me that this skillet would be my best friend in the kitchen and that I had to register for it…and she was right! I have a husband who LOVES to eat, and a rapidly growing son. I have used that skillet time and again to prepare hearty meals like stir fry and Tuscan chicken. My family happily gobbles up what I make; there are rarely leftovers! When my son is grown and left home, I will look at that skillet and remember how it helped me provide many family meals made with love throughout the years.
My favorite pot is my 7 qt. Calphalon pot. I use it for so many things. I boiled my turkey carcass in it and then proceeded to make jook. I make a big pot of curry chicken so we can have dinner and have enough leftovers for my son and his family to have another meal. I use it to make oxtail stew. It is GREAT! I make split pea soup for my granddaughter. I would be lost without my big pot!
Oh my, I have several that I seem to use a lot but I think my Calphalon 12 inch sauté pan gets used the most. It seems to perfect size for creating a sauce and then finishing pasta in the same pan to sautéing two large pounded out cutlets.
The absolute best thing about Proclamation Goods cookware is that its chemical and toxic free. The founders of this company based their products on the foundation of creating non-toxic coated cookware. This makes me feel that they not only want to produce a quality product, but they also care about their customers. Their products are also made in the USA. I have 2 young children, and I would feel very confident that I was using cookware that was safe for them with Proclamation Goods. I love both the stainless steel and carbon steel 12″ skillet. However, I am quite intrigued with the carbon steel pan. I have never seen anything like it, and I am a self-proclaimed kitchen gadget guru. I love that it is lighter and has better heat retention than cast iron. I love that the hollow cast, dual finish handles stay cool on the stovetop. But, most of all, I love the all-natural nitrogen finish that is non-toxic and prevents scratching and rusting. What I love the most about the stainless steel pan that separates it from the carbon steel pan is that it is lightweight and dishwasher safe. I also love that these pans have hinged side handles so that I can put them together to create a dutch oven. I would love to cook for my family in these pans!
My favorite pan is an angel food cake pan that belonged to my grandma. I got it after she passed away in 1983. It is very unique as it is square instead of round like they usually are. I have no idea how old it it is. The thing that makes it so special besides being my grandma’s, is that probably 10 years ago my dad and I were talking about when he was a kid. He is 93 now and grew up through the depression and war rationing. He told me that his mom always made him an angel food cake for his birthday. Many years it was a big deal because it took a dozen eggs to make one and some years they were hard to come by so it was a special treat. I don’t know if my pan is the same one she used all those years ago when my dad was young but I like to think it is. How awesome is it that I use the same pan to make angel food cakes for my family that my grandma did.
My favorite pan is a huge non-stick Emeril frypan my son got me around 12 years ago. He was a teen back then, and had been saving part of his allowance money to get me a nice holiday gift which was this new frypan. He had heard me saying for months about how my cheaper pans never seemed to work right and how a nice, heavy well made frypan would make all the difference when cooking. I still use the pan to this day, and although it has seen better days and is is probably time for a new one, once I retire this pan I will still keep it hanging in my kitchen if just for sentimental value and to remember all the great meals we cooked in it.
My favorite pan to use is my tiny little cast iron pan I picked up a flea market years ago. The old-timey feel and quick cooking time are my favorite qualities. I would dearly love to win a set of these pans, as I am moving and need a larger pan/pot set!