Crofton 4.5 Quart Sauté Pan

Last Updated on July 9, 2023

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Aldi is not afraid to try its hand at imitating more expensive brands. We see it all the time with various foods on the grocer’s shelves, but we also see this trend with bigger items such as cookware. Aldi made waves earlier this year when it sold a Crofton Awesome Pan, which was a dupe of a name-brand Always Pan.

Most recently, Aldi sold some other pans that appear to be attempts to copy pricey name-brand Caraway pans. Offerings included a sauté pan with lid as well as a simple frying pan without a lid.

Here, I’m taking a look at the sauté pan with lid.

The Crofton 4.5 Quart Sauté Pan (Product Code: 706454) cost $27.99 at the time of publication and comes with a lid. The Caraway Sauté Pan, which comes with a lid, cost $145 at the time of publication. That means the Aldi sauté pan costs about 20% of the Caraway pan.

The Crofton pan is an Aldi Find, so it’s only in stores for a short time. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products that aren’t in stock at your local store.

The back of the pan’s packaging. (Click to enlarge.)

Here’s more information on the sauté pan, according to Aldi:

• Available in Green or Ivory (I purchased the Green color)
• 4.5-quart (4.3-liter) sauté pan with lid
• Made without PFOA
• Includes a durable stainless steel handle
• Features a nonstick coating for easy release and cleanup
• Compatible with gas, electric, and glass ceramic cooktops
• Dishwasher safe
• Made in China
• Comes with a two-year warranty

The two-year warranty is serviced by Protel, a common Aldi warranty service provider. Other Aldi products Protel has provided after-sales service for include the Belavi Wooden Potting Bench, the Easy Home Cordless Cyclonic Stick Vacuum, and the Belavi Stacking Ottoman.

The saute pan and lid come with a warranty card as well as a small user manual. According to the manual, this pan is suitable for all cooktops excluding induction, and it’s heat resistant up to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a stove burner that matches the size of the bottom of the cookware, and keep in mind that heat settings of medium or low will give the best results. Never preheat the cookware on high heat. The bottom of this cookware may scratch glass and ceramic stovetops over time, so always ensure the pan is placed carefully onto the stovetop. Use heat-resistant silicone, nylon, or wooden utensils to avoid scratching the nonstick coating on the pan.

Before first use, hand wash the pan and lid with warm, soapy water, dish soap, and a non-abrasive washcloth or sponge. Rinse and dry thoroughly. After using the cookware, allow it to cool before cleaning. This set is safe for the dishwasher, but washing by hand will extend its lifespan.

This is a stylish-looking pan, although one of my first impressions is that both of the handles — the one on the pan itself and the one on the lid — are not very comfortable to hold. For an imitation of a more expensive pan, I would have hoped for a more ergonomic design. The handle edges dig into my hand and feel a little sharp, and even the edges of the lid are a bit sharp.

There is also one major difference between the Aldi pan and the Caraway pan. The Caraway Sauté Pan is oven-safe up to 550 degrees, meaning it can be used on both the stovetop and in the oven. The Aldi pan is only heat resistant up to 356 degrees, and the manual does not say anything about it being oven safe.

Otherwise, this Aldi set looks similar but not identical to Caraway cookware, with its sleek edges and a lid that is flat rather than dome-shaped.

In terms of how well this pan cooks on the stovetop, I’m still putting it through the paces, but so far it seems to work as well as any other nonstick pan I’ve used. I’ll update this post as needed with potential additional information.

The Verdict:

The Crofton 4.5 Quart Sauté Pan is an Aldi take on a name-brand expensive Caraway pan. It’s a nice-looking piece of cookware that includes a lid. It will do the job when you need to cook food on the stovetop, but we’re disappointed that the handles on both the pan and the lid aren’t more comfortable. It also isn’t oven safe up to a high temperature like the Caraway pan is.