Crofton Fry Pan and Sauté Pan With Lid — Imitations of Caraway Pans — Headed to Aldi

Last Updated on July 9, 2023

This post is an open thread and contains affiliate links.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We now have reviews of both of these products up. You can read our review of the Crofton 4.5 Quart Saute Pan here and our review of the Crofton 11 inch Fry Pan here. 

Aldi sells a wide variety of cookware, although not all at once. In any given year, the German supermarket will rotate a parade of skillets, saucepans, fry pans, griddles, Dutch ovens, stock pots, and other cooking necessities through its limited buy aisles. If you wait long enough, there’s a good chance the cookware you’re looking for will pop up.

Aldi isn’t afraid to imitate larger, more expensive brands. The grocer, for example, made waves with its Crofton Awesome Pan, a dupe of the Our Place Always Pan, a ceramic nonstick pan that sold at Aldi for a fraction of real thing’s price.

Now Aldi is looking to offer a cheap alternative to another ceramic giant. Caraway is, like Our Place, a trendy seller whose offerings promise style, functionality, and durability. They also cost a pretty penny, so it’s hard not to look carefully at any alternative Aldi might serve up.

What We Know:

The Crofton Sauté Pan With Lid (Product Code: 706454) and the Crofton Fry Pan (Product Code: 706428) are both Aldi Finds, which means they’re only in stores for a short time. Once they’re out of stock, you won’t be able to get them until Aldi brings them back, whenever that might be. Aldi doesn’t ship them online, so if you can’t find them in your store, you’re out of luck.

At the time of this post, the sauté pan costs $27.99 while the fry pan runs $14.99. In case you’re curious, the Caraway Sauté Pan, which comes with a lid, is $145. The Caraway Fry Pan, meanwhile, is $95. That puts the Aldi saute pan at about 20% of the cost of the Caraway, and the Aldi fry pan at about 16% of the big brand.

According to Aldi, the Crofton Sauté Pan With Lid’s features include:

• Comes in green or ivory
• 4.5-quart sauté pan with lid
• Made without PFOA
• Durable stainless steel handle
• Nonstick coating for easy release and cleanup
• Compatible with gas, electric, and glass ceramic cooktops
• Two-year warranty

The Crofton Fry Pan’s features, meanwhile, include:

• Comes in green or ivory
• 11″ fry pan
• Beautiful, modern body design
• Find matching Saucepan and Sauté Pan to complete your set
• Made without PFOA
• Durable stainless steel handle
• Nonstick coating for easy release and cleanup
• Compatible with gas, electric, and glass ceramic cooktops
• Two-year warranty

What We Don’t Know:

We’ve created this open thread for users to share their experiences. We also now have individual reviews of each product. You can read our take on the sauté pan here, and our review of the fry pan here.

Do you have experience with these pans? Let us know in the comments.