Misen is one of those cookware companies that claim a ton of benefits for their consumers. But whether or not they deliver what they promise is another story. In this Misen cookware review, I will cover in detail the pros and cons of this brand, what it is made of, its unique features, and whether or not it is worth the money.
Quick Summary
Feature | Misen |
|---|---|
Construction | 3-Ply and 5-Ply |
Material | Stainless steel / Carbon steel / Nonstick / Cast iron |
Oven-safe temperature | Up to 500 degrees |
Induction compatibility | Yes (except for nonstick pans, they don't perform great on induction burners) |
Metal utensil-safe | Only the stainless steel cookware |
Dishwasher-safe | Only the stainless steel cookware |
Handle type | Stainless steel with removable silicone |
Lid type | Silicone |
Number of collections | 3 |
Lifetime warranty | Yes (except for the nonstick cookware) |
Price |
What is Misen
Misen is one of the few new rising companies that’s started to build a name and reputation for their brands. It was founded by Omar Rada in 2015, while it is considered an American company, most of its products are produced in China where its manufacturing partners are located.
This brand is recognized for its versatility, it creates a wide range of kitchen products to cover your needs such as woks, pans, pots, dutch ovens, kitchen tools, oven steels, santoku, and other types of kitchen knives.
Pros of Misen Cookware
- Inexpensive cookware. Misen focuses on delivering high-quality cookware at reasonable prices directly to its customers. Hence, you can expect one of the best cookware under $100.
- Variety of products. Misen crafts different types of pots and pans that can provide high performance while excelling in specific aspects using various materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, nonstick, and enameled cast iron.
- Great heat tolerance. The nonstick and carbon steel lines are oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, while the stainless steel cookware can endure up to 500 degrees. You can bake most of your favorite recipes with either type.
- Safe nonstick surface. This brand combines a 3-layer Dupont platinum coating that’s PFOA-free with its unique Plasma primer technology to produce non-toxic cookware with a safe nonstick surface that can secure a smooth release.
Cons of Misen Cookware
- No warranty. When it comes to nonstick cookware, most trusted brands offer at least a limited-time warranty that covers defects but unfortunately, in Misen’s case there is none.
- Medium quality of the nonstick coating. I’m not quite happy with the overall quality of the coating. It may start to chip after a couple of months of daily use, even with proper care. Certainly, nonstick pans will degrade over time but I would like to have a pan that can last for at least 3 to 5 years.
- Re-seasoning. Seasoning is a must for every carbon steel pan since it’s your primary source of getting that layer of natural nonstick coating. However, this layer can easily be stripped if you use a dishwasher, abrasive tools, or simply a dish soap which would force you to re-season the cookware all over again and lose all the progress you’ve made before.
What is Misen Cookware Made of
Compared to other brands, Misen differ in almost every aspect whether it’s construction method, design, cooking surface, handles, or price. Here are the top six features that made Misen earns its fame and stand its ground against its competitors.
Various Cookware Constructions
Misen is recognized for its stainless steel and nonstick collections. For the stainless steel category, It produces high-quality cookware using a 5-ply construction where it combines layers of aluminum with 18/10 stainless steel and a high-grade ferritic 430.
What’s unique about this construction is that the layers of aluminum are used as the core of the cookware to boost the heat conductivity and ensure an even distribution, while the high-grade ferritic 430 is used as the base to allow the cookware to perform perfectly without losing any of its qualities on induction cooktops or any other heat source. Lastly, the layer of 304, 18/10 stainless steel is applied to the surface as a protective layer to secure high corrosion and rust resistance for safe and healthy cooking.
As for the nonstick cookware, Misen follows the same principle except that it crafts a flat nonstick base from a 4.2mm thick, commercial-grade aluminum that can provide excellent even heat distribution throughout the surface.
In addition to these categories, this brand started recently expanding its options by producing carbon steel and cast iron skillets to provide more types that can suit all kinds of cooks while solving specific daily issues.
Great Design
Misen prefers curved edges with a wider surface design for its cookware. It makes it easier for you to cook more food at once and toss them around. However, the only downside in this design that could get in the way of handling the cookware is the weight.
Due to the 5-ply construction, the stainless steel pans are quite heavier than your typical cookware which makes holding every piece a bit uncomfortable for the average person, but not to an extent that you can't carry it with one hand.
Last but not least, as I have mentioned already, Misen adds a magnetic base to its design to ensure great induction compatibility for their cookware (except nonstick pans) to work superbly on inductions cooktops as well other heat sources with ease. Read "Best Cookware for Induction Cooktops" for more information about cookware that's designed specifically for induction stovetops.
Surface
For the stainless steel cookware, Misen crafts large brushed 304, 18/10 stainless steel surfaces that can improve durability and ensure a high rust and corrosion resistance. However, since it is still a pure stainless steel interior, cleaning can be sometimes tiresome and a bit time-consuming.
For the nonstick category, Misen combines 3 layers of Dupon platinum that can deliver superior nonstick performance with its unique technology “Plasma Primer”. This plasma primer is basically a type of pretreatment done before applying the nonstick coating to ensure high durability and abrasion resistance of the coating.
For the carbon steel pans, this brand managed to create cookware that can offer quick heating with even distribution throughout the surface. The interior can provide a natural nonstick property with proper care and seasoning however, it will take some time before you achieve that great smooth quality (roughly around 2 months of daily use).
Handles
Misen is quite simplistic when it comes to designing handles. It crafts long stainless steel handles with one or two open areas depending on the cookware model to help disperse the heat. The handles are covered with removable silicone, however, they can still get warm and warmer if the cookware remains on the stove for a long time.
Personally, I think handles are the hardest part to please for both home cooks and professional chefs. But unfortunately, Misen falls a bit short when it comes to creating comfortable yet satisfying handles compared to other brands such as Greenpan and Greenlife. The reason being is that this brand doesn’t add any good stay-cool features, plus the length makes it a bit uncomfortable for people with shorter hands.
Collections
Misen provides various pots and pans that are listed and organized in four different collections (stainless steel; nonstick; cast iron; and carbon steel). Every collection contains cookware sets and individual pieces of different sizes to match your needs.
For the individual pieces, there is:
- Nonstick Pan
- Stainless Steel Pan
- Carbon Steel Pan
- Dutch Oven
- Sauté Pan
- Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser
- Saucier
- Rondeau
- Grill Pan
- Roasting Pan
- Stockpot
As for the cookware sets, this brand offers:
- 2-Piece Pan Set with a Knife
- 3-Piece Nonstick Pan Set with Silicone Lids
- 5-Piece Starter Cookware Set
- 9-Piece Stainless Steel Set
- 12-Piece Complete Stainless Steel Set
Price
Misen aims to offer a wide range of variety of inexpensive cookware that could help you with your cooking journey while adding an extra touch to your kitchen design. For a better understanding of the cost, here are some examples of Misen’s individuals and cookware sets prices:
- Misen 10-inch Nonstick Pan: $65
- Misen Grill Pan: $65
- Misen 10-inch Carbon Steel Pan: $75
- Misen 10-inch Stainless Steel Pan: $75
- Misen 12-inch Carbon Steel Wok with Lid: $75
- Misen 3 QT Sauté Pan: $105
- Misen 6 QT Rondeau: $115
- Misen 8 QT Stockpot: $115
- Misen Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser with Lid: $140
- Misen Dutch Oven: $165
- Misen 3-Piece Starter Cookware Set: $225
- Misen 5-Piece Essentials Cookware Set: $375
- Misen 7-Piece Complete Cookware Set: $475
Misen Alternatives
Misen is competing with several famous brands such as All-Clad; Made In; and Hexclad. That’s to be expected since this brand basically produces a wide range of products that target almost every cook.
Hexclad
Unlike Misen, Hexclad produces unique hybrid cookware that combines the features of stainless steel, aluminum, and nonstick. Even though this brand offers only one collection, you can still expect great cookware that offers superb heat performance with high durability. check this Hexclad vs Misen comparison for more in-depth information about their differences and similarities.
Made In
Made In is another new rising company that prefers to rely on different materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and nonstick to produce different types of cookware that can deliver superb long-lasting performance. Read this Made In vs Misen comparison to learn more about their features as well as the upsides and downsides for each brand.
All-Clad
All-Clad is one of the few trusted brands that earned its reputation through its fully bonded cookware that can easily cater to the demands of busy kitchens. It is recognized as the master of stainless steel cookware due to its unique construction method that has changed the way of constructing modern cookware remarkably.
I have made a detailed comparison between Misen and All-Clad where I have covered the nitty-gritty of these two brands.
Misen Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Misen cookware made?
Misen was founded in the U.S, it operates all of its work from its office in Brooklyn, NY. However, most of its pots and pans are produced in China just outside of Shanghai.
Where to buy Misen cookware
You can buy Misen cookware either from your local stores or directly from their website (Misen.com) or simply on Amazon (like this one).
Are Misen pans worth it?
Misen pans are totally worth it. Every pan is built to excel in a specific area, whether it’s heat performance, durability, or smooth release. You can expect robust pans that can heat up and cool down quickly while ensuring an even distribution from this brand.
Are Misen pans safe?
Misen stainless steel and carbon steel pans are completely safe, they don’t contain any sort of chemicals. The only one that remains unclear is the nonstick collection.
Misen is probably one of the very few brands that revealed everything related to their cookware, from the nature of the pretreatment process to the nonstick coating. It uses a 3-layer Dupont platinum coating with its Plasma Primer technology to create most of its nonstick pans. The coating is free from any harmful chemicals and safe to cook with.
Misen Cookware Comparison
Misen Cookware | No. of Pieces | Cooking Surface | Core Type | Induction-compatible | Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 3 | Stainless steel | Aluminum | Yes | |
 | 2 | Platinum nonstick coating modified with Plasma primer | Aluminum | No |
Misen Cookware Review: The Final Verdict
Misen provides carbon steel and nonstick pans that are capable of delivering superb smooth release, higher durability with even polished surfaces, and slightly better design compared to other brands at reasonable prices.
It can be a bit debatable whether or not to go for its stainless steel cookware since there are other brands that offer better options with higher quality like Demeyere and All-Clad.