Best Celebrity Chef Cookware

Celebrity chef cookware is semi-taboo territory for food writers (the cheese factor can be hard to ignore), but celebs can make good products. Bad ‘Home Shopping Network’ lines aside (I love Jamie Oliver, but his HSN collection is some of the junkiest stuff I’ve seen in a long time), some celebrity-endorsed products are worth checking out when you’re shopping for kitchen equipment.

Nigella Lawson
This British chef has a line of dishware, cooking supplies, and utensils in three different categories: classic, melamine, and flameware. Expect curvilinear modern forms and pastel colors, with a retro look. These Blue Nesting Mixing Bowls are $60 at Cooking.com.

Mario Batali at the Italian Kitchen
His prep bowls have received good reviews on the Kitchn, and his cast iron line usually gets good customer reviews on sites like Amazon.com. Shown left is his 6-quart Italian Essentials Pot at the Italian Kitchen, $110.

Giada De Laurentiis for Target
Kitchn writer Kristen Lubbe likes her line of ceramic bakeware for Target. Her collection is refreshingly simple, and the prices are reasonable. This 6-piece Ceramic Bakeware Set sells for $52.

Martha Stewart for Macy’s
Martha is the reigning queen of branded product lines (paint, crafts, furniture, rugs, bedding, you name it). Her kitchenware line at Macy’s is bright, practical, and reasonably priced. This 6-piece multi-color melamine bowl set is a best seller at $35.

Emeril Lagasse’s Cutlery Line
Kitchn editor Sara Kate was surprised to find that Emeril’s knives for Wustof performed very well in the test lab. (They also received a 77 out of 100 rating from Consumer Reports.) They’re available at several retailers, including Bed, Bath, & Beyond, which carries the Emeril 2-piece Cutlery Line for Wustof for $20.

Marcus Samuelsson Cookware
His stainless steel cookware has received good customer ratings on Amazon.com and Overstock.com. Prices are at the higher end of the spectrum (the line is marketed as “professional quality” cookware). This 6-quart stainless steel crock pot is $81 on Amazon.com.

Rachael Ray Coppertail Knife
She’s one of those celebrity chefs that people love to hate, but Kitchn writer Emily Ho included Rachael Ray’s Coppertail knife in her list of favorite kitchen tools. Made of a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel, it’s a strong knife that’s currently listed on Amazon.com for $45.

George Foreman Grill
He’s not exactly a celebrity chef, but he’s reinvented his career as an expert on countertop grilling. Kitchn writer Emma Christensen has had her Foreman Grill for years — it’s perfect for small spaces. The Grand Champ Extra Value Grill is a popular current model that sells for $50.

Gordon Ramsay for Royal Doulton
The venerable English china company Royal Doulton collaborated with this hot-tempered chef to produce a line of dinnerware. It’s simple, streamlined, sells in classic white, and is available through big retailers like Amazon and Cooking.com, where we found this Dinnerware Place Setting listed at $70.

RELATED RESOURCES
• Survey: Do You Own Celebrity Chef Cookware?
• Marcus Sameulsson: Cook Through Your History
• Nigella Lawson: Living Kitchen Product Line
• Ceramic Bakeware by Giada De Laurentiis for Target
• Good Product: George Foreman Grill