How to Pick Durable Cookware for Your Rental Home
How to Pick Durable Cookware for Your Rental Home
Making a rental home feel like home for guests means having all of the essentials ready and waiting. That includes a properly supplied kitchen with all the cookware visitors need to make meals during their stay. Cookware can be a significant investment—one that many rental homeowners are hesitant to make, as they can’t control how their guests may use (or misuse) their pots and pans. But the cheapest option isn’t always the best! Let’s take a look at some of the top things you’ll want to consider when choosing cookware for your rental home.
Top 6 Things to Consider When Selecting Cookware for Your Rental Home
Let’s get into what to look for in rental home cookware so your guests are happy and your kitchen is ready to cook!
1. Quality & Durability
Stocking a rental home kitchen is obviously different than loading up your own house, especially since guests are known to handle stuff a little differently than if it were their own. Your first instinct might be to choose something cheap, but investing in cookware that’s more durable could actually save you money in the long run — cheap usually means a frequent need to replace, and that can add up quickly!
When picking cookware, go for pots and pans that are scratch-resistant and can stand up to some rough handling. This means when it comes to longevity, you’ll want durable and high-quality materials such as hard-anodized aluminum or clad stainless steel (bonus points for high-quality non-stick like Circulon ScratchDefense™ cookware, but more on that later).
2. Versatility
Most people aren’t expecting a rental kitchen to be stocked with every niche kitchen tool you can think of, but it does need to have enough items to at least cover all the cooking basics. When choosing individual pots and pans or sets for your kitchen, go for cookware that can be easily stored—and that is as multipurpose as possible.
3. Maintenance & Ease of Use
It’s no secret that guests don’t always treat every item in a rental with intense care (they’re on vacation, it’s fair), so you’ll want to pick cookware made of specific materials that require minimal maintenance and ease of use. Now is not the time to invest in cast iron or any pan that needs to be seasoned and specifically cared for!
We’ve covered how stainless steel and hard-anodized aluminum make good options due to their durability, but you’ll also want to add high-quality nonstick to the list of features to look for, or else you’ll end up with caked and stained cookware that needs constant replacing. Dishwasher-safe cookware is also a big plus as it requires less effort on the guest's part, and ensures your pots and pans actually get clean — a win for everyone. (We’ll get into a few recommendations for pans that fit just this bill down below.)
4. Tools & Accessories
Selecting the right kitchen tools can also go a long way toward increasing the longevity of your pots and pans. If you’ve been following along with our recommendations so far, you already know that high-quality nonstick-coated cookware is the best option for rental kitchens. But know that nonstick pans and metal kitchen tools don’t mix—as metal spatulas and tongs can scratch and damage nonstick coating. Instead, stock the kitchen of your rental home with silicone and wooden tools to preserve the nonstick coating of your pans for as long as possible.
5. Design
Cookware is meant to serve a specific purpose, but that doesn’t mean it can’t match or enhance the vibe of a kitchen. For some rental owners, certain aesthetic choices can boost the attractiveness of a home, enticing more guests who are charmed by a particular look. If a quaint kitchen is one of those features, then you’ll also want to consider finding cookware that adds to your home’s design.
6. Budget
In an ideal world, you’d pick the best cookware money can buy and it would last forever. Unfortunately, that’s not super realistic, especially when it comes to rentals. However, that doesn’t mean the cheapest option is the best!
It’s good to have a set budget in mind when picking out cookware for a rental kitchen, but finding the balance between cost and quality can be the smartest choice in the long run. After all, if you spend a little more now for something that lasts, you won’t constantly be buying replacements that can add up quickly.
Best Cookware for Your Rental Home
Best Overall Cookware Set: Circulon A1 Series 10-Piece ScratchDefense™ Nonstick Cookware Set
The ScratchDefense A1 has everything you want when it comes to rental home-friendly cookware: it’s ultra-durable, easy to clean, and completely dishwasher-safe. This particular set ensures any kitchen is equipped with the necessities, including two saucepans, two frying pans, a sauté, a stockpot, and four accompanying lids.
Best Hard-Anodized Aluminum Cookware Set: Circulon Premier Professional 10-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set
The 10-piece Premiere Professional Cookware Set is a great option if you’re looking to stock your rental home’s kitchen with ultra-durable and dishwasher-safe hard-anodized aluminum pans (it was designed to be twice as hard as stainless steel and features a nonstick coating that lasts 10 times longer than ordinary nonsticks). The set contains everything your guests need to start cooking, including two saucepans, a large sauté pan, a deep stockpot, and two frying pans, is oven-safe up to 400°F, and compatible with all stovetops.
Best Budget Cookware Set: Circulon Radiance 10-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set
For a cookware set that is more budget-conscious but still checks all of the boxes we’ve covered in this article, go with the Circulon Radiance 10-piece Nonstick Cookware Set. These pans are made of heavy-duty, hard-anodized aluminum and feature a nonstick coating that can withstand the wear and tear that comes with rental properties. They’re also completely dishwasher safe, so you’ll never have to worry about leaving complicated cleanup instructions. And, just like the other Circulon sets on this list, this set also features a lifetime warranty, meaning you’re completely covered in the (unlikely) event of scratching, peeling, or flaking.
Best Bakeware Set: 10-Piece Nonstick Bakeware Set
There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked cookies to make a place feel like home, which is exactly why you can’t forget about bakeware when stocking the kitchen of your Airbnb or vacation rental! This 10-piece Nonstick Bakeware Set comes with everything guests might need to make cookies, muffins, cakes, and more. The set is entirely nonstick and made from heavy-gauge steel with rolled edges, ensuring extra strength and long-lasting warp resistance.
Make Your Kitchen Rental Ready
Managing and maintaining a rental property is plenty of work as is. Skip constantly having to replace cheap pots and pans by going with Circulon’s ultra-durable and reliable cookware sets.
To find the perfect cookware for your rental home (and any home, really) visit circulon.com.