Who Are The Proclamation Goods Co?

The brand name ‘Proclamation Goods’ is more than just a name; it is a statement of intent. Moreover, the company makes their own proclamation in which they outline their core values and beliefs around which their products are built.

Proclamation Goods market themselves around the idea that food is more than just a means by which we survive; it’s a communal event that tears us away from our phones and laptops and brings us closer together.

Human connection isn’t the only thing on their minds; the company is concerned about the environment too. Claiming they use fully recyclable materials (and only one piece of plastic in their packaging), this direct-to-consumer business uses ethically sourced goods and tries to minimize the waste.

On the face of it, Proclamation Goods are trying to be the best versions of themselves in a world that usually prioritizes profits above all else.

But what are their products like?

We got our hands on ‘The Proclamation Stainless Steel Duo’ to find out.

What is the Proclamation Duo?

The Duo is this company’s cookware version of a Swiss Army knife. One product, many uses.

This three-piece stainless steel cookware set consists of a 12” sidekick skillet, a 7-quart ‘hybrid pot’, and a single lid that’s designed to fit both pans.

We’ll discuss the individual uses of each pan later, but what’s cool about the design of the set is that you can make a Dutch oven by using the helper handles as a hinge and fixing the skillet to the top of the hybrid pot.

Packaging

As soon as the Proclamation Duo arrived, we were impressed right off the bat. It was clear right from the beginning that this was a company that puts a great deal of care and thought into its products.

To ensure their sets arrive safe and sound, Proclamation Goods package their products in not one but two cardboard boxes that are “fully compostable corrugate that contains at least 50% post-consumer recycled content”. This suggests they care about their customers as well as the environment.

The box inside was decorated with the company logo and a few messages and slogans, which we thought was a lovely touch.

Inside we found a well-protected set of pans and a beautiful guide with all the information on how best to use, clean, and maintain the Duo for maximum longevity.

The pans were further protected by more recyclable cardboard, a decorative fabric bag that sports the company logo, and a plastic bag that we were surprised to see. Proclamation Goods acknowledge the plastic bag’s use and say they’d preferred to avoid it, but it protects the pans from being scratched in transit.

All in all, they made a great first impression.

Design & Construction

Manufactured in the USA, Proclamation Goods try to produce all their cookware from materials sourced from environmentally friendly and ethical companies.

The pans themselves are made from what the company calls ‘Multi-ply stainless steel with an aluminum core’ (there is a carbon steel option if you like to season your pans, but we prefer the low maintenance stainless steel version).

The pan’s outer layer is made from a high-density 400-series magnetic stainless steel, while the inner layer is a premium 18/8 stainless steel, which is extremely robust. Both these layers are 0.015” thick.

Sandwiched in between is the commercial-grade 1050A aluminum core that helps with even heat distribution.

The overall thickness of the Duo is approximately 2.5mm.

We were further impressed when we took the Duo out of the box for the first time. The set looked magnificent, with the stainless steel appearing high quality, and the Proclamation Goods logo was present on the handles and the base of the pan, which looks excellent.

The handles are firmly secured to the pots and pans with rivets, and they feel very solid. However, we found that food often gets stuck in them and can be challenging to clean with the handle rivets.

Neither piece has a pour spout; instead, they have ‘pourable non-drip rims’ so you can pour the contents out from any angle, which works as described.

Inside the cookware, the surface is ‘low-stick’, which is not as effective as non-stick and requires more care and attention. However, the main benefit to ‘low-stick’ is that it makes the set toxin-free, which is far more important to us.

Proclamation Goods claims that the material used in the production of the Duo is a “400 series stainless steel magnetic exterior which works perfectly with induction cooktop” and is oven-safe up to a temperature of 500F.

12” Sidekick Skillet:

The cooking surface of the 12” skillet is vast and excellent for cooking large quantities of meat. While a little warp is not unusual in a skillet base, it seems over-pronounced in the pan, possibly due to the enormous surface area. Though there were no further changes over time, and the pan holds up exceptionally well structurally.

While the multi-use lid doesn’t fit the skillet as snuggly as we would like, it fits well enough to work adequately.

Another area of the design of the pan that is merely ‘OK’ is the handle. Though the design keeps the heat at bay relatively well, there’s very little in the way of an ergonomic shape to stop it from sliding around in your hand, which could be very troublesome when the pan is full or if you don’t have an overly strong grip.

The helper handle and the lid’s handle are the polar opposite, very comfortable in your hand and easy to hold, but gets extremely hot during use. This, however, is a common problem with skillets and not synonymous with this brand.

Proclamation Goods state this cookware is oven-safe, and while that might well be the case, we struggled mightily to get the pan in our oven in the first place because of its substantial length.

7Qt Hybrid pot:

There’s no other way to put it; this thing is an absolute beast and takes up considerable space with an overall length of 22.5 inches.

With a seven-quart capacity, there are very few large cooking tasks you can’t accomplish with this enormous hybrid pot. This pan has enough space to function as a stockpot, giant saucepan, and the curved sidewalls work perfectly when this piece of cookware is used as a wok.

Because this pot is so humongous, it is cumbersome and challenging to hold with one hand, and unless you’re the world arm-wrestling champion, it’s impossible to hold with one hand when it’s full. The weight also makes it reasonably uncomfortable to hold, with the handle digging into your hand.

However, this pot’s handle stays relatively cool when in use, probably due to its massive length, though the helper handle can get very hot after a while, so it’s probably best to use an oven mitt whenever you touch that part with your hand.

The large mass of the hybrid pot means it takes a while to heat up, though when it does, it heats evenly and reacts well to change, resulting in food that’s cooked perfectly throughout.

As with the skillet, this pot barely fit in our oven; such is the distance from the tip of the handle to the end of the pot, which caused further trouble when we tried out the Dutch oven, which we’ll talk about next.

Dutch Oven:

The Dutch oven is the most ingenuitive part of the cookware set.

This third “pot” is actually a combination of the 12” sidekick skillet, and hybrid pot using a clever hinge formed by clipping the two ‘easy-grip’ helper handles together and creating the dutch oven.

While we haven’t yet tried out the Dutch oven, we checked out other consumer reviews many of which say the heat distribution and heat retention inside the dutch oven are incredible, making this a perfect piece of cookware for making large batches of stews, casseroles, and soups.

Unfortunately, as both the skillet and hybrid pan are huge, the Dutch oven, which is a combination of the two, is enormous, not to mention extremely heavy. We really must stress the importance of checking your oven to see if this cookware will fit before making a purchase.

Cleaning

The low-stick effect of the stainless steel works superbly well if you properly maintain your Proclamation Duo, so cleaning this cookware set is incredibly easy, apart from the previously mentioned rivet-area.

You can clean the robust stainless steel construction with any type of cleaning utensils; however, a more abrasive sponge or some wire wool will scuff the steel’s surface. On their website, Proclamation Goods says scratches and dings are ‘badges of honor’ for well-loved cookware that can stand the test of time. Indeed, no cookware will look brand new after sustained use.

Cleaning is even more effortless in the dishwasher; the whole set scrubs up exceedingly well with minimal effort, though we do have to come back to that age-old problem; will this beast fit inside your dishwasher?

Services

Let’s not beat around the bush, $379 for two (three) pans is a lot of money, but the premium quality of the Proclamation Duo is evident as soon as you open the box. High-end products command high-end price points.

So confident are PG in their product that the Duo comes with a lifetime warranty and a ‘30 day no questions asked’ returns policy for a full refund. Not to mention free shipping within the United States.

There’s also a monthly pay-plan option if you don’t fancy paying $379 all in one go.

Final Verdict

Proclamation Goods’ tag line ‘Cook more with less’ is certainly accurate when it comes to the Duo. This cookware set is an impressive piece of design and engineering. The materials used are high-quality that match the $379 price point. And we believe the brand when they say this product should last a lifetime when properly maintained.

We love that PG managed to produce such a high-quality product while maintaining (mostly) its stance on sustainability, environmental awareness, and ethical practice.

Their ethos that food is a connection between our family and friends struck a chord with us.

But therein lies one of the huge downfalls of the Proclamation Duo. ‘Huge’ being the operative word.

These pans are enormous. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, if you regularly cook massive batches of food at home, this set could well be the last pieces of cookware you’ll ever need.

Indeed, we reached out to Proclamation Goods who told us the over-sized nature of the Duo is by design and is aimed at batch cooking, meal prep, family meals, and entertaining.

However, if you live on your own, or it’s just you and your partner, these pots and pans are a bit overkill.

Boiling pasta for only one or two people in the hybrid pot will take far longer than it would in a regular-sized pan, which would cost more in time and energy.

It’s very difficult to make small amounts of food with The Duo. Maybe if Proclamation Goods included a smaller saucepan that stored neatly inside and changed the name to ‘The Trio’ it would be more practical.

Storage, washing, and oven-use can also be a problem if you live in a small house or have limited kitchen space. You’ll struggle to fit them in the oven, dishwasher, and cupboard.

However, if the size and capacity fit your needs (and your oven), then the Proclamation Goods Duo pan set is gold and will provide many years of cooking almost limitless food styles to perfection.