Cookware and Cooking in 2025: And What to Expect in 2026

By Andi Healey, Website Development Manager

Happy New Year.

I'm writing this from a desk that hasn't seen me very much for the past month or so.

First, the acknowledgment that December was almost overwhelming. Our website team spent more time in the warehouse than seemed humanly possible, record numbers of orders went out, customers were (mostly) happy, and we survived another peak season.

Your continued support makes the difference between surviving and thriving, so thank you.

This year I want to look back at what actually happened in cookware last year, and what it tells us about where our kitchens may be heading next.

The Market Clarified, Not Just Grew

The global kitchenware market hit roughly $76 billion in 2025, with cookware accounting for around $27 billion. The UK holds about 3% of that, but the story isn't in the numbers—it's in the shift.

Mid-range cookware is now the main event: not bargain-basement cheap, not untouchable luxury. Durable, well-made pots and pans people can justify buying, pans you can actually use.

Premium cookware held strong. Le Creuset has some pieces costing more than some brands' entire starter sets, but people bought them. Home cooking is sticking, and when you're cooking more, you want tools that work.

Across Europe, the trend is clear: cookware is increasingly seen as an investment, not a disposable commodity. Buy once, buy properly, replace less often.

Health Became a Non-Negotiable

PFAS stopped being industry jargon and became a dinner-table phrase.

Suddenly, "non-stick" wasn't enough. People wanted to know what their pans were leaching, or not. By the end of 2025, nearly half of women consumers said non-toxic cookware actively influenced what they bought. Ceramic coatings, iron, cast iron, steel and stainless steel, all came into focus.

The lesson: cookware has to support health, not undermine it. Performance is important but so is knowing your food isn't quietly absorbing harmful chemicals along the way.

Sustainability Is Now the Baseline

Sustainability isn't a bonus. It's essential.

Consumers expect recycled materials, responsible sourcing, and transparency.

Quality and provenance matter. A pan designed to last twenty years is inherently more sustainable than one replaced every couple of years.

Multifunctionality Won, Because Homes Didn't Expand

Smaller kitchens and cluttered cupboards made multifunctional cookware essential.

Dutch ovens that moved from hob to oven to table. Fewer gadgets, better tools. Minimalism in 2025 wasn't aesthetic, it was practical. And in the UK, that practicality mattered more than ever.

Technology, Quietly Integrated

Smart cookware didn't scream for attention. It crept in. Temperature sensors, app-linked induction hobs, subtle guidance.

Technology was welcome only if it genuinely improved cooking. British consumers, naturally sceptical, embraced usefulness over flashiness.

What Actually Sold at Art of Living

For us specifically, 2025 reinforced some trends and surprised us on others.

The standout story? Mikasa stoneware pasta bowls were our best-selling product across the board. Not premium Le Creuset, not cutting-edge technology—simple, well-made pasta bowls at a reasonable price. An example of a quality everyday item that works properly and doesn't cost a fortune.

Le Creuset: Building Complete Kitchens

Le Creuset remained our backbone, but the split was interesting. Yes, the Signature cast iron round casseroles sold strongly, but other good performers were spoon rests, travel mugs, butter dishes in various colours, storage jars, oil cruets, even pet bowls.

People weren't just buying the big-ticket casseroles for special occasions. They were building complete Le Creuset kitchens with coordinated everyday items.

The 3-ply stainless steel range performed brilliantly (as usual). But now with the introduction of 4 uncoated frying pans in the range it's taken off as never before. Not as Instagram-worthy as the coloured cast iron, but a superb range of high quality, high efficiency cookware.

The Stanley Surprise

Stanley travel mugs and tumblers were genuinely surprising. The Aerolight Transit Mugs, IceFlow Tumblers, Classic Food Jars. Apparently the "emotional support water bottle" trend extends to insulated travel mugs, and you it seems are willing to invest in quality portable drinkware.

Serious Cookware for Serious Cooks

Demeyere Atlantis held its own against Le Creuset with the Proline frying pans and various saucepans and sauciers. Serious cookware for serious cooks, Belgian engineering at its finest.

British makers performed consistently. Silverwood bakeware, Samuel Groves pots and pans, and Netherton Foundry spun iron frying pans. We take pride in sourcing the most suitable product for the job wherever it comes from, but it's very nice when these are manufactured locally.

Epicurean chopping boards across multiple sizes moved well. People want boards that last, don't harbour bacteria, and look decent and don't blunt their knives.

Looking Ahead to 2026

So what's coming?

The AI Kitchen (Maybe)

Expect more AI integration in ovens and appliances. Built-in cameras that detect what food you've put in and adjust time and temperature automatically. Touchscreens for controls. Smart meal planning that scans ingredients and suggests recipes.

Whether this moves beyond early adopters depends on execution. If it's genuinely useful, it'll spread. If it's complicated and unreliable, it'll remain niche.

Induction Everywhere

With gas hobs being phased out in new builds and the push toward electrification, induction's dominance will only increase. Built-in extraction hobs (venting integrated into the cooking surface rather than requiring massive hoods) are gaining traction. Energy efficiency, precise control, and space savings drive adoption beyond early environmental adopters.

The Wellness Kitchen

Steam ovens, powerful ventilation, even hydroponic herb gardens integrated into kitchen design. Kitchens as spaces that facilitate healthier living rather than just food preparation. Cookware that supports this—better nutrient retention, materials that don't leach toxins, designs that enable cooking methods requiring less oil.

Sculleries and Stations

For those with space, secondary prep kitchens (sculleries or "dirty kitchens") keep main kitchens photo-ready while actual cooking happens elsewhere. This is a very middle-class British phenomenon that's making a comeback (apparently!)

For everyone else, dedicated stations within single kitchens—coffee areas, prep zones, breakfast spots. Functional organisation over open-plan chaos.

Timeless Over Trendy

Farmhouse sinks are fading. All-white kitchens are out (someone needs to tell Andrew…!). Extreme minimalism is out. Open shelving (beautiful but impractical) is losing appeal.

In their place: transitional design that balances contemporary and traditional. Natural materials, wood grain cabinets, quartzite countertops. Colours that won't feel dated in five years. Texture and warmth over stark minimalism.

The goal shifts from following trends to creating spaces that feel personal and will age well. A very British approach—investing in quality and choosing aesthetics that endure.

Smart Without Shouting

Technology that integrates invisibly. Touchless taps, app-controlled appliances that still work manually, multifunctional islands with hidden features. The tech serves the cooking rather than dominating the experience.

Continued Premiumisation

The "less but better" trend persists. Fewer pieces of higher quality. Cookware that costs more upfront but lasts longer and performs better. British consumers have always understood this—just look at all those Le Creuset pieces from the 1970s and 80s still in regular use.

The Takeaway

Cookware in 2025 was not about being fancy, but about being functional, safe, sustainable, and worth the investment.

People care what their pans are made of. They want tools that last. They expect sustainable practices. They value aesthetics but demand performance. They're cooking at home more and want equipment that makes it easier and healthier.

For manufacturers, this means genuine innovation rather than marketing gimmicks. Design that balances beauty and functionality. Sustainability as core practice rather than a selling point.

For retailers like us, it means stocking brands that deliver on promises. Educating customers on how to cook without non stick. Demonstrating that investing £200 in a Dutch oven that'll last decades beats buying a £40 one every three years.

The cookware world in 2026 won't be about flashy innovation or revolutionary new materials. It'll be about refinement—continuing the trends that emerged in 2025 toward health, sustainability, functionality, and quality.

Good cookware doesn't have to cost a fortune, but it's also worth investing in pieces that work properly and last. Whether that's a Le Creuset casserole passed down to grandchildren, a Mikasa pasta bowl that makes every dinner a bit nicer, a Stanley travel mug that keeps coffee hot for hours, or a Demeyre frying pan that heats evenly for decades, there's something worth having for every budget and cooking style.

Here's to 2026.

May your pans be PFAS-free, your kitchens be functional, and your cooking be a bit less stressful because you've got the right tools.

I'll raise my (Stanley) mug to that.

Andi Healey
Web Development Manager