Cookware sales continue to grow steadily totaling $4.7 billion in 2014, a 9% increase from sales observed in 2009. While consumers demonstrate enthusiasm for cooking and frequent experimentation with new dishes and recipes, this has not translated to accelerated sales for the category, as most purchases are driven by replacement needs.

To accelerate sales growth cookware companies should continue to align cookware with the emotional benefits that come from cooking at home. Cookware manufacturers and marketers have the opportunity to encourage consumers to upgrade to higher quality cookware or add to their product repertoires as a means to feel more confident in the kitchen as well as improve their cooking skills.

This report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s Cookware – US, July 2013 and previous reports with this same title in August 2011 and September 2009.

Mintel defines the US cookware market as consisting of the following product categories:

• Standard pots and saucepans

• Frying pans

• Woks

• Casserole dishes designed for use on the stove or in the oven

Also included are products used to bake or roast foods in the oven, such as:

• Roasting tins

• Baking sheets

• Loaf tins

• Muffin trays

• Omelet/pancake pans

• Pasta pans

• Vegetable steamers

• Other niche products

Cookware may be made of metal, ceramic, glass, or composite material. However, while sales of glass, ceramic, and silicone bakeware are discussed in the report, sales of these are not included in market size figures.

Additionally, kitchen cutlery is discussed as part of the cookware market. It includes:

• Knife blocks or sets

• Cook’s knives

• Carving knives

• Vegetable paring knives

• Cleavers

• All-purpose kitchen knives

Kitchen cutlery refers to knives that have a specific kitchen task, and therefore does not include table knives. This report also does not include products related to cookware, such as tableware, glassware, flatware, kitchen appliances, or gadgets.

Value figures throughout this report are at rsp (retail selling prices) excluding sales tax unless otherwise stated.

Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance – Total retail sales based on HomeWorld Business, Housewares Census 2014

Retail Channels – Based on HomeWorld Business, Housewares Census 2014

For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through GMI to explore consumer use of and attitudes toward cookware products. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in April 2014 among a sample of 2,000 adults aged 18+ with access to the internet.

Mintel selects survey respondents by gender, age, household income, and region so that they are proportionally representative of the US adult population using the internet. Mintel also slightly over-samples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or Black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in our survey results and to allow for more precise parameter estimates from our reported findings. Please note that Mintel surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in the survey results.

While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (White, Black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.

The following is a list of abbreviations used in this report.

Within the consumer data analysis, Mintel segments consumers into three groups specified to how they approach cooking in the home given their frequency of cooking from scratch, how much they enjoy cooking, their cooking skill level, and their frequency of experimentation with new dishes and recipes.

• Enthusiastic Cooks: These cooks are cooking from scratch at least once per week, love or like to cook, have very advanced or advanced cooking skills, and are experimenting with new dishes or recipes a few times a month or more.

• Average Cooks: These cooks are cooking from scratch 1-2 times a week or less, like to cook or don’t mind cooking, have advanced or intermediate skills, and experiment with new dishes or recipes on occasion.

• Basic Cooks: These cooks are cooking from scratch less than once a week or never. They either don’t mind or really dislike cooking, have basic or intermediate skills, and never or rarely experiment with new dishes or recipes.

Generations are also discussed within this report, and they are defined as:

* also known as Generation Y

In order to provide an inflation-adjusted price value for markets, Mintel uses the CPI to deflate current prices. The CPI is defined as follows: