Buying secondhand is a great way to shop sustainably and hopefully save a bit of money in the process. Plus, the joy of finding that perfect item—that’s not mass-produced for a big box store—is incomparable. Cookware, however, can be a bit difficult to source because it needs to be functional, not just decorative. You want your thrifted cookware to work as well as the new equivalent and be hygienic, of course. (It’s going near your food, after all.) High-quality thrift store cookware finds can be uncovered, though, if you know what you’re looking for.
Below, Brooklyn-based interior designer Emma Kemper, author of House Rules: 100 Ways to Feel at Home, shares tips for purchasing thrifted kitchen items online and in person. A new cookware collection at a fraction of the price? Sign us up.
Emma Kemper, interior designer and author of House Rules: 100 Ways to Feel at Home
Search for Sturdiness
“Sturdiness is always something to look for when buying secondhand pieces,” Kemper says. “You can overlook scratches and chips since that comes with the pre-loved territory.” A flimsy cutting board or bent sheet pan likely isn’t going to last, but a solid wooden block or sheet pan with some heft to it has great potential.
Test Any Electronic Items
Finding a KitchenAid stand mixer or Cuisinart food processor at a thrift store can feel like a major win—but making sure the item is in working condition is essential, especially after shoppers have handled it for who knows how long. Ask if you can plug the appliance into an outlet for testing and look into the manufacturer’s warranties for specific items.
Keep an Eye Out For Complete Sets
Mixing and matching is cool, but complete sets can retain their value and be fun to collect. “These can be hard to find, so if you come across a complete set of dishware, servingware, or another set that you love, grab it before it’s gone,” Kemper suggests.
Missing a piece? Go online to see if sites like eBay, 1st Dibs, Chairish, or Etsy can help complete the set.
Shop Local
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While online shopping is fun and convenient, visiting thrift stores in person helps assess the quality of an item. Regular visits can also be helpful to get you familiar with the inventory and snag new pieces as soon as they hit shelves. (You may even befriend a buyer or retail worker who can keep an eye out for the items on your wishlist.) In New York City, Kemper is a fan of Housing Works, which has multiple locations across the city.
Pay Attention to Brands
There are so many knockoffs and weird replicas of quality goods, but a quick search can help establish if the cool item you found is worthwhile. “I Google the brands of the vintage pieces I find to see what they would have cost when sold new, or compare the price to other similar pieces to make sure I am paying a fair price,” Kemper explains. “If you can’t find the brand of the vintage piece on it, try to reverse image search it online to get more info.”
Get Creative With Usage
Sure, vintage glassware can stock a bar—but these pieces can also be used as votive candle holders, gravy servers, place cards, planters, or whatever you dream of.
Think outside the box in terms of how secondhand cookware can be used. “I love vintage plates because they not only work for entertaining purposes, but they also can look so gorgeous on the wall as décor,” Kemper shares.
Be Aware of Food-Safe Materials
Food safety is ever-evolving, so a nonstick skillet from just a few years ago may not be safe today. Nonstick cookware is on the never-buy list from thrift shops, along with items that could have been made with lead (such as vintage crystal decanters), tin-lined copper cookware, and splintered or deteriorating wooden items like cutting boards—unless you’re purchasing for purely decorative purposes, of course.
If you can’t verify an item was made with food safe materials and free of toxins, you may want to skip it.
Know What You’re Looking For
While anything and pretty much everything can be found at a thrift store, some items hold up better than others. Some kitchen products, like tools that need to be sharp (vegetable peelers) or that can rust, may be better to purchase new instead of used.
Ultimately, what you want to buy is up to you. “I could be swayed to purchase silverware or tablecloths, but some people may not feel comfortable with that,” says Kemper, who particularly loves to thrift for kitchen décor and lighting. In addition to cookware, “vintage furniture such as tables and chairs are great to add a more lived-in feeling to the kitchen,” she adds.
So, while the sky is the limit and browsing is fun, doing some research beforehand can help set you up for shopping success. Read reviews on secondhand shops to ensure they have a healthy selection of kitchen gear before heading to the store, and keep a wishlist of items you can regularly refer to when shopping.
