 A Great Set of Cookware |
| Review Date: December 13, 2005 |
| Reviewer: kimz, USA |
| Let me preface this review with the fact that I am Italian and raised 5 children on daily home-cooked meals. The kitchen is the center of my home. So when my daughter got her own apartment out west and asked for a set of pots for Christmas, I wanted to make sure I got her a quality set that would last her for years and years. I knew what I wanted for her, but didn't know which brand to purchase. Non-stick was out (I have never liked it). The pots also had to be both dishwasher/oven safe, and I wanted the pot handles to be riveted into the pot. Off I went to the mall with my "specifications" in hand to look at the different brands and sets available. Boy was I amazed at how many there were! I took my time and examined each set. Not only did I look at the sets, but I also handled the sets. This is VERY important. Many of the quality sets were so heavy that I needed two hands to lift the larger pieces, and although I could lift the smaller saucepans, I had difficulty tilting them to the side to pour. Others had handles that were very uncomfortable to use. Then I came upon the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 10-piece cookware set. I was very impressed by the quality. They were heavy grade yet easy to handle. They also met my other specifications listed above AND they looked really nice as well. The price of $149 was quite unbelievable. I drove home and ran straight to my computer and ordered the set through Amazon. I got free shipping and had the set delivered directly to my daughter. I also used the holiday bonus coupon for $25 off my order. I was so impressed with the set and the deal Amazon was offering, a few days later I purchased a second set through Amazon for myself. I LOVE them. They cook beautifully on my gas range and clean up well in the dishwasher. The handles DO NOT get hot while cooking, which totally surprised me. Do be careful with the lid handles though. They will get hot if cooking on higher heat. I haven't had a problem with delicate foods burning due to the high thermoconductivity of the pans; however, my stove is a professional grade 6-burner unit. I don't know if that makes any difference or not. All I can say is this set looks great, cooks great, handles great, and sells at a great price. What more can you ask for? |
My "Black Friday" Purchase
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| Review Date: November 28, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Gerhard Bohn, Cincinnati, Ohio |
The day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday" is the official kick off of the Holiday shopping season. I have never participated in this event, however those 20% coupons to shop between 6AM and 11AM enticed me. I needed a new cookware set, since my old pots and pans dated back to before I was born.
I am known as the "Research King" & "The Negotiator", so yes I did my homework. I was going to purchase a non stick set for $300.00, however you have to "feel" the set before buying. Is the weight even, do the covers fit right - you know what I mean. NOTE: I cook every night and have for years. I am not a Chef, but can cook a great meal.
Right next to Anolon at Macy's Dept. store, was the Cuisinart 10 Piece Classic Stainless cookware. It looked good, the weight was even, the lids fit great, but why so inexpensive? I researched Cuisinart and knew it was a good brand, so after playing around with the pots and pans for 20 minutes I bought the set! So this is what I got:
- 8" & 10" Skillet
- 1.5 QT & 3 QT Saucepan with covers
- 3.5 QT Saute with helper handle and cover
- 8 QT Stockpot with cover
FREE Gift with purchase: 2 QT Saucier
Extra Purchase: 5 1/2 QT All purpose pan with cover.
So, all in all, I got a 13 piece set for the grand total of: $130.75
Yes, I took advantage of a 20% coupon and then an additional 10% coupon. All 13 pieces are part of Cusinarts's Cheft's Classic line.
My Experience: (Rate by school grade A through F)
* Appearance: All the pieces looked great. The set looks as if it should be worth $500.00 (Grade A )
* Weight: The weight of each piece is solid and even. An important point because I flip my food and move the pans a lot while cooking. Note: These pieces do not feel cheap. Very good solid feel. (A-)
* Covers: The lids are a little light in weight, however they create a vacum seal when the heat is turned down. They do a better job then I expected. Normally with lighter lids you think they would wiggle and pop off, but these hold tight! (B )
* Handles: Solid Stainless steel, riveted handle. Solid feel and yes they stay cool. Also long enough to get a good grip. (A)
* Heat Distribution - Cuisinart recommends cooking on lower heat. Yes, this is true. The aluminum bottoms heat quickly and there are no hot spots. Trust me, use low heat. (A )
* Sticking - Well, these are not non stick. I used most of these pots and pans already to reheat our Thanksgiving dinner. Some things really stuck to the pots even when using PAM. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, stuck like glue. Next morning: Bacon stuck, but eggs did not. Go figure.... (B-)
* Clean Up: Water and soap in pan right after cooking. Yes this works well, but I have always done this. (B)
* Dishwasher: Yes, they are dishwasher safe, however after one cycle, the inside bottoms of a couple of pans had a purple tint to it. So, I have decided just to hand wash these for now. (Until I get lazy). (C-)
Final grade: B
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Think a large set is less expensive than the sum of its individual 'parts'???......
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| Review Date: May 19, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Jolly Gourmand, |
Guess again!
The 5-piece starter set includes the 8 qt. covered stockpot, 3 qt. covered pot and 10" open skillet. This set sells (curently on the Amazon site on 10/01/2005)for $59.99. Add the following open stock items currently on the Amazon site:
-1 1/2 qt. covered sauce pan; $13.99
-3 1/2 qt. saute' pan with helper handle and lid; $20.99.
-8" open skillet; $13.99
-TOTAL $108.96 !!!! (If I added correctly)
There are some other good Cuisinart open stock values out there as well.
Not rocket science; just another example of Amazon's sometimes quirky pricing.
(9/24 update): There have been many price changes (mostly trending lower and revised in my example above) for this fine Cuisinart Chef's Classic line. Be a smart shopper and check the openstock (and starter set) item prices first before purchasing a larger multi-item set. |
Great Value
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| Review Date: December 2, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
I'll echo what many other reviewers have said: This is very good cookware at a very reasonable price. I don't think you can beat the value.
A few notes: While the handles are metal, the long handles do stay cool, unlike some other metal handled cookware -- I haven't had to grab a towel yet. The lids included also fit both frying pans, which is quite handy. This cookware isn't light, but has a good heft to it. Lids fit well, making simmering and steaming easy. Unlike glass lids which can be hard to clean where the glass joins the metal rim, these all metal lids clean up very easily.
Overall, the set performs very well, providing even heat distribution and making cooking much easier -- no more having to constantly keep attending to the pan just to keep food from sticking on one hot spot.
Highly recommended for the price! |
Nicest cookware I ever owned
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| Review Date: December 13, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Michael A. Parks, Dover, PA USA |
I recently got a new ceramic top stove when our old electric stove's oven caught fire while reheating thanksgiving leftovers.
Since I had the new stove I decided that it was time to buy the new cookware I had been wanting for some time. I looked at a local retail store and liked the Cuisinart best for quality and price. Then I saw this bigger, nicer set on Amazon.com with the free utensil set and ordered it on the spot.
I have had the set for a week now and like using it. This cookware is well designed, has a good solid weight to it but not too heavy, it transfers heat evenly and efficiently. Cooking with it takes some getting used to, if you are used to using cheap pots and pans like me you will find that a lower heat setting is needed than you are used to using. Clean up is easy too. Just put warm water with a drop or two of dish soap in the pan when you are done cooking, leave it until the meal is eaten and the water is cool, then wash and dry by hand or put them in the dishwasher using non lemon detergent, and heated dry. They come out of the dishwasher shining with no spots.
Overall I think this is a excellent value in quality stainless steel cookware. I would recommend it to any one tired of using cheap cookware and cookware with coatings that always peels off in a year or two.
May 16, 2005
I still love this set. I now have them on a pot rack so they can be seen since they still look so good. I have added the steamer insert that works with both sauce pans, it works great for veggies and was around 20 some dollars. I would like to get the larger saute pan. this is the best set I have had ever and guest and family are impresseed when they see it. I was shopping at the local mall a few weeks ago and saw this same set at a fancy department store for $400!!! It's worth that much but thankfully Amazon sells it for way less. |
Great cookware at a Great price
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| Review Date: June 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: T. Magee, |
This cookware is well made with rivited handles like what is used in professional kitchens. I recieved my order in less time than was estimated. My order arrived in well packed boxes with no damage.
This cookware heats eavenly and is easy to clean as long as you clean as you go. For the stovetop, the long handles stay cool but you may want to use protection on the small handles. This cookware is also oven safe to 500 degrees. This set should last for years of trouble free service. I highly recomend it as a starter set for those that are newly maried, or new to the kitchen. I would recomend a second 1.5 quart sause pan (for those that cook for 1 or 2.) I also recomend adding the 2 quart sause pan (or 2 for larger families) to round out the set. For those that make scrambled eggs frequently you may want to look at the chef's classic nonstick skillets as well.
Things you have to remember:
1: This is not a nonstick set of cookware... you will have to clean it before residual food drys onto it or you'll be using some elbow grease to get it clean.
2: The disk on the bottom is attached with epoxy and will seperate if you boil it dry and let it sit on a hot burner so don't let that happen.
3: Do not use high heat settings especally with gas cooking the flame will discolor the pan. Medium heat is just right.
4: It's cookware you will use it, and it'll scratch. It's not for decroation if you want pretty pans, get 2 sets the price is right.
Amazon's price with the additon of the 4 pc kitchen tool set (free) the super saver shiping, and the $25.00 may discount (I noticed there's a june discount now as well) made this set much less than was available at the mall and worth the wait for shipping.
Added 12/11/2005
After 6 months of everyday use, the finish on this cookware is still very nice even with a few scratches. I have noticed that I use lower heat on the stove (gas) meaning a lower monthly bill. I have noticed that when using the dishwasher there is some minor discoloration but that is easily removed with barkeepers friend. I am still verry happy with this cookware, and have added other itmes this line. |
Very, very nice set of cookware
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| Review Date: January 15, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Jeffrey E, Austin, TX |
We purchased this set to replace our aging Circulon & Analon cookware. Let's face it, even though these others come with a "Life-time" warranty, the teflon coating fatigues in time and there is the growing concern with cooking with platics (ie teflon). We have a lot of cast iron, but these are sometimes just too heavy to be practical all the time. So we decided to give stainless a try.
We are very happy with this set. They have a nice weight and durable feel to them. They heat up quickly and evenly, the lids fit snugly and if you follow the advice that come with the set, they clean up pretty quickly. Like many stainless pieces, there is always the remaining residue that can be tough to remove. This is usually water spots or some minor residue that can be tough to get rid of. Here are two additional steps we take for this. For spots, use vinegar, for residue use baking soda.
Following this we are able to keep thes in "out of the box" shine.
Very nice, high quality and a great price. |
Happy Consumer
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| Review Date: December 24, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Anonomous, Upstate NY |
| Cuisinart's Chef's Classic line is the best kept secret in the cookware industry. This cookware is amazing! After years of spending a fortune buying & trying various upper end nonstick lines of cookware, I finally came to the conclusion that nonstick cookware is just plain lousy...thinking I was the only one who hated nonstick. So, I then completely excluded nonstick cookware lines, and researched all the higher end brands (those which we all typically look at), in search of simple, pure, quality cookware. Upon first glance, Cuisinart's Chef's Classic line surpassed all the others in simplicity, beauty, ease in handling, sturdiness of construction, etc, ...even all those other similar brands costing 3 to 5 times as much. It's heavy duty professional grade cookware with riveted handles, but not so heavy that it would cause discomfort & trouble lifting & pouring. It's beautifully engineered...perfect combination of form & function. My previous various nonstick brands always "stuck". Cuisinart's Stainless Steel interior is amazingly *UN* sticky. Cleans up easily and completely. Stunningly beautiful, with a modern and yet timeless design. Lids fit like a lid should fit...perfectly, sealed tight. Can withstand higher heats and therefore can be used in the oven! Cooking is even throughout the pan. It's fabulous for quick scrambled eggs, a grilled sandwich, pasta, rice, etc., and performs equally excellent with low heat slow cooking both on stove top AND in the oven! I 1st purchased the 10 peice set last Christmas, and over the last year, I've added individual pans to complete and round out my cookware set...with amazing sale pricing at Amazon.com! I found that I tended to use the small 8 inch skillet constantly for something quick (professional working mom, single parent), so I picked up a few more of those, in addition to some larger covered skillets for slow cooking traditional meals, such as a huge batch of chili, beefstew, or homemade soup, for parties, or for freezing in smaller portions to get me through the week. Overall, this cookware 1) Looks gorgeous (and very expensive!), 2) Performs flawlessly in cooking, comfort in handling, and cleanup, and 3) As an added bonus, is an amazing cost value!!! Buy this cookware! A tip* This cookware does perform differently (better!) than anything else I've ever owned, and does require different use & care. Therefore, read and follow the enclosed instructions, particularly with regard to using a lower heat setting, and soaking breifly, prior to cleaning. Read the instructions completely and several times, they are very straightforward, and provide excellent information & education on the use and simple maintainance of the cookware. I'm soooo happy to have found this cookware...it's a constant joy to use. Cannot think of a single negative. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I give this 100 stars (the review limits me to five stars). Love this cookware! Heirloom quality. This is one of those products that 100 years from now, people will say "they don't make 'em like that anymore!" In our world of junk consumerism, this product is a shining star stand out. |
Great pans at a bargin price
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| Review Date: April 7, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
| We just renovated the kitchen so I purchased some new pans. I saw these Cuisiant Pans and was amazed by the price. I figured I could try them and if I did not like them then I was not out a huge sume of money. This set includes the basics. They are a good weight and have the nice rivets in the handles which by the way really do stay cool to the touch. These pans are also very easy to clean. Just add some warm soapy water and you are ready to clean after the meal is over. I love this set so much that I bought all of the matching pans so I could have all the sizes that I needed. I also bought the nonstick pan for the eggs and it is great too. This is a steal for the price. I look forward to more products like this. Thanks AMAZON! |
Good "Cookin"
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| Review Date: October 13, 2005 |
| Reviewer: J. G. Theisen, Tacoma WA |
| The Cuisinart cookware is excellent - good looking, well balanced, easy to clean, cooks great, etc. We display the cookware on a pot rack over our cooktop. We replaced KitchenAid cookware with the Cuisinart set because the KitchenAid scratched badly and did not look good. The Cuisinart seems to be a lot more durable and easier to clean. It is also a great value, costing less than half the price of the KitchenAid. I would highly recommend the Cuisinart set to anyone who loves to cook. |
For those who know how to cook and clean with stainless
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| Review Date: September 7, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Captain1k, |
| This is a great set. I bought it to replace my T-fal non-stick cookware because of all the news reports about non-stick Teflon particulates coming off and the possibility of causing cancer. Let me address some of the concerns I read in other reviews...First off, it doesn't burn food as some of those 1 star haters describe. You just have to know how to watch and cook your food. Second, all food does not stick to it. A little Pam goes a long way. Scrambled eggs and bacon come out just fine. Over easy eggs do stick a little but it is manageable. For those concerned about this and don't like to tend and maneuver their food during cooking I recommend keeping a small non-stick pan on hand. Third, they are not hard to clean. Soak for a few minutes in Dawn dish detergent and food comes right off. Sure, you can't take them right off the stove and into the dishwasher and expect them to come out gleaming. Most stuff needs a pre-rinse and most people should know that. Fourth, they are not, "thin cheap pieces of junk." They are good quality stainless. I ask this, how thick do you want your cookware to be? If your looking for heavy cast iron weight or $1000 dollar cookware, this may not be for you. For most of us its just fine. As for those who claim copper coated is the best, think again. This cookware is rated at 550 degrees. That means you can cook at high heat and stick them in the oven. Copper can't do that. The handles are great too, I can grab the pan while cooking and not worry about it burning me. The only thing I would have liked is glass lids so I can see the food cooking but that's just personal thing and I can manage. I hope this helps a bit :-) |
Best cookware ever!
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| Review Date: March 16, 2003 |
| Reviewer: Michelle Urv, Seattle, Washington |
| My husband and I purchased this cookwear after our wedding with some of our gift money. We considered Calphalon, Anolon, AllClad and Circulon as options, but we saw this one at a local kitchen supply store and bought it there. They were offering it for a good deal but we came home and found this even lower price at Amazon so we returned the set at the store and bought it online. We're glad we did! The value is outstanding. This cookwear cooks quickly and evenly, the handles stay nice and cool and it is a breeze to clean up. Just put the pan in the sink with some water, let it soak for a few minutes and it wipes clean right away. It's even easier to clean than my old nonstick! We also bought the 5 1/2 quart saute pan, a two-piece nonstick skillet set (still comes in handy for scrambling eggs and cooking ultra low-fat meals) and the four-piece utensil set came free with the 10-piece set...Cuisinart makes excellent products...you'd be silly not to treat yourself to quality cookwear. |
Great cookware, incorrect pan sizes listed.
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| Review Date: April 19, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , Oswego, NY United States |
| Intially I was disappointed because the pans were different sizes than listed in the ad, but the Amazon Customer service department took care of the problem to my satisfaction. I decided to keep the set and absolutely love it. They cook evenly and clean-up is a breeze. They are so beautiful, I decided to hang them! I would recommend this set. The utensil set that came free with it is also beautiful and is also of great quality. I would recommend this set, for the price it can't be beat! |
No longer stuck with stickless
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| Review Date: February 1, 2006 |
| Reviewer: R. Wainwright, NYC |
After many years of hearing how non-stick pans are poisoning us slowly with every meal, I decided to spend a little on a long term investment with this incredible cookware set.
If you remember the horrors of cooking (burning things) in an aluminum pan/pot, it is not the same thing. I was always under the impression that it would be difficult to cook in something that wasn't lined with Teflon, but really what most of these reviews say is true: just use less heat and it will cook exactly the same and probably taste better. It took me 3 minutes to figure out the equivilent of 'high' with these new pans by moving up a notch every 30 seconds until I got a familiar sizzling sound. I don't know why I was so afraid of having to figure that out.
I made the best tasting bacon I'd ever had in the skillet. The best part was how you could lift it off the electric range to pour out the bacon grease and it wouldn't immediately stop cooking like my old non-sticks.
Eggs were also almost easier than before, cooked on low heat with a little butter.
Besides the less-than-obvious benefits of enhanced flavor you seem to get with the stainless steel surface, I LOVE the fact you can just give em a rinse after they cool a little and toss them in the dishwasher. Sure, I get some scratches, but I think it adds character with every use. Unlike teflon, which will add toxic flakes to your next meal ;)
Water hard-boils at medium now on my electric range, and I keep thinking pleasantly that I might even be saving electricity in the long run. I know it has to do with how well the thick, multi-layered bottom conducts heat, and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. |
I Love My Cuisinart Cookware Set
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| Review Date: March 25, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Grace L. Stone, |
I would recommend this cookware to anyone.
It cooks evenly, cleans up easily and food does not stick to it.
I bought it for my new ceramic stovetop and it works beautifully for that.
Water stains etc. clean easily with white vinegar and the original shine comes right back.
One thing I really love is that contents of each pan will pour perfectly without drips or spills. |
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