This was the 2nd choice of America's Test Kitchen.The first choice was about $350.I am very pleased with this steamer.I have used it to cook mustard greens, boil corn on the cob, and cook down apples for apple butter.It is well-made with a heavy bottom.It stays shiny like new, cleans up easily, and is so useful for larger cooking needs.Since buying this I have also purchased a complete set of pots by Cuisinart.Very good quality cookware.
We decided on the pot after wanting either All Clad or Le Cruset for a long time. But the cost for those brands is so high we decided to look at other brands. We looked at Calphalon, Analon, Cuisinart and JC Penny's house brand. After weighing all the prices and quality the decision to buy this pot seemed like a good one. Now we have used this pot 15-20 times we think it is an even better value. It is a great product. Heating is even and fast, things stay warm for a long time and cleanup is a snap. Of course if you want something you can throw in the dishwasher buy something else other than stainless. To keep these in tip shop shape they need to be hand washed, but it is definitely worth it.
Buy Cuisinart 77-412 Chef's Classic Stainless 4-Piece 12-Quart Pasta/Steamer Set Now
I bought this to replace an older smaller pasta cooker.I have about 20 pieces of the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro cookware but couldn't justify spending over $100 for a large stockpot.The only notable difference is that the Multiclad has the sandwiched aluminum all the way up the sides of the pot.Not really necessary I thought for something I would use mostly for boiling water.Besides, the heat source is only really from below and that extra multiclad surface only adds to the weight.
I love the shiney exterior and the large capacity compared to my previous pasta pot. The steamer insert is a nice little extra but I'm not sure I'd want to haul out this enormous pot just to steam a few veggies.The lid is more domed than Cuisinart's standard lids and has a more sculpted handle.Cleanup is easy but only if you have a very large sink.The handles on both the pot and insert are solid and appear to be very securely attached.
So what's not to like?
This pot was a lot bigger than I anticipated.So large in fact that it doesn't fit in my normal cookware drawer.I ended up having to divide the pot from the insert just so it would fit in the cabinets.And that domed lid just adds to the height.The insert didn't need to stick out of the pot as far as it does and the handles on the insert come out further than those on the pot itself.Where the pot will barely fit, the insert won't just because of the handles.The other problem with the height of this pot comes when you try to use it on your stove.I nearly have to stick my head under the fan hood to see inside it!
The inside of both the pasta insert and the steamer basket won't drain completely.There are no drain holes along the bottom outer edges so the water continues to drip after removing it from the pot whenever it's tilted.I'm also not sure why they made the outsides of the insert and steam basket so shiny but made the insides brushed.This is almost the opposite of their fry pans.A shiny smooth inside would have made cleanup easier without the use of Teflon.
It would have received 5 stars except for these minor issues.Amazon's size specs are off, so I took out my ruler and this is what I discovered:
The cladded base of the pot is 9.5 inches diameter, the interior space on the pot is about 10 or 10.5 inches diameter, and then the lips flare out a little bit near the stop (for easier pouring without drips) to 11 inches diameter.
The pot is about 9 inches tall, plus another 2 inches or so for the pasta insert, plus another few millimeters for the steamer insert lip, and then the lid and lid's handle adds another 1.5-2 inches or so.The total height is thus roughly 13 inches.
I own a lot of Cuisinart MultiClad Pro and Tramontina TriPlyClad, among other pieces, and I like this stockpot. For boiling water, you don't really need the extra weight and expense of cladded aluminum running up the sides, as the water itself will be the thermal conduit, through convection.
Big thumbs up for having holes on both the bottom AND the sides of the steamer insert.This design is harder to clog up than steamer inserts with only bottom holes.
Yes the size is inconvenient (would be better if it were shorter and fatter), but if you can deal with it, this is a great multi-pot.
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My wife loves it. she said that it heats very evenly and cleans very easily.most of our other pots are allclad but i couldnt afford to pay 300+ dollars for the allclad stockpot so i got this one and my wife couldn't be happier.it performs just as well as the allclad brand and was less than a third of the price.
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