I hesitated before I purchased this set because some of the reviews were not favorable.Some of the reviews were a total 5, so I wondered how there could be such a huge gap between the purchaser's reviews.A little homework answered the question.
This is a beautiful set, and if handled ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS, should stay in beautiful shape.One of the reviewers stated that her cookware turned blue after being put into the dishwasher.The directions distinctly state that this is a normal condition for stainless steel and can be remedied by wiping lemon juice or vinegar over the pot/pan.It works; just as stated.
Another reviewer stated that her pan warped.This happens when the heat is too high.Instructions fully state that one should not use this cookware on HIGH.It does not take much heat to allow the food to cook.There is an aluminum disk inserted in the bottom to conduct the heat.Aluminum DOES warp and melt under extremely high conditions.
One reviewer stated that the steel could be bent with her fingers. Perhaps she had a defective piece, as there is NO WAY I could do such a thing.I hand quilt everyday and am a professional seamstress.I have a lot of strength in my fingers; but still, it is an impossibility to bend this steel.Granted, the cookware is not a professional HEAVY weight, but it is a cookware that is bit weighty, but easy to handle, and light enough to produce quick heat.
Last night I fried salmon patties, and the pan cleaned up nicely.I used a little BonAmi, which is similar to Bartender's Secret, which is recommended by the manufacturer.I have cooked chili, boiled pasta, steamed veggies...all to success and my cookware looks new.
Although I cook everyday, I did not want to continue with my non-stick cookware.I thought it would be a good idea to purchase a reasonably priced stainless set to get used to cooking with stainless; eventually moving up to a more pricey set if necessary.At this point, I do not think I will need to move up to a more pricey set, but will purchase additional pieces of the T-fal Elegance, including the chicken fryer and the 3 qt.pot/lid.I did already purchase the 12.5 saute pan and it is very useful.
I love this set and think the price does not speak for it's excellence.It is a LOT of value for the money.
I like this set.It is very good quality for the price.I bought it because it is induction usable--it does not say that in the ad, but I had seen this in a store and bought a single pan to test.
The lids are very nice fitting, with a hole in them.I wish the lids fit the pans too, but they do not.
This is not super thick steel for many reasons.Reasons include heavy weight, a pan that will not cool down (especially critical for induction), handles stay cool if thinner,and cost.I do not find any of the items flimsy at all.It is somewhat thin feeling but very amply sturdy.It does not bend on me at all--even trying.I did not try a hammer on it, but do not find a reason to.
I think this is a good deal for what you get.
Buy T-fal C811SA64 Elegance Stainless Steel Dishwasher Safe 10-Piece Cookware Set, Silver Now
I purchased the TFAL ss cookware set, received it extremely quickly from the vendor & in good order.It's easy to clean, easy to use, cooks evenly, and the best part is:I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE RESIDUE FROM THE NONSTICK COOKWARE, which has been linked to Alzheimer's disease in the post-mortem brains of afflicted persons. We love this cookware & will purchase more of it in the future!
Read Best Reviews of T-fal C811SA64 Elegance Stainless Steel Dishwasher Safe 10-Piece Cookware Set, Silver Here
I wanted to get away from aluminum and coated cookware and decided to give this a try. My concern was that it would burn and stick and be difficult to clean as was inexpensive stainless cookware I have tried in the past. I saw it at my local WalMart and was impressed with it's quality and weight. Also their price was $36 higher! I have been surprised at how little sticking happens and have had no burning to the bottom or hard to clean experiences. The heat transfer is so efficient I can cook at lower temperatures. I can see how this set will last me the rest of my life.
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Lets get a few things out of the way.
1. I'm not a "professional cook" But I cook somewhat complex meals daily.
2. I had no experience with stainless so I actually took the time to do some research,silly, I know.
3. I'm the the cheapest person on the planet, however I don't scrimp or save when it comes to important things, like cookware. I'm cheep not destitute.
I've been researching stainless steel cookware because, like most of you, I want to get away from the non-stick flakes in my food.I research almost everything I buy almost too much. But this cookware set was a little bit different. I saw these here on Amazon but to be honest the price was a deterrent in terms of it being to low for my brain to associate it with good quality. I read the write-up and kept a mental image in my mind, but quickly dismissed it.
After months of research I was leaning towards, of course, a $600+ set made by All-Clad, they are the best in the industry, after all. I had almost bitten the ordering bullet a few different times but that little voice in the back of my head kept screaming "hey, idiot you're gonna drop $600 dollars on a type of cookware you've never used? Why don't you just buy a cheep pan to see if you even like cooking with stainless" Once again that annoying little voice saved me some cash.
My girlfriend and I were at 'Goodwill' last week on my monthly hunt for pre-50's stuff, I have a problem, I can admit it, and we saw these two really beat-up, and I mean beat-up, stainless steel frying pans from this very set. The 10.5 inch and the smaller one for $2.99 and 1.99, respectively. It looked like someone had tried cooking in them and whatever it was it didn't work out to well for them. They were so bad I quickly dismissed them as I thought they were non-salvageable. But, again, that little voice popped up to remind me that during my research on stainless steel cookware I had seen someone posted a before and after picture of really bad stainless steel pans and how well 'Bar Keepers Friend' cleaned them up. So I figured for $5 bucks, what the hay.
As soon as I got them home I went at them with steel wool and 'Bar Keepers Friend'. Sure enough after about 20 minutes they were shinning like new.
After making sure they were really, really clean I decided to try these bad boys out.
The first thing I made was sautéed mushrooms and onions in the small pan and steaks in the bigger pan. From my research I remembered to season the pans with olive oil and preheat them for a few minutes on no higher the medium heat. After doing all this I put all of the food in. I was really worried about the steak sticking because, well flesh sticks but after remembering the other major advice I picked up about cooking with stainless steel "I LEFT THE FOOD ALONE!" When it came time to flip the steak absolutely no sticking at all, on either one. There was a little caramelization in both pans but it came right of.My first cooking experience with stainless steel was a success...and the food tasted AMAZING!
The next morning I tried the stainless steel litmus test eggs. Following the above steps my egg white omelet turned out great. Over the next few days I threw all the most stick inducing foods I could think of not one issue, with the food!
I did have a few issues with staining on the pans but my new best friend 'Bar Keepers Friend" bailed me out each and every time. After a week I decided to skip on the two-car-payment-sized All-Clad and just buy a complete set of these.
Now to address some of the negatives I've read here on Amazon.
Someone said they "could bend it with the pressure of just one finger." Um. no you can't and believe me I'm a big dude who spends way to much time in the gym, girlfriends words, not mine!
Someone said "they stain easily." yes, that's why you CLEAN THEM!
Someone said the "the lids don't fit the skillets." True, hence why they're called "skillets"
Someone said "the included metal spatulas scratches the cookware really bad."Not from my experience. The included spatula & spoon are not of the best quality but they're certainly up for the tasks at hand, even without scratching but even so I use wood utensils, always have, always will.
Someone said "the handle gets so HOT that I've burn my hand several times." These handles stay cold to the touch, save for once incident where I let the handle hang over the edge of the stove while I had the oven door open, for probably 2 minutes as I was distracted by bright shiny colors on the T.V., then, and only then did a handle get hot.
Last, but not least, my favorite complaint, which seems to be a theme shared by all the negative reviews -"food sticks." Food will only stick to these pans if you do any one of or combination of the following; not preheating, not using oil,using too high of a temperature or just not paying attention.
The important thing to remember is you really have to change the way you cook. It takes me on average 30% longer to prepare meals with this new cookware but the trade off is the food tastes so much better and you don't have to worry about consuming the Teflon, they say is safe for you, today!
About the actual pans.
Heres the odd thing. The pans I got at 'Goodwill,' the same ones in the pictures on here, are a little different then the complete set I bought, somewhere else. I think the ones from the set are an updated version of the ones they're selling here. The pans are a few ounces heavier, the handles are more rounded and the bottom has a different design. They kinda look like the bottoms of the T-fal C798SC64 Ultimate Stainless Steel Copper-Bottom Multi-Layer Base 12-Piece Cookware Set but without the copper. I actually like the old design better, Anyways I thought you guys should be aware. I can post a picture if anyone wants me to.
The reason I gave 4 stars and not 5 is because there are some flaws.
The handles, on everything could be finished a little better. They seem a bit "rougher" then they should. This is especially true for the handles on the pots and there respective lids. Now, I don't feel like they'll cut me, but every time I pick one up(pots and lids)the thought does enter my mind... Just be aware.
Also the lids do not fit snugly on the pans. It's not really an issue, cooking wise, just a little annoyance.
Finally the rivets, and this is just a personal gripe. These come with a 25 year warranty. I promise you the rivets will fail before that. Rivets only last so long under constant load changes and from my experience when they begin to fail it's best just to get rid of the pan, or if you know how, drill them out and either put new ones in or do as, in my opinion, every manufacture should do, replace them with nuts and bolts, or screws. It may be a pain to have to tighten a screw on a handle, but at least with screws you can tighten them.
Other then the rivets there is no doubt in my mind that these will last 25 years or more, if you take care of them. They're nowhere near as fancy or as well built as the the high end cookware but really do they have to be? In my opinion They are built well enough to more then justify the price and they're an above par entry level set that you probably won't ever feel a need to replace.
Final thoughts
These are oven safe up to 500 degrees according to the direction, I didn't see that anywhere else so I thought I'd share it.
Now, If you want to make the switch to stainless remember three important rules.
1. Preheat WITH oil... Always use oil--olive oil, Canola oil, don't use vegetable oil, people!--even with hamburger or sausage, I've never cooked sausage in these pans, but I can assume.
2. Never go above medium heat except when boiling water or reducing liquids.
3. LEAVE THE FOOD ALONE. You'll know when it's time to flip because the piece of food will almost glide with just a small nudge.
All The Best
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I LOVE this pan! I have also bought 'cheaper' versions and found them to be far inferior. The cheaper pans have a seam ridge on the top around each donut cavity that catches batter and snags cleaning cloths. They are much thinner and lighter than this pan and therefore do not heat as evenly. Also the donut cavities in the cheaper versions are not as deep and the hole maker is much smaller, resulting in a donut that is not 'pleasing to the eye' and looks more like a cookie with a small hole in the middle. This pan cooks evenly every time and the donuts come out looking 'professional' and deliciously tempting! I highly recommend this pan!
