I want to add a dose of realism to the many positive reviews here. We've had this cookware set for about 5 months. It comes packaged very nicely, seems well made and looks very good. And there's the rub. Unlike a lot of stainless cookware, these are very shiny. If you like that, you'll be satisfied, but you should bear in mind that the finish is fragile. It's easy to scratch and easy to discolor. We use the steamer every day and on one occasion I accidentally boiled it dry. I took the pot off the heat very quickly, but the result was a faint gold tint on the outside that cannot be removed. I don't really mind the color change, but it worries me.
I've used the frying pan a couple of times to make eggs and here again the shine isn't necessarily a good thing. Butter actually beads up on the surface as it melts and you have to use an awful lot if you want it to cover the bottom of the pan.
The instructions warn you many times not to use steel wool for cleaning. So far, we've been okay with a plastic scrubber pad, and, especially after a soaking, things clean up easily. But the fact that I've been warned not to use the most obvious cleaning method is worrisome.
Pot handles do indeed stay cool. The lids, however, can get very hot. Also, the edges of the lids face up and out. This is common now, but my older pans had lids that that were turned into the pan. The outward-facing design guarantees that condensation will form on the underside of the lids, and will drip pretty badly when you first remove them from a boiling pot. One good feature of the lid handles is that you can hang them on a pot rack.
Finally, the steamer has several extra ridges around the bottom and vegetables inevitably stick to those areas. Again, a soaking is necessary to get them clean.
All in all, a useful, sturdy set, well made, and a good value -but with the caveat that the shine might not be what you want.
I purchased this set a year ago. I already had the 12 inch skillet, the 5 qt. saute pan and a 2 qt. saucepan, which I LOVE and use on a regular basis. I expected this set to be the same quality as these other Chef's Classic pans that I had purchased individually, but the pans in this set just don't measure up.
The first thing I noticed is that these pans are lighter weight. The 3 qt. saucepan from this set is much lighter than the 2 qt. saucepan I already had.This would be okay, except that food tends to stick more easily to the 3 qt. I think the botton of the pans in this set must be thinner than my other Chef's Classic. Also, these pan do spot moreI use Barkeepers Friend for all my Cuisinart, but I find the pans in this set discolor every time I use them, which is annoying.
My biggest beef is with the pasta insert. I chose this particular set because it included the pasta insert, but the pan is not just useless it is a menace. The holes are way to small, and the water drains out very slowly. The first time I used it, boiling water flooded over the top and splashed over the stove and onto the floor when I lifted the insert out of the pot. I've tried using less water, lifting the pasta insert slowly, etc. and it still splashes whenever I use it.Today I purchased a Faberware 8 qt. pasta insertit has much larger holes and when I tried it tonight I couldn't make it splash even when I practically jerked it out of the pot.
Compared to other cookware the quality of this set is decent, but my other Chef's Classic is so much better quality that this set mostly sits in the cabinet. If you want to buy a set, go with the 10 or 12 piece set. You'll save some money and you can use it to buy a pasta pot you can actually use.
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I am no chef but I do love to cook, and I purchased this set for myself after moving cross-country and giving away an old set of Farberware stainless. I have been using these for the last month and a half and I couldn't be more pleased. I absolutely love them!
They heat evenly and the handles do, indeed, stay cool. The pots clean up beautifully. There has been some minor discoloration on the frying pans but that's to be expected, I think, given their purpose. But the saucepans and stockpot come out of the dishwasher looking as pristine as when I took them out of the box! They are SO pretty... Lastly, these pots and pans are not too heavy, which was sa concern for me. I'd tried out other pots and pans (like the Emerilware) at department stores and found them extremely heavy to lift; the Cuisinart Chef's Classic are the perfect weight for me.
You do have to be careful about keeping the heat lower, though, or things do burn. The other thing I've found is that, while the handles on the pots and pans stay cool, the handles on the lids do not...just be careful when lifting the lids!
Although I think it'd be nice if the 14-piece set included a 2-quart saucepan too, but otherwise it comes with everything you need to cook a big or small meal. There are smaller sets, though, for those who aren't ready to take the plunge.
I heartily recommend this set.
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Love the cookware,the only problem i had was not reading the fine print which caused me to ruin the inside bottom (discoloration)of my stock pot,thank goodness it is the only pot i store in my cabinet,my others are displayed on my pot rack.I was cooking fresh collards from a friend and i always add a dash of baking soda to them in case they are bitter! After cooking them i washed the pot and the bottom was purple,pink and gray! I used the barkeepers and that did not work i was out done.I took the manual out and read it and found that it stated not to use lemon dishwasing detergent but nothing about baking soda i don't remember where i read it if it was on the box or the cuisinart web site but it says never to use baking soda in these pots.I have never owned stainless steel cookware before and figure that perhaps this review will help new users!Other than my own stupidity I give these pots 5 stars.
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I'm not a professional chef but I cook extravagant meals nearly every night.I've been cooking for about 12 years and was a bit hesitant at first to buy a set of pans that weren't non-stick.However, I did want to get away from teflon pans.As soon as I did I noticed a distinct difference in taste/quality.As EVERYONE says you don't need a lot of heat.I use an older natural gas stove and it was difficult for me to get it down low enough.Cuisinart suggests a flame/heat diffuser for those situations.After cooking for a while I did notice that using a pan on HIGH heat does cause a slight bit of discoloration on the bottom.I do however believe it will come out quite easily.As long as I have a small amount of oil in the pan I have had absolutely no issues with food sticking or burning and it's easier to use than any of my non-stick stuff and requires less heat/gas.Goes great with a nice set of Chicago Cutlery knives (awesome for the price)
Other sets considered: Analon, Calphalon(strongly considered), Emerilware, All-Clad, Circulon
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While Nordic Ware calls this a "texture-infused nonstick surface," this is not a nonstick pan like a Teflon coated one is. This should be classified as a "low stick" pan. For many things, you can cook without added oil and they will slide out just fine, but for tenacious stickers, like eggs, you do need a small amount of oil. Then you'll end up chasing your food around the inside of the pan with spatula, it's that stick free. As with all nonstick cookware, no metallic utensils or cleaning objects (like a stainless steel scrubby), please.
