()Thanksgiving dinner is an ideal time to put new cookware through a workout; my Paula Deen Signature Stainless Steel II 12 piece set arrived in time for the holiday. As a food writer and recipe developer who's been cooking for more than 30 years, pots and pans are heavily used in my kitchen.Over the years I've bought and reviewed many brands of cookware. I've cooked on gas stoves, electric, and even glass topped electric ranges. Different kinds of cookware work better depending on the type of stove you have *and* how you tend to cook.
For example, a gas stove heats immediately. It's never a good idea-unless you're bringing liquid to a boil-to set the range temperture on high. In fact, with a gas stove, I even boil water over medium-high heat with any kind of pots or pans, especially nonstick. With an electric stove, care must be taken with regards to how long you leave a pot or pan on the hot burner, and for traditional cookware (without nonstick surface), you'll have to preheat the burner before trying to sear or brown meats, fry eggs, etc. Glass topped stoves can't take some types of cookware without risk of damaging the glass surface. THAT said, Paula Deen's Signature Stainless Steel II 12 Piece Cookware set can be used with care on any type of burner for many years of regular use. The set has a limited lifetime warranty.
Pros
-solidly made for long, reliable use of pots and lids
-traditional, uncoated pots can handle any type of utinsels, including wire whisks or immersion blenders
-lids fit snuggly
-well thought out, practical changes from earlier cookware sets by Paula Deen (see below)
Cons
-although stated oven-safety to 350 degrees, oven cooking could risk damage to handles
Another reviewer mentioned the cookware in the set is lightweight, which worried me until my set arrived. It isn't feather-light, and you wouldn't want it to be. Light cookware is often an indication of cheaply made pots and pans. This set is solid, medium weight, with hefty stainless steel bottoms for even heat distribution and aluminum with stainless steel construction. These aren't 100% stainless steel pots and pans; it says so right on the box. The nonstick pans are aluminum, meaning you'll have to keep cooking temperature lower to prevent damage... including flaking off or bubbling of the Teflon coating.
How does this set differ from Paula Deen's Traditional Stainless Steel set, or her 1st Signature Stainless Steel set? Aside from the obvious re-design of the glass lids (which are nicer in this new set), gone are the loose, floppy, annoying rings on the handles for hanging. Instead, the handles are much more solidly made with comfortable silicone grips and holes drilled into the outer ends for hanging. Construction of this new set is also far better and sturdier than her earlier sets. Unlike Paula's original signature series, these pots and pans don't have copper bottoms. As with most nonstick cookware, if you give the pans a serious workout on a daily basis, you can expect to replace them in a few years, but the pots and lids truly should last a decade or longer.
You'll receive 1, 2, and 3 quart covered saucepans, a 6 quart stock pot with lid, an 8" aluminum skillet, and a 10" aluminum skillet, plus a slotted turner and a slotted spoon. I'm rating the set at 4 stars. Paula Deen's new set is on par with a decent set of Revereware, is better than her enameled, nonstick set for longevity, is better than brands like T-fal, but probably isn't as great for a serious cook as Calphalon Unison. Nevertheless, it looks to be a reliable, affordable set of cookware.
()I've had this set of cookware for about 5 weeks now.I've used it enough to make a fair comparison to other stainless sets I've owned in the past few years.To be fair, this is the least expensive of three I've owned, so I will keep this in mind in my comparison.
This set has a nice selection of 4 stainless steel pots and 2 aluminum, teflon-coated skillets.The pots are attractive and unique in their teardrop shape, making them fun to have and use.They have a stainless-enclosed disc on the bottom for even heating, a feature that gives the pans a nice heft, and the rolled rims are finished very nicely. They come with well-fitting stainless steel rimmed, glass lids with "soft-touch," heat resistant handles that have copper inserts for a little added color and class.They are identified as oven safe for up to 350 degrees.
The skillets are made of aluminum and are of quite noticeably lighter weight, which immediately made me think "cheap", but they performed well, the foods sliding around without sticking and clean up was easy.I have a ceramic-top electric range so my concern with using skillets as light as these is warping after much use.So far, I have not had a problem. They sat flat and heated evenly, though I was careful to use low to medium heat. Time will tell.The two utensils (slotted spoon and spatula) that come with the set are handy and comfortable to use.
I've had no problems so far with the performance of this cookware and feel that it is a nice, inexpensive stainless steel set for someone starting out or wanting to update their kitchen cookware.There are certainly more expensive sets out there but I think that this is a very nice, well made, and attractive set for the price.
Buy Paula Deen Signature Stainless Steel II 12-Piece Cookware Set Now
()The Paula Dean Signature Stainless Steel II 12-Piece Cookware Set is great for beginners, first-time homeowners, and as a general starter cookware set.The set is fairly inclusive with a couple of utensils, stockpot, three saucepans, four lids, and two skillets.
The skillets are very lightweight, which is good or okay depending on your desire.For those that need a lightweight set because of difficulty of lifting heavy items this is great.It's one of the lightest I've ever used.However, I personally prefer a thicker bottom for heat distribution and even cooking.The stockpot and saucepans are also fairly lightweight.
The lids are well made, however, some of the handles and screws were loose upon opening the box.They just needed a quick tightening, but it could be a question of quality in the future.The lids are glass and great for seeing what's cooking.The design is fairly simplistic with straight handles and gently molded stainless steel that curves along the top.The curves give it a slight southern feel in my opinion, especially with the ccpper-like accents on the handles.The utensils aren't a major addition in terms of quality.Very simple slotted spoon and slotted turner.
Overall, this is a great starter set.It's possible that you'd need a new set in 3-5 years (especially with the nonstick skillets), but it's a fairly nice design and is a good sized set.
Read Best Reviews of Paula Deen Signature Stainless Steel II 12-Piece Cookware Set Here
()I am really enjoying cooking on this cookware. It cooks evenly but I've noticed you need to watch what you're cooking more closely than "coated" cookware.yAs for what it looks like, nothing is prettier than stainless steel pots all shined up. The lids are glass so you can see what you are cooking. The 2 skillets are non-stick. The info sheet says the pots (not skillets) are dishwasher safe. I put one of the pots in the dishwasher and didn't like the way it looked, lots of spots, so I hand-wash all of them. This cookware set would make a nice wedding gift. I definitely would recommend this!!
Want Paula Deen Signature Stainless Steel II 12-Piece Cookware Set Discount?
()And you'll still be able to see what's cooking.Why did we live so long without see-through lids???This non-stick set from Paula Deen isn't bad.I have never had a set of teflon cookware before, and I made a fried egg yesterday that explains why this stuff is so popular. The egg slid out beautifully, I cooked another one just for the fun of it.
The set is certainly complete for most needs.You get two frying pans, three saucepans (one, two and three-quart), a six quart "stockpot" (but if you make real stock, you know this is way too small...think of it as a pot for soups or stews). There are four lids. The two larger lids fit the biggest saucepan and stock pot, as well as the frying pans. You also get a slotted plastic for and a plastic spoon, about the quality of those sold in the 99C store.Nothing special, but then, they don't need to be.The handles are designed for hanging.
Speaking of handles are riveted on, but I'm already wondering how long before they start to loosen up. For $99.94, I want longevity.If the handles or the coatings prove problematic, I'll come back and revise this review. But right now, it's looking like five stars.The set certainly seems reasonably sturdy.The weight is about medium, not superlight/flimsy, and not so heavy your wrist snaps off when you drain the pasta.The handles are silicone...very comfortable to hold and they don't overheat. The set is ovenproof to 350 degrees.I really like the way the set looks.The pots are not straight sided, but have a slight curve. Very attractive and I understand that because the base is wider than the top, food heats faster and stays worm longer.There is probably a scientific term for this.There is probably a scientific term for everything, now that I think of it, but I will not look it up and inflict it upon you. You're being nice enough to read this in the first place and I don't want to push my luck here.
Using non-stick cookware seems a little counter intuitive. With regular pans, you have to heat the pan and then add cold oil to prevent sticking. With these, it's not a good idea to overheat an empty pan. This can, over time, cause the non-stick coating to bubble up.Other than that, it looks like these are no different from regular non-non-stick. Just remember to use plastic utensils only.
Now I have no excuse for not making one Paula's bacon and potato salad...a dish I actually have dreams about.
Ingredients
4 strips bacon
1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled
1 green onion, sliced
1 boiled egg, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Directions
Cook bacon until crispy. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the grease, and crumble. Set aside.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add a tablespoon of the bacon grease and some salt and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let the potatoes cool and then cut into bite-size pieces.
In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper for dressing.
Toss potatoes, onion, and egg in dressing. Add bacon (I'd add even more back, maybe 3 or 4 more slices) Serve chilled.
This serves one person, two if the other one is very small and easily overpowered.
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after reading both the 15 and 18 inch roaster reviews i learned that these magnalites are made in china now and so the testimonies of magnalite quality over many years are no longer valid for these chinese models. what we need are reviews by people who have actually purchased these now available from china. apparently some reviewers of the 18 inch
