Customer Reviews

Anolon Hard-Anodized 10-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've always wanted to have a nice set of durable cookware. Thanks to Anolon, that is now possible. I made the decision based on using other people's hard anodized cookware and especially Anolon because of using knives made by them. I won't regret buying this cookware set. Especially with my boys who can be hard on my cookware. (they don't mean to be!) This is definately worth the price(which is actually a bargain). I look forward to buying open stock to complete the set. Thanks to Anolon for a great product.

Last week, I looked long and hard for a cookware set to buy for an older relative, and ended up buying this one.

Last year, she said she wanted to replace her tired, inexpensive nonstick cookware with stainless steel cookware "to last me the rest of my life", so I bought her a very nice set of stainless pans with hard-anodized exteriors (on sale at a major department store, it was double the price of this Anolon set that I will review in a moment) -- but after a year of frustration on her part (she never got used to cooking with the stainless pans; food would cook too fast and burn on the bottom of the pans), I decided to buy her a nice set of nonstick pans that would look coordinated with her dark-grey hard-anodized stainless set.

I tried to find an affordable set of hard-anodized nonstick from the brand that made her stainless set, but I just couldn't locate a nonstick set from that brand that had good reviews AND was under 200.

The main thing that I was looking for in a hard-anodized nonstick set was a big saute pan / "everyday" pan that is like a skillet with moderately high sides. Most cookware sets have an 8 inch and 10 inch skillet, and I also wanted a 12 inch skillet for my relative, but those are hard to find in a set.

I figured that a 12 inch saute pan could double up as a 12 inch skillet when required. When I looked at the photo of this Anolon set, I assumed that the saute pan (which is in front of, and slightly offset from, the soup pot) was 12 inches in diameter because it looks wider than the largest skillet shown and, to me, it looks wider than the soup pot. The inch dimensions of the saute pan are not given in Amazon's description of this set -- I did look. That is what sold me on buying this set in particular - my assumption that it had a 12-inch saute pan. However, my relative has opened her gift today and the saute pan is only 10 inches in diameter, the same size as the soup pot and the larger skillet, which disappointed me. They never claimed that it was 12 inches, that was only an assumption on my part, so I'm not complaining.

Now that she's opened her gift and I've checked out the pans, they seem well-made and sturdy, but not so heavy that a 70-year-old (for example) would not be able to lift them and cook in them.

To check the nonstick coating, we tested out a clean wooden spoon and a clean plastic spoon in one (pretending to gently stir), and surprisingly, the wooden spoon left several obvious marks in the nonstick surface. The plastic spoon didn't make a mark in the nonstick surface. This worries me about the durability of the nonstick surface, because I thought that wooden spoons were supposed to be okay for nonstick pans. My relative only has one plastic spoon and about 25 wooden implements, so we'll have to get her some plastic cooking tools.

She has just sauteed some onions in the soup pot (getting ready to make some stuffing for Christmas eve dinner), and the handles of the pot have gotten really hot even though the pan is on medium heat (as some other reviewers have said). So, you must use hand protection when you cook with these pans.

Last week when I was contemplating buying this set, I looked around to see if it was on sale at other retailers and on the Anolon site. It seems to not be on sale anywhere else, and it is apparently a discontinued set/style/line that was last manufactured in about 2003 or 2004, or even earlier. I had a few questions about the set (size of saute pan, warranty coverage, open stock availability), so I called Anolon's customer service number and got a recording that all the staff were away the entire day for a staff training. Time was running out on my shipping window for Christmas, so I just went ahead and bought this set without having my questions answered by Anolon.

Because this line of cookware has been discontinued by Anolon, note that you can't buy any open stock pieces in this SPECIFIC "hard-anodized nonstick" line. You also won't be able to get an exact replacement of any pan that came with the set if something happens to it, under the Anolon warranty (if they agree to replace a pan under their warranty, they will subsitute with a current model).

Of course, Anolon has a current line of nonstick hard-anodized, which has, I think, silicone handles, and which can only be used in an oven up to 350 degrees (this older Anolon set can be used in an oven up to 500 degrees and has stainless steel handles). So if you want to mix and match styles and designs (and brands), that's fine, but don't expect to enlarge your cookware collection of this particular style, because they aren't available anymore.

The price that I paid (129) is a good price for a set of pans of this quality and brand-level. I saw in my internet searches last week that a few months ago, this set was listed here for 99. That would be a fantastic price, if you can get it.

My relative has just washed them all to put them in her cupboards, and even though she used a pink scotch-brite sponge (the kind that is for nonstick surfaces), there were some small scratches in the bottoms of the pans (it's not like she had to scrub them with the sponge because they hadn't been cooked in, they had just come out of the box). I guess this just goes with the nonstick territory, but it's still a shame.

Bottom line -- My relative is happy with her gift, and the pans look and feel lovely. I hope they'll last for 5 years at least, but I am feeling concerned about the durability of the nonstick surface. This is a standalone set that does not have any replacement or extension pieces available, but if your cooking needs are modest and your household is on the small side, the set is large and versatile enough to get you through most situations.

I purchased these pots and pans about a month ago, and I'm really pleased with them. They heat up fast, but not too fast (like non-teflon pans where I can easily burn my food). The non stick is amazing, even if something starts to stick to the pan it is easily removed with a stir of your spoon. I use wooden spoons for cooking, which I imagine will preserve the quality of the pots and pans longer than metal spoons would. As for plastic, I just don't like using plastic in my cooking, but I'm sure it would preserve the quality too.

Washing them is quick and easy too, they say not to put them in the dishwasher, and I won't because I love them so much I don't want to risk ruining them. The one thing that I noticed though is that they can become stained on the outside of the pot/pan pretty easily. I've just been scrubbing a little harder on the outside if there is a stain and it comes of mostly all the way, but if I didn't do the extra bit of scrubbing I could see that this would become a permanent stain.

I have a friend with teh same pots and pans, she got them several years ago though, and hers are in great shape still, and she cooks very frequently. So they hold up well too. I wanted a set with glass lids, but they were more expensive, and I really don't miss the non-glass lids. Amazon was offering an amazing deal on these, if you can get them for the price I got ($129.00) you're getting a great deal.

These pans are great! The nonstick surface makes it easy to cook AND easy to clean. They're very sturdy and don't feel like they're going to break like other pans I've used. I think these pans will last me for years to come.

Generally stout construction with good materials. Handles become hot so be careful on touching. The non-stick is better than most at resisting scratches and the exterior anodizing is also hard but retains burn marks. Generally pleased with the set.

Great set of pots and pans.. These are fabulous for the price. The only thing is that you supose to hand wash these. Not for the dishwasher.. Really it does not matter for the price you get these outstanding pots and pans.. I would recommend

This set is very good. I liked it. I am using it for more than 8 months and didn't had any problems while core functionality is concerned. It cooks food well, It is sturdy and as promised, there are no scratches or problems with any coatings (if there are). I got it when the price was around 125$, so I never bothered about my purchase.

There are couple of little problems though.

1) My wife complains it's very heavy. Though true hard anodized sets will be usually heavy, a problem is a problem.
2) The lids does not fit properly and they are little under weight, causing vapor to escape and under heavy vapor they levitate a little.
3) The handles get hot when we cook something for a long time or on a little high flame.
4) I found the color of the bottoms changed and turned little black. I am not sure whether it is normal for hard anodized, but observed it. I tried to clean as hard as I can, but it is really tough to get rid of it.

I think the problems 1 and 4 I had are very common problems and exist with any hard anodized set you may buy. But points 2 and 3 are to be practical problems, of course not big, but worth enough when you are going to deal with it for next couple of years.

For this quality of cookware, I was hoping the transfer of head to the handles might be a little less, and was hoping the durability of the nonstick lining would be a little more. My recommendation to anyone looking for cookware that can go into the oven would be to look for silicone handles that can deal with the heat. Other than that, as your average bachelor chef, these do the job and look nice and have a decent heft without breaking your wrist when lifting them out of cabinets. I would recommend IF you understand that the heat transfer to the handles is 100% and that you need to treat the nonstick lining with some respect.

I've had this cookware for almost a year now and am extremely satisfied with the purchase. I always hand was the pots and pans, everything cleans up easily with the non-stick coating. Definitely worth every penny, buy now!!

Having used a wide varity of pans in my 27 years I thought Calphalon was what I was looking for due to it's even cooking temperature and durability, but I know that sometimes Calphalon has defects and needs returned for replacement. I started reading about Anolon cookware, and discovered the reviews were rated much more consistent than it's competitor. I decided after viewing the set at Macy's (which wanted $560) that I would order it. This purchase is one of the best purchases I have ever made, and may in my whole life ever make. Cooking is now so much more enjoyable. No more burnt edges or mush do to hot or cold spots in the cookware. I love that Filet mignon can go directly from searing to roasting in the same pan at 450 degrees and not hurt the pan in any way. These pans take abuse. We use them daily, and both my husband and I don't mind washing them by hand for the delicious results they help us achieve. Hope this review is helpful in you decision.