Customer Reviews

Circulon Total 5-1/2-Quart Casserole with Locking Colander Lid

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This pot is long overdue in my kitchen. It is great for potatoes and pasta and anything you boil or steam. It saves having to use a colander and the shape is wonderful, so you can mash the spuds right in the pot.

They should have had this years ago. It is perfect and very useful.

What a convenience to have the colander right there. We have only had it for a few months but have used it numerous times already. I would definitely recommend this product.

This replaced and old pasta pot with strainer lid that we've had for years and was in bad shape. The old one was light and the non-stick was coming off. Still, it was used all the time for pasta, potatoes, and anything boiled and drained.

This is a good quality pot. Not super heavy but has some mass to it. So, water returns to a boil faster after you've added the pasta than if you had used a really thin and light pot. The two sizes of holes are nice and have already come in handy (this is a feature our old pot did not have). The non-stick surface is great. I add sauce into the pot with the drained pasta to finish off the cooking. This pot makes clean up after a breeze.

It is not heavy enough for me to use it when making something like chili, but it would work and I'm a pot snob.

My only complaint is that the lid lock system is awkward. You need to really line it up for it to work. It can feel like you really need to yank it sometimes to get it off and push it hard to get it on. It all fits much better when the pot is hot so after draining pasta, there is no issue removing the lid. I wish it was better but would still recommend the pot.

For what it is worth -- after buying this as a gift for my daughter who almost never cooks, I found another version and brand at Bed Bath... for much less money. It looks great, has a non-stick coating, has a lid system that seems very good, is a little bigger, and is very light. I decided that she'd likely only use it twice a year, she'd be just as happy with the cheaper pot so, I gave that cheaper one to her and keep this one for myself. This is a real cook's pot even if it is not 20 pounds. I expect this to be used often for many years. You can find cheaper pots that do the the same thing (sort of). I think this was a good value and I'm happy that I found that other one so that I get to keep this one.

Useful but not visible feature of the lid is that the differently sized holes on either side. That makes draining noodles quicker because one can use the larger openings,while spaghetti will be trapped behind the smaller holes. The (in)famous Circulon interior ridges are greatly reduced so cleanup is easier. We have many Circulon pieces already. We have a glass cook top, we needed something heavy with perfectly flat bottoms, and Circulon cookware suits the bill, but those ridges make washing up harder. Still went with a Circulon pasta cooker because its many pluses far outweigh any negatives, and having the cookware match the rest of the set was a consideration - so yes, we were very happy to see the reduced ridges. We are pleased with purchase.

This was a Christmas present and the Circulon Total 5 1/2 Quart Casserole with Locking Collander Lid was well liked.

I wish I had thought of these straining lids and gotten the patent on them! With the locking lid, the straining function works great. The pan washes up easily, and the finish has stayed in good condition. I do hand-wash the pan but wash the lid in the dishwasher. I have this pan and the 2-qt pan, and this pan works better than the smaller for making two boxes of macaroni.

Good size to use for just the two of us. A little hard to line up the lid and pot locks.

I am giving this Circulon pan with the locking colander lid to my daughter-in-law this Christmas. I gave her a pan with a colander lid that locked about 2 years ago and the thing has just about fallen apart. I cannot wait to see her face when she sees this one! I have Circulon pans also, and got her "hooked on them" about 5 years ago also. But the lid on this is beautiful and the locking mechanism and durable handles will make her so happy that I am very anxious for her to see (and get to use) this one! I know the old one will be in the dumpster immediately after she receives this one!

I make a lot of pasta dishes so for years I've been buying the cheap pots with the straining lids but I always wondered what nasty things might be leaching into the water from them and after a few years they would need to be replaced again. When I ran across this one I knew I had to try it and I'm so happily impressed with it! The first thing I noticed was how quickly the water reached boiling, and then how much better the noodles cooked with an ample amount of water for them to have more room, and then finally how easy it was to clean. Even if it needs to be hand washed that's not a problem because the food practically falls off the minute it hits the water. I'm thinking of buying some more Circulon pieces now. I've decided the price is worth it.