Customer Reviews

Circulon Contempo Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first thing I noticed about this cookware set is that it was hard to distinguish, just from looks, what was different about it versus any odd skillet/pot you see in department stores. It was metal, fairly thick, felt sturdy enough and advertised itself to be non-stick. Oh, how many times have a bought a skillet that said it was "non-stick" or "teflon coated", when in fact the outer layer of the food (usually fish in my case) would burn on, leaving the fish filleted prematurely. Sure it did not stick, but what was on the skillet after I had finished cooking left me wishing it was not so "non-stick".

However, for all of Circulon's set similarities to other brands, it quickly distinguished itself apart from them when I began using it.

Cooking:

When cooking my usual salmon patty, on medium settings, for about 9 minutes a side (not using any olive oil/non-stick spray), I not only noticed my patty was not sticking or having a partial layer burned on skillet, but how evenly cooked it was. On previous skillets, I have noticed an uneven distribution in heat, leaving parts burned and others faintly cooked. Usually I made up for this by moving the patty, or skillet around. With this set, I was able to place the skillet in the middle of the burner, and all parts of the patty where cooked evenly, so that I spent less time adjusting. This made the cooking time faster, and the quality of my cooking better. To add more on the "non-stick": After I had finished, it barely looked as if I used it, and flipped and moved better than if it was coated in non-stick spray/butter. Best skillet I have used by far.

Boiling/Simmering:

When using pots to boil/simmer rice, one thing I look for not to happen is if the cover's seal is not exactly even, so that some steam and/or water seeps or falls out the side. Also, when rice is sitting for long periods of time (up to an hour), the handles can get pretty warm, so that it is almost startling to pick it up after it is ready. With this set, the lids did not have any imperfections, and sealed very tightly. The handles on the lids are kept in place by a screw on the bottom side, so it is easy to adjust should it ever come loose. Also this entire set's handles come with a covering of rubber that completely eliminates "too hot for the touch" handles after long periods of cooking. I compared this by touching the piece of steel that was not covered with rubber, and comparing it to the part that was. Let's just say the latter was room temperature and the former was scorching. Great to be able to move these without the use of those awkward oven mits.

With things as simple as pots and pans, you wonder how anyone can mess up the basic uses for such. However, with issues such as burned on food, sticky food, hot handles and leaky tops, you have to be picky with the set you choose. For me, and especially for my cooking, I look for perfection from my cooking utensils because I can, and definitely will, make mistakes doing the actual cooking. I need no help for my cookware. What I saw with this Circulon set was not an impediment on my cooking, but an unexpected helper in that it did exactly what I wanted it too and nothing that I did not intend. My cooking is faster and better with this set--and that is my review in a nutshell.

Firstly, let me start by listing what this cookware set contains.

CONTENTS:
* 1qt saucepan, with glass cover
* 2qt saucepan, with glass cover
* 8qt stockpot, with glass cover
* 3qt saute pan, with glass cover (cover also fits 10" skillet)
* 8" skillet
* 10" skillet

SURFACES:
* Exterior: Heavy gauge, anodized brushed metal aluminum and seem very durable, but I have not had this cookware long enough to attest to that.

* Interior: The cooking surface is coated with Dupont Autograph NonStick. The advertising sticker says it is "Metal Utensil Safe" but I have only used nylon utensils. The small concentric grooves in the bottom of each pot and pan is what I imagine to be Circulon's "Total Food Release System."

* Fried Egg Test: I heated a pan and broke an egg onto it without any oil or cooking spray, to test the effectiveness of the non-stick surface and the "Total Food Release System." I let the egg cook completely, sunny side up, then lifted it out. Although it did cling a little bit as I worked my spatula under it (my egg was a little pushed out of shape and scrunched up), the fully cooked egg did lift out without sticking to the surface. This was a test, but I believe a little oil would help tremendously in every day cooking.

* Cleaning: The pan from my Fried Egg Test cleaned up quickly and easily in a sink of hot soapy water and a soft dishcloth. No elbow grease needed. Although you do have to pay particular attention to cleaning in the direction of the grooves (ie: in a circular fashion) or you could leave particles. This set is not dishwasher safe!

COVERS (LIDS):
* These glass lids are very nice, and the handles are a work of art. They are advertised as shatter-resistant, but I would still not like to drop one on my tile floor! There are no steam vents in the covers.

HANDLES:
* The stainless steel handles have silicone grips and tips. They stay cool when in use, so you won't need a potholder to pick one up. Nestled in the tip of each handle is a pull-out metal ring, should you prefer to store your cookware in a hanging position. This ring stays hidden in the tip if you prefer to store them flat. Oven safe to 400F degrees.

MY BIGGEST GRIPE IS:
* The misaligned fit of the handles to the curvature of the pans/pots.

There is a small gap between the exterior surface and where the handle is fastened. This imprecise fit allows dishwater to flood into the handle during cleanup. The stainless steel handles are hollow (I assume to cut weight), so it takes ages for the inner section to dry completely. Even when left overnight to dry on my countertop, tilting the handle the next day resulted a small puddle of water. A silicone grommet between the two pieces (the same as there is between the glass cover and its handle) would have completely eliminated this issue, but instead, it's just very disappointing; shoddy workmanship marring an otherwise great cookware set. See for yourself: I have uploaded a User Photo to show this flaw.

CONCLUSION:
Overall, this seems to be a very good cookware set for everyday use. The handle flaw, however, negates a perfect 5-star score. Also, I cannot attest to the longevity of this set because I have had it less than a week. I cook every day, so I intend to give it a lot of use! Finally, in case anyone needs to know, this cookware set is Made in China.

If you've read my other reviews on Amazon, you know that I primarily review items related to entertainment (DVDs, CDs and books), but I also cook ( I do have to eat, right?) so when this set showed up on the Amazon "Vine" program list, I decided to give the set a chance.

I've had it for about five days and tested out a few of the various utensils. Overall they are sturdy and I really like the rubberized handles that keep the handles cool, but only time will tell how well they wear. Until now my cooking vessels have been a 35 year old set of Farberware pots and a trusty Cusinart large frying pan. Oh yes, there an old 9-in Teflon covered pan that I use only for omelets.

So here are my experiences over the last few days: First I used the small covered put to cook my "non-instant" Quaker Oatmeal for breakfast. With my similar sized Farberware pot, some of the oatmeal would stick to the sides and require a bit of soaking to remove the egg. With the Circulon pot I noticed that it didn't stick but - unlike the Farberware - the milk in the oatmeal formed a "skin" and didn't mix well with the oatmeal. Of course, this only applied if you cook something with milk but it was a bit annoying. When finished cooking the pot cleaned easily. The biggest problem with this pot was the lid. As noted in an earlier review, by another reviewer, the handle on the glass lid is held in place with a Phillips-head screw. Well, when I was rinsing off the lid on the small pot , I felt a "prick" in my finger and looked and found that where the X indentation is made in the screw head, the metal was not smooth but rough and actually scrapped my finger. I checked the other lids in the set and they were smoother, but I was surprised at the lack of quality control from this company. I don't know how Amazon deals with situations like this but I wanted to alert users to check their sets as this could be dangerous.

Another thing I noticed was that the handles on all the pots (including the small one I tested) are angled up rather than being perpendicular to the side of the pot or pan. This might take some getting used to when lifting and pouring from them. It felt unusual to me.

Next I tried the frying pan to make an omelet. Usually I scramble an egg in a bowl and then place in my Teflon pan - which I preheated and added a little bit of Pam. I "jiggle" the pan to help the egg cook, add a bit of cheese, cover, turn off heat and wait 1 to 2 minutes. The eggs always slide off easily with nothing left in the pan. When I tried this with the Circulon pan, I noticed that "jiggling" the pan didn't move the egg much - even in a circular motion. So I had to use a spatula and this broke the roundness of the "omelet". After I removed the "omelet", there were small pieces of egg still stuck in the grooves that these pans have. Running the pan under water with a sponge did remove the leftover pieces but I've never had that problem with the 15-year old Teflon one.

I plan to do some meat frying in the pans shortly and hope to return to modify this review to report on those experiences.

Overall I like the look of the set and you do get a lot of pieces of cookware for the money. I know most cookware goes on "sale" regularly so the "retail price" is probably misleading. But for a starter set this collection is probably a good choice. I just highly suggest that examine all your pieces for sharp metal edges or possible openings (such as a handle noted by one other previous reviewer) and have those deficiencies corrected.

Also be aware that, unlike aluminum cookware, the Circulon pieces are heavy to lift. That makes them sturdy but those with arthritis (not me) may have a problem lifting and pouring from them.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

I originally chose to review the Circulon Contempo 10-Piece hard anodized cookware set as an interesting project, but knew I was getting a "cheap" cookware set. Compared to the copper core stainless cookware set we currently use, this set is definitely less expensive. I couldn't purchase one piece of our current set for the price of the entire 10 piece Circulon Contempo set. But, does the price this set indicate poor quality?

The Circulon Contempo 10 piece hard anodized cookware set comes with 8" and 10" sauté pans, 1 and 2 Qt covered saucepans, a 3 Qt covered sautoir (straight sided sauté pan), and an 8 Qt covered stockpot. The lid for either the stockpot or covered sautoir also fits the 10" sauté pan. The clear shatter resistant tempered glass lids boast decorative silicon and stainless steel handles and stainless steel rims. The pans, oven safe to 400°, uses basic professional construction with comfortable silicone and stainless steel handles and include the metal utensil safe hard anodized food release system with high low wave technology.

Caring for this set is pretty simple. Avoid sliding the pans on the cook top, and use a similarly sized burner. Store pans separated with paper towels to prevent scratching. Don't use nonstick sprays or vegetable oil, olive or peanut oil is preferred if desired. Don't cut with sharp knives or poke with pointed items in the pans. Don't use oven cleaners; make a paste from baking soda and water to remove stains. Don't boil dry or consistently use high heat. Lastly, don't wash this cookware set in the dishwasher, including the lids.

The Contempo's care seems typical, except for not being dishwasher safe. The first thing I did when I got home was to load this set into the dishwasher and let it run. Then I read the pamphlet telling me not to. Oops! The pamphlet indicates using the dishwasher can ruin the nonstick qualities of the pans as well as causing discoloration. When I unloaded the dishwasher, the set seemed fine, but the silicone handles were an ugly pasty gray. No worries though, after using and hand washing, the original color returned to the handles.

The sturdy metal and silicon handles have a good grip, and are comfortable to use. The long double riveted stainless steel with silicone handles on the pots includes a fold out ring for hanging. The handle rings pop out freely, but are taught to prevent movement during use. The lid's handles flare out at the sides and arc on the top. This decorative handle looks nice, but their 2" height is higher than any of the lids I currently have. This really isn't a problem until placing a lidded pot into the oven. The 3/4" taller handles on top of the domed lids have a higher profile than the lids for our other sets. This makes a big difference in oven rack placement and how much I can fit into our 27" wall ovens.

The Circulon Contempo cookware set cooks much better than I expected. They heat up quickly and evenly distribute heat. The sauté pans are adequately curved for flipping food, and the handles stay cool to the touch on the cook top. The TOTAL food release system consists of circular ridges on the bottom of the pans, and works remarkably well. The glass lids reduce moisture or steam escaping by allowing full view of the pot's contents. Plus, while I would prefer sticking everything in the dishwasher, cleaning is a simple task.

If you are looking for an inexpensive quality nonstick cookware set, give the Circulon Contempo hard anodized 10 piece cookware set consideration. This set's even heating and quality construction is made to last and perform well. Plus, backed by the Good Housekeeping seal of approval and a lifetime customer satisfaction guarantee, this cookware set is sure to please.

PROS:
Oven safe to 400°
Hard anodized TOTAL food release system
Safe for use with metal utensils
Suitable for use on solid plate, ceramic, gas, radiant ring, and halogen cook tops
Fold out ring for hanging
Lifetime customer satisfaction guaranteed
Good housekeeping seal of approval
Easy to clean and care for

CONS:
Decorative handle a bit too tall
Not dishwasher safe

We've had the Circulon 10-piece set for a few months now and I'm still quite happy with the quality of the set. The construction is solid and the nonstick surface is holding up well. The lids are fine, although the handles are just a bit too tall for them to fit well in storage and that would be okay if they weren't a kind of weird shape that doesn't make a better grip with the added height. The soft grip handles of the pans are nice, but the hanging ring in the end is more difficult to grasp sometimes. Hanging the pans from a hook is a two-handed operation. A minor quibble to be sure.

There is a nice selection of pots and pans, although as I said it's not complete. We definitely had to buy an additional larger 12" skillet. A 10" skillet is just not big enough to cook a meal for four or five easily. A 10" pan would require at least another round of cooking to make enough chicken breasts or pork chops, for example, for everyone.

Eggs in the new skillets are a dream to make as they slide right out of the pan, although I'm aware that all non-stick pans are as slick as ice when they're brand new. The question is how long they stay non-stick (because they all wear out eventually). Several months in they're just as slick as the day we got them. Only time will tell how long that lasts. I'm cautiously optimistic.

Clean up is also a breeze although the bottoms of the pans tend to stain, which is expected.

I'm not a huge fan of non-stick stockpots and sauce pans only because they're often so dark from the coating as to make seeing the food difficult, but the ability to keep sauces from sticking is nice. My wife makes oatmeal in the small sauce pan every morning and it always cleans up lickety split. If you've ever had to laboriously scrape cemented oatmeal out of a small pan that has been sitting in the sink all day, you'll appreciate how wonderful this is.

The weight of the pans is just right too. They're not too heavy to carry one-handed with food in them, but not so light that they feel cheap or that they cause scorching on the burner. I don't believe the bottoms are clad, but they are heavy-duty enough to smooth out heat fluctuations.

So in the end I would definitely recommend the Circulon Contempo set as a good starter kit of cookware for the beginner to intermediate cook. There are more expensive sets to be sure and they are sometimes better because of the expense, but most cooks don't need to spend so much. The Circulon set is a good compromise between cost and utility.

I have tested this cookware for about three weeks now, using them every night in place of my existing mix of Analon, All Clad and Calphalon cookware. Analon and Circulon along with Faberware, Silverstone, KitchenAid Cookware and Bonjour are made by Meyer Cookware. I had an issue with the finish on my Analon cookware a few years ago from washing them in the dishwasher and Meyer quickly replaced the entire set without question. Before getting to my review please note that no non-stick cookware should be washed in the dishwasher as I have now learned. Eventually it will turn a grayish color and the finish will start to come off.

To review these pans (and much to my wife's eating pleasure) I cooked pan fried chicken, salmon, swordfish, steak, risotto, spaghetti sauce from scratch, eggs, oatmeal, sautéed mushrooms, spicy pork chops, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac n cheese, smashed new potatoes, and more that I can't think of.
Performance was really great on everything I cooked. The skillets cooked evenly all the way across the surface and up the sides which is very important for getting a nicely finished meal. When I sautéed the vegetables, onions and mushrooms everything was evenly cooked in the skillets. The pots performed very well when I simmered my spaghetti sauce with everything evenly flavored. I made old fashioned oatmeal and again everything was evenly cooked with no lumps. Water boiled quickly for pasta and heat transfer was excellent in all trials. I would say that water boiled and pasta cooked just as quickly in these pans as my crazy expensive All Clad cookware.
When cooking fried eggs the Circulon created nice results but I do think I like my smooth All Clad skillet better because I like to flip my eggs and I found them to stick just a bit in the ridges of the Circulon pan. The lids fit nice and snug which is how I like them. I notice some of the reviews mention the lack of steam vents but I have never owned a pot with a "steam vent" lid nor do I think I would ever require one. The handles on everything stayed cool and there was never a reason for hot pads.

Clean up is a BREEZE! Everything comes clean in an instant and is truly non stick. Just use a plain sponge and dishwashing soap for quick clean up. You can make a quick wipe of the food in the pan with a paper towel if you want to just throw some leftover food right into the trash. One swipe and everything will come right out. I really only found one annoying feature about the entire cookware set and it does involve clean up, the handles are hollow and no matter how much shaking I did, there was always a little more water draining out of the handles. I wish they would use some sort of solid plastic in the handles so I don't have pots dripping in my cupboards. There is a nice metal ring at the end of each handle to hang the pots up and the lid handles are just the right size so you can slid the lids on the pot handles and they hang together.

These pans do not have a magnetic base that will work with an induction stove so keep that in mind if you own or plan on owning one in the future.

I feel after three weeks of daily use and a good test of many types of food this set of cookware is a nice step up for someone that doesn't want to spend a huge portion of their budget on All Clad or Calphalon but would like good quality that makes cooking a joy.

I always thought the only way to go with cookware has always been copper and cast iron.

But food sticks to those surfaces, resulting in burned food and pans that are impossible to clean.

I've had a lot of non-stick pans in my life, some of which were high end, but they never felt as solid as the cast iron and copper, and the coating always wound up flaking off.

The Circulon has made me change my mind.

This set is solid, and built well. It's heavy, with thick, secure handles (with comfortable rubber grips that stay cool.) The lids are thick, fit perfectly and also have rubber grips.

The cooking surface has a raised circular pattern on it (what they call the Hi-Low system) which supposedly reduces abrasion, cooks food more evenly, and repels wear even when using metal utensils.

So far, it hasn't scratched at all. Plus, clean up is a breeze.

It might be time to put that cast iron skillet out to pasture...

The pan set came well packed for shipping. Little cardboard cutouts fell all over the floor though, so be prepared.

The lids and the odd handles will make it harder to store the pots with their lids in the cupboard. The Silicon handles do stay cool during cooking. After cooking scallops in the 10" skillet, the cleanup was easy; I had only used a touch of spray olive oil for lubrication. There was no sticking.

After cooking Farro in the 2qt saucepan, the heat seemed evenly distributed and cleanup of the saucepan was a snap, however, the lid needed a little elbow grease to get the starch off. All the lids also have no pressure escape holes, so I experienced a small boil-over with the Farro.

The pan bases have an extra layer of metal, which I am guessing is Aluminum but neither the included generic pamphlet that is obviously intended to go with every item they sell nor the box mention what the heat distribution material is. The red on white text describing cleaning and care instructions is designed to cover all the items they sell, so you have to guess as to which parts of the instructions apply to these pans.

In my set, the 8qt stockpot was a touch warped, and I am not sure if that was because of the mailing box being a little beaten up or if it is a manufacturing issue. The lid to that pot must be forced to go into the pot, and the seal is not complete, as it is with the lids of all the other pots.

Overall, I was pleased with how the set cooked despite the mysterious flaw in the stockpot.

This is a nice set and contains the sizes you will use the most for everyday cooking. I'm one that will make do with what I have, I would use the 3 qt. saute pan for a 3 qt. saucepan, and for most of my frying; the 8 qt. stockpot could double for a dutch oven (although, dutch ovens will normally have a larger base & of course, shorter sides). However, there might be times that you will need a 12" skillet (not part of this set) so your foods don't crowd each other when frying.

The 10" skillet measures 9.75". The 8" skillet measures 8". After finding the discrepancy with the skillet, I decided to check the pans to see if they actually held 1 quart, 2 quarts, and so on; I found that all the pans held the correct amount of liquid. I have one more problem, not a big one, with the 8 quart pan. The lid rocks a bit on each handle side. Because of this, a little steam will escape during cooking. The lids fit perfectly on the other pans. I agree with the other reviewer...a small amount of water might fill the handle during washing.

In case you're wondering, the 8 quart pan measures 9.75" x 7".

Be sure to read the "Important Safety, Use & Care Information" leaflet. It contains very useful information that includes using pans on a ceramic/glass stovetop. Did you know that using cooking spray on non-stick pans will cause an invisible build up which will cause food to stick in your non-stick pan? I learned that among other useful information when I read the leaflet.

I tested the pans by making one of our favorite quick, frozen meals, Bertolli Chicken Parmigiana & Penne (this meal has a very high salt content so we don't have it often). This quick meal includes frozen mozzarella chunks. The directions say to use a 12" non-stick skillet with lid. In the past, I always sprayed a stainless steel pan with cooking spray. Needless to say, the pan became quite a mess because of the melted mozzarella. So, one day, I used my microwave...and the bowl became a sticky mess, again because of the melted cheese. So today, I was ready with the Circulon Contempo 3 quart, total food release system, non-stick, pan with lid. I dumped the frozen pasta, chicken, tomato sauce, red peppers and cheese into the 3 qt. pan, placed the lid on top & followed the cooking directions on the package. To my surprise, this was the very first time I didn't have a sticky mess to clean up! Absolutely nothing stuck to the pan, all that remained was a teeny tiny bit of sauce. The pan heated evenly; the glass lid allowed me to watch the cooking process & stir when needed.

I like the silicone/stainless steel handles & glass lids on this set. When I stir food in a pan, I like to be able to rest the lid on the counter. The design of the handle prevents the lid from rolling around on the counter. The silicone on the handles makes the handle comfortable in my hands & when used on the stovetop, I don't need to use an oven mitt or potholder to protect my hands from the heat. However, if you use the pans in the oven, you must use an oven mitt to prevent burns to your hands. Of course, the glass allows you to watch your food w/o lifting the lid unnecessarily. The lids don't have vents. If your recipe needs to be vented, you will need to place the lid slightly askew on the pan. The handles also have a pull-out ring for convenient hanging and are oven safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

This cookware set has a heavy-gauge, hard-anodized construction, with a Dupont Autograph Nonstick, metal utensil safe, cooking surface...but don't use pointy metal forks or sharp knives (these will damage the nonstick surface). The cooking surface is made up of a very narrow series of concentric rings that are ever so slightly raised off the surface. This cookware set is suitable for use on solid plate, ceramic, gas, radiant ring, & halogen cooking surfaces.

I'm rating this set with 4 stars...the lid wobbles a bit on my 8 qt pan, the 10" skillet measure 9.75", and a small amount of water might collect in the handle during washing.

Circulon Contempo 10-Piece Cookware Set has a Lifetime Limited Warranty and the Good Housekeeping Seal.

After reading all the reviews, I was very excited about getting my "Calphalon" pots/pans and at a great price, too. I had read the complaints about these pans, but thought my mother was endorsing them as well, so I bought them. However, I found myself in the same boat with all of those complaining of the sticking problems. I lowered the temperature, I tried the thin coat of oil, I allowed my meats to warm to room temperature and things were still not great to horrible. This is also way too fussy, especially in light of the fact that there are brands of hard anodized that do perform as they say without all the nonsense. My mother had actually endorsed "Circulon," which does work as it says it will. Almost nothing sticks to these pans and most of the time they clean under running water. On the rare occasions when something sticks a bit, you'll need to actually wipe with a cloth. This applies to all of their products I've tried (pans, pots and cookie sheets). Best of all, NO FUSSY RULES! Just goes to prove you need to listen (carefully) to your Mamma!