Customer Reviews

Cuisinart 66-17 Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 17-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This is a beautiful set of cookware and, I think, a great value...I paid $189.99 for 17 pieces, 15 of which are pots, pans & lids and 2 inserts..for pasta and for steaming. I like that there are 2 of the same size lid. You always get 1 lid that fits 2 items in the set and I would always use them at the same time and only be able to cover 1. No worries with this set--there is 1 lid for each. Also, I did a lot of price shopping before I picked this one and it's the only brand that calls it 17-piece and gives you all cookware. Every other set I saw that was over, say, 10 pieces-- the extra was knives or plastic utensils vs pots and pans. If it was 17 pieces, 7 to 9 of them were bowls, utensils, knives, etc. Rip offs for the prices they charged. And finally..the outside is nice and smooth, not ringed or otherwise textured...makes for nice cleanup and hopefully they'll stay nice looking longer than their predecessors. The ONLY thing I'm not thrilled with is that the lid handles do get warm...even hot. The pot and pan handles don't, but the lids definitely do. But for the price and quality? I have potholders.... Otherwise I would give it 5 stars. What the heck..5 it is!

The reason I decided to purchase these was simply because of the great customer service I had recieved from Cuisinart. I had purchased a frying pan and one of the 115V tines broke. I called Customer service and they sent me out a brand new pan no questions asked.

These pans are great however they are NOT dishwasher safe. The outside finish will dull (Don't ask) but I recovered it with some olive oil. They wash quite quickly and nicely. Definately non stick. Great even heat.

I did a lot of research before buying a new set of cookware. I read tons of reviews and this one seemed to be the best. Not only were there good reviews but there seemed to be great features and shapes/sizes of pots & pans too. I even bought some additional separate pieces at a much higher price. Too bad for me.
My biggest issue is that the handles are very hard to hold. They are too slender and have a concave shape so that one cannot grip them easily and comfortably. This is especially problematic with the skillets or larger saucepans (bought separately). Secondly, they get VERY hot, very fast and things burn in seconds. They seem rather lightweight. I would prefer a heavier bottom. I think this add to the heating/burning issue. They seems to scratch easily even though I have been very careful with them. The non-stick feature is good and they are easy to clean. Lastly, the covered Saute Pan is too small. For me it is a waste. The saucepans are very shallow to the point of being almost unuseable for me.
Think twice before buying this cookware.

I researched a lot of different sets before I decided on this one and I love it! I've had it for about a month now and I've had no problems. The set, including lids, actually takes up LESS SPACE then the mishmash assortment of pots, pans, lids, steamers, colanders etc that were being replaced. The bin that I had been using to hold lids worked perfectly to hold the lids for the set.

As for cooking, I've found that the Hard Anondized Alum. conducts heat much faster then the SS set that I had been using previously. I've definately had to lower the heat settings that I use. I can now get water up to a boil in no time. I had almost been ready to call in a repair service because it used to take almost 15 minutes to get water to boil for pasta. Now, a bigger pot is at a boil in less than 5.

The clear lids are great! I can check on foods without losing any of the heat.

I bought a set of Cuisinart teflon non-stick pans due to the fact that there was supposed to be a lifetime warranty. Well when the teflon coating started peeling, I contacted customer service 1-800-726-0190 and was assured that if I sent them back they would warranty the pans. I stressed that they were several years old and the girl said that was ok. I spent $30 to FedEx the pans (sent back all pans in the set) and was also required to enclose a check for $10 to cover return shipping.

After about a month, I had not heard anything, so I called and they had no record of receiving. I related the fedex confirmation and they said to give it another week to update my file. I called back in a week and the girl said that there was a note in the file saying "costomer abuse". I asked what that meant and she said she didn't know. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was referred to "Daniel". Daniel said that he would look into it and it was up to "corporate" and he had no input. He said he would call me back in 24 hours. Daniel did not call back in 24 hours, so in 48 hours I called and asked for him. He still said that it was up to corporate - I said that was not good enough; I have $40 more dollars invested in the pans. I told him that I have never seen a pan that eventually did have some peeling and wearing off of the teflon and a "lifetime warranty" should be honored. I also asked for a supervisor higher up.

A day later I got a call from "Dena". Dena (clanging pans sound) said the the customer abuse was using too high of heat which caused the teflon to fail - she also said that it was evident that metal utensils were used. Neither of which are true, the pans were just old and wearing out, but we bought them initially because of the lifetime warranty. Dena stated that if they just replaced pans for everybody that they would go broke replacing pans and they were NOT going to warranty my pans. Due to my constant whining, she did agree to ship back the pans (received but damaged with dings on the edges), refund my $30 shipping and the $10 check (have not received yet). My response was since she was going to ship my pans back at a cost of $20 (probably their cost to ship) and write a check for $40, wouldn't it be wiser to invest that $60 and send us a new set of pans that have a (Cousinart cost) of $60. She said "Look, we generally don't refund the original shipping, so NO". I also told Dena that I would post a positive Amazon review as well as a negative Amazon review whichever was needed. She said that was my right. So here I am with the negative - I will never buy Cuisinart again and ther warranty is not worth the paper it is printed on...

I bought this set in March of 2007.I can not tell you how pleased I am with this set !!!
I wanted to wait to review till I had them for awhile to see if they hold up with alot of use
They are truly my favorite set of pans I've ever owned .They are NOT dishwasher safe ...but it doesnt matter they clean so easliy even burnt items wash out very swiftly I can not stress how happy I am with these pans
If you buy them you will love them !!!

A previous review pointed out that the lids don't stack so the set requires some space to store, but I find that the ones I use most are easy enough to keep handy. This is a great starter set and well worth the price.

I purchased an entire set of these pans and was thrilled initially. After a short time, the non-stick coating started flaking off. Last week I was picking pieces out of my food, I could literally grab an edge and peel it off the pans. Set looks nice, but invest in something else.

I was using Visions by Corning before this set. The only benefit to the Visions over this set is the pots and pans are stackable when you turn the lid upside down. I cannot stack this set since the lids are rounded and slide when upside down, so I have to reserve an entire 2-shelf cabinet to store these. No probelm since I have the space for them, but may be a concern if you do not. However, the non-stick feature is AMAZING. I have purchased supposed non-stick pans in the past, but they would flake off or scratch within a few months. This set is extrememly durable, and I expect this to last me a lifetime (fingers crossed). It feels heavy in your hand, and the handle does not get hot even if the pot is boiling water. I am a horrible cook, and I burn a lot of food, but this set stands up to my abuse. My pasta no longer sticks to the bottom of the pot, and the pan forgives me when I do not put enough oil in and start burning my fried chicken. Everything cleans up in just a few minutes, even when I do burn my food (I really need to learn how to cook). My only other con besides non-stackable is that you cannot tip the lid to let out steam. I cannot seem to get the lid to rest on the pot properly to vet it, and it seems to slip back in to place. Perhaps that shows how awesome the non-stick feature is!! Also, the lid vibrates a lot when I boil water, which is not a problem, just an observation. Once I learn to cook, I shouldn't have any of these issues!!!

I have had these for less than 2 years and the non-stick is dulling and flaking off. I don't use metal utensils, hand wash only after they've cooled, and never heat beyond medium. I am so disappointed and wish I had spent more money and gone with another brand. I would've saved money in the long run. I cook a lot and these pans are obviously not meant for daily usage!