Customer Reviews

Cuisinart 7193-20 Chef's Classic Stainless 3-Quart Saucepan with Cover

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Cuisinart Classic Stainless is the next best thing to All-Clad that you can get according to Cook's Illustrated (makers of the PBS show America's Test Kitchen). They're very beautiful, shiny, heavy, and best of all---- they perform wonderfully. They hold a simmer very well, and my food doesn't burn.

Most of the Cuisinart Classic Stainless pots and pans go for WELL OVER $100 EACH at stores like Bed, Bath, and Beyond as well as Linens 'n Things. Buy these at Amazon! I was delighted to see most prices from Amazon were between $20-40 instead of $120-150 at the other stores. Then consider no tax, no shipping costs.... what a bargain!

This is a good-sized pan. It comes with a nice lid that seals if desired (using steam to form the seal).

It heats evenly, and stays very warm even after sitting away from the burner for a while.

The quality of the stainless steel is great and the pot is easy to clean in that it is stainless steel.

But, it does have its flaws. The negatives have to do with the rivets, especially on the lid, which are large to the point of absurdity, especially for a pan of this size. I was raised with riveted pots and pans, and the rivets were never an intrusion back then.

The lid's rivets make it more difficult to clean. The way they're attached on the outside is sloppy, and unnecessarily bulky. They stick up, and catch on sponges and cloths. This irritates me no end.

This is not a cruel and unusual complaint, but a statement of fact. I am surprised that a company like Cuisinart would be so careless in design. I own another item from a different line of theirs, the Everyday line, and it's the best pot I've ever owned, and that includes my Le Creuset ware.

If it were the only pot available in this size and quality of material, I would buy it again...just because it's hard to find a one and a half-quart saucepan with a lid, for some unknown reason. There are myriad one-quart pans available all over the place.

The price is fabulous! Really fabulous!

Postscript to this comment: I use this saucepan nearly daily. I actually have come to like it very much. If I could rate it again, it would get a four. If it weren't for the annoying rivets, it would be a five star item. The overall quality is unquestionably excellent.

I have just about every piece in this line and I love it..the pans all cook evenly and with less heat than any other cookware I've used. Keeping it shiny and beautiful is easy..just follow the instructions that come with it. A little bit of white vinegar after washing keeps it sparkling. I don't have a dishwasher and it's easy to clean. The ONLY drawback is that you have to use a towel of pot holder to lift the lid when they're on the stovetop because they get hot. I've recommended it to friends and they love it, too. You can go from stove to oventop. It's very versatile. Buy it! You can't beat this price.

I'm really glad to have replaced my non-stick with the Cuisinart pans. I have been increasingly concerned about the safety of non-stick. I was really scared that they would stick and I would have to scrub them, but they've been really good so far. I'm not crazy about the hazy look that the bottoms get inside, but I know it's because I cook on med-high heat and I need to get some Barkeeper's friend. Overall, really pleased with this purchase, and I'm still adding to my set.

Like the Chef's Classic set I'd bought from Cuisinart through amazon.com, this is a BEAUTIFULLY made piece of cookware with a snug-fitting lid. The bottom is thicker than the walls. It's so beautiful out of the box you hate to use it! But when you get around to breaking it in, you'll find that the heat transfer is fast and EVEN. The snug-fitting lid is a genuine delight, after a lifetime of using crappy cookware I realize what I've been missing. If you love to cook, this saucepan will put a BIG smile on your face! Some of the best money I've ever spent.

We are disappointed in this product. We purchased a set of these. We have only had the pots for a few months and two of them, the 3 quart one, and the larger 8 quart one, both have gotten MULTIPLE SMALL CIRCULAR RUST STAINS all over the bottom (inside where the food is cooked). I have tried to scrub these rust stains off, and they don't respond to cleaning.

I love the cuisinart cooks classic line. I believe I have every piece they make. Of all of them, I use the 12-frying pan and the 3 qt saucepan the most. I've had these pans for a year and a half now and they are still as pretty as when I first got them. My food cooks evenly and they are relatively easy to clean. Great cookware for a good price!

I am buyng the set, piece by piece - but am going to order another one of these. They are great. Perfect size for veggies or anything. Easy to clean and nice handle for hanging.

I bought the 2 qt. sauce pan to fill out a set I bought some years ago. I will probably continue to get similar pieces not because I am interested in having matched cookware but because this line offers superb quality for the price. (Having a matched set has the definite advantage of providing similar cooking qualities throughout the set so you can better predict temperature and cooking time.) Nor am I impressed because of the Cuisinart name. Give me performance over brand any day.

One comparison I noticed is the balance of the pans. I have some All-Clad pieces that I love, but the handle angle makes the pan much less comfortable to work with than the Cuisinart.

I am not impressed with the lids, however. I prefer something a little heavier and snugger for braising or rice cooking to hold in the steam.

I finally read the booklet that came with the pan and noticed something that had escaped me in the past; they suggest not using lemon dishwashing detergent. I have now changed my ways though I have seen no problems with the other pans I have had for years.

In short, these pans have the requisite heavyness, heat retention and even cooking qualities that are essential to good cooking. Add the balance, good looks and fair price and you have a definite keeper. Remember that you need to adapt your cooking practices to your tools. Not even Ron Popeil has come up with cookware that adapts to you.

Z

This is a great product. The construction is very solid and I've had no problems with it whatsoever. It's definitely worth the money because you can't find anything comparable for the price.

Stainless steel does have its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, if you treat it right then you are going to get professional results. On the other hand, it requires more maintainence because things will stick to it.

Also keep in mind that after you start cooking with it, the pan will get dirty and grimy and scratched. This is normal so don't freak out about it like I did when I got my first stainless steel cookware. It won't affect the performance of the cookware.