Customer Reviews

Cuisinart 733-30H Chef's Classic Stainless 5-1/2-Quart Saute Pan with Helper Handle and Cover

5 star:		(109)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This Cuisinart Chef's Classic saute pan has quickly become my favorite pan. It's huge - a full 12" across - which makes it very versatile. The pan conducts heat extremely well and is oven safe to 500 degrees. The handle is very sturdy, reasonably comfortable, and stays cool (outside of the oven, of course). The lid fits tightly. Both the interior and the exterior are very shiny and attractive. All this and it's easy to clean. Yet this pan sells for just a fraction of the sexier brands like All-Clad or Calphalon.

The chief reason for the great price is due to the construction. This is known as a "disk bottom" pan because it has a highly conductive aluminum disk embedded in its base. The really expensive brands feature "cladding", where a layer of conductive metal (usually aluminum) is embedded throughout the entire pan. Although the cookware industry loves to say that disk-bottom pans are inferior, test after test proves this claim is untrue. After all, we don't cook on the sides of a pan; we only cook on the bottom. See Cook's Illustrated magazine, May/June 2003, for a great discussion of this.

There are a few reasons why this pan might not be right for you. This pan's size makes it fairly heavy, so if you have arthritis or weak hands, you might want to opt for a smaller pan. Similarly, this pan might not fit on those tiny stovetops or ranges that you sometimes see in "galley" kitchens in apartments. But if you want a large, durable, high-quality saute pan at a fraction of the cost of the big-name brands, this is the pan for you.

I'm tired of those non-stick pans that eventually lose their coating and thought that I'll try stainless steel pan for almost everything but frying an egg. Boy did I pick the right pan to start with! This pan, besides being beautifully made, is the perfect size for almost everything I cook. It's very heavy, but the helper handle helps. It conducts heat very well, so I no longer use the high setting on my gas stove or the food would burn. Despite being made in China, the quality is excellent. I'm sure it will last decades. My only complaint is that sometimes I wish the stainless steel cover is made of glass so I can see through. But, I'll still give it 5 stars because I'm very very happy with the design and quality.

All my Chef's Classic cookware looks and cooks wonderfully well and is normally a breeze to clean up. This Monster pan is no exception. Weighing in at close to 10 lbs., it is the senior edition of the highly rated Cuisinart 3 1/2-Qt. Saute Pan. If you have a small range, the size of this (a full 12" accross) may crowd out some other burners, so beware.

I discovered thet the dome cover for the shallow Cuisinart 12" 'everything' pan also fits this pan and thus makes it a good candidate for a dutch oven.

Now for the bad news: Amazon did not see fit to ship this within a padded box. As a result, the pan arrived with a dent in the 'dripless' rim. I will likely not return it, but will give Amazon some 'direct' feedback.

(9/15 Update): Amazon made a very positive and 'generous' response to my complaint. Thank you Amazon! Also, both the 3 1/2 Qt. and 5 1/2 Qt. saute pans are on 'super' sale. Do yourselves a favor and buy both.

(9/23 Update): Because of the lower 'super' price (currently $27.99), I ordered two more as gifts. One shipped with the Cuisinart retail box packed in a nicely padded Amazon box and the other was shipped only in a Cuisinart retail box that had split open. Fortunately there were no dings or dents since this is a very sturdy, hefty item. I wonder if Amazon owns the warehouses its goods ship from? If it does, Amazon needs to try for consistency in its packing.

02/09/06: Here's an oddity: After several 'hefty' price hikes, Amazon is now hawking this 'monster' pan for $5 less than the 3 1/2 quart pan. Go figure!

I purchased this product as well as several other Cuisinart cookware products to replace nonstick T-Fal cookware. The stainless steel mirror finish is beautiful and the pan just feels solid. I sauteed some fish and true to the description very little heat was necessary to heat the pan. I found this out after applying a little too much heat and crusting on some burnt cheese. Cleanup was a breeze with just soap, water, and a dishcloth. The handles are securely fastened and I expect them to last for years. This pan is sized so that you may use it for frying with almost a 10 in diameter or as an additional pot since the sides are nearly 3 inches deep. This was a good decision and a nice product at a good price.

You might think 5 1/2 quarts is too big for anyting other than occasional use.....but you'd be amazed at what this pan can do. Naturally, it's perfect for saute and it's also great for making everything from rice pilaf to boiling bagels to poaching fish to braising asparagus.

Ir's durable and beautiful, the lid fits perfectly, and the mirror finish makes it easy to see into the pan (which is something that doesn't happen with dark anodized aluminum poats.)

It's almost always the one I reach for first!

When I ordered this, I didn't really think about the size. Amazon shipped it in one of their own huge boxes, and the pan was in perfect condition. I used it for the first time the other night, and realized just how big it is. I have an older stove, and once I put the pan on a burner I discovered that I couldn't use any of the other 3 burners. If you have a small stove or one where the burners are close together, keep that in mind.

The pan worked beautifully and cleaning up was easy. I'm buying other pieces from this collection and throwing out my old Farberware non-stick cookware. As someone else said, a gladd lid would have been great but otherwise it's perfect.

I've accumulated 21 pieces of the Cuisinart Chef's Classic cookware over the past year and have found each to be beyond expectations. Amazon has done a remarkable job of "best pricing" over this time period, although I did not obtain everything from them.

I stumbled upon a wonderful web site named "Cooking for Engineers" which removes the subjective and focuses on the objective. Perhaps this may be of value to those researching cookware. The following link is to the "Equipment & Gear" section. The remainder of the site is of similar content and quality.

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=120

I'm sure that you won't go wrong purchasing any of the Cuisinart Chef's Classic line, and I'm further certain that you'll find the best pricing from Amazon if you're willing to be patient.

Wow- this pan is a winner. I consider it a bargain at full price as its size, shape and sheer quality make it indispensable in your kitchen. Owing to the aluminum core, the stainless steel heats up quickly and can really hold it's heat- this allows you to nicely sear your meats/fish. As it's all metal, it can go in the oven without problem (you can sear on the stovetop and finish roasting in the oven) and because it has deep sides, you can finish a sauce right in the pan. It's a great size for soups and stews as well and doesn't feel too big when cooking for 2 or too small when cooking for 8. Clean up is a breeze and it can even go in the dishwasher. Compared to cast-iron or anodized aluminum, it weighs much less (but can still deliver the heat when needed) and is an all-around treat to use. The quality rivals All-Clad at a mere fraction of the price.

I was reluctant to consider this pan based on it's low price. I'm glad I took the chance! I already own a couple All Clad stainless pans, which I love, but when I priced their 5qt saute pans I balked. In my research I came across this pan, read the stats and figured I must be missing something. The All Clad stainless 5 qt. saute is like $200!! This pan with similar features was $40. I ordered it from Amazon thinking I could easily return it if it didn't pan out. Well I haven't returned it. It's quality cookware. It's heavy, cooks evenly, has 2 riveted handles and comes with a tight fitting stainless lid suitable for use on other pans. I am shocked at the value this pan offers.

You might think 5 1/2 quarts is too big for anyting other than occasional use.....but you'd be amazed at what this pan can do. Naturally, it's perfect for saute and it's also great for making everything from rice pilaf to boiling bagels to poaching fish to braising asparagus.

Ir's durable and beautiful, the lid fits perfectly, and the mirror finish makes it easy to see into the pan (which is something that doesn't happen with dark anodized aluminum poats.)

It's almost always the one I reach for first!