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Product Details
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Product Description
Bringing the Good Life Home
Inspired by the great French kitchens, Cuisinart began making professional cookware over 30 years ago. Constructed of the finest materials available, to perfectly perform all of the classic cooking techniques. Designed to last a lifetime, Cuisinart cookware makes family meals memorable and entertaining a pleasure. Savor the good life right at home, with family and friends. Cuisinart makes it absolutely delicious.
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless is an investment that will prove its worth every time you use it. Exclusively designed aluminum encapsulated base provides superior heat conductivity and even heat distribution to meet the demands of gourmet chefs everywhere. When properly cared for, your Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Cookware will give countless years of service and pleasure. Follow the use and care suggestions in this leaflet to preserve and maintain the cookware's original beauty.
Whether you're a serious gourmet, a regular entertainer, or cooking for the family, this deluxe cookware set has versatile pieces for infinite menu options and great results!
What's in the Box
1-1/2-quart saucepan with cover, 2-quart saucepan with cover, 3-quart saucepan with cover, 4-quart sauté pan with helper handle & cover, 9-quart stockpot with cover, 8" open skillet, 10" open skillet, 12" skillet with cover, 20cm multi-steamer insert with cover, and 24cm pasta insert
Product Features
Pure aluminum encapsulated base heats quickly and spreads heat evenly. Eliminates hot spots.
The Coolest Touch in Home Cooking
Cast stainless steel Cool Grip stick handles are contoured for a secure grip and designed to stay cool on the stovetop.
Superior Cooking Surface
Stainless steel cooking surface does not discolor, react with food, or alter flavors.
Perfect Balance
Riveted stainless steel handles, including side grips and helper handles, are professionally riveted to ensure a lifetime of perfect balance.
Flavor Lock Lid
Tight-fitting stainless steel lids fit tight to lock in flavor, texture and nutrients. Wide, easy grip handles.
Drip-Free Pouring
Rims of cookware are tapered to make pouring clean and easy.
Versatile Performance
Oven safe to 500°F. Cook on stovetop, in oven, or under broiler. Freezer safe for easy food storage.
Dishwasher Safe
Brilliant stainless steel comes out of the dishwasher looking like new.
About the Set
8-, 10-, and 12-Inch Skillets: The ideal choice for browning and frying, skillets are a cookware classic. 12-inch skillet includes a cover.
1-1/2-, 2-, and 3-Quart Saucepans with Covers: No other piece of cookware performs with the versatility of a saucepan. It is a kitchen essential, working hard from morning until night.
4-Quart Sauté Pan with Helper Handle & Cover: The high, straight sides and the flat cooking surface of the saute maximize capacity. Sear meats, poultry, and more; cover to simmer for a perfect finish.
9-Quart Stockpot with Cover: Round out a cookware assortment with this 9-quart stockpot. The perfect size for everyday cooking or a crowd.
20cm Multi-Steamer Insert with Cover: Stainless steel steamer turns 2- and 3-quart saucepans into steamers. Tight lid retains healthful vitamins and minerals.
24cm Pasta Insert: Makes cooking and draining pasta easy.
Customer Reviews
I have read many reviews (many negative ones) and this is my conclusion:
1.) Yes, 'Stainless-Steel' sticks! Not to mock this, but that's why 'Nonstick' cookware was invented - perhaps for the folks that do not know how to cook in stainless-steel. Easy remedy: return your set for a Nonstick set...if not, a little oil and lower your heat will do the trick. But, in addition to my stainless set, I will always have one nonstick skillet handy for my eggs (it's just much quicker and easier). But for searing and browning; there's no comparison to stainless-steel!
2.) Some complaint that the sides don't heat up compared to other brands: Yes they do, if you want to spend a little more $$ for the 'Multi-Clad' line. Also, unless you plan on cooking your food "on the sides", otherwise the encapsulated base heats evenly and works flawlessly for me.
3.) Stains, Marks and Colorful Swirls - If you use it to cook food, then expect the usual marks and normal wear - maybe even some tear. My solution for all of the above: 'BKF', OR unless you plan on displaying it for good.
The set:
There are TWO different 17-Piece sets available from the Chef's Classic line; the other one comes with a 2 qt. open 'Saucier' (and odd sizes for the rest) but I opted for this one because it is more versatile beginning with a 1.5 qt. Saucepan, then 2 and 3, a 12" Covered Skillet and for the Pasta Insert, etc, etc..
Again, for the money, they are as good as you can get. The product has a very solid feel to it and an even-weight distribution - light, yet heavy enough to do the task. Although I did find some minor flaws; like a few minor buffed-out scratches by the bottom edge between the encapsulated base on my 1.5 qt. The 'lips' on some of the larger pans (closer to the handles) seem to have bent down a bit; this produces a very small gap when the lid is covered, particularly on the 12" skillet where you can see an 'arch' effect with its lid on (the large lid is uneven on this one) and pressing it down once tends to reduce the effect. Though nothing significant, but it just appears to break that 'vacuum seal' and not so perfect tight-fit lid that was claimed by the mfg.
I have put all of them to a rigorous test for the '08 Christmas - '09 New Year's feast and they have performed very well. It cooks evenly on my old electric 'coil' stove top burner, although it could've been much better if I've had a gas range, this way I have more control of the cooking temperatures (very essential for heavy-bottomed cookwares).
Pros:
*Design - lip for spill-proof easy pouring.
*Good heat distribution (not great).
*Oven safe up to 450 degrees, that's high for a set priced like this.
*Handles: well balanced and stays cool no matter how long it's been on the burner.
*Most lids are interchangeable, especially for the 8" & 10" open skillets and they also fit other non Cuisinart that I have laying around.
*Nicely polished stainless-steel exterior and lids.
*Sturdy and well weighted/balanced.
*Well priced.
Cons:
*Workmanship and Quality Control (minor, this reduces one star).
*Slow to heat (especially the 9 qt Stockpot for cooking pasta compared to my other pot with the same amount of water).
*Pasta insert bottom sits a bit high (if sat lower, can prevent the use of more water so heat up time can be faster and to avoid boil-over spills).
I am sorry to say that I found out soon enough why these are as cheap as this.
First of all, these have the bonded bottoms where a separate heat conducting material is bonded to the bottom of the pot, then sandwiched in with another layer of stainless steel. The instructions that came in the package (and which you will not find in the item description) tells you that if you used anything beyond medium heat on the stove or heated them empty, the conducting layer (aluminum alloy) may melt and the second layer of stainless steel on the bottom may simply fall off. Great. So it may fall apart if I wanted to heat it up empty or just with oil to sear something quick.
Second, the steel is not quite stainless. The mirror finish on the outside held up well enough, but the steel on the inside -- the part that actually touches the food -- is of very low quality. I made a simple stock with a pot and it pitted on the bottom, with a few gray spots. No amount of scrubbing would get these out, whether with Barkeeper's Friend or with steel wool. Subsequent cooking has resulted in more and more spots of various colors with different foods, which can only mean that the steel is of very low quality, with pockets of impurities that will react with different ingredients in food.
I might have fixed this by seasoning the cookware, but remember? You can't heat these empty or the bottoms may fall off.
These are cheap for a reason. If you must have bonded construction and don't have the budget for an all AllClad or La Creuset kitchen, look to Sur la Table for a serviceable intermediate set at a good price. The fact that the steel in these things react with my food is really scary to me because I don't know what the impurities might be and whether or not they might be getting into my food.
Oh and Belgique does the same thing with the pitting. These are cheap for a reason -- because they have gone on to use really lousy materials. Don't fall for it.
