Customer Reviews

Cuisinart 77-412 Chef's Classic Stainless Steel 4-Piece 12-Quart Pasta/Steamer Set

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this to replace an older smaller pasta cooker. I have about 20 pieces of the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro cookware but couldn't justify spending over $100 for a large stockpot. The only notable difference is that the Multiclad has the sandwiched aluminum all the way up the sides of the pot. Not really necessary I thought for something I would use mostly for boiling water. Besides, the heat source is only really from below and that extra multiclad surface only adds to the weight.

I love the shiney exterior and the large capacity compared to my previous pasta pot. The steamer insert is a nice little extra but I'm not sure I'd want to haul out this enormous pot just to steam a few veggies. The lid is more domed than Cuisinart's standard lids and has a more sculpted handle. Cleanup is easy but only if you have a very large sink. The handles on both the pot and insert are solid and appear to be very securely attached.

So what's not to like?

This pot was a lot bigger than I anticipated. So large in fact that it doesn't fit in my normal cookware drawer. I ended up having to divide the pot from the insert just so it would fit in the cabinets. And that domed lid just adds to the height. The insert didn't need to stick out of the pot as far as it does and the handles on the insert come out further than those on the pot itself. Where the pot will barely fit, the insert won't just because of the handles. The other problem with the height of this pot comes when you try to use it on your stove. I nearly have to stick my head under the fan hood to see inside it!

The inside of both the pasta insert and the steamer basket won't drain completely. There are no drain holes along the bottom outer edges so the water continues to drip after removing it from the pot whenever it's tilted. I'm also not sure why they made the outsides of the insert and steam basket so shiny but made the insides brushed. This is almost the opposite of their fry pans. A shiny smooth inside would have made cleanup easier without the use of Teflon.

It would have received 5 stars except for these minor issues.

We decided on the pot after wanting either All Clad or Le Cruset for a long time. But the cost for those brands is so high we decided to look at other brands. We looked at Calphalon, Analon, Cuisinart and JC Penny's house brand. After weighing all the prices and quality the decision to buy this pot seemed like a good one. Now we have used this pot 15-20 times we think it is an even better value. It is a great product. Heating is even and fast, things stay warm for a long time and cleanup is a snap. Of course if you want something you can throw in the dishwasher buy something else other than stainless. To keep these in tip shop shape they need to be hand washed, but it is definitely worth it.

This was the 2nd choice of America's Test Kitchen. The first choice was about $350. I am very pleased with this steamer. I have used it to cook mustard greens, boil corn on the cob, and cook down apples for apple butter. It is well-made with a heavy bottom. It stays shiny like new, cleans up easily, and is so useful for larger cooking needs. Since buying this I have also purchased a complete set of pots by Cuisinart. Very good quality cookware.

Amazon's size specs are off, so I took out my ruler and this is what I discovered:

The pot is about 10.5 inches in diameter, but the lids flare out (for easier pouring without drips) to 11 inches diameter.

The pot is about 9 inches tall, plus another 2 inches or so for the pasta insert, plus another few millimeters for the steamer insert lip, and then the lid and lid's handle adds another 1.5-2 inches or so. The total height is thus 12.5 to 13 inches or so.

I own a lot of Cuisinart MultiClad Pro and Tramontina TriPlyClad, among other pieces, and I like this stockpot. For boiling water, you don't really need the extra weight and expense of cladded aluminum running up the sides, as the water itself will be the thermal conduit, through convection.

Big thumbs up for having holes on both the bottom AND the sides of the steamer insert. This design is harder to clog up than steamer inserts with only bottom holes.

Yes the size is inconvenient (would be better if it were shorter and fatter), but if you can deal with it, this is a great multi-pot.

I have many Cuisinart products in my home that I've been very happy with but this was the first cookware (pot). I've only used it a few times and have noticed rust spots on the top rim of the pasta insert. I also noticed the lid rocks a bit and doesn't fit nicely.

I called Cuisinart and they will only ship replacement product to U.S. address (I'm in Canada). Abe's had kindly agreed to accept the replacement product and then ship to me, however, I'd have to pay for shipping to and from Cuisinart (warranty doesn't cover this) and that's about the price of the pot. I probably won't buy Cuisnart stainless steel again...and am rethinking the future purchase of their electric stainless steel skillet....concerned it may rust, too.

I have to admit that I've been 'sold' on Cuisinart for a while. When I began upgrading my outlet-brand pans with 'the good stuff', I conducted my own test by purchasing pans from several vendors. Cuisinart stood out as the best overall value and I've been hooked ever since. This Pasta/Steamer Set works better than advertised. It brings water to the boil quickly and the pasta cooker/strainer makes the task of cooking pasta easy. Just boil, cook, drain, and plate. Trust me here, don't go looking any further...if you want quality at a good price, then make the purchase.

My wife loves it. she said that it heats very evenly and cleans very easily. most of our other pots are allclad but i couldnt afford to pay 300+ dollars for the allclad stockpot so i got this one and my wife couldn't be happier. it performs just as well as the allclad brand and was less than a third of the price.

This is a well made, usable pot, that has even heat conduction. The two liners (one for veggies, one for pasta) make it extremely useful.

I started with the 14-piece set:
[...]
(which was an Amazon link, so it's funny that they took it out, but oh well. Maybe 'cause Amazon doesn't currently have that version available. It's the 14-piece set with the everyday pan.)

and have been adding pieces here and there. This is a wonderful big pot of the same high quality as the rest. I got it largely to make chicken stock (and have an easy way to remove the bones).

(FWIW, I got mine directly from Amazon, and like all things Amazon, the price fluctuates... you might want to wait for your price, which is what I did.)

To my mind, this set is not well designed to work with the rest of the line:
1. It's an inch bigger in circumference than the standard large pots, including the 6- and 8-quart sauce pots / stock pots and the 3-1/2 quart saute pan. An inch.
2. It's two inches smaller in circumference than the 5-1/2 quart saute pan and the everyday pan.

So, you've got all these pieces with interchangable lids and then you have this anomaly.

Other problems:
1. It's really tall, especially with the "pasta insert" in place. This makes it less functional than it should be. C'mon. Most of us have hoods above our stovetops. With the steamer insert, this is about 11.5 inches high. With the lid on, it's then 13.5 inches high. My hood comes in about about 19 inches above my stove top. (Maybe mine is lower than most?) The big burners are at the back of the stovetop. I pretty much can't see what's in that pot without sliding it forward to the front burner.

To my mind, this should be sized to have the diameter of the 5-1/2 quart saute pan, enabling the interchangable lids and also making a lower profile for the same quantity.

2. The design of the steamer basket is not good.
a. It should be larger. Why have a 2-quart steamer with a 12-quart pot? It makes no sense to use this huge pot for steaming that quantity of vegetables.
b. It should have a higher proportion of holes to metal. It's a lovely sturdy piece, but ends up being somewhere between a double boiler and a steamer because the holes are so small.
c. Ideally, it would be designed to fit other pots in this line... partly to address point 2a. I don't need anywhere near 12 quarts of water to steam 2 quarts of broccoli. Let me use the steamer with a smaller pan! (I do usually use it with the 6-quart sauce pan, though it doesn't sit quite right there.)

Although I first thought I liked this set, I now somewhat regret the purchase because of the design flaws. I'm glad to now have the "pasta insert" for use when making chicken stock (I'm not sure I'll ever use it for pasta myself), but overall this set isn't going to work as well for me as I was hoping.

Pros:
1. I'm so happy to be making my own chicken stock now. It's excellent! So in that sense, I don't regret buying this pan.

A caveat on this line. It's nice cookware, but some of the larger pots have arrived with flaws. (Not this one, for me.) Inspect it carefully and send it back if need be. Two of my pans were distorted on the bottom, sort of like blisters in the metal. To me, this is the tradeoff for getting the nice cookware at a great price.

I recently purchased the stainless steel 4-piece 12-quart pasta/steamer set and I don't know how I managed without one. This is an essential tool for every cook. I shopped several high-end department stores for a 12-quart steamer/pasta set and did not find any with the same quality as this one from Cuisinart. Besides the fact that the others were not stainless steel throughout, the price at the department stores were twice what I paid for this one. If you want quality, stainless steel, price and good looks, I certainly urge you to buy this one. 5 Stars plus!!