Customer Reviews

Cuisinart 77-7 Chef's Classic Stainless 7-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased this set about six weeks ago am very pleased with it to date. I enjoy cooking and cook most meals "from scratch," rarely relying on anything pre-packaged for a meal, so these pots and pans get a workout on a daily basis. Since purchasing them I've cooked dishes from oatmeal to pork tenderloin, squash soup to rice pilaf.

The set is good looking, the lids fit perfectly, the pot handles are comfortable to grip even with a full pot (much better than my one Calphalon pan). In my kitchen, if it isn't dishwasher safe, it is evicted, and these pots and pans do just fine in the dishwasher, unlike the aforementioned Calphalon. The pans are satisfyingly weighty, yet well balanced and the long pot handles stay cool to the touch (unless they are too close to another burner or the oven vent). The lid handles do get hot, but I always have a potholder handy.

Cooking: I find the cookware is very responsive to my gas range; the pans conduct heat very efficiently and it is essential when using these pans to keep that in mind. I recommend starting with a lower temperature than you think you need and increasing the heat if necessary until you become accustomed to the way the pans respond to heat. The pans heat very evenly, I've successfully melted chocolate with no burning on the lowest heat setting, and rice cooks perfectly at a low simmer with the lid firmly in place. I prefer these over non-stick pans when sautéing, these pans allow good browning which leaves yummy bits behind for deglazing into a sauce; these pans perform well in that capacity. The rolled rims mean liquids pour driplessly from the pan, a feature I find extremely valuable. The entire set is oven safe and I find that also an excellent feature. You can quickly sear a pork tenderloin and then pop the skillet right in the oven to roast it to perfection. One less dish to clean, all the cooked-on bits in one pan to deglaze.

Cleaning: I have not had any problems with cleaning the pans after use. Following the manufacturers recommendation, I add a little water to the warm pan and leave it to soak in the sink during dinner. Then the pan is loaded in the dishwasher with the rest of the dishes. Occasionally food may stick around the rivets, but the dishwasher usually takes care of that with ease. The manufacturer suggests avoiding citrus dishwashing products so I do. The mirror like finish is beautiful, but this is actually my least favorite feature of the set. Fingerprints and water spots show up readily. This in no way interferes with the cooking value of the set, but if you are concerned with the way the set looks, this is a flaw. If you must have it, a quick wipe with Barkeepers Friend or Cameo polish will restore the mirror finish.

The set includes a 1-1/2- & 3-quart saucepan, 8-quart stockpot, and 10-inch skillet. Lids for the saucepans and stockpot are included. I received the bonus 2-quart sautee pan with my set which has proved very useful. I would have preferred a 12 inch skillet to the 10 inch but even so I find the set an excellent value. I saw no need of an 8 inch skillet which is why I chose this set instead of the 10 piece set. I hope Cuisinart will be adding to the open stock available in this line. I have the 16-quart stockpot with steamer basket and pasta insert, but would love to find a pasta insert and steamer for the 8 quart stock-pot.

I think this set is an excellent value, and will satisfy me for years to come treated with a bit of care. I am replacing a set of Copper-bottomed Revere Ware my mother received as a wedding gift in 1950 (and used daily until she gave them to me 20 years ago), and I am hoping these will last as long, if not longer.

Any shopper who is name conscious should stop for a moment and seriously consider this seven piece set. Cuisinart, a mainstay in the kitchen offers the cook in the household this wonderful 7 piece cookware set and Amazon.com offers it at an exceptional price.

The set features 18-10 Stainless Steel construction that makes each piece feel substantial. The design also aids in convection and, thus, requires less heat from the stove top but that Heat is not transferred to the handle making the handle cool to the touch.

Each piece features a high shine and bears the brand name on the side. Each piece is also rated up to 550 degrees which means it could double as bakeware.

The only thing I would have liked would have been a 12 inch rather than a 10 inch skillet but with that said, the 10 inch skillet is a great piece.

If you are looking for the quality of All-Clad or Calphalon but not necessarily willing to fork over the dough, then this is a great set for the money. Fast, even heating; good looks; versatility (stove to oven to even freezer, if need be...); and a decent combination of pieces in the set made it the perfect choice for me, after nearly a year of research.

I don't find it as difficult to clean as other reviewers have commented. I will say that the mirror finish does show wear after just a few uses. It's not bad, by any means, but just know they won't stay perfect if you plan to use them. A few notes...

*They heat up fast! Don't ever leave the pan to heat up and do something else while waiting. You'll be at the temp you need lickety split.
*It's a good idea to soak them a bit after cooking something sticky--then cleanup is a breeze.
*Lid handles do get hot when covering to allow something to simmer or boil, but I've found my handles stay cool enough to take off the stove with no problem.
*I have yet to stick them in the dishwasher, but I know you can, so that's a plus. I have a tendency to soak them, wash them, and dry them right away so as not to get the water spots on the pretty finish that others have commented on.

All in all, I'm very happy with this set. After years of hand-me-downs with handles falling off, dented sides, and nonstick coating that wears off in no time, I feel safe and healthy cooking with my new Cuisinart.

The 5-piece starter set includes the 8 qt. covered stockpot, 3 qt. covered pot and 10" open skillet. This set sells (curently on the Amazon site) for $49.99. Add the 1 1/2 qt. covered sauce pan (curently on the Amazon site) for $13.99 and your TOTAL will be $63.98!!! Thus you have saved $5.00 and can buy the wonderful open stock 3 1/2 qt. saute' pan with helper handle and lid for $20.99. Thus, you have ended up with a very fine 9-PIECE Cuisinart set for a few dollars more than the 7-piece set here.

Not rocket science; just another example of Amazon's sometimes quirky pricing.

I am pleased with the performance and style of the Cuisinart Chef's Classic. Looks good and cooks generally ok. I just wanted to mention a few problems I've had. 1. Dishwasher safe-the say ok but they don't recommend it because food particles from other items in the dishwasher may scratch the surface. 2. After one use, the pan interior surfaces fail to maintain the original luster. The manufacturer provides very specific cleaning directions, but even following them I find the pans hard to maintain. 3. They recommend using only lower heat-follow it! Foods burn easily even on medium heat.

I bought this set from Amazon over a month ago. I live alone and have cooked rarely (about 4 times) since I bought it. I bought it because:
1. Stainles steel looks great
2. It was a good brand at a depply discounted price.

I did know before buying that stainless steel cooks slowly and needs a lot more patience than cooking with non-stick. I had also heard that cleaning is not as easy as with non-stick. Here are my comments:

If the pots and pans are cleaned as directed, i.e., by soaking them in hot soapwater immediately after cooking, most stains/residue can be cleaned very easily.

If the pots and pans are dried with a towel after washing, they stay looking great, especially if the washing water is hard water, as in my case.

If you are frying dry stuff with very little oil (such as Indian breads), its had to not have any stains in the pan. These oil stains are dark, tenacious, and take a lot of work to remove. Two options you have are:
1. Use "Bar Keepers Friend" cleaning powder (available at WalMart for less than two bucks for more than a month's supply) and a lot of elbow grease to remove the stains. This powder works great and is safe.
2. let the stains be and enjoy cooking. Dont worry about how good the pots and pans look. If looks are very important, maybe you should cook in non-stick and hang virgin stainless steel pots and pans to show off your kitchenware.

Also, as another reviewer mentioned, the outside finish is a mirror-smooth finish. This means, if you use any rough scrubber, you will have fine scratches. Its sometimes unavoidable on th einside of the pan, since you will want to use a good scrubber to get rid of oil stains.

Ive never put them in the dishwasher, dont think I will.

Overall, if you follow instructions, great set:
1. Never cook on high heat; have patience.
2. Wash soon as you finish cooking.
3. Wipe dry after cleaning.
4. Dont lose sleep over minor scratches and oil stains, they make utensils look weathered and nice.

I got two sets a year ago, one for me and one for my daughter. To those i slowly added a lot of other pieces. Not only the price is unbeatable, this cookware is outstanding.... I also own some All-Clad, and I must say that the Cuisinart compares beautifully. I highly recommend this set!!!

This is a great cookware set and a great value. If you are considering stainless steel cookware, this is the set to buy. I own All-Clad and Cuisinart pieces, and the Cuisinart has the same heavy construction, riveted handles,and even heating as All-Clad. The Cuisinart actually looks a little nicer because the exterior is shinier. As another review wrote, the handles are a little akward to use, but for the price, this set can't be beat.

Positives:
-Cook evenly.
-Quality made.
-Handles stay cool, unless used in the oven (duh!). The covers do get hot; I just remove them quickly or with a potholder.
-Easy enough to clean (for stainless).
-Look good (nice and shiny).

Neutrals:
-Heavy, they don't slide around while cooking. But, hard to dump out when they are hot and full (if you are 5' and 100 lbs).

Negatives:
-Not non-stick, using butter fixes that.
-Take awhile to heat up on radiant flattop stove; once it does, it heats evenly. I blame the stove.
-With time, there has been some discoloration inside.

Overall, this is a great product (especially considering the price).

I recently purchased the Cuisinart Chef's Classic 7 piece Cookware set and I am happy I did. I previously purchased two pans to have a look at how well they performed, and I was more than happy with the quality and performance I received from this product. So it was not a great leap for me to go ahead and purchase the 7-piece set. The performance and quality are superior. Do not be fooled into thinking that the low price means poor quality, quite the opposite. I cannot recommend this product enough, the cook well, maintain an even heat, and clean up and maintenance are superior. Now I want the roasting pans!