Customer Reviews

Cuisinart 99-5 Everyday Stainless-Steel 5-Piece Cookware Starter Set

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought a starter set of Cuisinart Cookware about eight years ago and dumped everything else I had. The cookware heats evenly, even when doing something sensitive like melting chocolate on a range, cooking rice, or popping corn. There are no hot spots and these pans heat up quickly and efficiently. I can touch the bottom to cool water to stop cooking instantly and with no fear of damage. They look smashing and clean up effortlessly in the dishwasher or by hand. My starter set still looks and cooks like new after years of hard use by my entire family. I've added a smaller (1 1/2 qt.) saucepan and a 4 qt. saute pan over the years, but this basic set will do for about anything a cook needs to complete a meal.

All right, so I decided to get rid of my non-stick, crapware alum cookware set and get something real. Being an Italian male, cooking is part of my heridge. While surfing the internet, I saw the Cuisiant 5 piece set with the bonus Saute pan. This turns it into a 7 piece set, which after using, I'd describe as a tremendous bargin, and something that should be in every want-to-be-a-chef's kitchen, no matter what cookware you now own.
First off, very little heat is required to really get this set going. I found that high is really medium and most cooking can be done on low medium to low settings.
Second, cleanup is a breeze. As soon as removing food, just add a little water and soap. When cleanup time arrives, foods or stains come right off. If food gets stuck, then just add water and soap, and let it heat up on low heat. Everything vitually wipes off with a sponge. Even easier than non-stick.
Third, there is nothing like food cooked in stainless steel. It's easy to cook a steak or fish on the stovetop without using the oven. And steaks taste spectacular. Stainless steel allows the taste of the food and spices to really come through.
Everything I cook starts with a good virgin olive oil, with garlic and butter being optional. I heat the cookware first, before adding anything.
The real secret to this cookware is really the copper sandwich which allows the bottom to get really, really hot, while keeping the sides and handles cool. Just remember to let this cookware cook the food, and not the stove.
If you've ever pictured yourself on the Food Channel, then you owe it to yourself to give this cookware a try.

I got this set about a year ago after burning the last pan of my T-Fal. I wanted something that was for cooking, darn it! My grandma's pots and pans were stainless so I looked for a good stainless set. THIS IS IT! No more of the 'teflon terrors' for me.

I have them hanging in my kitchen and they look great even though I throw them in the dishwasher, let my husbund cook eggs in them, have left them 'to soak' (sometimes without water).

These pans are a great gift for anyone who cooks--at any level. You will not be disappointed with this set.

I bought an 8-piece set from Overstock.com for $100 without checking Amazon and realized that I might have been slightly overcharged but not by much because this set is worth every penny I paid. The set is great. I bought them for my wife who complained of our last set (a cheap non-stick knock-off set). She wanted something REALLY nice but I didn't want to pay hundreds like you can easily end up doing, so I decided to give these a try becuase the brand name was a safe bet...

We have been very impressed with the pans! We have a gas stove, and have found that the handles tend to heat up only if the heat is on too high (and if they do heat up an oven mit will take care of it). The copper bottoms conduct and disperse heat very evenly (I am freaky about that kind of stuff. I paid $500 for a Weber BBQ just to avoid hot spots), and I haven't had a minute of trouble cleaning these pans--even with ground beef and other potentially staining, greasy foods.

Just like a nice set of knives, I wouldn't put these in the dishwasher even though it says they're "dishwasher safe." When we're done using them we let them cool off and then soak them in soapy water for 10 minutes or so, then we clean them off with Scotch Brite spounges (the yellow ones with a green plastic wool-type top), and so far we have avoided leaving ugly swirls that steel wool can potentially leave.

So if you're stradling the fence over this purchase, go ahead and jump down on the "GO FOR IT!" side because not only will you get bang for your buck but you'll get a set of pots and pans like the kind that people who don't do their homework get and pay hundreds for!

I was thrilled to finally get my glass top range, only to find that it took forever for water to boil and the heat was uneven, especialy when frying. Then I realized that most of my pots and pans were either rounded on the bottom or had indented cooking surfaces. The glass top had to have flat bottomed pans to cook properly. I bought the Cuisinart 5 piece starter set and couldn't believe the differance. Everything had perfectly flat bottoms and a comfortable hefty weight, the copper inserts assured even heating so I can cook at much lower temperatures with excellent results...no more pork chops undercooked on one end and burnt on the other. Since that time I have been gradually replacing all my cookware with Cuisinart products and have been delighted with their cooking ability and their price, plus the polished chrome finish looks beautiful hanging from my pot rack. Thanks Cuisinart !

I recently purchased the Cuisinart everyday 5 piece set along with the 3.5 quart saute pan thrown in as a gift. The seven pieces were offered at the time for $59.95. Oh my, what a price! I honestly thought it may be a mistake, but no!

The cookware, in my opinion, is wonderful. I must tell you that I am not a professional chef, and this is the first experience I have had with better cookware. So far, these are my remarks: The outside finish of the cookware is bright, and honestly, I find myself polishing my finger prints from the covers and handles, as I hate to see the shine blemished. Nothing I have prepared has stuck or burned,,,cleanup is simple,,,just hot water, common dish soap, thats it. The two covers fit all three large pans. I know that might be silly to state, but really, I didn't know if the saute pan was the same diameter as the frypan or the soup pot. I am delighted that they are,,,and the covers work for all three. I find that the pan and lid handles stay comfortable to the touch during use. Some other reviews stated otherwise. I have an electric stove, they may have gas.

I am delighted with this cookware, and for the price, give it a try!

I've cooked daily with these for over 10 years now, and still love 'em. Yes, the handles can get hot. I usually don't need a potholder or dishtowel if I've had them on a medium/lower saute, but you do need to be careful when they're on high. So what makes them unbeatable? The copper sandwich gives great, even heat distribution while retaining fast adjustment to changed temperature (I cook with gas, and this matters to me. If you're electric, maybe not.) Great durability, solidly built, but not too heavy. Stainless steel surfaces are easy to clean for the long term; no fancy coating that takes special handling and then mars anyway. Great results, whether gourmet cuisine or hamburger hash.

WOW! Bought this set recently, and I'm completely bowled over. Better than many brands at twice the price, this is THE cookware to buy! I've tried many types of cookware over the years and this has to be my all-time favorite. My intentions were to acquire the "premium brand" a bit at a time. Well, this beats it hands down. I'll tell you why:

1. Weight: While this is nice hefty cookware, it weighs much less than the "Snob Appeal" brand, thus saving you all the effort of heaving those pots in and out of your cupboards. I have a bad back, so my experience with a 12-inch super-heavy fry pan was a negative one -- way too hard to handle!

2. Clean-up: Compared to the hard-anodized aluminum, this is far easier to maintain. Just add some hot water to the pots and pans and let them soak for ten minutes and clean-up is a complete breeze. And no sticky residue is left behind. Absolutely no need for SOS pads, despite the advice of a previous reviewer. Use plastic utensils if you want to keep these as pretty as can be, but if you don't care about the interiors, metal spatulas are OK, too.

3. Beauty: This is GORGEOUS to look at and my next purchase will be a nice pot rack to display it, rather than hide it away.

4. Cooks like a dream: This is the most important aspect of why this cookware beats out the rest. Perfectly even heating, great browning, and does it all at a 25-30% lower temperature than other cookware because of the copper layer in the bottom. It's very important not to forget this, as it'll take some getting used to if you're currently using non-stick cookware. If you normally use a "5" setting on your electric range, use about 3.5. Simmer on "LOW." No need to ever go above a 7, and then only to bring water to a boil rapidly. And, be sure to use a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent meat from sticking.

Since I'm unable to have a gas range where I live, I can't say how this performs on a gas cooktop. But, it would seem that it would be just as terrific, just be sure to keep the flame low.

Oh, one last thing: I have absolutely no idea why some people are complaining about the handles getting hot. Mine stay perfectly cool! My best guess is they are using an innapropriate size burner for the size of the pot. Or maybe just using temperatures way above what's necessary. I haven't needed to use a pot holder with either the pot handles or the lids yet.

Don't hesitate to get this set, it's a steal at Amazon's prices. It'll rejuvenate your joy of cooking, and look fantastic in your kitchen to boot.

When I received the set, I was pretty impressed. Unfortunately this honeymoon period did not continue once I used the pans. The handles on all of the pans heat up so that you need to always use mits with when handling them. To me, this is a big problem. I have all clad and other makes and have never had such a problem with hot handles. Otherwise, these pans are nice looking and appear to be well made. But, bottom line, take a pass.

This stuff cooks great food. It doesn't stick and is easy to clean afterwards. I use a gas range, and it heats very evenly. Only downfall is handles get hot (very). But upsides overcome this, and using a pot holder isn't that bad, I have several to choose from as I'm sure most people do.