Customer Reviews

KitchenAid Gourmet Distinctions Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Really beautiful on the stove. The shining, sloping sides add a very elegant and sophisticated air. Extremely quick and even heating. Handles stay cool. Just all around a great cookset! We almost didnt get it for 2 concerns: we were concerned the handles would get too hot (they stay cool!) and difficult cleaning ..we were looking for non-stick (these still clean quick and easy with a swipe of a brillo pad). We've since realized that non-stick would wear out in 5-7 years but without it...these should last almost forever! Great purchase.

I almost did not buy this cookware set because of the reviews that mentioned leaking rivets. But here's the real deal.

The rivets that attach the handles to the pans are located high on the sides of the pans. If you fill a pot clear up to the rivets, you'll have lots of splashes and spatters as you cook and stir. The easy solution? Use a bigger pot! No spatters, and no leaks.

Out of curiosity, when I was washing mine prior to use I did fill them up over the rivets, and no leaks on my set.

So, a little more on the set in general. I purchased this as a replacement for my 35 year old Revereware, which was wobbly on my new glass induction stove. Also wanted to get rid of the nonstick stuff for health reasons. This is perfect, very stable, great heat conduction, glass lids fit well and make it easy to monitor cooking. A joy to use, and on top of that they look gorgeous.

My suggestion is to notice the cooking hints in these reviews, and to google "cooking with stainless steel cookware" for more hints. With a few minor tweaks to my cooking techniques (which admittedly had gotten sloppy over the years), clean up is a breeze. The basics: heat it dry on 5 for 5 minutes, add butter or oil to hot pan, turn the heat down to 3 and cook more slowly than you may have been doing. Perfect eggs, veggies, grilled cheese sandwiches etc. Then when you're putting the meal on the table, let the pans cool a bit, give a quick swish with a nylon scrubbie, and add warm soapy water before you sit down to eat. After the meal, they clean as easily as nonstick cookware. So easy!

I also ordered the 1.75 qt pot and 4.75 qt pan with helper handle, and these will probably get more use than some of the items in the 10 piece set.

Absolutely love my new cookware!

Update: 4 years later and I still love the set! They work great. They're holding up well. No issues at all.

Original review:
This cookware is wonderful! I purchased it after going through my second set of anodized nonstick that didn't stay nonstick. I wish they had more pieces available that match. I've already bought the saute pan and the roaster separately. Unfortunately, I had to get a nonmatching KitchenAid saucier.

I'll admit I wasn't thrilled about the sloping sides at first. But they've grown on me -- they work. The lids don't get as hot as other pans I have.

It heats evenly and holds the heat forever. They're easy to clean - a few minutes soak for the worst mess works - and you can use brillo pads. You can use metal utensils (wisks, spatulas, *SPOONS*) in it. Folks, there is a reason that you never see the real chefs on Food Network using nonstick!

But for me personally, the best was when my mother-in-law came to stay for a few weeks and realized she had made a mistake paying big bucks for her All-Clad set. All-Clad is nice and great for the status conscious, but if you're actually planning to cook with your pans, why don't you get a set that leaves you some money to buy the great ingredients to match. (Don't get me wrong. My MIL is a great cook -- but I think a salesman convinced her to buy the A-C for her new induction cooktop.)

If you're looking for a great set -- this is it.

This cookware set is visually appealing, though it discolors with even low heat from a gas stove. Successive uses, though, tend to remove the discoloration. It distributes heat nicely around the base and allows boiling liquids inside to circulate well from top to bottom.

This said, my experience with Meyer's customer service (Meyer Corp. out of Vallejo, CA produces and provides support for KitchenAid-brand cookware) has been far from stellar. Three items in the purchased set contained bubbles in the copper/steel base visible from the bottom.

I contacted Meyer to return the defective items and was put through quite a bit of hassle. The representative first gave a stock answer without reading my message. Then I had to quote KitchenAid's "Hassle-Free Replacement Warranty" to get Meyer to pay for shipping the defective product as it is within the first year of ownership. When the replacements finally arrived about five weeks later, one item was dented. I have requested another warranty replacement for the remaining item. It is now over two months since my initial purchase and I still do not have a complete set.

Conclusion:
Physical product: 4 out of 5
Warranty service: 2 out of 5
Total: 3 out of 5

These are wonderful pots and pans. They have a nice heft without being too heavy, excellent even heat conduction (and they stay hot a long time--if you have electric stove you can turn off burner before cooking is complete, and don't forget to use medium heat). Also very sturdy. (I accidentally dropped an expensive Calphalon lid in the store when shopping, and it easily dented--I was NOT impressed). Handles stay cool, but you should know that the lid handles will get hot with prolonged cooking.

FYI: the lid to the 4 qt saucepan fits the 8" skillet-otherwise, lids are not interchangeable and the 10" skillet doesn't come with one--too bad, I could use one. Also, I find the 10" skillet a bit small (and the 12" that you can buy separately a bit big and heavy, such that it has a helper handle)

I've had mine long enough to use them every day in every cooking situation, and find them very easy to clean. I rarely have to use anything stronger than a "tuffie" or scotchbrite pad with a quick soak. As for the other complaints that they stain, my experience with stainless steel is that they all stain some. The vinegar and baking soda trick works, as does boiling a little auto dish detergent and water in the pan.
But I don't care if my pans are perfect. The outsides stay nice and shiny and the style of these are beautiful and a pleasure to use.

I also purchased the large saute pan(wonderful capacity) and the 10" nonstick skillet(for eggs) to round out my set, both of which I love and use all the time.

For anyone who loves to cook, a real winner! This set should last a lifetime.

I've gone through 3 different sets of cookware...expensive non-stick, heavy aluminum, and even those nasty glass Vision's cookware from way back...and this set of Kitchen Aid Gourmet Distinctions is the winner hands down! They are beautiful hanging in my pot rack, but they really shine on the stove top. I have been impressed at how well they cook, and I have not had any trouble with food sticking. A good stir and scrape occasionally makes sure food is released before sticking becomes an issue. Of course, using a little cooking spray helps, too. They clean up exceptionally well, especially if you wipe them out and rinse them soon after cooking. As with any cookware, you don't want to rinse them while they are still hot using cold water...can cause warping, etc., but if you let them cool for a minute and use HOT water and a plastic scrubbing brush, clean up is a breeze. It is wonderful to be able to stick them in the dishwasher, too. The small exposed copper ring near the base does become discolored with use, but that is to be expected and can easily be shined up using vinegar & baking soda, or any copper polish. I personally don't mind the "well used" look! Though I have a gas range, these pans can be used on electric as well as induction cooktops. Highly recommended as the best purchase I've made for my kitchen since my Kitchen Aid stand mixer 20+ years ago!!

I found the 10-Inch Nonstick Skillet in this line of cookware after buying a Max Burton 6000 Induction Cooktop. I liked it enough to buy this set. I was not initially thrilled with the look, but it is growing on me.

The triple-layer base is induction capable and all of the pieces of this line have even heat and great heat retention. The smallest saucepan has a 4" base and does not quite satisfy the Burton's "pan present" detection, so I cannot use it on that hob. They do squeal somewhat on an induction burner, but pretty much everything does except solid cast iron.

The glass lids are really fairly pointless because they will fog up long before things really begin to heat up. The handles stay cool except in the event of a boilover, and then the glass lids retain the heat much longer than the thin stainless steel lids I'm used to. The flared tops are nice for pouring, but the metal lip on the lids tends to catch food when used as a makeshift strainer.

The stainless surface cleans up well, but the flared tops, large handles and deep/large-handled lids will hog a lot of dishwasher real estate. The copper edge bands do discolor readily as many have noted -- all you have to do is heat some oil just to the smoking point as if you were going to sear a piece of meat.

You can buy a few other pieces in this line ala carte, including the 10" nonstick skillet (a twin of the stainless one in the set but with the nonstick coating), a 12" nonstick skillet, and a 4.5qt saute pan. Conspicuously absent is a 12" stainless skillet, which I would really like. Target carries a slightly lesser KitchenAid 12" skillet with similar construction but different styling.

The pots are fine as long as you don't fill them to the rivets. Some of the pots leak at the rivets. So far two have started leaking. I have had the pots for 2 months. I will investigating the warranty process after the holidays. Pretty disappointing!

I got this set half price on through Amazon warehouse deals, and they arrived in beautiful shape. Everyone should get rid of their Teflon based non-stick cookware, as it releases poisons and toxins. When the nonstick wears off, you'll have to use sprays, which make the release of toxins even worse.

This set is dishwasher safe, and it has an a copper and aluminum base, which is encapsulated in stainless steel. So you don't have to worry about those metals getting into your food, but they are great and distributing the heat.

Every once in awhile, I put a dash of baking soda and vingar in the bottom to polish up the inside bottom to a nice shine. Very durable construction. Definitly not cheap feeling in the least. Great buy, even at $200.

This is a great set. I bought it at Macy's when they were the only ones allowed to sell the set. Be sure to use a medium heat when cooking. This set does everything that it is stated to do. I've had it for over a year and I have no complaints.