Customer Reviews

Meyer Circulon 10 Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This is a great starter set for the novice- to intermediate-level cook. I tend to burn things, however with the non-stick surface, clean up is now a breeze. My only concern is that the exterior of the pans stained rather quickly. There is probably a product out there to clean it up, but I have not investigated.

Circulon is great in the beginning, but it does NOT last. I bought this set (or one very similar to it) ten years ago, have not used most of it very much, and have taken proper care of it (only plastic or wooden implements used and never put in the dishwasher). Virtually everything that I have used regularly needs to be replaced. The hard anodized surface wears off, and food begins sticking to it. The grooves are very difficult to clean, because food gets stuck in between them. I am in the process of replacing all of it with Caphalon Commercial Non-Stick, whose incredibly smooth surface cooks like a dream. It costs a little bit more, but maybe ten years from now, it won't have to be replaced.

These are by far the best pans I have ever used. They cook everything very evenly and make it very hard to burn food. Also, clean up is so easy. I have left caked on spaghetti sauce for over a week and it wiped right out! I really dont see how other people can say that food gets stuck in the grooves, this has never happened to me and I never use any type of oil or nonstick spray when I cook. That is another good thing about these pans. They have such a great non-stick coating that you really dont ever have to use oil to cook with, so you can cook low fat. These are a lot more expensive than your standard set of pans..., but you will be able to tell the difference immediately. They are well worth the cost.

It's lovely cookware at first, but the whole idea that the circular grooves make it last turns out to be bunk. I've had a few pieces of this cookware, and some relatives have had it as well, and our experience has been the same --- within 2-3 years, it looses its nonstick properties, it starts to peel, etc.

Circulon is marketed as high-end cookware, but it really doesn't live up to expectations. Also, they have a seemingly nice warranty, but I just sent my pots to them to be replaced, and they lost it! They eventually agreed to send me a new one, since I still had my tracking number and could prove they'd lost my package. But it's hardly cadillac service --- I have to wait two weeks before I can expect to get the cookware back.

I received a full set of Circulon cookware for my wedding. The wedding consultant at the department told me how great it was, and that it would be the last cookware I would ever buy, so I registered for it. It worked well at first, but now after a few years the surface on some of the pots is actually chipping and peeling! I have only used plastic utensils, have gently hand washed in soapy water, and have never cooked on high heat. I can't understand how the surface of an anodized pan can chip, considering that anodization is supposed to be a process in the forging of the metal, rather than a coating applied later. I'm not convinced that it is truly anodized. Also, food particles get stuck in all the grooves of the pans over time, especially the frying pans. It is impossible to remove this encrusted stuff because you can't use a real scouring pad, and a plastic brush or pad won't remove it or get into the "circulon" crevices. If they had made the surface of the pan flat without the grooves, (like Calphalon or several other brands) it would be possible to clean. My friend has had the same problems with her Circulon cookware, and has already thrown the frying pans out because the inability to clean them renders them unsanitary. Since these pans have a 10 year warranty, and mine were unusable after just a few years, I contacted the Meyer company who owns Circulon to ask for replacements. They wanted me to pack them up, and pay to ship the heavy set, PLUS pay $15 PER PAN for "handling" fees. It would have cost me at least $100 to do this for my whole set, and on top of that, who even knows if they would honor their warranty or if the new pans would do the same thing? I decided in the end to toss the Circulon and put the $100 toward a new set of pots and pans of a different brand. I wish that I had registered for ANY other brand but Circulon in the first place!

I have a complete set of Circulon Cookware and have used it for several years. At first it worked well, but after awhile I had increasing difficulty with food sticking and problems cleaning. The pots tend to work fine because you cook with significantly more liquid. The pans are the true shortcoming. After cooking with the pans I fill them with hot water and sometimes some dish detergent and let them soak. I find washing them after at least a 15 minute soak to still be problematic. I have to rub vigorously with a sponge, even then you cannot properly clean-out the grooves.

I am phasing out my set and moving back to cast iron, aluminum and aluminum clad stainless. I do better cooking the old fashioned way.

These are great! I haven't found anything that will stick to the surface of these pots! And they heat quickly and evenly, too... At first, I didn't want to like these pots-- they're not as good looking and trendy as Calphalon or All-Clad-- but they work great and they're especially easy to clean. The non-stick surface really works! So far, I have not noticed any teflon peeling like with cheaper pots--and I've been using these nearly every night for over a year now... However, due to the possible sensitivity of that surface, I would recommend using only plastic or wooden utensils with these pots.

Update: fast forward about 3 years: The teflon coating is peeling a little in the most frequently used frying pan in the set, but none of the others. Also, sometimes oil gets stuck in the tiny crevices inside the pans - not a big deal if you use a dishwasher (because the oil comes right out in a dishwasher), but if you wash by hand, it seems like you can never get all the oil out of there. STILL, I highly recommend these pots and pans. They are SOLID, and I think they're going to last a long time, even if I do have to replace that one pan in a couple of years.

UPDATE: at year 8, I have now replaced all my pots and pans with something that does not include teflon. It flaked off almost entirely after daily use (and dishwashing) for that period of time, and I got concerned about teflon in my family's food. This is not a long-term cookware, as the price suggested. I wanted something I could use for decades. Teflon is not that.

PS. I cannot change my star rating, but at this point, I would call it a 3 rather than a 5. It was great while it lasted.

Although I am happy with the performance of my saucepans and stockpot, at least five years after purchasing my set, I was very disappointed in the skillets and sautes. I take meticulous care of my cookware and follow usage directions, but the non-stick coating didn't hold up on the skillets. I had to replace those items a long time ago.

I bought this set of circulon cookware. Within 1 year, the surfacing began to peel off in the "circles". When I read the warranty it became apparent to me that they were not going to replace the pots and pans easily. I did not use any metal utensils on them, but they peeled just the same. I should add that it can be very difficult to get food unstuck from the deep circles in the bottom. I'd rather have two or three really inexpensive "disposable" pans than these.

Well, almost.

I received these pots from my wedding registry this past year, and have lived with them for some time now. I have discovered that the pieces are not only beautiful (my commitment to aesthetics cannot be over-stated), they are extremely high performance pots and pans.

One of the best features about this set is the speed and evenness with which they heat. From boiling water to making crepes, I have cooked more speedily and efficiently thanks to these pots and pans. The concentric circles (hence the name Circulon) seem to transmit the heat perfectly throughout the pot/pan, even to the top-most edges of the container.

This set contains everything you could want for basic kitchen needs. We have added a large stock pot and a teakettle as well, and have plans to pick up another frying pan, but have gotten by for basic, everyday cooking (and some entertaining) almost entrirely on this set.

I have heard some negative feedback from other owners regarding the cleaning of the concentric circles and the wee patterns (of circles, obviously) that may or may not appear on the finished food product. To address these complaints individually:

1) Cleaning: I had almost no trouble cleaning the small, thin recessed spaces between the circles, using either a gentle dish brush or a washcloth. (However, I did note that it was important to let the pans cool before submerging them in water, as it could damage the pan.)

2) Circle patterns on food: I was actually kind of excited about this, since I thought it would be cute and may spice up the presentation of my dishes. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't happen very often. The only time in recent memory that I have been able to produce small circles on food was when I made buttermilk pancakes. Even so, the lines were faint and barely noticable. So if you are deterred by the possibility of lines, don't worry. You will probably never see them.

I am also shocked -- shocked! -- by the reasonable price of this set here on Amazon. The person who bought this gift for me most certainly paid the full price at a department store, and I had thought that to be a reasonable price at the time. I looked at a lot of pans during our wedding registry oddessy, we fell in love with the beauty and modern lines of these, and as a bonus we got great performance. To add a great value, price-wise, to that deal is to have a truly great set of pans.

I highly recommend this set, and I will never use another brand of pans again.