Customer Reviews

T-Fal Elegance Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I hesitated before I purchased this set because some of the reviews were not favorable. Some of the reviews were a total 5, so I wondered how there could be such a huge gap between the purchaser's reviews. A little homework answered the question.

This is a beautiful set, and if handled ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS, should stay in beautiful shape. One of the reviewers stated that her cookware turned blue after being put into the dishwasher. The directions distinctly state that this is a normal condition for stainless steel and can be remedied by wiping lemon juice or vinegar over the pot/pan. It works; just as stated.

Another reviewer stated that her pan warped. This happens when the heat is too high. Instructions fully state that one should not use this cookware on HIGH. It does not take much heat to allow the food to cook. There is an aluminum disk inserted in the bottom to conduct the heat. Aluminum DOES warp and melt under extremely high conditions.

One reviewer stated that the steel could be bent with her fingers. Perhaps she had a defective piece, as there is NO WAY I could do such a thing. I hand quilt everyday and am a professional seamstress. I have a lot of strength in my fingers; but still, it is an impossibility to bend this steel. Granted, the cookware is not a professional HEAVY weight, but it is a cookware that is bit weighty, but easy to handle, and light enough to produce quick heat.

Last night I fried salmon patties, and the pan cleaned up nicely. I used a little BonAmi, which is similar to Bartender's Secret, which is recommended by the manufacturer. I have cooked chili, boiled pasta, steamed veggies...all to success and my cookware looks new.

Although I cook everyday, I did not want to continue with my non-stick cookware. I thought it would be a good idea to purchase a reasonably priced stainless set to get used to cooking with stainless; eventually moving up to a more pricey set if necessary. At this point, I do not think I will need to move up to a more pricey set, but will purchase additional pieces of the T-fal Elegance, including the chicken fryer and the 3 qt. pot/lid. I did already purchase the 12.5 saute pan and it is very useful.

I love this set and think the price does not speak for it's excellence. It is a LOT of value for the money.

I like this set. It is very good quality for the price. I bought it because it is induction usable--it does not say that in the ad, but I had seen this in a store and bought a single pan to test.
The lids are very nice fitting, with a hole in them. I wish the lids fit the pans too, but they do not.
This is not super thick steel for many reasons. Reasons include heavy weight, a pan that will not cool down (especially critical for induction), handles stay cool if thinner, and cost. I do not find any of the items flimsy at all. It is somewhat thin feeling but very amply sturdy. It does not bend on me at all--even trying. I did not try a hammer on it, but do not find a reason to.
I think this is a good deal for what you get.

I wanted to get away from aluminum and coated cookware and decided to give this a try. My concern was that it would burn and stick and be difficult to clean as was inexpensive stainless cookware I have tried in the past. I saw it at my local WalMart and was impressed with it's quality and weight. Also their price was $36 higher! I have been surprised at how little sticking happens and have had no burning to the bottom or hard to clean experiences. The heat transfer is so efficient I can cook at lower temperatures. I can see how this set will last me the rest of my life.

After looking at several sets in this dollar range I kept comming back to this set of stainless steel. The fit and finish was the best in this dollar range and I found the pans to be plenty sturdy. The handles are nice and riveted well, I havent ever had a set of stainless steel before so I cant give you a reference in the cooking dept. I went ahead and bought the 12 inch skillet and the 3 qt pot (which are extra) and dropped close to $160.00. Still the best deal in this price range.

I didn't purchased my T-fal Elegance set from Amazon. I found an exceptional deal at the beginning of December 2010 at my local Kroger-owned retail store. The 10-piece set was on sale for $79. In addition, the store was offering another 10% off, via coupon, and another 10% off for those 55 and older. When I got to the display in the store, I discovered an in-store coupon, offering the 12 " saute pan FREE with purchase of the 10-piece set. By the time I was finished, I paid about $64 for the 10-piece set, WITH that extra saute pan.

I have been VERY pleased with the set's performance. I immediately purchased some "Barkeepers Friend" cleanser, which is recommended by the mfg'r for cleaning. I have been using my 10" saute pan just about every morning (since December 10, 2010) to cook eggs or omelets and the pan has no discolorations inside or out. "Barkeepers Friend" is wonderful for cleaning stainless steel, and it also works effectively on my white porcelain sink if I don't want to bother with a bleach cleaner.

I experimented a little and quickly found that by using Pam Olive oil non-stick spray first, it is pretty much impossible to end up with any significant amount of food stuck to the pan. The secret is, DON'T OVERHEAT YOUR PAN!!! The only time I go above medium heat is if I want to sear fish or brown meat.

The pans are quick to heat and do so very evenly on my electric stove with conventional burners. When I make scrambled eggs, an omelette or eggs over easy, I spray the pan with Olive Oil Pam, heat up the pan on about 4 (about medium low), add the eggs and when they are finished cooking, in the case of eggs over easy, I have actually tipped the frying pan and slid them right out of the pan on to the plate. For scrambled or omelets, just let the eggs cook, don't stir them around, and they will easily come out of the pan with minimal use of a spatula or turner.

Once I am finished cooking, if there is any food residue at the bottom of the pan, I add enough WARM water to cover the residue and place the pan back on the burner (with heat OFF) that was previously in use. This makes cleanup even easier.

The two stainless tools that come with the set are nicely balanced and easy to use. I am also using the utensils I used to use in my old non-stick pans with good results--wooden spoons and plastic spoons and turners, and a rubber-covered whisk.

As for lids, the frying pans don't come with lids, but the lids on my old Wearever nonstick set fit perfectly, so I kept them and gave away the other pans. If I had needed additional lids, I would have measured to determine the size(s) and visited my local Goodwill or other thrift store, where there are plenty of glass lids to be found, if one doesn't want to purchase new ones at a retail store.

As a prior reviewer stated, if you follow the instructions that come with the set, you will be VERY happy with the results. The only additional info I would add is that using an Olive oil non-stick spray will make your experience even better.

I noticed there is a 3 quart covered pan available on Amazon, which I didn't see in my local store, so I may add that to my set, as it looks like a good option for a large batch of soup or stew.

I have tried many expensive cookware sets over the years and had to return them. I bought the large fry pan at another store and it worked out great. I then went to Amazon.com and found the entire set for under $100 and free shipping. I keep the burner on medium and no sticking. The cleanup is so easy and fast. Be sure to use a little cooking oil as to be expected with this type of pan. I was looking for quality that would last and these are that quality. Thanks again Amazon.com!

T-fal does not offer replacement lids for this cookware, which is an issue since glass lids are fairly easy to break. The pots have been fine.

Induction purrrrfect! I boiled some food in one, and instead of the food boiling over on to the stove, the bubbles came through the top holes in the cover. The liquid then stayed on the cover and did not run on to the stove.

These pans arrived quickly in perfect condition. They are the best pans I've ever owned - very durable, easy to clean, and work on induction range tops. It's a good starter set.

I've been using this set about 2 times a day for the past 3 years and I have had no issues with it at all,they clean up nicely with baking soda and they still look new.It's worth mentioning that this cookware pulls off very low temperature cooking with great ease and I've been very happy with the results.This may seem trivial but the metal utensils that come with this set are 1st grade and are very stiff,I put a lot of pressure on the metal spoon when frying rice and it handles all my force without flexing at all and I wish that my other metal utensils were as high quality as this.