Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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183 of 184 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well thought out and well executed design, April 11, 2006
This is the set you want. Why? Here are some reasons. Some are about Stainless steel cookware in general, but all apply specifically to this set.
o Stainless steel is sanitary. You can get them perfectly clean very easily. (Commercial food processors are often required to use stainless steel for nearly everything that comes in contact with food.)
o Stainless steel cleans up nearly as easily non-stick cookware. You do clean it differently, however.
o These pans have an aluminum core wrapped on both sides by stainless steel. Stainless steel does not transmit heat quickly but aluminum does. Aluminum is soft and dents easily, stainless steel is hard and strong. This means you get the toughness of stainless steel with the even heat distribution of aluminum.
o Even heat distribution and rapid heating allows you use lower heat setting thus saving energy and reducing the chance of burning food.
o Handles stay fairly cool, better than most cookware I have used.
o Dishwasher safe, unlike most non-stick pans.
o Oven-safe. Like to grill that steak then broil it to get it tender? Or you need to bake that stuffing then keep it warm? Use one pan!
o Pans are a little bottom heavy. They will not tip as easily as lighter weight pans, even empty or with a large spoon hanging off one side.
o Pans are well balanced and not too heavy. Want to flip those pancakes or toss those grilled onions, these pans give you fine control. They have been excellent for every use I have put them through.
o Lids are interchangeable and fit well! The lids even fit the skillets which is great if you are making grilled sandwiches. Note that lids may seem loose, especially when pans are cold. Remember that as pans get hot, their shape can change. Also, you do not want a perfect seal as you can make a bomb just by boiling water. Thus the lids need a little room to vent steam as well as accommodate changes in the shape of the pan.
If you have a gas range, consider using a flame deflector. This is good advice for ANY type of cookware.
Personally, I have owned the high quality non-stick stuff as well as stainless steel cookware. The non-stick stuff is quite over-rated, it does not clean up any more easily than the stainless pans. None of my non-stick Analon and Caliphon stuff has lasted more than six or eight years. The only stainless steel pot I ever had I got from my mother back in 1979. It is in great condition and looks like I bought it last month.
Unfortunately, some researches recently have linked some of the binding agents in non-stick cookware to cancer, so perhaps, to be safe, avoid the complex chemical treatments of the non-stick stuff and go for simple stainless steel.
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76 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At this price point, the best., January 2, 2007
I just received this set for Christmas and have been cooking up a storm since that morning. This set replaces a "set" of random pans that included hand-me-downs and cheap poseurs. This is my first set of truly high-quality cookware.
In shopping for this (it's a gift I gave myself), I was considering several different brands and model lines. Although I own several All-Clad pans and love using them, I was hesitant about spending that kind of money on a set similar to this one. Far less expensive, but by no means inexpensive are stainless steel sets by Calphalon and KitchenAid. I really like both and was having a hard time making up my mind. That is, until I happened to take a closer look at Cuisinart's cookware. I already owned a braiser from their Everyday Stainless line (their cheapest) and liked it well enough. However, I wanted to step up to something a bit better. (I'm not sure the Everyday Stainless is even available anymore.) I wanted cookware that had an aluminum core and whose core extends up the sides of every pan, regardless of size. I wanted stainless with riveted handles (not spot-welded) and with a mirror finish for easy cleaning. I wanted pans that could withstand oven roasting temperatures. I wanted pans that were free of manufacturing flaws such as surface waves and imperfections or rivets that bend the pan surface when attaching the handles to the sides of the pan. Finally, I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg.
The Multiclad Pro line gives me all of the above, with the slight exception of the mirror finish. It isn't quite a mirror, although it's certainly easy to clean when soaked for several minutes. (The lids and handles are mirrored.) The heating is wonderfully even and, as the literature states, I don't need to use high heat even to sear or quick sautee because the pans respond to and retain the heat so well. At first, I thought the slight curve of the handles would make them uncomfortable due to the pressure point of the index finger's lever (unlike All-Clad's straight handles which distribute the pan's weight over all the fingers). However, this isn't so. The pans are comfortable to use and aren't unduly heavy and their curve has the added benefit of less height, making storage easier. The lids are tight-fitting, some being interchangeable so that each pan has one. The pans have a slight flare at the lip, making pouring easy and drip-free.
For $250, this set is tough to beat. Cooking with All-Clad is great and if you can afford it, go for it. However, if you're more about the food than showing your cookware to friends and if All-Clad's prices give you pause, I highly recommend Cuisinart's Multiclad Pro cookware. Once in awhile, I watch cooking shows and I've been seeing this cookware being used on a few of them (Nigella Lawson, for example). This is undoubtedly smart marketing by Cuisinart, but its use is in the kitchen of a pro (as well as its name) is absolutely justified.
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64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ah, the joy of cooking..., April 13, 2006
...with the right pot.
When I was checking into buying more high-quality cookware a few years ago, I was totally sold on AllClad, but then a friend of mine whose job at the time was to test kitchen cookware (if you can believe that!) told me I should check out Cuisinart's MultiClad line instead. Turns out it's had the same features (and add-ons) as the AllClad I was so in love with (stainless steel wrapped around an aluminum core), but without the major price tag that comes with the "AllClad" name.
So I got the Cuisinart line and absolutely have loved it ever since - I've even been adding to my collection every year or so.
As far as comparing it to nonstick cookware...well, I still have some nonstick pieces, but I don't use them much - a little bit of Pam Cooking Spray, and I haven't had any trouble. It also comes with great cleaning instructions...in fact, mine still looks almost new.
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