Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set

5 Responses to “Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set”

1. kimz says:

   January 1, 2010 at 5:47 am

   Let me preface this review with the fact that I am Italian and raised 5 children on daily home-cooked meals. The kitchen is the center of my home. So when my daughter got her own apartment out west and asked for a set of pots for Christmas, I wanted to make sure I got her a quality set that would last her for years and years. I knew what I wanted for her, but didn’t know which brand to purchase. Non-stick was out (I have never liked it). The pots also had to be both dishwasher/oven safe, and I wanted the pot handles to be riveted into the pot. Off I went to the mall with my “specifications” in hand to look at the different brands and sets available. Boy was I amazed at how many there were! I took my time and examined each set. Not only did I look at the sets, but I also handled the sets. This is VERY important. Many of the quality sets were so heavy that I needed two hands to lift the larger pieces, and although I could lift the smaller saucepans, I had difficulty tilting them to the side to pour. Others had handles that were very uncomfortable to use. Then I came upon the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless 10-piece cookware set. I was very impressed by the quality. They were heavy grade yet easy to handle. They also met my other specifications listed above AND they looked really nice as well. The price of $149 was quite unbelievable. I drove home and ran straight to my computer and ordered the set through Amazon. I got free shipping and had the set delivered directly to my daughter. I also used the holiday bonus coupon for $25 off my order. I was so impressed with the set and the deal Amazon was offering, a few days later I purchased a second set through Amazon for myself. I LOVE them. They cook beautifully on my gas range and clean up well in the dishwasher. The handles DO NOT get hot while cooking, which totally surprised me. Do be careful with the lid handles though. They will get hot if cooking on higher heat. I haven’t had a problem with delicate foods burning due to the high thermoconductivity of the pans; however, my stove is a professional grade 6-burner unit. I don’t know if that makes any difference or not. All I can say is this set looks great, cooks great, handles great, and sells at a great price. What more can you ask for?
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. Gerhard Bohn says:

   January 1, 2010 at 7:07 am

   The day after Thanksgiving, “Black Friday” is the official kick off of the Holiday shopping season. I have never participated in this event, however those 20% coupons to shop between 6AM and 11AM enticed me. I needed a new cookware set, since my old pots and pans dated back to before I was born.
   
   I am known as the “Research King” & “The Negotiator”, so yes I did my homework. I was going to purchase a non stick set for $300.00, however you have to “feel” the set before buying. Is the weight even, do the covers fit right – you know what I mean. NOTE: I cook every night and have for years. I am not a Chef, but can cook a great meal.

   Right next to Anolon at Macy’s Dept. store, was the Cuisinart 10 Piece Classic Stainless cookware. It looked good, the weight was even, the lids fit great, but why so inexpensive? I researched Cuisinart and knew it was a good brand, so after playing around with the pots and pans for 20 minutes I bought the set! So this is what I got:

   - 8″ & 10″ Skillet
   
   - 1.5 QT & 3 QT Saucepan with covers
   
   - 3.5 QT Saute with helper handle and cover
   
   - 8 QT Stockpot with cover
   
   FREE Gift with purchase: 2 QT Saucier
   
   Extra Purchase: 5 1/2 QT All purpose pan with cover.

   So, all in all, I got a 13 piece set for the grand total of: $130.75

   Yes, I took advantage of a 20% coupon and then an additional 10% coupon. All 13 pieces are part of Cusinarts’s Cheft’s Classic line.

   My Experience: (Rate by school grade A through F)

   * Appearance: All the pieces looked great. The set looks as if it should be worth $500.00 (Grade A )

   * Weight: The weight of each piece is solid and even. An important point because I flip my food and move the pans a lot while cooking. Note: These pieces do not feel cheap. Very good solid feel. (A-)

   * Covers: The lids are a little light in weight, however they create a vacum seal when the heat is turned down. They do a better job then I expected. Normally with lighter lids you think they would wiggle and pop off, but these hold tight! (B )

   * Handles: Solid Stainless steel, riveted handle. Solid feel and yes they stay cool. Also long enough to get a good grip. (A)

   * Heat Distribution – Cuisinart recommends cooking on lower heat. Yes, this is true. The aluminum bottoms heat quickly and there are no hot spots. Trust me, use low heat. (A )

   * Sticking – Well, these are not non stick. I used most of these pots and pans already to reheat our Thanksgiving dinner. Some things really stuck to the pots even when using PAM. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, stuck like glue. Next morning: Bacon stuck, but eggs did not. Go figure…. (B-)

   * Clean Up: Water and soap in pan right after cooking. Yes this works well, but I have always done this. (B)

   * Dishwasher: Yes, they are dishwasher safe, however after one cycle, the inside bottoms of a couple of pans had a purple tint to it. So, I have decided just to hand wash these for now. (Until I get lazy). (C-)

   Final grade: B
   
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. Jolly Gourmand says:

   January 1, 2010 at 8:10 am

   Guess again!

   The 5-piece starter set includes the 8 qt. covered stockpot, 3 qt. covered pot and 10″ open skillet. This set sells (curently on the Amazon site on 10/01/2005)for $59.99. Add the following open stock items currently on the Amazon site:

   -1 1/2 qt. covered sauce pan; $13.99
   
   -3 1/2 qt. saute’ pan with helper handle and lid; $20.99.
   
   -8″ open skillet; $13.99

   -TOTAL $108.96 !!!! (If I added correctly)

   There are some other good Cuisinart open stock values out there as well.

   Not rocket science; just another example of Amazon’s sometimes quirky pricing.

   (9/24 update): There have been many price changes (mostly trending lower and revised in my example above) for this fine Cuisinart Chef’s Classic line. Be a smart shopper and check the openstock (and starter set) item prices first before purchasing a larger multi-item set.
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. Anonymous says:

   January 1, 2010 at 9:15 am

   I’ll echo what many other reviewers have said: This is very good cookware at a very reasonable price. I don’t think you can beat the value.

   A few notes: While the handles are metal, the long handles do stay cool, unlike some other metal handled cookware — I haven’t had to grab a towel yet. The lids included also fit both frying pans, which is quite handy. This cookware isn’t light, but has a good heft to it. Lids fit well, making simmering and steaming easy. Unlike glass lids which can be hard to clean where the glass joins the metal rim, these all metal lids clean up very easily.

   Overall, the set performs very well, providing even heat distribution and making cooking much easier — no more having to constantly keep attending to the pan just to keep food from sticking on one hot spot.

   Highly recommended for the price!
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. T. Magee says:

   January 1, 2010 at 9:42 am

   This cookware is well made with rivited handles like what is used in professional kitchens. I recieved my order in less time than was estimated. My order arrived in well packed boxes with no damage.
   
   This cookware heats eavenly and is easy to clean as long as you clean as you go. For the stovetop, the long handles stay cool but you may want to use protection on the small handles. This cookware is also oven safe to 500 degrees. This set should last for years of trouble free service. I highly recomend it as a starter set for those that are newly maried, or new to the kitchen. I would recomend a second 1.5 quart sause pan (for those that cook for 1 or 2.) I also recomend adding the 2 quart sause pan (or 2 for larger families) to round out the set. For those that make scrambled eggs frequently you may want to look at the chef’s classic nonstick skillets as well.
   
   Things you have to remember:
   
   1: This is not a nonstick set of cookware… you will have to clean it before residual food drys onto it or you’ll be using some elbow grease to get it clean.
   
   2: The disk on the bottom is attached with epoxy and will seperate if you boil it dry and let it sit on a hot burner so don’t let that happen.
   
   3: Do not use high heat settings especally with gas cooking the flame will discolor the pan. Medium heat is just right.
   
   4: It’s cookware you will use it, and it’ll scratch. It’s not for decroation if you want pretty pans, get 2 sets the price is right.
   
   Amazon’s price with the additon of the 4 pc kitchen tool set (free) the super saver shiping, and the $25.00 may discount (I noticed there’s a june discount now as well) made this set much less than was available at the mall and worth the wait for shipping.

   Added 12/11/2005
   
   After 6 months of everyday use, the finish on this cookware is still very nice even with a few scratches. I have noticed that I use lower heat on the stove (gas) meaning a lower monthly bill. I have noticed that when using the dishwasher there is some minor discoloration but that is easily removed with barkeepers friend. I am still verry happy with this cookware, and have added other itmes this line.
   Rating: 5 / 5