Cookware Reviews

We purchased this pan in December, primarily to boil large amounts of pasta, or corn on the cob. However, we enjoy making meat sauce for spaghetti and sauteing crab cakes, salmon, etc. Why? All the fat from the saute is caught by the sides of the pan, thus making stovetop cleanup a thing of the past. We thought the pan would be heavier, however, it still does a great job. Thanks Amazon for yet ANOTHER great deal !!!

I got mine on a Friday sale for fifteen bucks with free super saver shipping..but even at today's $19.99 price this is an absolute steel for a marvelous dutch oven type pan. No, this isn't QUITE as heavy a guage as Calphalon, but for twenty bucks it's exceptionally well made and worth WAAAY more. And it has a non stick coating, so for braising roasts or stew meat etc. it deglazes and cleans easily. And the high domed glass lid makes this perfect for stewing a chicken or other tall items.

The included lid alone would easily sell for fifteen bucks on its own. And if you've already bought the Analon deep sided everything pan (which comes without a lid, THIS lid fits that pan as well. And if you DON'T already have the deep sided skillet.. GET one. Between these two pieces you'd have a well equipped range and likely not need any other large pots n pans.

I recently purchased the Professional Deep 12" Skillet to replace an existing set of T-Fal pans that I owned and I was very pleased with the qaility of this pan. So much that I threw all my T-Fals in the garbage. The only problem with the pan was that it had no lid, I didn't need it for the splatter, because this pan is deep enough that I get no mess on my stove top, but I needed one for certain recipes that I cook. So I decided to buy the 7 1/2 Quart everything pan, in hope that the lid would also fit my skillet. To my joy it did, even after reading one bad review that the pan was flimsy and the lid didn't seal, I found that to be wrong. It's Perfect!
It's low and wide, so it cooks a little bit faster than my other stock pots. Great job Meyer Corp. I look forward to years of cooking enjoyment with these pans.

If you look at the other Rival Fondue pot sold on Amazon, you will see that it has much more balanced reviews then this one. People say that it is very good in concept and in a lot of ways, but that it is difficult to keep the tempature steady. That is the exact case with this one too. By this one for $25, here or at Target, and you will be very happy with it, and have saved yourself $15 or more.

Our only experience with Fondue is at a Restuarant in Denver were they make it in front of you, and at one in Breckenridge, CO, where they bring it to you already made. Based on that experience and reading all the reviews we went out in search of the West Bend Fondue maker that people review very well on Amazon. We couldn't find it, so we went to Target and got this one. That nice we cooked up a recipe that we found on Allrecipe.com, and it was great. We made it from start to finish in the fondue pot, and with constant stirring and a few changes to the tempature control, we didn't have any problems. The only way you are going to get more consistant heat is from a gas burner on your stove top.

As for the people that complain about the "electronics coming loose", they are just confused. The light on the thermistat tells you when the heating element is on, not when it is plugged it. Of course it is going to turn off and on. The magnetic hold plug, stays on tight enough to not come loose, but loose enough to breakaway if someone were to trip over it. Granted, it would be tough to trip over a 2 foot cord, but I think it must be the law or something. Anyway, it works fine.

Final Word: A great deal and the same problems as all fondue pots, no more.

I bought this set for my husband and thought we might make fondue every once in a while. It is so easy to clean and extremely easy to use, that we cook in it all the time. We have made several cheese fondues, broths and chocolate. Unlike the "burner" type of fondue sets, this is safe and heats evenly and quickly. I can leave the room and not worry about setting the house on fire. The plug fits well and will only come out if you trip over the cord. This is great if you have pets or kids running around. You will not lose your dinner if someone is clutsy.

We brought our set over to my in-laws for Christmas for a cheese appetizer and it was a huge hit. My mother in law used her set for chocolate. Hers had the flame below and did not heat evenly and took significantly longer to heat the chocolate. It took me seconds to clean my set while my mother in law was scrubbing her old style set. I would highly recommend this brand and type of fondue set!

Bigger than it looks, this little gem of a fondue maker would make a great gift for college students. Why? Not because you can expect your son or daughter to suddenly become a suave sophisticate who entertains their fellow dorm buddies with fondue parties, but because this little gadget really cooks! Takes up less space than a microwave (ok, it won't make popcorn, but microwave popcorn isn't all that good for you anyway...) Remove the fondue ring and it becomes a versatile little pot that, with a little imagination, can cook virtually anything. The adjustable thermostat heats up to 400 degrees, so making soup, chili, hamburgers, grilled cheese, ramen noodles and all their other favorites would be easy. Plus, there's the mom approved break-away safety electrical cord. The non-stick interior makes clean up a breeze.

We bought the set one year ago that did not include the non-stick frying pans, so we have no experience with those items. We were looking for a dishwasher-safe cookware set. This stainless cookware looks beautiful out of the dishwasher, except for the interior bottoms of the uncoated pots and pans. They scorch easily, which means frequent hand-washing with a scrubbing pad. Be aware that the non-stick frying pans are polished aluminum (not stainless steel) and will quickly discolor when washed in a dishwasher.

Otherwise, this is a nice set of cookware. It just required more effort to clean than we wanted.

Wow! This has got to be the deal of the century, and not only that, these pans will last you almost that long! My mother has had a set for 35 years, and I've had mine for 5. Nearly indestructible, dishwasher safe, good performers on the stovetop, with stay-cool handles! They even look great after all those years! The main issue with the old Farberware was that food could stick to it, so with this set they've included non-stick pans. This has to be about the perfect starter set for anybody -- extremely easy to use even for cooking dummies (which I was when I bought my first set). I mean, how often do you buy a gift knowing that it will still be around 20, 30, 40 years from now? That amounts to about 1 cent per day for the whole set!
By the way, if they do break down, they come with a Lifetime Warranty.

Keep in mind that because they are mostly stainless steel, with an aluminum bottom, they do not heat up quite as fast as, say, hard-anodized aluminum such as Calphalon, which gourmets prefer. Stainless steel is a poor heat conductor, while aluminum is good and copper is the best.

The Farberware Classic 8-Piece Cookware Set is outstanding. I purchased my first set of Farberware (Classic)about 27 years ago. One of the knobs came off 2 weeks ago. I saw this set and decided to add to my 1st set. This one has a 6QT. pot which my first set didn't have. Also good non-stick(frying Pans)were not around back then. I didn't expect this set to be as heavy as it is. IT IS SIMPLEY FIRST CLASS! This price is not to be believed. I wish I needed ANOTHER SET!:) Pamper yourself...BUY IT. You won't be sorry.

I've had this cookware about six months and it performs beautifully. Heats quickly and evenly. Handles don't get too hot. No sticking (so far), even though it's uncoated. Consumer Reports did a recent review of the stainless counterpart (Multiclad) and gave it only a "good" review, but I think this particular set performs as well as All-Clad and Calphalon Commercial (I have both, so this is direct comparison). The only negative is that the larger (3 3/4 qt) saucepan could use a counter balance handle, as it's heavy and awkward to lift when full and hot. I'd prefer glass lids too, but the contrast of the stainless lids/handles and the copper body is very nice. Need to use copper cleaner occasionally, but it doesn't tarnish too badly.

The Cuisinart Copper Classic Cookware 10 Piece Set ...is the best price I found anywhere! The equivalent All-Clad set would have cost me over $1,200. I have been cooking for more than 30 years. Most of those years as a professional. This 10 piece set by Cuisinart is based on the All-Clad "Cop-R-Chef" design, just in my opinion the Cuisinart is better quality. Heavier, and just seems to cook better. I would absolutely recommend this set to both professionals and beginners alike. HATS OFF TO CUISINART AGAIN!

I found out (after calling twice and soaking my pans for half a day) that if your pans ship with bubble wrap and plastic wrap they don't have the coating that has to be peeled off.

Otherwise I've only cooked with one pan once, loved it that time, but haven't had a chance to really play.

I thought I'd add this for someone else and not wait. I'll add more later.

Don't get me wrong, I like this pan, it is the equal of all the other Calphalon I've bought (and that's a lot) with one exception, it isn't perfectly flat on the bottom. I thought maybe it was me, but others have had the same experience. My electric stove is so old that the pan doesn't spin on the burner, but the first time I washed it, I put it on the counter and could spin it around several times without much pressure. I thought maybe I had done something wrong, but I e-mailed Calphalon anyway...I'm still disappointed that I received NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR REPLY. Other than the carousel effect, the pan is all that you'd expect it to be, heats evenly, cleans up easily....and you can give the cat a merry-go-round ride.

I received this pan as a wedding gift two years ago and I have used it just about every day since then. I frequently use it for one-dish dinners and browning meats-usually sausages. It heats evenly and it can be put into the oven to keep dinner warm. I read that you could actually bake in it, but I've never tried it. The only downside to this pan is that it does not have the stay-cool handles that the commercial series does, but as long as you can remember to use your potholders, I'm sure you will love this pan just as much as I do.

I just love my Calphalon pots, pans and skillets. They are wonderful. Clean easily, cook well, and the prices can not be beat. This one is no exception to the rule. I like using this one for smaller portions of marinara, soup and chicken chili. I have not had the problem asthe other reviewers have stated, the spinning of the pan. Yes, the handles get hot, I guess if I have a down point for this pan, that would be it.

I've used it a couple of times for chocolate, and once with cheese. Chocolate worked great because I melted the chocolate in a double boiler and then poured it into the fondue pot to keep warm. When I did cheese, I made the fondue right in the pot, which wasn't such a good idea. The heating element, like most, is either on or off. This means that it gets things very hot, then the thermostat turns off the element and gets it very cold, before it cycles on again. This makes it impossible to keep things at a simmer while you try melting your cheese. When the heating element is on, there is a ring of boiling cheese right over the heating element, meaning that there needs to be much stirring. Next time I do cheese fondue, I'm going to make it elsewhere (on my stovetop) and then transfer it to the pot to keep warm while I enjoy it.

I received one of these as a wedding gift several years ago. It sat in the box for a couple of years, then after an excursion to a high-priced fondue restaurant, we decided to dig the pot out and see if we could replicate it the cheese fondue we had loved at the restaurant for less at home.

Previously, we had been to parties where people had cheese fondue and I had watched our hosts and hostesses struggle with keeping the gel fuel or Sterno lit, or waiting forever for the candle in the base to heat up the pot. I had never seen an electric fondue pot, so I didn't know how it would compare.

The pot performed wonderfully. There is a thermostat on the electric component that allows you precise control of how hot the pot gets. We have now done oil, cheese and chocolate fondue in the pot and it always works perfectly. The thermostat lets you keep the oil hot enough, but also allows you to adjust the heat downwards as necessary so you don't burn your cheese or chocolate fondue. The pot heats up quickly for fast melting.

Best of all, you can detach the electric switch/thermostat from the pot and completely submerse the pot for cleaning, which is important when you're dealing with gooey cheese and chocolate!

We love this fondue pot! We actually bought a second one for when we have fondue parties, so we can have different kinds of fondue, or a fondue meal without having to wash a pot out. It would also be great for queso dip and chips, and would keep the dip hotter and be less bulky than the crockery-pot a lot of people use for keeping queso dip hot. I really can't recommend these pots highly enough. If you love fondue, get one of these pots today!

I just received this fondue pot a few days ago and I couldn't wait to try it! I had fond memories of my mother serving fondue when I was a child and I have to say, it is just as fun now as when I was 10 years old! Just last night, my boyfriend and I had a nice romantic evening enjoying a fondue meal. I can't remember having such a fun time during dinner!

The pot and forks are of excellent quality and everything is surprisingly easy to clean, which is important if you want to totally enjoy the experience. The pot is an excellent design -- I was impressed by the sturdiness of the legs especially.

If you want to entertain others or just yourself, get this fondue pot! You won't regret it. Fondue is easy and fun!

First of all, the handle on one of the lids (on the large pot) fell off. BOO! I'd rather replace the pan than replace the lid's handle, which probably costs just as much.

The nonstick coating has lasted two years - cool!

The handles are all made of plastic, so these can not go into the oven. This is bad, unless you don't cook much. A good nonstick, ovenproof pan is a must for anyone who wants to make things like a fritatta.

I just moved into my first apartment and this was the cookware set that I bought. I am glad I bought it because of the quality and the price. However, I used the large skillet in this set to make hamburgers and because the pan was heated without any food in it, it has lost it's non-stick quality. I now need to buy another skillet for stir-frying, etc, and keep the skillet from this set for the hamburgers. In case you plan on using a skillet for grilling, it probably is wiser to buy a seperate skillet specifically for that use.

Overall, this is an excellent, multi-purpose set. I especially like the fact that it is easy to clean, the lids have a steam vent, the pots and pans are light to carry and the handles don't get hot. This is a great basic set within a good price range.

When I bought this set, I was looking for an upgrade from my older, cheap cookware. I did some research before purchasing, and decided the T-Fal set was the best value for the money.

Just looking at the set up close, you can see the quality construction. The pans feel heavy and solid, and the non-stick surface is thick and has obvious quality with its lifetime warranty. The non-stick performs flawlessly, as I can easily remove food left for hours without needing to soak the pan first.

Also, since I hang my pans from a display rack in my kitchen, the durability of the enamel coating was important to me. I've owned other T-Fal products for several years, and I can barely notice scratches on the exterior despite constant use. According to T-Fal, the Amaral line has their best enamel, and it has held up well for me.

Caring for the set is easy. Clean up is a snap with the non-stick surface, but T-Fal recommends that you do not wash these pans in the dishwasher. Also, remember not to use metal utensils when cooking, or you could scratch the non-stick surface.

I would say the one shortcoming of this set is that it doesn't include a deep pan. This didn't matter to me, as I already had one from T-Fal (and it remains my favorite and most used since the high sides prevent spillover better than the shallow pan). I would recommend adding one to complement this fine set.

The best family griddle you can buy. It is truly nonstick. You do not need to use oil, unless you want to for flavor. 8 grill cheeses at once, 6 to 8 pancakes at once. Super easy clean up. Cord unplugs from griddle then dunk it into the soap water. Stays cool underneath so can be used on most any surface.

I have used this for eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes. It cooks evenly every time. It takes no time at all to clean it. I would definately recommend this to those with families!

I got this as a wedding gift in December, and have used it to make pancakes, hot sandwiches, quesadillas, spanish omelettes... I hated having to sit by the stove cooking Sun morning pancakes one item at a time (in my pre-griddle days). By the time I was done cooking all the batter, and ready to sit down, my husband would already have been done eating!! Now, I can cook these things in a jiffy, and be able to sit down & enjoy eating them with my husband. this has to be one of our favorite gifts that we got off the registry.

I have always wanted to own a classic aluminum piece of cookware and a skillet was a perfect choice. I had two gift certificates from doing online surveys so my total cost out of pocket after shipping was added was .58. So, I thought even if I didn't like the pan a great deal once I got it I only paid .58 cents and it would be no big loss. Was I pleasantly surprised at the curvy lines and clean appearance and tight fitting lid. It cooks wonderfully and the rolled, high sides make cooking even easier and cleanup is easy too. I can see myself reaching for this skillet time and time again. (The only flaw is it could use a handle on the opposite side to make draining liquids easier.) :-)

This is a nice size frypan,that is not heavy and cumbersome. It cleans up in a snap! The cover fits on with an even better seal than the older Farberware pans I own! The handle is comfortable and stays cool, as is true of all the Farberware pans I own. The hook on the handle makes it most convenient to hang the pan on a pot rack! Thre pan distributes the heat quite nicely, the food comes out done evenly! I would not trade this pan for the pricier brands around, which are more cumbersome and heavy, this one is more fun to cook in for me.

This pan was part of a set I received when I married 20 years ago. Three kids, multiple moves and thousands of washings later it is still my favorite. Cooks evenly, washes easily without losing the shine. Finally the handle gave out. The pan is in great condition so I'll probably scout around for a replacement handle!

...you'll need it if you don't want to break your wrist lifing this puppy. Don't get me wrong, I love Le Creuset and know the items are heavy, but this was just designed poorly. It is just too heavy to lift by that one handle and two awkward to try and lift it with two. This is the one Le Creuset item I own that I rarely ever use.

As another reviewer has mentioned, this pot is actually 3.5qt according to the markings cast into it and also the box label. However, unlike the 3.5qt French Oven, it has a single straight pot handle (about 4" long, just fits in the hand) rather than two U-shaped handles, which I think is a little less practical. This thing is heavy on its own, and even heavier when it's full of food, so you really want to be moving it with both hands. Also, if you're going to take advantage of its good looks to serve food directly from the pot, the handle will take up space on the table and increase the chances that somebody will burn themselves on it, especially if it's been in the oven so that the handle is very hot.

Still though, this thing has true Le Creuset quality, meaning that it's great for slow-cooking but can also sear/brown foods at higher heat, which is a critical combination of features for many soups and stews, which call for searing or caramelizing ingredients before the liquid is added, which then deglazes all those great-tasting bits from the browning process into the liquid. Also, this pot will last forever if properly cared for, so consider that when deciding if it is worth the price.

In summary, I bought this particular piece because of a temporary price markdown that made it too good to pass up, but generally speaking, the French Ovens from Le Creuset are a bit more practical because of the handle issue.

The cooking is wonderful. This is my 2nd Le Creuset. I bought this 3.5 quarts with one handle and I regret! With hot food in it, coming out of the oven with your 2 hands on this only handle its heavy! Don't buy it for Gran'Ma she won't like it. I suggest the 2 handles one.