Cookware Set Reviews

I had searched and researched for months debating between All Clad and Kitchen Aid. When I saw the price I couldn't refuse the amazon Kitchen Aid. I love it, it looks good and is a treat to cook with. The handles are comfortable, stay cool and the cookware is not too heavy. I think this is a nice basic set to start with that is not too expensive and will last a life time. Depending on what types of dishes you like to cook mixing up the cookware is also a good idea, a few non-stick pieces, braisers and dutch or french ovens and casseroles may also be a nice addition. Kitchen Aid has limited pieces but what they do not have All Clad does and it too will last forever. Happy cooking!

You can take the cooking quality for granted. They heat fast and evenly. We purchased these over a year ago at this discounted price after we got a new stove. We needed the new flat bottom cookware to go with the ceramic stovetop. They are still beautiful. The inside bottom of the pans will turn slightly multicolored if your teenager cooks on high. I always put a little non-stick spray around the rivets just in case some food got that high - I really don't want to spend my time cleaning them. We do not put ours in the dishwasher because the gleam and we want to keep them that way as much as possible. They are somewhat heavy due to the 5 ply but not too heavy as my wife enjoys them. You'll feel like you have quality in your hands every time you cook with them.

GREAT COOKWARE - nobody who's used it would argue, and I also have some All-Clad pieces - the Kitchenaid actually cooks more evenly! Reviewers have commented about care: my set is over a year old, and still looks great. Why? a) NEVER use steel wool - if it's burned on, soak it. b) I DO dishwash them (they come out fine). c) to remove discolorations (I do this after dishwashing) get a can of Cameo Aluminum and Stainless Steel Cleaner (in the same section as Bon Ami) - sprinkle some directly onto the pan, and wipe it around with a damp sponge. d) NEVER scrub (even with a sponge or plastic scraper) in a back-and-forth manner - go in circles. These pans have a slightly matt finish in the inside to help hide scratches, but it's a swirled finish, not side-to-side (those back-and-forth scratches never come out) To get extra pieces Amazon.comdoesn't carry, check out potsandpans.com. Amazon.com's prices are the best but they only stock about 20% of what Meyer (Kitchenaid's manufacturer) makes for this line!

I have wanted to upgrade my pans for some time, so several months ago I started looking at Anodized Aluminum cookware.

I wanted glass covers, stay cool handles, durability and rigidity/flatness. The last feature is critically important on my electric stove's glass surface. Pans that are warped wobble and food moves around in them making them annoying to use.

This set has every feature I was looking for.

I bought my first set from Amazon, and they are still rock solid. I use them constantly. An egg in the fry pan falls in the pan and stays, it doesn't take a hiatus to the low point of the pan.

The surfaces are durable. I follow directions pretty much, but have used metal utensils on occasion and found them unscathed.

My only complaint is this small 9 piece set gives you a 1 quart pan and a 3 quart pan. 1 quart is very small and doesn't get used much, so that puts too much demand on the 3 quart. Fortunately, I was able to pick up another set piecemeal, and now, with two 3 quart pans and a couple of extra covers, I am very happy.

I have purchased some Calphalon, and I have no qualms with the products. I just don't see any quality difference for the money. For nonstick, I think Anolon is better. If you want some pans that are not non-stick, you can augment this set with Calphalon separates (like I prefer the Calphalon broiling pan with rack so I can use metal utensils making gravy).

I guess what I am saying overall is this set is, if not better, as good as, Calphalon. And it is way cheaper, so there is just no comparison.

This was my first purchase of a "professional" quality cookware set. My other pans were the Teflon specials and Revere Ware bought from discount stores. Man, what a difference! These pans are simply awesome. I bought the big 12-inch sauté pan and then I bought a complete set. The heat distribution is amazing and I absolutely love the glass lids.

Drawback: The side and lid handles get fairly hot when in use (not enough to burn you, but you can't hold on to them more than a few seconds). I wished they did not use metal handles on the lid, but something that would not transfer the heat as easily as metal.

This is a minor annoyance in an otherwise great product. Hey, grab a handle once or twice and you'll learn real fast. A great addition to any kitchen and highly endorsed!

I am a person who loves to cook although I wouldn't call myself a "gourmet". I waited a long time before getting new cookware, but these were worth the wait.

Anaolon Professionals are very resonably priced and are a delight to work with. They are easy to use, easy to clean and handsome enough to display. Food cooks very evenly and quickly, it is actually hard to burn anything, and the no-stick surface is very durable. They clean easily with soap and water and require no special care. I could not be more pleased with my purchase.

Everything simply slides right off of these pots and pans! They are very sturdy and functional. The handles have no rivets that go through the pan and collect gunk, and they are oven proof up to 350 F, a great feature. I also love the clear lids that let me see what I am cooking.
I have never put these through the dish washer nor have I used any cooking sprays on them. Both of these things are supposed to be harmful to the teflon coating, but I have found that nothing will stick to them so cleaning is easy, and little oil is needed. This set came with everything I needed for my daily cooking needs, but I have recently added the pasta pot and griddle to my collection and love them both.

I recently was looking through Amazon's site and saw the price on this set and I was amazed. My wife and I received this set almost 10 years ago as a wedding gift. At that time it sold for about [money]. Our set still looks almost new! The clear glass lids work great and are very rugged. They have been dropped and banged around many times with no ill effects. Our saute pan is showing signs of wear but considering it is used every day it still lets a fried egg slide right out with no oil! I'm planning on buy another set and just keeping in the attic!! The bonus casserole pan makes this offer almost to hard to believe! Buy this with confidence!

I love this set. The nonstick surface works very well, and is easy to clean. The see-thru lids are nice, and the work well on the saute pans and skillets as well (even though they aren't pictured that way). The lids make great splatter screens. The quality is very good. These items were on our wedding registry. What a great, lasting item.

The finish on this pot is excellent. With its no stick finish you can cook pasta, vegetables or anything without sticking. I have always used stainless steel and this is far better even for cleanup. You do not need abrasives to clean. Just dish detergent. The 6 quart size is just perfect for my family of five. You won't be disappointed.

I also only expected the pot and lid, which were an exceptional value.Was trying to find a pasta insert. I love all
my circulon and this one is no exception. I have replaced all
of my cookware over the past couple months with circulon so I
cannot comment on it's durability but have used several pcs.
several times and am very pleased with the results and clean-up
is a breeze. Both price and product are unbeatable!

This type of pot is really a must for those who enjoy making pasta frequently (Atkin's people...that was your cue to stop reading). The design is better than most other Pasta Sets I have seen. The problem is usually with the size of the collander insert in relation to the pot. Sometimes the collander doesn't go deep enough to allow room for enough water/pasta. No such issue here. Everything fits nicely in place and there is the typical Circulon quality.

One point to consider is that this model pot is thinner than some of the newer Circulon products. Though, I've found this to be a good thing. The nicest thing about this pot is how light it is. I have other Circulon styles that are more sturdy, but they really do get heavy - especially when filled with water. I really think Circulon got it right with this particular
version.

The Skinny:
I bought this piece for my wife, who'd been wanting a nice set of "formal" cookware. I have to say, the set is beautiful.

The Good:
Each piece has a solid, good weight and from what I can tell, the cooking is pretty even. They're almost like art pieces - we were scared to use them at first, cause we wanted to keep them in their "new"-ish glory for a while...

The Okay:
To be completely honest, you're probably gonna do just as well with imitation stainless pieces like emeril-ware or something from cuisinart, etc. However, it's the difference between name brand and imitation.

Clean up, of course, is a little trickier than with the traditional non-stick. If you get this set assuming it'll be an easy clean up job, you're diluding yourself - no matter what everyone else says.

The Ugly:
The only downside to this set, aside from lacking one extra lid, is that the fry pan is pretty useless. It's really too small to be of any use besides maybe cooking an omelette for one. I knew, going in, it was smallest piece in the set, but it's a lot smaller than I expected. That's why I gave this set a 4/5 instead of it's full 5.

I used to blame my lack of cooking in part on the fact that I had a terrible apartment kitchen with no counter space.

Well, that much is partially true, but after I received this set for my birthday one year, I realized it was also the pots I was using. And that with the right equipment, cooking is truly a joy.

I had an old set of hand-me-down Revereware. Competent enough, but their age was showing... and when it took me two hours to boil potatoes in the big pot (and they still didn't get completely done!) I was ready to throw them all out the window. Enter All Clad.

All Clad is not nonstick, and you do have to take care of it (although I do put mine in the dishwasher) but the shine is enough that you won't have much trouble if you clean up (or at least soak) immediately. Don't let it sit -- I'm still scrubbing the remains of some soy sausages from my skillet! (Although perhaps I shouldn't have cooked those in the first place.)

They have a solid aluminum core, which definitely makes them heat evenly. They also heat fast! As as example, when I first got my set, I whipped out the saute pan (by far my favorite piece of cookware) and added a little olive oil. I turned the stove on medium. I walked out of the room for about three minutes. When I came back in, I was going to add my chicken. The chicken sizzled... enough that I turned the heat down to medium low, even low. You don't need to cook above medium heat in these pans, because they retain heat so incredibly well. I literally had to relearn how to cook, because of how I'd gotten used to cooking in my old pans! As another example, when using one of my mom's All Clad pots while poaching fruit for a Christmas dessert, it retained heat so well that I kept accidentally turning her gas stove off, trying to get the heat low enough to keep it at a very bare simmer. I ended up settling for a rather bubbly simmer instead.

I can't say enough good things about these pots. They're wonderful. In fact, I only have two complaints. One, the lids, which are also stainless steel, get very hot and since they're not steel, they're not see through, either, which I rather miss. And two, the fry pan, as others have mentioned, is so small as to be almost useless, but it is very good for cooking very small things, like a fried egg, or a few sausages for one.

That said though, this is an excellent starter kit and gives you some real basics. If you're looking to just start out with a few good pieces, get it. You'll use the small 2-quart saucepan and 3-quart saute pan all the time!

And then you'll add to it, as I plan to. Enjoying cooking again is definitely worth it.

This set is a great way to get a few basic cookware pieces, however, once you start cooking with this truly outstanding cookware, you'll want to buy more. Over the years, I have spent hundreds of dollars on another well-known commercial cookware brand, but All-Clad is far superior. The stainless looks great and is a breeze to care for. The handles stay comfortable and the pots are really well-balanced, making them very easy to handle. They heat evenly and cook uniformly, even over low and medium heat. I am very pleased with All-Clad's performance on my radiant cooktop. I would recommend this line of cookware to anyone interested in quality and performance. Well worth every penny!

The pans seem of great quality (haven't actually used them yet), but I wanted to advise of the packaging. I ordered two sets, and planned to give one as a gift. I was less than thrilled to see the large lettering on the box: Our gift to you - free when you purchase $150 of Anolon cookware. Thus, be aware that if you want to give these pans as a gift, the giftee will think they were freebie! No one else has mentioned this-- maybe they are not all packaged the same.

I bought these on sell and I'm glad I did this cookware heats evenly and clean up is easy with the nonstick surface. Would buy again.

I just received the Analon 4 piece set for 19.99 a few days ago. The pans cook everything so evenly and tasty. I highly recommend this product. Great value for the money.

The difference between these pots and pans versus the All-Clads is very basic.

The Cuisinart takes a regular thin gauged metal pan and sticks a heavy gauge base on to it. (All-Clad cookware is as thick at the walls as they are on the base) They also rivet high quality handles that actually stay cool while cooking.

You may get worried about the heavy gauged base "stuck" to the bottom of the pot/pan, but you shouldn't be. All of the less expensive sets are made this way. If you want a monolithic piece of steel as cookware, you'll have to pay more than twice the amount this set is costing you.

The best part about this particular set, unlike the set that replaced it, were the pieces. All of them useful! The set that replaces this one tosses in some less useful pieces, in my opinion.

The worst part about the set is that they use aluminum in the core instead of copper like in the set that replaces this one. I can live with that. The other item worth noting is that this is not a non-stick set. Cleaning will require SOS pads and the like when frying, but you should know that.

After comparing major cookware lines, All Clad, Emeril, Wolfgang Puck, Jamie Oliver online, as well as in major stores, Williams Sonoma, Macy's, Linen n Things, etc., I purchased Cuisinart's Chefs Classic set. Quality, features, and value could not be matched! The price (with free shipping), also included a kitchen tools set, a nice bonus.

Thanksgiving was my big "road test". The quality is outstanding! The mirror finish stainless kettles have a nice weight, well-fitting lids, classy sturdy riveted handles, flat bottoms that fit nicely on the burners, and stay-cool handles. They heat evenly. I do not like nonstick cookware, and by adding a little water to the pan after cooking, cleanup was a breeze. I put them all in the dishwasher and they come out sparkling.

I bought a chrome potrack and display them proudly. They indeed look and perform like very high-priced cookware. This was indeed a great purchase!

Any minor spotting or discloration from use, disappears like magic with the use of a small amount of Barkeeper's Friend powder.

I am so pleased with my set that I have already added to it; I purchased a 2qt. and 3qt. saucepan, and the 5 1/2 qt. saute pan. The saute pan is a work of art; especially good for those big pieces of meat on Holidays, and at $39.99, an unbelievable value. I plan on purchasing several as gifts.

It is also ovenproof to 550 degrees; something not found in the plastic-lid products.

You will not be disappointed.

This is a great value. The cookware looks good, cleans up beautifully and conducts the heat very well. This product compares with cookware that is a lot more expensive. I got my moneys worth.

We needed a new set of cookware and had considered another brand but it was hard to pass up the low price of the Maitre Chef, about half of similar products. My wife likes the glass tops and stick-free surface and they clean up easily. We have had an unexpected problem with the 1 qt. pan in that it became slightly out of round so the top no longer fits. It has been used on the surface burners but on one occasion placed in a warm (200F) oven to keep the contents warm while cooking something else. The directions say that it is warranted up to 350F but it has never been placed in an oven that hot. We are disappointed and would like to find the manufacturers e-mail or telephone for a replacement.

Answer: You can't!

I needed to get some new cookware when a handle from one of my West Bend factory outlet pots finally broke off. I was at first tempted to buy a set from one of the major name brands (Circulon) when I stumbled upon this. I figured why not give them a try, and for the price, what is the worst that can happen, you use them for several years and then throw them away.

Well, when I received the set, in it's plain brown package, I was very pleasantly surprised at what I found inside. They look VERY much like the name brands you pay much more for, they are made in China, just like most of the major brands are, and I suspect they are simply the Chinese manufacturer's OEM of a major brand. Stamp a different name on the bottom and charge less for the same thing. The quality seems to very good, weight & thickness of the aluminum, good finish with the anodization & non-stick surface, and nice polished cast handles.

When in use the non-stick surface performs as well as any I have used, good even heating, and the handles stay cool to the touch.

Overall a very good deal for someone looking for an inexpensive, yet good value/quality set.

I plan to purchase a set of this cookware in the future based on the great reviews.

Regarding the reviewers whose cookware sustained heat damage here is the Master Cookware/Maitre Chef contact information:

Master Cookware
2045 South Arlington Heights #115
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Phone: 847-439-4360
Fax: 847-439-4530

Hope this helps the other Maitre Chef reviewers whose cookware has been heat damaged to obtain replacement parts!

Thank you, Amazon!

Regards.

Jim

I can find nothing to take to task on the All-Clad tools. I have nearly all the tools they make and I like them all. They are easy to clean, no nooks for stuff to get stuck. They fit well in the hand and have a substantial, but not heavy, feel to them. Their shape is very good for the task at hand. The sole negative is their price but when balanced against the good, including the fact that they should last longer than the cook, they are a bargain at the price.

This is a great kit to go along with any All-Clad cookware collection that you might have going already. Though it comes with a very nice looking stainless steel cup, I prefer to use the hanging rack (also available on Amazon if you search for "all-clad hanging rack"). Plus its not hard to find an alternate use for the cup for something else.

My opinion is going to be somewhat biased because I love everything All-Clad. Everything they make seems to have some kind of heft and beauty that I just cant resist. There aren't many things in the kitchen that you can use and abuse with the kind of ferocious angst as with an All-Clad Product.

This tool kit is quality at a great price.

After watching my mother use her All-Clad tool set over the last two years, and seeing how well it has held up, I decided to go ahead and purchase this item. I have not been disappointed, the quality is amazing. The tools have a very solid feel to them, yet they are balanced and not too heavy. They clean SO easily, and are even dishwasher safe. We are throwing away all of our old tools and replacing them with All-Clad - it's amazing! Amazon's price can't be beat.... I know for a fact that my Mom paid full retail through a very well known catalog (ending in Sonoma). Amazon's price was half of that. If you are contemplating this set, DO IT! You won't regret it.

I have tried other brands of cookware and these are the best at any price I've seen. I own both a set of the Tri-ply stainless and the nonstick Contemporary cookware from Calphalon (bought one and won the other) and both are fantastic. As far as any discoloration on the stainless, try some Bon-Ami or Bartender's Friend powder. Works great and keeps everyting very shiny and clean. All-Clad is fine but for the money you can't beat Calphalon. Calpahlon is owned by Rubbermaid so maybe that explains why it is so good.

My fiance and I chose to add the Tri Ply series to our registry based on look and feel alone. We couldn't be happier that we did. They look beautiful and feel wonderful. FOOD ACTUALLY COOKS DIFFERENT IN THESE. I would recommend using lower heat than you would with a cheaper set.

I too experienced a discoloration after using one of the pots for the first time... had a heart attack! As per one of the earlier reviews: a little distilled vinegar... poof, back to normal!

FYI - We chose this set over an All-Clad set based on looks and price... but we have some friends who got the All-Clad set... ours seems better when it comes to quality...

I believe that both All-clad and Calphalon are now made in China. Go and compare both side-by-side. Check the lids for flatness (see if they "rock" back and forth or are level). Turn all of the pots and pans upside down and check for tightness of fit at the handle. Some of the more expensive All-clad have a space between the handle and the pan that you could slip a dime into. Really, go look for yourself. Calphalon has better quality control, the lids rock less (still a little every once in awhile), and the handles fit snug (less chance of food becoming trapped). They just seem to be a surperior product. Thanks for the tip on cleaning the inside with a tbs of distilled vinegar. Brand new and the insides picked up some rainbow color. A little distilled vinegar on the inside, rub with your fingers and rinse. Like new again. As for cooking these are great pots n pans. If you are not a serious cook get the commercial hard anodized or commercial nonstick. These are unbelievably easy to clean. A real pleasure to wash by hand, and they "brown" foods with no real difference if you are an average cook. If I were buying these again I would start with all the deep discount sale pieces and build my own set. Your food will tase better, the colors are much richer (carrots are orange and greens are really "green") I always thought that was just a lot of hype. My wife is a great cook. I am an "eater" and love quality products. Non of the handles get hot. Just use a normal light weight dish cloth. Happy eating