Sabatier Reviews

I have looked and looked, for months, for a three quart cast iron to replace my 3 quart tin roaster. As a recent convert to cast iron, finding the smaller sizes is a challenge, I only cook for three people.
this pan is godsend, a small chicken fits perfectly, as does pork ribs for three.
I am using the cookbook " glorious one pot meals" to inspire me. This pan cooks wonderfully, cleans up in a snap, and is the correct size and shape. Buy one!

I love this pan! I decided on the Boulud cookware after looking at Le Creuset for months. It's heavy and multi purpose: you can brown, stew, oven braise all in the same pan. Plus it's big enough to cook a whole chicken (I got the 5 quart for this reason). And clean up was surprisingly easy.
You will want to slightly reduce your cooking temperatures and times, however, because the pan holds heat much better (and longer) than a conventional roasting pan. And get a potholder before reaching for the lid, even for stovetop cooking. I think the hot grips would be my only criticism -- I only did it once before learning to leave a potholder nearby!
The price beats Le Creuset by a mile, and you get the same features.

I ordered this braising roaster twice from Amazon for $69.99 since December 23, 2003 and they would not ship it. They shipped a 3 quart casserole instead. When I told them about the mistake they promptly shipped another ...3 quart casserole. Then the said they could not ship it because they did not know why they could not ship it. (?!) I ordered another color. The very same thing happened. Altogether I have returned four 3 quart casseroles to them. They were slow in giving me a refund.

Now they've raised the price and removed all reviews including the one I wrote about their inability to ship the correct item.

Beware the Amazon deceptions. Who wants to buy from a company like them. Not me anymore.

I got this on Feb 2004 for $29.99 when i moved in to my new house. For that price, I won't complaint.
The best thing in this set is the scissor and utensil holder.
I threw out all the knifes after one year since they caused accidents since they weren't sharp.
Utensils are ok, won't last (last ~2 yrs), better than 99 cents store's one.

Good set for $30 . We got them at a discount also last year (88% off).

If you look after them and DO not put them in the dishwasher (WE did and the rust came on quicker than snowstorm) then these should be a great gift.

Would not pay the price that they are today though. Wait for the discount.

I'm a deal hound and I bought these when Amazon dropped the price to like $20. With that in mind they are a great set of knives not to mention all the other goodies that came with it. However as I'm sure other reviews have pointed out, you don't want to wash these in the dish washer or let them sit in water as they will rust. We've been careful with our set and except for a few rust marks they are doing fine and still cut just well. I simply can't find myself spending $200 on a set of knives that won't rust. The extra goodies were nice, though fairly cheap. The plastic wear is a bit flimsy and the measuring cups / spoons are thin, so watch your fingers on the edges.

Especially for what I paid at $20 it's a decent cheap set of knives and if you baby them they will last a few years. If you throw them in the dish washer or let them sit in a sink full of water, they will rust in no time and you'll end up with an empty wooden block.

4 out of 5 as they are obviously of lower quality, but are definitely worth what I paid for them and they will last if you take care of them and keep them away from continuous water contact.

Go to www.sabatier.com. If you go to the Sabatier website, you will discover that this company originated in France but did not get trademark protection. Thus, several different companies use the Sabatier name. These knives were made in China, not France, by an unrelated company.

The Sabatier website explains the situation. If you're really wanting to buy these, please take a couple of minutes to go to their website and read their Q&A. Here are some excerpts:

"As things stand, a large number of knives bear the name "SABATIER", it is even possible to find knives marked "SABATIER" which are made in China, and this is the case notably in the United States."

"The only way for you to be sure of buying a genuine top quality SABATIER knife is to steer clear of those produced in the Far East . . ."

I have hand washed my knives, but they still rusted. They were also not very sharp from the outset. If you look at the handles and the emblems on the knives, you can tell that they are just plastic molds. When you have the specimen in front of you, they look & feel a little cheap. The wooden block is okay, but some of the grooves were not properly crafted -- a couple of my knives stick out about 1/8", which might seem small, but it is obvious on the block.

I know it's very affordable. But I recommend that you try knives of a brand that is made by an authentic manufacturer.

My initial reaction, when I received the Sabatier Loire 14 piece Knife Block Set, was both negative and positive. Negative: the name Sabatier Loire is misleading. This knife set is not French, it is made in China (it has no connection with France or French Sabatier cutlery that I can see). Positive: the knives certainly look as attractive as in the Amazon.com illustration, they appear carefully made and very well finished.
So, how do they work in the kitchen?
The problem is: as cutting instruments, they don't come anywhere near top-quality European knives. I am used to Wusthof Classic kitchen knives, which slice through things effortlessly. The 'Sabatier Loire' knives feel relatively blunt. Sharpening the 'Sabatier' blades with a Wusthof steel didn't make much difference (perhaps because the blades of the 'Sabatier Loire' knives seem thicker than Wusthof's, they don't sharpen well). Wusthof knives slice through celery and other plants instantly and easily, while 'Sabatier Loire' require applying pressure and sawing away. My no-name slicing knife (bought for $6 at Zabar's in Manhattan) cuts carrots with a fraction of the effort.
The bread knife doesn't compare with Wusthof's.
So, I have an attractive-looking, large kitchen paperweight (it's not worth returning the set). The Chinese maker deserves an 'E' for effort, which has not been spared in producing a very nicely finished product. But they have yet to learn the techniques of shaping a knife blade, and sharpening it, which makes real French Sabatier cutlery (and Wusthof cutlery) so superior.

I bought a set of sabatier knives from Amazon for about 30 bucks about three months ago. While they are worth that amount, the suggested retail price of something over $300 was VERY misleading. I paid for what I got, but not much more. They cut OK and they have worked fine for a person who uses them about once every blue moon, but to suggest they are quality knives at an unbelievable price is false advertising. I have always been happy with Amazon, and I wonder on what grounds they are able to make such a claim. Additionally, the set I was sent was missing a knife, but not worth the hastle to return in order to receive another set in its entirity. Sp, buy them if you want cheap knives...cheaply...don't if you're looking for a killer deal.