Cookware Brands Reviews

After 9 months of owning this set and cooking with most of them almost every day, I can give an honest opinion of how they worked out for me.

Pros:
Excellent heat conduction. Stays hot, cooks evenly, and transfer from oven to stovetop and back is very convenient. Good, tough pots and pans at a great value. I like the large skillet and pots, especially.

Cons:
The nonstick coating is not really there anymore for the two frying pans. Though these have never been in the dishwasher or been scrubbed with anything heavier than a sponge, the nonstick coating has slowly burned off in patches, and now, though it hasn't peeled or flaked, there are spots where the food will stick and nonstick spray or oil must be used. Unless I use some kind of spray, pancakes, for instance, must be made in the large 2-handled skillet.

This is a pity because I was very careful not to overheat the pans--they have really been babied. I will probably buy Cuisinart again, but these two pans will need to be replaced within a few months. They are not really useful anymore for anything except veggie burger patties.

I am really enjoying the ease of use and cleanup for this set. Very little fat needs to be used, and the set has enough variety for my needs. I am going to add a baking pan of some sort, though.

We are very happy with the Cuisinart 10-Piece Cookware Set. This was a great deal for the price.

This is a fantastic pressure cooker for the price. There are definitly new pressure cookers out that look fancier and have slightly better safety features (steam release valves instead of having to hyper cool the pan) but for what you're paying, this is a great pan. If you want to release the pressure but don't want to do an icebath, I've found it easier to just use tongs to tilt the release a little to the side to let out steam until the valves go down enough to open it. Perfect for 9 minute risotto!

This is the best appliance I have ever purchased. Highly recommend to precook spare ribs and then throw on grill with sauce for a few minutes. The meat falls off the bone when you eat.

I love this pressure cooker. I adore a good soup. Chicken soup, Pasta Fagiole soup( made with dry beans) , Spit Pea soup,in minutes! It has two pressure valves unlike old ones that only had one. It's stainless steel not aluminum so healthier to cook in . Who has time to stand over stove for 2 hours! Who would want to! Don't be afraid of pressure cookers. Just learn how to use them. All you have to do is make sure valve is open and not clogged before using by looking through the hole. And don't open lid until pressure is released. YOU can easily see if pressure is in pot by the 2 valves on pot. That's it so ENJOY this great pot!

I was absolutely amazed at how HUGE this canner was. I bought it to can soups, stews, veggies, and any other sort of things that a waterbath canning wouldn't work for.

The first thing I set about canning (and yes, this was the very first time I was using my pressure cooker/canner) was 3 quarts of green beans and a quart of carrots. These required the same pressure .... and the same processing time, according to the recipe I was using.

I followed the recipe to a 'T' .... followed all instructions ....

And the pressure cooker LITERALLY exploded. And only seconds after I had my face near it to check how the pressure was doing. Thankfully, no one (my husband was nearby too) was hurt!


Please, please, PLEASE be careful .... I'm NOT the first this has happened to. No matter WHAT the USDA says, using pressure cookers CAN be dangerous ..... EVEN when you're following the instructions perfectly, as I was.

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I decided to purchase this pressure canner after an exhaustive search online. This was the best price of any of the other sites I checked. I'll admit that the review from the woman whose canner "LITERALLY exploded" had me a little concerned, but since it was the only negative review, I decided to chance it since the price was so good ($79.97 and Free Super Saver shipping)! Best of all, it arrived in TWO DAYS!!!

The first thing I did was take the pressure gauge to my local county extension office (as recommended by the manufacturer) where they tested it and found it to be working perfectly. After getting their "OK", I hit the produce sales at my local market.

Even if you don't have a garden, you can still can fresh fruits and vegetables. I've already made 8 jars of strawberry jam using the hot water method, and canned enough tomato sauce to get me through until my own tomatoes are ripe and ready for the canner later this Summer. Unlike commercially canned or frozen produce, I can control what ingredients go into my food!

The instruction book that comes with this pressure canner gives different ways to can most foods depending on if you want to can them (1)"cooked" so you can warm them up when you're ready to use them or (2)just safely preserved to be cooked right before serving or using in recipes.

Overall, an excellent pressure canner at a great price! Just follow the manufacturer's instructions - including having the pressure gauge checked by your county extension office - and you should have no problems preserving fresh, healthy foods for yourself, your family, and your loved ones.

Wow. What a nice machine. I have used stove-top woks before, even though we have an electric range. They never seemed to work as they should. Even when using a butane countertop burner the results were disappointing. So when I saw this Cuisinart electric wok I was intrigued, not least because it was designed and made by a decent company, which satisfies with its other products. Being a former design and manufacturing engineer I saw the advantage of the high heat output of this elegantly designed wok. When I read other peoples' reviews I just had to try it. My wife gave it to me as a present, and I just love it. It gets to temperature very quickly, maintains that temperature, and has no little "quirks" that I can detect. It excels at browning during stir-frying, probably the toughest test for the heating element. I also love the way it comes apart for cleaning, doing so very quickly and logically. It is very easy to clean (non-stick interior), either in the sink or dishwasher. And I love the stainless steel, it being much easier to maintain. The included steamer rack is large enough for both of us to have a meal. What a winner, and I cannot believe the reasonable price for what one gets.

This wok is easy to use, I like that the pan detaches from the heating unit, making it so easy to clean. Gets really hot so you can have crisp cooked veggies just like the restaurants cook them.

Unit works great, heats up fast, easy to clean, and much better built than the typical discount store models. It looks like this willlast a long time.

You will not find a better device like this for under $35.00.

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I looked for a while at different knife sharpeners. Most of them are too bulky and I did not have space to store them. And they were too expensive. This little one is compact and does the job very well. It took me about 15 minutes to sharpen all my knives - under a minute for each knife. Instructions are clear and easy to follow.

I couldn't believe it even cooks some traditional asian meal in less than 35 minutes (10 min heating + 15 minutes cooking + 10 minutes cooling) which normally takes me 2-3 hours and tastes so fantastic.

I never know pressure cooking could be so easy, quick and so much fun. I am experimenting with different recipes almost every day.

Definitely recommend to anyone who is thinking of trying it.

For all those intending to use a pressure cooker, this is a very good choice. I am a first time buyer of this cooker.

Regards,
Kumar.

We have used this for about 2 months and are perfectly satisfied with this pressure cooker. It is an ideal accessory in any home. It is big enough to cook meals for upto 6 people.

The Cuisinart MCP cookware heats very evenly and the fry pan browns nicely. Overall, it is nice cookware for a reasonable price:I cannot justify spending $400 on pots and pans.The handle does get hot after a while on the burner, but that is to be expected. The stainless lids are much nicer than the glass ones offered on comparably priced items, although I would like them better if they were domed as opposed to flat. Much condensation collects on them and removing them without spilling the condensation on the stove is a technique that you need to learn to master. The interior scratches and chips much more easily than I care for and even though the manufacturer says that you can use metal utensils, prepare to have them make their mark. I really like the brushed exterior finish. I am not one to "baby" my cooking tools. I scour them with an SOS pad and they get used hard and often by adults and teenagers. For the most part, I am very pleased with the "cooking" that the pots do. I have yet to find the perfect cookware, but this does a better than acceptable job.

...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.

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.

I am a retired baker and I am also orginally from Scotland so I cut down on my food budget by making various types of scones ,pancakes,crumpets etc and vacuum packing them then freezing them.With this grill being so large I cut my time in half it is a great piece of equipment I give it 5 stars.Danny Brogan

I love making pancakes. In the past I would use two large cast-iron skillets for the task. I found myself constantly adjusting my burner temperature and I would always get a few very dark (or burnt) or a few undercooked pancakes out of each batch. Plus I could only cook two pancakes at a time; one in the center of each skillet (I like making large, perfectly round, 5-6" diameter pancakes.)

After much research, I finally broke down and bought the Presto Tilt'nDrain BigGriddle because I liked the enormous cooking area it offered. And I liked the fact that is was made of heavy cast aluminum and that it sat perfectly level (some griddles have sloped cooking decks to allow grease and juices to run away from the foods... NOT desirable when making pancakes or scrambled eggs.) And I liked how the griddle can be quickly adjusted so that it WILL tilt forward which *does* allow grease to run away when you want it to! (it has a grease channel and catch-tray along the front edge of the unit.)

My first impressions with this unit:

- It's huge! 18.5" x 15" cooking area.
- It heats evenly. My infrared (IR) non-contact thermometer gun showed very little temperature variation across the cooking surface once it was fully heated (I let the thermostat cycle several times -- about 10 minutes -- before I took my readings.) My pancakes verified this finding with each one being equally browned.
- The thermostat is accurate. I set the unit to 350-degrees F., and it heated to 350-degrees F. as verified by my IR thermometer gun.
- The raised lip around the sides and back of the unit is high enough to contain pancake batter and keep it from spilling over and is low enough to be completely unobtrusive.

After un-boxing the unit, I cleaned, plugged, and turned on the unit (set for 350-degrees F.) After a 10 minute warm up, I applied my pancake batter. As noted earlier, in the past I was only able to make two pancakes at a time using two separate skillets. The Presto griddle allowed me to cook 6 (yes, SIX!!) of my large pancakes at the same time. All six pancakes browned evenly with no hot or cold spots seen. Flipping the pancakes was a breeze and I used no oil on the non-stick surface.

I made two batches of pancakes, one batch after the other, and both turned out exactly the same... and that was "perfectly." I made a two batches of pancakes (12 pancakes total) in the same amount of time it took to make 4 in the past. For the first time my whole family ate pancakes together at the same time!!

So, in summary, the Presto Tilt'nDrain BigGriddle is well designed, easy to use, heats accurately and evenly, and has a very large cooking surface. Clean-up was quick and easy. I highly recommend this unit to anyone who needs a large griddle that cooks accurately and evenly.

NOTE: Regarding a few other reviews here, I don't see how anyone can rate this product 2 or 3 stars, faulting the unit because it's too large to store. I mean, come on!! It's a big griddle by DESIGN!! If it's too large for you, then you should have bought a smaller griddle! ;-)

I use this for Saturday Morning pancakes. Now I can actually cook them faster than my 4 kids can eat them. No more waiting for the cakes!!!

As this is to be a wedding gift in the fall, we have not opened the carton and cannot review the cookware set.

I was so excited with the pans when I first bought them (as it came with tons of promises and hype) but after three years of use I'm quiet disappointed. At first I thought it was my fault. I tried to baby the pots as much as I could but nothing worked (I followed the instructions very well). Everything burns when I use them especially the frypans / skillets burns stuff right away. They are very hard to clean (believe me I tried). If you want quality stuff try All Clad or Faberware (if you want something cheaper) but stay away from this set.

Ups:
-They are decent pans, looks great when you first take them out.
-They are sturdy and I use metal utensils to cook, I like that.
-The attached aluminum plate in the bottom helps spread and retain heat, if your stove isn't that powerful.

Downs:
-I like to sear and stir fry a lot with hot pans, so they will discolor a little with heat. Overheated oil will cause black oil spots on the pan that are hard to remove.
-You need the pan to be hot so that it doesn't stick, and you will need to use a little more oil than typical. If you don't do either of these, your non-greasy food WILL stick to the pan.
-The aluminum plate takes some time to heat up.
-The aluminum plate reduces the responsiveness of "lowering the flames" on your stove. Less control.

What this set needs:
Large Pan
Non-stick omlette pan
Wok

Considering all the bells and whistles on the coffeemaker itself,(all excessive, by the way) the carafes have much to be desired. It seems as if they are made with spun sugar. EXTREMELY FRAGILE, awkward handle and like a comment already listed, I too have replaced the carafe twice...making three so far. My Krups carafe of 10 years is still intact. If they still made the filters, I would still be using that machine.
The Cuisinart coffee bean container is hard to clean, still maintains rancid oils and leaves an oil slick on the top of the coffee. The carafe is poor at best.

The handle is not sturdy and has broken twice. Replacement carafe is $18 with shipping charges of $7.50. Seems excessive for a $69 coffee maker.

The handle broke on mine. I washed the pot a couple of times in the dish washer upper rack, and that removed the trimming on the handle. This weakened the handle, and it eventually cracked.