Bought this very same set from Costco a few months ago. They sold out quickly and no longer sell it. I felt I had hit the jackpot because it was something like $179! It was an impulse buy since I had been looking at higher end cookware ($500 or more) and had decided it wasn't in the budget at that time. Did a few quick searches on my smartphone before buying. Reviews on a similar Cuisinart multiclad set were stellar. One of the reviews said this set was only slightly different than the other. I could tell from the demo pieces in the store that it was very good quality. They are solid and look to be very well made -with the possible exception of the basket part of the steamer insert...it is a bit thinner than others I have seen, but seems that it will hold up well if you don't do something impulsive like sit or stand on it.
And it IS very good quality for the price. Even with the power gas burner, I find that it can take a while to bring a boil compared to the regular pots we had before. Cuisinart instructs you not to use these pieces on high heat because the superior heat conduction will cause food to be prone to burn easily and therefore may be hard to clean. I have not had that issue at all. We find ourselves using high heat to achieve a boil or browning, and then turning down the heat to low or medium and using the lid and that works quite well.
Cleans up easily. I used the steamer insert on the stockpot to corral all of the debris used to make chicken stock, and it served the purpose very well. Nothing stuck or burned at the bottom of the pot despite cooking the stock for 2 days (boiling/simmering at various times). I initially overfilled the pot so there were spillovers between the pot and steamer insert early on that I didn't bother to clean until the stock was finished today (with the insert I was able to make 4 quarts -and could have made 5 or 6 without the insert). The residue was was baked-on and dark brown so I expected it to be hard to clean. Just wiped right off with a nylon abrasive sponge.
We fried some sausage links in the covered 4 QT saute pan. The residue was a bit baked on but that washed right off with a sponge in hot soapy water.
I like the glass lids. They are attractive, and being able to look in without opening the lid is nice, though with any condensation you will have to lift the lid anyway to really see what's going on. Other reviewers have noted you have to be extra careful with glass lids because they can shatter if dropped, so I try to be sure to put them only in safe places on the counter.
I'm a big fan of tri-ply now and will never buy anything else. We've had multiclad bottoms only and they don't compare to fully tri-ply. I can't give a long-term report on this cookware, but so far we have really liked it. I have never had All-Clad or anything else high-end so I really can't compare. One of the reviews I had seen on Amazon before purchasing this set said that it is in the same league in terms of how it cooks.
A few notes from the box:
* all-range capable (if I remember correctly from the brochure it is oven-safe but not sure about the lids)
* stay-cool handles...
* dishwasher safe (we hand-wash to preserve the finish)
* tapered rims for drip-free pouring
An aside: you can occasionally find single pieces of Calphalon tri-ply on deep discount at Macy's -less than half price if you avail yourself of the discounts and coupons. That's one way to add to your tri-ply collection. Calphalon appears to be a notch higher than this set -though I would wager it cooks the same. The workmanship/styling on Calphalon just looks better. I'm on the hunt for tri-ply pieces at an affordable price now! Mix 'n match is fine with me as long as the quality and price are there!
Hope this helps. Get a set if you can! Even at $200-300, knowing what I know now, I would definitely purchase this set even at those prices, because I have never seen a tri-ply set even close to being in that price range. If you do, snap it up!Very sturdy pots and pans. No issues with them at all. For sure would recommend to others if asked about.
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