Circulon Contempo Stainless Steel Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program These are great. Very tough. Induction compatible. Metal utensil safe (thought I wouldn't do that), and dishwasher safe. The base is very thick and I've never better cookware for heat distribution. I was worried that the handles on the lids weren't very big and that my hand would touch the metal parts. It turns out the metal bit that connects the handle to the lid doesn't get hot at all so it's no concern at all.

I have the circulon hard anodized symmetry set as well (Circulon Symmetry Hard Anodized Nonstick Cookware Set, 11-Piece) and that is great as well. I was very curious what the difference was and why this set is cheaper:

1. These have thinner side walls. It makes no difference at all. I have pots that cost more than this set with thin walls.

2. The walls go straight up and down. The other ones were fluted to help pour without spalshing. Both sets perform admirably and honestly the is no difference performance wise.

3. The long handles on these are better, I think, because they don't collect water in the dishwasher.

Both had very nice thick bases and are really amazing. If you want to save money and don't mind the looks of this set then get this. No performance is sacrificed. The other set looks nicer however (bigger handles) and I can see why it costs a little more. Both are really really good and I'd say a good value for the quality you get.

EDIT (Sept 2012)

I don't like these as much anymore since the pots with the long handles retain water in them from the dishwasher. The water gets in where the handle attaches to the pot/pan. And when you turn the pot right side up, water slowly dribbles out for a long time. It doesn't dry in there well and the handle starts conducting heat when being used.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program These pans are fantastic for boiling pasta and low to medium temperature cooking.

The non stick finish is so good that even when making macaroni the pasta will not stick to the bottom of the pan if unstirred for five minuets. That is impressive.

But, and this is a big BUT, these pans strictly prohibit cooking on high temperatures without liquids.

What does that mean?

It means that you cannot braise meats or use any of the popular ultra fast high temperature cooking methods.

The explanation is valid: no pans have a non-stick coating that can handle this sort of liquid free high temperature cooking. This is a true statement. But Calphalon Professional Series pans come close.

These Circulon pans are great, at what they do. I love the way they boil so evenly. I love the easy clean up. These are great non-stick pans. And, they look good too.

These also have loops for those who hang their pots and pans.

Over all, these are great pans. They just don't do it all. Be sure they work for your cooking methods before you buy and you will be happy.

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My wife does most, okay all, of the cooking. She loves these pots and pans. They heat up quickly and evenly. Everything cooks faster than with our old set. They look nice too. Since she cooks, I clean. I think I am getting the most benefit out of them. They are super easy to clean. We haven't found anything that sticks yet. I did a lot of research, and this was the best set for the price. We are very happy.

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My wife and I really like the set. We were really impressed with the non stick surface. She burned something in on of the pans and it cleaned up with little to no effort.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program As a professional chef I often get asked and often ask myself to demo a variety of cookware for my cooking programs and culinary classes. It was a joy to see this set hit the Amazon-vine program and I looked forward to opening my box of pans the moment they hit the front porch.

First let me say they were packaged quite well and the lids fit perfectly onto the handles to allow each pan to be placed on my pot rack. In the package were a 1-quart covered saucepan, 2-quart covered saucepan, 8-quart covered stockpot, 8.5-inch french skillet and a 10-inch french skillet

This set is a great set for the average kitchen and I have enjoyed using them for a variety of tasks from omelets, stir fry's, cooking pasta all utilizing metal utensils. The coating is very durable and will take up 400 degrees in the oven without flaking off or melting the handles. The lids go well with the pans and many reviews commented that the handles are too big. I'm used to storing pans and lids aside from each other but they both work well together if you want to hang them up.

I really like the exterior finish and it's very easy to clean and maintain and has stood up to the dishwasher and scrubbing by hand. As for the interior you can burn marinara sauce, scorch milk and overcook mac and cheese till it turns black and each will simply drop out of the pan and wipe clean with little effort.

I will say that high heat cooking is out if you are not adding in a liquid or some sort of fat. You will need to get a traditional pan without a non stick coating to get a good sear, unless the pans specifically state they are non stick and made to sear, such as those from Calaphalon.

As for the price you really can't do any better for a complete set such as this. You get a great set of high quality cookware that will give you loads of versatility in the kitchen. Will this cookware set do everything if you are looking for a do it all professional set, no. Will this cookware set give the average to budding professional chef the option to get creative and have fun in the kitchen, yes.

Enjoy the set of cookware, you will not be disappointed.