Review of Excelsteel 8 Quart 18/10 Stainless Steel 4 Piece Muti-Cookware Set

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I bought this to compare it to the Calphalon pasta cooker and steamer.Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 8-Quart Pot with Glass Lid and 2 Inserts

Both have an insert with holes for pasta and another insert that sits above it for steaming. You can use either or both with the stock pot. Thin spaghetti may escape through the holes of the pasta inserts.

Both have the same defect that you need to put in two quarts of water to reach the bottom of the pasta cooker.

The Excelsteel is superior in that there is a vent in the glass top. One reviewer of the Calphalon said her top exploded, although I have had no such problem in many years of use.

However, the Excelsteel steamer is too shallow. It is only 2 1/2 inches deep. The Calphalon steamer is four inches deep. Sometimes I want to steam a lot of vegetables.

Neither this product nor the Calphalon are good for an induction stove.

I find the concept of this product and the Calphalon very useful. I have one recipe which requires cooking pasta and then cauliflower in the same water. It is very easy to lift out the pasta in the pasta cooker, empty it, and then put in cauliflower in the same water.

If you cook only four servings or less of pasta, you will find the Fasta Pasta cooker used in the microwave more convenient than boiling a lot of water. The Fasta Pasta is also a lot cheaper.

Fasta Pasta The Microwave Cooker

But I love the steamer of the Calphalon.

Either this product or the Calphalon are much better than pouring into a colander when making too much pasta for the Fasta Pasta.

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This pan is nice heavy duty (18/10 Stainless Steel) pan which I am very pleased with. The 4-Piece set has a large basket is great for pasta, potatoes, brussels sprouts and other vegetable you might fix a larger amount. The smaller basket works great for steaming squash and spinach. I almost never use it without one of the baskets installed. I think this pan with the encapsulated base makes this set much better than similar sets that are not this quality of stainless steel of base. Liked it so much, I bought one for my mom and she loves it too.

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After reading the reviews, some of which were negative, I decided to purchase this set anyway. I admit that I had low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality at the price point.

This is not going to compete with the professional, high-end cookware also available, but for simple steaming and cooking pasta this set is not only hard to beat for the price, but a wise choice considering that many of the higher-end pots and steamer sets would be overkill if all you want is to do light duty food preparation. Granted, if I were using this every day or even 3-4 times a week I probably would have spent twice as much for a more professional set.

I did not experience issues reported by other reviewers, such as residue, discoloration, etc. I've used this set at least ten times since I purchased it (about 3 times every two weeks), and have had zero problems or issues. I also machine wash it with no adverse effects.

If you do occasional steaming or preparing pasta this is a bargain that will give you a lot of bang for your buck. If you plan to use this on a daily basis or more than four times a week you may want to consider a higher-end set.

Honest reviews on Excelsteel 8 Quart 18/10 Stainless Steel 4 Piece Muti-Cookware Set

This vessel cooks pasta just fine, but after running thru the dishwasher the first time it showed signs of rusting in the inner lift-out basket. The interior of the main cooking pot is stained and spotting. This unit is made in China, and my guess is that it's made with cheaper materials. I would not recommend buying this product to anyone for their $34. price tag. At $19.95 yes, it's probably worth it.

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I bought this 8 quart 4 piece multi-cookware set for a couple who love to cook. I hear that this is not only great for pasta, but for other things as well. This is simply a great set. I was a little apprehensive that it might be thin, as some reviewers have complained. But such has not been the case with my friends. They are very happy with their pot :)