Review of Norpro KRONA 1.5 Quart Vented Sauce Pan with Straining Lid

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I purchased this saucepan specifically for heating goat milk prior to making goat yogurt. It heats excellently, the milk doesn't stick to the bottom, there are no rivets on the inside of the pan (for the handle) for the milk to get stuck to like my other pans, and the added bonus of this pan is that it has a pour spout on both sides making it extremely easy to pour the milk into the yogurt maker container without all the spillage I used to experience from other pans. It also is made of stainless steel so it doesn't have all the chemicals that Teflon pans (which can cause cancer)do. This pan would be great for any other cooking too such as cooking soup, vegetables (easy strainer lid), etc.

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Great features: Lid handle and pot handle both cool to touch, no potholder needed; glass lid with holes matching pouring spouts on both sides of pot; Easy maintenance; Heavy bottom. Need more sizes available with all the same features. Only cons are: Pot top not snug to pot-about 1/4" smaller diameter; SS does stain to minor degree at the level of the cooking liquid; but in spite of these, it works fine.

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This sauce pan is a real nice buy.. it heats real fast, and the straining lid and the pour spouts on either side of the pan is a great idea. For soups and sauces, you dont need a ladel or serving spoon.. Just pour it. This makes things so easy. I want the rest of the set.

Honest reviews on Norpro KRONA 1.5 Quart Vented Sauce Pan with Straining Lid

This is a comparative review of the "Norpro KRONA 1.5 Quart Vented Sauce Pan with Straining Lid" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000E2PO3/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) vs. the "Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Cook and Pour Saucepan with Cover [2 qt.]" (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-719-18P-Classic-Stainless-Saucepan/dp/B000E5CW84/ref=pd_sim_k_3)

Background: I was using a conventional 1.5 qt. pot to make tea (was previously using this glass tea pot, with infuser, but decided the infuser didn't give the tea leaves room to fully expand, plus I broke one too many of them: http://www.amazon.com/GROSCHE-Infuser-included-infuser-capcity/dp/B004PV7IDW/ref=pd_sim_hg_6). I'd make the tea and then pour it through a strainer into my Klean Kanteen 40 oz wide-mouth bottle. With the 1.5 qt. pot, with 40 oz. of water, there was just enough height to the rim (5/8") to allow me to stir without spilling. But a straining saucepan is much more convenient, so I ordered the Norpro, was unsatisfied with the design, and thus returned it and bought the Cuisinart, which I've kept. Both have flaws:

DESIGN: CUISINART WINS:

For me, the principal problem with the Norpro is the spout. First, unlike with the Cuisinart, the spout design on the Norpro causes a small loss in capacity, which for me was a problem. Specifically, on the Norpro the rim dips ¼" at the spout (the Cuisinart's rim is the same level everywhere). Since I was filling it almost to capacity, I got spillage with the Norpro (where I didn't with my conventional 1.5 qt. pot). If you don't need the full 1.5 quarts, this would not be an issue for you. Of course, the Cuisinart also has a larger capacity (2 qt.), but the point is that it is designed so that, unlike the Norpro, you don't lose any capacity because of the presence of the spout.

Second, and of more general concern, is that the spout on the Norpro is very wide (the Cuisinart's is narrow). With both the Norpro and the Cuisinart, when the pot is tipped onto its side to fully empty it into my Klean Kanteen botttle, the tea leaves (as expected) pile up again the holes and partly block those in the center. With the Cuisinart's narrow spout, this isn't an issue I still get a nice, narrow stream into my bottle. However, with the Norpro's wide spout, the stream splits into two, making it impossible to avoid spilling over the side of my bottle. If you are pouring into a bowl, this would not be an issue. But if you are pouring into something with a narrower mouth, the Norpro may not work for you.

In addition, I find the Cuisinart's solid handle more comfortable than the Norpro's bent rod design, but this is personal preference.

There are, however, two design areas in which the Norpro has the edge: (1) Because of its welded handle, it doesn't have rivet heads on the inside of the pot, making for easier cleaning; and (2) I think the Norpro has a somewhat more elegant look the Cuisinart's appearance is a bit clunkier.

One design flaw with both of these is that there's a narrow shelf under the periphery of the lid, right where the steel side meets the glass top. Food can get caught in there when you pour, and a toothbrush is needed to clean it out.

CONSTRUCTION AND QUALITY CONTROL: NORPRO APPEARS TO WIN

The Cuisinart is clearly made to a price point -it doesn't appear to have quite the build quality of the Norpro. First, Cuisinart's production control is not the best, resulting in inter-unit variation in the quality of the rivet attachments. I purchased the Cuisinart locally, and two of the three they had in stock showed very small gaps between the edges of the rivet heads and the inner surface of the pot, into which food could enter; on the third, the rivets mated more closely to the surface, so I bought that one. Second, the Cuisinart's stainless steel is of low quality it easily develops rust spots (I've never seen rust spots with my other stainless steel cookware), forcing me to do extra maintenance with using Bon Ami. I should add, though, that as soon as I figured out the Norpro wouldn't work for me, I returned it. Thus I never put it in the dishwasher, or left it covered with water inside, like I did the Cuisinart hence it's possible the Norpro might also fall short in this second area (that's why I wrote "appears" to win).

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I looked for a while for a 1.5 qt pot. I wanted a see-through lid. It would be used for cooking sauces, vegetables, reheating food, canned soup... It had to be well made.

This pot did all that and it also could strain the vegetables. I didn't have to get out the strainer. And it is easily to clean.

I use it all the time.

My only comment is that the lid does not fit tight on the pot. It's not for cooking rice or anything like that. But for me, I use a larger pot for those things.