Tramontina Gourmet Domus Fry Pan with Tri-Ply Base Size: 12" Reviews

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List Price: $90.00
Sale Price: $59.95
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Works like All Clad, made in American, is best 12" fry pan other than All Clad just great hand wash, easy clean up, just love it, have ordered other items from Tramontina

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Reviews of 8" (20cm) Fry pan with Non-stick German Weilburger Ceramic Coating

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I use it every day. Heats evenly, does not scratch when used with a silicon spoon, cleans very easily (hand wash only). The lid is tight fitting, the vent hole is adequate. The surface of the pan has kept its luster so far. The only thing that is noticeable is that the white paint label on the lid has disappeared with hand washing. Makes it 'look' cheap, but it it is going to be a fine product, in my estimation. No more teflon pans for me!

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What a great little pan! The quality of this pan is wonderful. Making the pan stay flat on the stove burner is tricky.

I wanted this pan and am glad I got it. Thick blue ceramic lining is worth the extra cost for the safety aspect of making my

daily morning eggs.

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I had been using this pan for a few months now. This one is great for a small meal. I think most restaurant use this 8" size to cook food for one person too. This cookware set is amazing good quality. The non-stick coating seems to hold up well in daily use and still retain it's non-stick function with no chip or no flaking off like Teflon. I had also bought a Le Creuset (French Made) at the same time. The Le Creuset is heavy and it became blacken and start to stick after a few months. The Healthy Legend is holding up well. I had put away my stainless steel set and my Teflon set to use this set most of the time. I heard stainless steel is not 100% stainless steel and has nickel in there. The German ceramic coating is the way to go.

Reviews of CorningWare Etch Sand 5Pieces

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Since receiving these, I have used them relegiously! They are easy to clean, seems nothing really sticks to this stuff. Lasagna,

Taco pie, and all vegie casseroles have come out perfect every time.

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Reviews of Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Buffet Casseroles

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List Price: $280.00
Sale Price: $209.95
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I bought the casserole, and let me tell you, everything I love about the French oven is present right here. Wider than the oven, it is, of course, shallower, but it still holds a healthy amount of food. Certainly it's big enough for a good-size casserole. It's also great for browning meat before baking. I find that pork chops (holds four small or 3 porterhouse chops comfortably) browned in a little olive oil, then smothered in vegetables and slow baked (covered, always covered!) at about 325 in this casserole, turn out moist and juicy and tender, with a gorgeous brown sauce that you can turn into gravy or just spoon over the chops. The vegetables emerge aromatic and tender. Everyone is happy, and the world spins contentedly for one more night. This is a high quality piece of kitchenware; since I got the French oven I've been sold on Le Creuset, and I'm here to sing its praises. Things don't burn unless you're not paying attention, and cleanup is a marvel. Who needs non-stick when you have enameled iron? The red, as I've said elsewhere, is very jolly, and might even provoke you to flights of Gaulic fancy (Vous: Et pour dejuner, les escargots en casserole! Les enfants: EUUUUUUUU) There are more sedate colors available, but I do recommend the red if you have a frivolous bone in your body.

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This wonderful pot is a cross between a dutch oven and a large heavy skillet. The bottom has about the same surface area as the 7-quart le Creuset french oven (big enough for a whole brisket or a large cut-up chicken), but the sides are half as high.

The large browning surface and shallow profile make this just the thing for dishes that involve browning meat or chicken, and then pouring on a sauce to slowly simmer and concentrate. The heavy lid makes the pot perfect for slow, wet, braising of tough cuts of meat like back ribs once the dish is done the pan goes right onto the stovetop to deglaze. Jambalaya turns out beautifully: sweat some onions, celery, and peppers over low heat, brown some sausage or smoked meat, and pour in the rice and liquid the heavy lid does wonders for the rice, and once the dish is done the whole thing can be brought to the table to serve from.

The only drawback to this pot is that you can't carve in it slicing up a brisket or corned beef would risk trashing the enamel. The weight is also impressive with the lid this pot is almost 13 pounds, which may be more than some cooks can handle.

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I first started seeing this pan on Giada De Laurentis' cooking show "Everyday Italian" when I began collecting Le Creuset. I didn't know it as a casserole at the time since it more resembles the "Everyday Pans" being sold by manufactuers like Calphalon and All-Clad.

Of course, you can use it as a casserole and it's the perfect size for macaroni and cheese, fruit cobbler, or chicken and dumplings. However, it is also a great saute and fry pan: steaks and chops brown beautifully; it's great for making a quick pasta sauce; it fries chicken like a champ; risotto cooks slowly and evenly; and it's even big enough for a small to medium roast. In fact, I like it so much I got the five quart model for big batches of paella and larger roasts like turkeys and hams.

Not only is this pan a joy to use and look at, it's also easy to care for. It can go in the dishwasher, but really all it needs is a little soak and the caked on food just comes off with a scrubby sponge or dish brush.

Though any cook would appreciate this piece, it is an especially good starter piece for the recent graduate or newlywed and it will last a lifetime.

Honest reviews on Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Buffet Casseroles

My thoughtful guy stopped off at a Le Creuset outlet and called me from the store: "Hey, I'm at the Le Creuset outlet and you can have anything you want!" Oh, boy, it wasn't even my birthday. After consultation with the helpful sales assistant, we chose this casserole. It's large and flat like a skillet, has a domed cover, two side handles and it has the regular enamel lining. The sales assistant claimed it was the most used pot in her kitchen. I agree!

We leave this out on the stove as it's rather large. We do a lot of things in it, but recently we made Swiss Steak. I am not a big Swiss Steak fan, but when someone comes home with the wrong meat for the grill (hint; you BRAISE round steak, not grill it) then you deal with it. I hammered flour into the steaks with the cubed side of the meat mallet. Then sauteed the meat in the Le Creuset casserole. I added minced onion, a can of diced tomatoes and let the whole thing simmer on the stove (though I could have finished it in the oven--this goes in the oven at moderate temperatures.) The result was a tender Swiss steak and with judicious stirring from time to time with a spatula to release the meat from the enamel surface, it was an easy cleanup.

Unlike teflon, you do have to stir to avoid catching the food on the bottom. I find that a nylon spatula, shoved under the meat from time to time, releases it well. But I'd advise you never really leave this kind of pot to cook on its own even on the lowest heat unless you have a heat spreader or even heat. Our gas stove seems to create hot spots under the surface, so I keep an eye on it from time to time.

The cleanup is easy--no abrasives or rough pads, please, but a good soaking cleans it up with a mild scrubbing nylon pad. The cream enamel does stain from tomato and caramelized foods, quick cleanup mitigates this, but over time, you will see some darkening. This bothers some people but as long as the surface is intact, we are ok with a bit of staining.

If you do a lot of skillet cooking and like Le Creuset, this piece is wonderful and it can go from stove to tabletop because it is quite pretty.

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Le Creuset manufactures porcelain enameled cast iron cooking vessels as well as other products. Le Creuset casts these cooking vessels from molten iron poured in sand moulds that are used only once. For this reason, one pot may look like another, but each is unique in its own way.

Cast iron is a highly efficient material which absorbs and distributes heat efficiently. It is recommended that cooking with cast iron is done on low to medium heat. There are exceptions like boiling water where cooking on high heat is appropriate and okay. Remove cast iron from the heat and it does not cool off quickly. This helps your food stay warm while serving. Beware; iron tends to be heavy so these cooking vessels tend to be heavy as well.

Cast iron is an effective material for cooking so why cover it with enamel? Iron tends to rust; iron oxide (rust) doesn't add any complimentary flavors to your food. If your cast iron cooking vessel was not enameled, you would have to season and maintain your cooking vessel. Adding the porcelain enamel not only looks good, but has multiple benefits. The enamel, being a solid coating, is one of the most hygienic surfaces to cook on, does not stain, absorb odors, retain flavors, and is easy to clean. The enamel can be damaged, so limit cooking tools to plastic or wood.

The benefits of cooking with Le Creuset cast iron are many, but lets get down to the buffet casserole specifically. 5 quarts can be a lot of space when it comes to casseroles, so consider your recipes when determining the size you need. The buffet casserole tend to do best if at least 3/4 full. Any less and you may overwhelm your food with heat evenly dispersed in the pot.

With a large flat bottom that curves up this pan resembles a curved sided saute pan the only thing missing would be a long handle. The tight fitting lid is mostly flat with curved sides. This lid seals in heat, moisture, and flavors and can be used to hold your meat while you are making a sauce from the drippings. Its shape and design makes this an extremely versatile pan.

I tend to use this pot for simple braising more than anything else. It easily holds a cut up large roasting chicken and other ingredients very well. But once you get past the basic functionality that lends itself to recipes such as paella, coq au vin, and basic casseroles, you can really open up the possibilities.

Keep in mind this is a 5 quart pan, feeding two out if it is ridiculous unless you want plenty of leftovers. With that in mind, how about roasting a chicken in it with potatoes and vegetables all in the same pan soaking up those juices? Pineapple upside down cake or bread pudding for when you need to please many guests, making spaghetti sauce which you can later braise your meatballs in, poaching fish, or sauteing pork chops. The possibilities almost seem endless.

One feature that people tend to complain about is the cost. The cost does seem steep compared to other pans made from other materials. Heck, cast iron doesn't seem like it should be expensive when comparing to that old cast iron pan past generations have used for cornbread and camping. However the manufacturing process requires making a mould for each and every pan produced. They then go through the enameling process before shipping these heavy pans. If you take what goes into making and distributing these high quality cast iron products, the cost tends to make sense. Then consider that this pan will easily last a lifetime when taken care of.

Here is one of my favorite recipes I use this pan for:

JAMBALAYA

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 lb. boneless cooked chicken, cubed

1/2 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

1 large chopped onion

1 large chopped bell pepper

1 bunch chopped green onions

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 16 oz can tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup converted rice

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water

1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire

2 lbs. peeled and deveined raw shrimp

1) In your Buffet Casserole, saute diced chicken if not pre cooked, remove and hold in the lid until later. Use oil as needed.

2) Saute sausage until lightly browned. Remove from pan and hold in the lid.

3) Sautee onions bell pepper, green onions, celery and garlic in meat drippings until tender. Add tomatoes, thyme, pepper and salt. Cook 5 minutes.

4) Stir in rice.

5) Mix together liquid from tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce to equal 2 1/2 cups. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

6) Add raw shrimp, chicken and sausage and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes until rice and shrimp are done.

PROS:

Extremely versatile

Efficient absorption and distribution of heat

Hygienic enamel cooking surface

Does not stain, absorb odors, or retain flavors

Easy to clean when not abused or misused

Can be transferred from stove top to the oven to the table

Can easily last a lifetime

CONS:

Its heavy, as cast iron tends to be weighing in at about 15.5 pounds.

Cheap Pyrex Easy Grab 11-Piece Bake-and-Store Set

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I have a little more experience with glass than the average consumer, and I also own "new" Pyrex and a set that's ~25 years old.

I make glass beads as a hobby. It's well-known in that world that COE -coefficient of expansion -will tell you everything about how glass will perform under temperature changes. Borosilicate, or hard glass, has a COE around 30. Soda lime, or soft glass, has a COE between 90 and 110. When glass expands or contracts, it breaks. To use an example from my glassworking experience, I can put a large rod of borosilicate glass at room temperature directly into the flame of a torch (temperature between 1500 and 2000F), and it won't shatter. Try the same thing with a soft glass rod of the same size, and you'll have shards of hot glass all over your workbench.

Also, you can't mix different COEs of glass in the same piece; it renders it structurally unstable. So Pyrex has to be either hard glass or soft glass; it cannot be a mixture of the two.

Similarly, I got a set of Pyrex bowls for my wedding that lasted for years before succumbing to breakage (via drop). I still have one of them. I also have a newer set of the same size bowls. One of them chipped on the bottom almost immediately. At that point I wasn't aware of the differences in glass, so I didn't know why, but now I do.

Borosilicate is far more expensive than soda lime glass. I'm quite sure the change was made as a cost savings. Personally, I'd gladly pay more (and it would probably be double, at least) for a Pyrex set made of borosilicate.

One more tidbit: glass pieces of any size must be annealed in a temperature controlled kiln to ensure structural stability, long life, and shatter resistance. That includes both borosilicate and soft glass. I would never sell a bead to someone that hadn't been annealed; a piece like that can break under any tiny stress. So Pyrex's assurance that they heat-treat their glass is undoubtedly correct, but I'd wager they always have.

Caveat: I don't own this set but am considering purchasing it with the knowledge that it needs to be treated like it's made of glass.

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I've bought some of the modern pieces and frankly, I am really skittish about using them. I only use them to store food and never to cook or warm food. It's not worth the risk. If you're like me and have any of the older Pyrex, you can feel the difference by handling both types of pieces. (I've been using Pyrex for over 30 years and the "new" stuff is definitely different than the Pyrex I bought when I first got married.)

Buy the old stuff made from borosilicate glass even if you have to go to garage sales or eBay. (I've found some awesome vintage pieces on eBay, but they're not cheap since so many savvy shoppers are looking for them.) Don't buy this modern soda lime glass version. The old Pyrex is wonderful and practically indestructible.

But don't just go by subjective sense or just what I'm saying. Read up on what World Kitchen / Pyrex glassware is made of now (soda glass) compared to then (borosilicate glass). Google

consumer reports pyrex soda lime breakage

And go to the Consumer Reports article where they analyze the breakage, the stories, and the switch Corning made from borosilicate glass to soda lime. There are several other articles out there in addition to this article.

You can also find articles that talk about how aggressively World Kitchen has denied responsibility for any breakage, blaming everything on consumer misuse, glass bruises, etc., and how they have ignored those who have been injured, no matter how well documented. And note how carefully World Kitchen words their disclaimer on the soda lime / borosilicate changes on their website. The truth is, the glass composition probably changed before or when World Kitchen bought Pyrex.

"It's not clear when the switch occurred. Anchor Hocking spokeswoman Barbara Wolf says borosilicate glass was phased out by the industry by the early 1980s. World Kitchen vice president Jim Aikins says Pyrex glass bakeware sold in the U.S. has consistently been made of soda lime glass that has been strengthened through thermal tempering at the Charleroi plant for about 60 years.

Sarah Horvath, a Corning spokeswoman, says Corning made Pyrex out of both soda lime and borosilicate at several locations before selling the U.S. business to World Kitchen in 1998, but provided no more details. P. Bruce Adams, formerly an executive scientist at Corning, says that borosilicate was still being used to make Pyrex when he retired in 1987." (From Consumer Reports, January 2011)

Research this product thoroughly before you expose this modern soda lime Pyrex glassware to temperature changes and thermal shock. It's very clear that even handling modern soda lime Pyrex per the company's instructions, you can have dangerous breakage and the threat of serious cuts and burns.

If enough consumers buy borosilicate glassware from Europe and hurt World Kitchen's bottom lime, maybe they will return to borosilicate glass and caring about their customers.

Edit: for those who are saying folks are trying to break this glassware or subjecting it to thermal shock as warned against in the instructions. Read the articles. Empirical research shows this glassware breaks while being handled carefully per the instructions provided by the manufacturer. While some breakage may be due to misuse, research and documentation of reported breakage show that it is breaking when it is being handled carefully and correctly. It should not be breaking/exploding, but it does. Hence all the warnings.

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I bought the 19 piece set just before Christmas 2012. The only difference appears to be that these lids are red and mine are blue. Maybe this means they have corrected the problem I'm having. The concept is good, but the execution is pathetic. None of my lids fit properly on the rectangular dishes and one of them pops off its dish in about 20 seconds. It has nothing to do with the way the lids are placed on the dish either, in case you're thinking this phenomenon might be caused by trapped air. That would be impossible since the lids do not offer anything close to an airtight seal. The price I paid for my set was attractive too, so buyers beware. I have contacted Pyrex twice and received no replies. I notified Amazon just so they could be aware of this problem. They immediately responded and offered a full refund even though the original packaging was discarded. We kept the set despite the useless lids. The dishes are ok, and if we store anything in them, which doesn't happen that often. we just use aluminum foil. Pyrex must know there's a problem with these lids and I think it's pretty sad they won't even respond to a customer's feedback.

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No complaints, these pyrexes are the best items in my kitchen. Goes in the oven, dishwasher, cleans easily, lids fit nicely. Good assortment of sizes3 bowls, a 9x13 baking dish, 8x8 baking dish a 9 inch pie dish

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It's Pyrex and I think everyone is pretty familiar with it by now. They are great and the two rectagular bake and store containers with the handles are GREAT with one caveat. The lids do not fit snugly. That's the downside of the handles in that the lids can't snap around the entire container. I would rather have the handles on these than not have them so it's a compromise I'm willing to accept but if they could solve this issue they would get 5 stars all the way. As it is, I still give them a strong 4 stars (and would go 4.5 if Amazon allowed 1/2 stars).

Best KitchenAid Promotional Aluminum 14-Piece Cookware and Bakeware Set Deals

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I didn't buy this set on Amazon, but I love it so much that I found it in order to give a good review. Everything is non-stick, which is such a blessing for cleaning (and cooking for that matter). My recipes have turned out better since I got this set. The best improvement to my kitchen are the cookie sheets. I used to have some cheap ones from Walmart, but after I saw the difference between food cooked on them and food cooked on these, I threw the old ones out, instead of donating them to Goodwill like I normally do; they were just that bad. I also love the color, its a very classy-looking kitchen red, just the shade I wanted.

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Reviews of Presto 05100 PowerCrisp microwave bacon cooker

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As I rapidly roar toward middle-age, I have not been paying as much attention to my diet as I should. Then on my forty-something birthday, my friend gave me this Presto 05100 PowerCrisp Microwave Bacon Cooker. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received. Besides removing unhealthy grease and fat from my bacon, it actually is neater and more convenient than using a frying pan. But health, convenience and neatness be darned! The bacon tastes great! This is a great product.

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This Presto bacon cooker is GREAT! I have tried several in the past and was never happy with any of them. I love this one. Cooks the bacon well and clean up is wonderful. This is what I'll be giving as Christmas and wedding gifts this year.

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You can fit 10 slices at once, which is important to us. Hot bacon is easy to remove 5 slices at a time with a knife. Thick or thin cut works well. The cooked strips are bent but easily flattened when you lay them on a plate. If the bacon edges stick together, let them cool for a minute and they're easily seperated.

Cleanup is a minor task.. take apart the racks and place them in a dishwasher. Next dump the grease from the pan (there's a lot!!) and place that in the dw as well. Its well worth the effort since the bacon comes out perfectly!

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I've found this product to be so-so. After using it several times, I've concluded that traditional pan fried bacon tastes much better with a more satisfying texture. The best thing I can say about this bacon cooker is that it is a relatively simple process and the bacon doesn't sit in grease at any time while cooking. The results, however, have varied from poor to mediocre so I'll probably stick with pan fried bacon for 5 or less rashers or bake it in the oven when I need lots of rashers at the same time, which has always come out great. Also, this product is less easy to clean than either a fry pan or a baking tray, which are each a single surface. With this, you have to clean 5 separate components.

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Although I only eat bacon a few time a year, this is the "bomb" as a product, it is great. Put the bacon on the rack and set the microwave for about 1 minute per slice and you get perfect crunchy well drained bacon in record time. Next pour the fat out of the tray into the trash and put the whole thing in the dishwasher and it's clean and ready for the next use. Imagine your bacon is done before the toast and eggs . . .

Farberware Classic Stainless Steel 15-Piece Cookware Set Reviews

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I am reviewing this cookware set having owned & used it for ~6 months. At first glance, this set seems to be very well reviewed; however if you read the reviews closely, it will become apparent that many of them are for older versions of Farberware sets (e.g. "I've owned mine for 27 years...", etc. (!)) Such reviews are very helpful in giving us a concept of the quality of Farberware from 1980, but they are unfortunately irrelevant to the quality of this set. I bought this set aware of said discrepancy, but was hoping that quality had been maintained, a good manufacturer in the past probably being a good one now, etc. etc. This was an error. As it has been noted, the pans' bases are not stainless steel, but rather aluminum that is quite far from stainless. The nonstick coating on said pans is beginning to separate from the pan in several small but spreading points (as I only use plastic spatulas/spoons/etc. to cook with, this is not an issue of user error). I have no complaint with the pots, but at the current rate I will require new pans after about one year of ownership. Whether such an investment is wise I leave as an exercise for the reader, but in my opinion it would be better to spend more initial money on a better quality, wholly stainless steel cookware set.

On another note, I would implore Amazon reviewers to refrain from writing nostalgic reviews of archaic versions of current products.

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We're happy with our 20-year-old Farberware stainless steel cookware, pre-dating the stainless steel capped base. The interiors are still like new. The lids are shiny and dent-free. The handles are faded, but remain tight with an occasional turn of a screw. We use it everyday.

We are equally pleased with the newer "Classic" pieces, especially with the added weight and improved appearance of the capped bases. We bought the 15-piece set, giving us some redundant pieces but at a better price than buying fewer pieces individually.

We like stainless steel for several reasons: It cooks well. We can use metal utensils. It lasts for decades. It's dishwasher safe without consequence. It looks good. It's heavy enough. It cleans up easily. (For occasional stuck on food, we simply blot out what's loose, add water, and bring to a boil. After a few seconds, the stuck on food wipes off easily.)

There's pricier cookware available, some with aluminum cores that extend up the sides of the pan, some with copper clad bases, some with handles rated to 500 degrees, some made of anodized aluminum, and some so heavy you can use it as part of your fitness program. After years of no-complaints with our Farberware Classic stainless steel, we can't see paying the premium prices for anything else. We don't use our cookware in the oven, so we're okay with our 350-degree handles.

One complaint with the set: The non-stick skillets are 100% ALUMINUM with a PLAIN exterior and NO heavy base cap. Per Farberware's own website (caps added for emphasis): "Aluminum stains easily and reacts with certain foods. A nonstick interior and PORCELAIN OR NONSTICK EXTERIOR prevents staining and food reaction. Nonstick aluminum is dishwasher safe. A PLAIN AUMINUM EXTERIOR may discolor in the dishwasher."

We use stainless steel for most of our cooking, but still prefer non-stick skillets for some things. We'd like the skillets in this set better if they at least had an exterior finish on them.

Follow-up: We gave away the aluminum skillets from this set and bought a set of Cuisinart stainless steel non-stick skillets to use alongside our collection of Farberware stainless steel.

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Farberware classic is great -an inexpensive yet equally functional alternative to the very expensive pots & pans. Note: recently Farberware reduced its quality, in that older Farberware pots & pans had their thick aluminum base completely encased within a stainless steel shell. The newer pots & pans have the aluminum base attached to the bottom, but not encased within a stainless steel bottom. So, their quality is less than it was; most people who "grew up with Farberware" may not realize this. Farberware used to hold the patent on the technique of having the aluminum base CURVE up the side of the pan -they no longer do this, and are the same as many other manufacturers.

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This set gets a single star rating because it is the lowest allowed not because it is THAT good!

I purchased this set from Kohl's and returned it after realizing that the interior bottom of the 4 qt. saucepot was pitting and staining after 3 uses. I began to make soup and the pot seemed to react to boiling some kale very peculiar for stainless (?) steel cookware. Have never had a problem with my "Made in the USA" Farberware which is why I purchased this set without hesitation. I notice that a couple other reviewers have had the same or similar problems.

Luckily I still have my old pieces and I will try to find the additional sizes that I need either used or new that are made in this country. I am really disgusted that Farberware is now made in China! I understand that companies do this because it labor cheaper, but that doesn't seem to translate into lower consumer prices go figure! Perhaps if more of us bought US Made whenever possible, we would see some changes and better quality.

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I had waited so long to be able to replace my old set of pots and pans with new one's. My husband found this set and ordered them for me for Christmas....I am SO disappointed not at all the nice heavy duty faberware I had dreamed of. They burn easily, already the handles are loose and just very un-happy with this whole set....I wish I wouldn't have thrown out my old set, they were better than these..!!!!!

Excelsteel 18/10 Stainless 6 Non Stick Egg Poacher Review

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Although it is not clear, this product comes with the large pan, the aluminum poacher cup holder, 6 non-stick poacher cups, and a glass lid. Make sure to use cooking spray in each poacher cup and you will love it! We have made eggs benedict like never before!

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Finally, a poacher that has more than 3 or 4 cups. This makes it a lot easier to feed more than one person at at time! This pan is very well made, not flimsy at all. If you spray the cups with Pam, the eggs slide out effortlessly. It's also great to be able to pick each cup up individually making it easier to put them on the plate. I love it and glad I purchased it.

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The pictures are a little deceiving. This is not really very high quality construction at all. It's typical cheap Chinese manufacturing.

I have no doubt it is made of stainless steel but the handle is thin, hollow and stamped to the edge of the pan. The pan itself is also very thin. When I put this in the dishwasher, water collected under the knob on the lid so I had to take that apart to let it dry.

It would certainly not be suitable to give to anyone as a gift but it probably would work ok for infrequent use.

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I have searched for a good egg poacher for a long time, my family eats poached eggs almost every morning! The six cups are great and the eggs come out easily, we use oil spray. The only drawback is that the handle on the lid gets rusty, because when washed water gets in there. I have taken it apart to clean the rust out, so I believe it needs a better sealed handle.

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I bought this egg poacher as I was having trouble poaching eggs the old-fashioned way for my family of 5. As other posters have mentioned, as long as you spray the cups with oil (I used olive oil spray), it does the job quite well. My two complaints are that I haven't figured out how long to cook the eggs (probably my fault, but maybe a result of the weird shape?) and that the eggs end up shaped like little upside-down cups. This may be the price one pays for poaching 6 eggs in one pan at the same time. It makes my eggs benedict very tidy, but it's hard to pretend that they came from a fancy restaurant. The little cups are a little hard to clean as there are lots of nooks and crannies. On the whole, I like this pan as it gets me done with breakfast very fast, but if I were a stickler for tradition, it wouldn't work.

Cheap Stainless Stee Cook and Carry Thermal Cooking Pot

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What a great idea! I've been using one for four years now and I'm amazed at how versatile it is and how great things taste when it's used to cooked with. I think it's a must have item for your kitchen, camp and more! A pot of beans that would normally need to be simmered three hours (3 hours of fuel use) only takes 20 minutes with the fuel turned on and the rest of the time it cooks in it's own retained heat. That's a 90% savings on fuel consumption. There are some great recipes and demonstrations on using a thermal cooker on this blog:

and a link to a similar cooker: Thermos Thermal Cooker RPC4500 4.5L Thermo Pot

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I have this item and use it often. It is a wonderful energy saver, you bring your soup, stew, rice, whatever, to a boil, take it off the heat and close it up, the food continues to cook on its own.

Make a dish for a potluck, lock it up, carry it with you, cannot spill and it stays hot, no need to find a way to reheat the food when you serve it.

There is nothing to break, nothing to malfunction, just a great idea whose time has come. I love my thermal cooker.

Reviews of Calphalon Unison Nonstick 12" Omelette Pan & Cover

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List Price: $175.00
Sale Price: $67.99
Today's Bonus: 61% Off

As a professional chef I run across all sorts of products that are supposed to be the next best thing since sliced bread. However, this pan just so happens to be the next best thing, and I picked it up at my local Le Gourmet Chef in Hagerstown, MD.

Simply put the ultra smooth non-stick surface is smoother than glass; thus cooking requires little if no oil and clean up is a breeze with a simple rinse and wipe. As long as you stay away from aerosol sprays you will have an enjoyable experience with this cookware or any cookware for that matter. If you must spray in your oil then I suggest you buy an oil mister because spraying from a can simply adds residue that ruins pans and takes away from the flavor of your food after buildup occurs. The best feature for all you home chefs is that this pan is 100% DISHWASHER SAFE! It's also oven safe to 500 degrees.

The clear glass cover rounds out the entire package deal and is equally easy to clean. It's nice to be able to cover your pan while cooking and still see what is happening inside without lifting the lid and loosing heat or worse causing a steam burn. Last but not least, the cookware is guaranteed for life, so what are you waiting for, go get one and start something new and exciting in the kitchen!

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The difference between my old nonstick cookware (Culinary Essentials brand purchased at Costco over 10 years ago) and this Calphalon Unison cookware is like night and day. The food cooks evenly and absolutely does not stick. The pan is weighty without being too heavy and the handles stay cool. The glass lids are also nice. This Unison cookware is one of the few choices that is dishwasher safe and guaranteed for life, a selling point for me. So far,though, I've hand washed it. A few seconds is all it takes to come clean.

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I don't know if I just received a bad item, or if the other reviewers treat their pans like crystal, but mine developed lots of scratches (some rather deep) after only one use. I followed all the instructions for what to do before the first use, and I only used plastic utensils. I was stunned the cheap pans from Walmart didn't get scratches that fast. I had to return it.

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Bottom of pan is not perfectly flat so it is useless for

a glass stove top. It cooked beautifully the first

few times but the bottom became uneven very quickly.

No. I did not use high heat.

Probably OK for a gas stove but a definite NO for

electric smooth top.

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I'm afraid I have to agree with others who have had bad experiences with these pans. Calphalon sent me one of these as a replacement for a Calphalon One Nonstick (what they previously called this line, which, before that, was called Commercial Nonstick) that didn't hold up well in heavy use, but not abuse.

I was shocked to see imperfections in the surface right out of the box, but figured if they were only cosmetic, I'd put up with it (though this never happened with Calphalon "back in the day"). But the nonstick surface has been scratching off when used with soft plastic utensils at medium-low heat.

Maybe there's a lot of variation in quality, now, but these pans (now made in China) are not what they used to be. Not even close. And if you get a bad one, it's really junk! Not remotely the quality that I used to associate with Calphalon.

If they keep replacing every bad pan, they may be able to keep some customers coming back for more, but they'll eventually go out of business. How does the higher profit (bottom line) of low labor cost hold up when the revenue (top line) dries up? Calphalon isn't the only American company making this mistake. The problem is not *who* or *where* the product is being manufactured, it's the level of quality that the company is not getting, but *could* if they were willing to pay for it (I know for a fact that there are outstanding facilities in China that make products that are just as good as products made anywhere else at any cost). This greedy drive for profit will backfire, and we'll all be the worse for it.

Sad to say, I don't buy or recommend Calphalon anymore. I don't know if they really deserve only one star, but I felt it was important to bring the average down as a warning to others.

Cheap Le Creuset Silicone 8-Inch Round French Trivet

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This is a beautifully done trivet for the price, and the fact that it's silicone. What I love is that the silicone makes it slip-resistant once you put a pot/pan/kettle on it, so you don't need to worry about it sliding around on the counter if bumped. I bought this for a gift, but I'm thinking of getting a couple for myself. I bought the cobalt blue, but it is not as bright as pictured. I would say that it is a little more like a country blue, or at least has more gray it in than pictured. If you are truly wanting a bright cobalt blue, you may be a little disappointed. The blue I received actually works better for person I was shopping for, so it didn't bother me.

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Product arrived exactly as expected. White is a nice clean white; Cobalt blue trivet is not the same saturated cobalt blue as in Le Creuset stoneware. For me, the trivet color on my screen is the color received. Not having an exact match wasn't an issue for me but if that is what you are hoping for you may want to consider another color or white.

I use the trivets to protect my countertop when taking hot items out of the oven or off the stovetop. Have also used the trivets under round casserole dishes when traveling with hot food. Countertop is unharmed and no injured fingers to report. The detail in the trivet is well defined and does not detract from its usefulness. I wash them in my dishwasher (toprack) occasionally and they continue to look and work like new. Great product, would buy again.

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very thick and substantial silicone trivet --i have several and wish they came in

other colors like burnt orange, beige and different shades of blue.

pots don't slide at all --the design can look like a snowflake so it's good

for Christmas too.

Honest reviews on Le Creuset Silicone 8-Inch Round French Trivet

Very nice product. Works really perfect. will likely buy another one again.

light, good looking. We have been searching for sometimes and found this one. satisfied.

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I like this enough that I will probably buy a second one. It works well, and it is the perfect size to fit under my Simplex tea kettle when I take it off the stove. Mine is white. It is easy to clean and looks nice. Found mine in the supermarket.

Buy Cuisinart 735-16OP Chef's Classic Stainless 1-Quart Pour Saucier

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List Price: $30.00
Sale Price: $14.95
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

I have to disagree with almost everyone reviewing this one. The balance is a bit "tippy" but Not overbalanced when EMPTY because of the small bottom area contacting the burner. This same quality allows the the pan to heat quickly on very low heat and it heats evenly and cooks beautifully. It also pours without dripping and works well as a small chef's pan. I use it to reduce, saute, and even stir-fry in small amounts. The lid from the I.5 qt. saucepan fits exactly.

This ability to interchange covers is a benefit many Cuisinart Chef's Classic pieces share. Regarding handle proportion; Cuisinart Chef's Classic handles are individually sized to match and balance proportionately the individual pans better than ANY brand I have seen. This includes the vaunted and, in my opinion, highly overated / overpriced All-Clad which I do own!

I usually cook for one and in smaller proportions so this pan is a perfect size. It is difficult to find good cookware in smaller sizes.

Also, some points about this and all stainless cookware and the numerous complaints about sticking, burning and problematic cleaning I read on Amazon; Turn down the heat ( You don't need it! ), throw away that worthless and totally inappropriate steel wool and use Barkeeper's Friend or Bon Ami just like the instructions and all those smart folks keep telling Us.

Lastly...How can Anyone rate a product and denigrate the design of same when they do not own it and have not used it and conversly, how can anyone find such a review helpful ?

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When empty it's difficult to get this pot to stand up to pour in what ever it is we want to heat. If we are lucky, what ever we've managed to get into the pot doesn't tip over and pour out while cooking. And don't even think of half way emptying the thing or you will definitely spill hot liquid all over the place. How did this thing pass safety standards. It was definitely a waste of our money.

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In addition to the "tippiness" observed by the other reviewer, part of which is just a side effect of the otherwise-desirable saucier shape, the problem with this pan is that the aluminum disk is simply too small to make this a good pan for sauces, particularly if you are cooking with gas. No matter how small your flame, you get hot spots on the thin lower walls of the pan. Had I thought more about the design before purchasing I would definitely have bought the anodized aluminum version.

It is an attractive pan and pours well, so my initial thought after discovering the poor cooking performance was to use it on the table for serving gravies and sauces. Unfortunately, the tippiness makes that kind of an unwise idea.

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I have three other Cuisinart pans and they are all 5 stars. This one is "tippy." The handle is too heavy in relation to the pan. Potentially dangerous, definitely annoying. Cooks great due to aluminum bottom, but use caution.

After 9 months, I rarely use this pan.

1 star is all i wold give it now.

After 6 years, I NEVER use this pan. It would be gone from my kitchen it it took up more space, and may go in the next round of sending things off to various re-use places at the recycle center, charity garage sales, charity thrift stores. Still one star.

A one star review is a rare one for me to give because they often very personal or about some dumb thing that could have been easily corrected with an exchange or refund. But this is a one star item. The pan tips over and hot stuff spills out. That is bad.

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I should have heeded the reviews on this pan. I really don't like it. It is tippy, and there should be a pour spout on both sides. Would not recommend.

T-fal Simply Delicioso Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Hard Enamel Caldero Reviews

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $31.83
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

We are the one-pot-meal enthusiastic kind of family and this pot turned to be our best friend immediately. It's actually our second one as the first pot's teflon surface started chipping quite soon. We did not use any sharp tools for stirring, however few times we used the top heat settings, what is not recommended. The rest of our T-fal pots and pans are however holding completely OK, which is maybe also a reason, why this new one arrived with obviously new surfase technology (they probably experienced some more cases with the old one...).

I am not sure if this all writing is understandable therefore the bottomline is:

This product is superb for frying, one potting, gratinating and baking and the 2nd generation teflon surface makes it much more durable than its predecessor.

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We had a T-fal fry pan with the 2 short handles that we used all the time. We liked that it was easier to store than a traditional long handled pan. After it finally wore out we tried to find another without any luck. We then came across this Caldero. While its not really a fry pan, it actually has worked out better as its more versatile. We are also going to be getting the larger version as well.

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I bought this product because I liked the color and also loved the glass lid. This pan works so wonderfully, it's the right size for so many dishes! I love the fact that you can see what's cooking without removing the lid and they were very smart with the design putting a hole in there to release the steam. Very clever indeed! Would definitely recommend this to all my friends.

Honest reviews on T-fal Simply Delicioso Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Hard Enamel Caldero

This solves the purpose of an Indian Kadhai for me based on it's size and shape. Was very skeptical in the beginning but it has been good to me :)

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for T-fal Simply Delicioso Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Hard Enamel Caldero

T-fal Caldero is a Versatile Pan, I can Cook, Fry and even Boil just about any Food and they all turn out Great. The Caldero is very Light made of Beautiful Hard Enamel outside and Non-Stick interior. I like to Stir-Fry a lot and this Pan makes it so Simple and so Easy, the Food Glides inside the Pan so Smoothly and anything I make I know is going to be good. The Pan comes with a Beautiful Glass Lid to see what's going on inside without having to lift it, the Lid has a Hole that works as a Vent to release Steam

T-fal Caldero 3.4 Quart does not have the THERMO-SPOT Unique Heat Indicator, a Red Circle on the Center of the Pan that turns Bright Red and shows when the Surface of the Pan is Perfectly Heated to Seal in the Flavor of the Food, for some reason some Pans have it and some don't. I also own two 5.5 Caldero Pans and one has the THERMO-SPOT and the other doesn't, maybe it has something to do with the Manufacture Location. I did not buy them at the same time nor from the same Place, however, it doesn't matter much to me, still it's a Great Pan but it was important to note that.

The Pro-Metal Pro Interior is Exceptionally Durable and Scratch Resistant, Safe to use with Metal Utensils. The Exterior Enamel is Durable and Stain Resistant and easy to Clean even though is Dishwasher Safe, I wash it by Hand, I want to keep the Pan looking Good for a Long Time. Oven Safe up to 500 F, delivers even Heat Distribution for Reliable Cooking Results. I Love the Comfortable Big Handles, they are easy to Grab and to Hold and they do keep Cool. Measures Exactly 10-1/2 inches Wide, (dimensions from the Top without the handles), by 3.1 inches Deep. This is a Beautiful Pan to serve Meals from my Stove Top straight to the Table, it makes a Great presentation. I Love T-fal Cookware it's Light and Last for Years! ...Thank You D.D.