I will tell you the story about how my husband got addicted to cooking thanks to this amazing stainless steel cookware set. Our testers also liked the weight of the pieces in the Tramontina set, which felt durable enough to withstand the rigors of daily cooking. The handles on the stainless steel lids were big enough to grab onto, even when we used a side towel or pot holders. We also found that the stick handles were comfortable to hold and the appropriate length, unlike the handles on the Anolon Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set, which were too short. Additionally, we evaluated how easy the handles were to hold, especially when retrieving the pots and pans from a hot oven using a side towel or pot holders.
This extra thickness makes Calphalon stainless steel cookware heavier, more durable, and able to retain heat longer. The most significant difference is not between Calphalon and Cuisinart’s stainless steel cookware, but between the construction of each brand’s high-end and low-end collections. You can season stainless steel cookware, but it’s not as crucial – or effective – as seasoning cast iron cookware.
Good stainless steel cookware will have an aluminum or copper disc sandwiched between layers of stainless steel to aid in conducting heat. Another quality feature is riveted stainless steel handles—they are more secure than spot-welded handles, which are more likely to come off with heavy use. Our tester noted that these pans are lighter than expected given the thickness of the base, but for the price, they are good for someone who doesn’t need to cook in large quantities. While this set includes a variety of pots and pans that are useful, you might be tempted to add a smaller frying pan or a larger stockpot or Dutch oven to round out your collection.
The Great Jones Family Style set is unusual among the cookware sets we looked at in that it includes a nonstick pan and an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. For one, after testing the Great Jones Saucy for our guide to the best small saucepan, we found the company’s loop-shaped handles uncomfortable to hold. The set’s only other skillet, a 10.25-inch skillet/sauté pan hybrid, is also on the small side.
While this looks good, you can’t fit all four fingers comfortably through the handle on the smallest lid. It’s still usable, but a little more finger space would be nice. The beauty of stainless steel is that it’s relatively low maintenance compared to carbon steel or cast iron, both of which require seasoning and special upkeep.
Recommended if you want the pasta insert and smaller stock pot. Here’s a table from our Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad review with a comprehensive list of buying options. See also our review of Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Cookware for detailed information and more buying options. All-Clad D3/tri-ply is still the best All-Clad cuisinart griddler elite line for the best price, and you will spend hundreds more on D5 or Copper Core without getting a lot more in the way of performance or durability. Well, the cladding configuration is identical–so if you want the performance of Industry 5 at a lower price (and don’t mind scrubbing rivets), get the Aurora.
I find it mind easier to cook with these and the results have been fantastic, I could definitely notice an improvement in the quality of food I was cooking with these. I have a flat electric stovetop, and the lower quality pots I had just took ages to heat up – boiling water for pasta was such a chore. “Every bit as lovely as a set of All Clad!” one shopper raves. The pots and pans are molded using the materials mentioned to form desired shapes. It then becomes a bisque which is the ceramic itself but without any decorations. As you can glean from my Cuisinart MCP 12N Multiclad Pro review, all features work together to give you a sublime culinary experience.
A few top cookware brands have more aluminum , but most brands have less; some significantly less. Some inexpensive clad stainless cookware is so thin, in fact, that it barely has enough aluminum to conduct much heat at all. If you’ve ever used a pan that had hot and cold spots that never seemed to even out, you know what we’re talking about. For example, as much as people love Calphalon cookware, our experience is that it is too thin to provide good, even heating .
For non stick utensil users, there may be an adaption process when using this set. Some users of this cookware set wish that there was a steam hole, which this set lacks. One of the cuisinart clermont cover biggest complaints is that this set isn’t very non stick as it claims to be. Other reviewers state that while the bottoms are thick, the walls of the pans are on the thinner side.