Review of Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel 14-Piece Cookware Set

I was uncertain about the Chef's Classic line vs. the MultiClad line. For me, I think I got the right thing. (I am an everyday cook, not a gourmet cook. I can appreciate the nicer cookware, but I'm not sure I "need" it.) I had been using hand-me-down RevereWare plus some mismatched Calphalon and had convinced myself that it was all great, but this is so much better. This cleans up easier and the disks at the bottom seem to be very helpful with the even heating.

In looking at the reviews for other sets or individual pieces of this line, some have complained that the metal is very thin, which gave me pause. I thought it was surprisingly thin when I first unpacked the set, but it's just different from what we expect, I think. It's totally fine. And I immediately see a benefit... the pans are not as heavy as other cookware when full. E.g., it's much easier to pour and scrape from these pans than some others.

I also saw a snapshot of someone's pan in this line that was strangely buckled/scored in a very rhythmic way, which was a cause for concern, but now I think that must've been a defective piece that should have just been sent back. There's no sign of anything like that on my pieces.

I do use an "everyday" pan all the time, but have now retired the Calphalon... this one works better! Both for heating and for clean up. The stockpot seems perhaps a bit bigger than I need most of the time, large enough for 2 lbs of pasta, I can now confirm. So I think I will add the 6-quart version of that. I'm also eyeing the 14-inch frying pan.

Definitely get this set over the 12-piece... the everyday pan is the best!


Update: (4 months later)

Wow, I am impressed! By rights, the 3.5-quart saute pan should now be ruined. I was doing some holiday cooking, ran out of pans, and used this one to steam vegetables (with an insert). I set a timer that didn't go off, and left the room for way too long, called back by the burning smell of the broccoli (yes, I burned the broccoli in a steamer.. that's how bad it was -- the pan was completely, entirely, you've-never-done-something-this-stupid overheated. The pan should be ruined, but a. it was structurally sound after this misadventure (note: I did let it cool in its own sweet time). And b. although it remained blackened after my best attempts at cleaning my normal ways, BarKeepers Friend has made it shine again. Having had previous supposedly higher end pans that did buckle on the bottom when mistreated, I am seriously impressed that this pan is fine.

(Thanks, folks, for the BarKeepers Friend tip! My other pans were getting a little discolored, and with no effort, are shiny now, too. I did have to do overnight treatments to get the abused pan to be silver again -- once for the inside and once for the bottom -- but for normal use it's really a quick path to shiny pans.)

Product Description
Inspired by the French kitchens, Cuisinart began making professional cookware over 30 years ago.Constructed of the finest materials available, to perfectly perform all of the classic coking techniques.Designed to last a lifetime, Cuisinart makes family meals memorable and entertaining a pleasure.Savor the Good Life right at home, with family and friends. Cuisinart makes it absolutely delicious. The Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel 14 Piece Set is the perfect choice for serious cooks, entertainers or big families.Cuisinart offers 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 quart saucepans with covers, two skillets 8" and 10", one 3.5 quart saute pan with helper handle and cover, 8 quart stockpot with cover and a 12" everyday pan with cover.

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