EmailBest Reviewed
Cookware
- Best budget stainless cookware Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Cookware *Est. $150
- Best luxury cookware All-Clad Stainless Cookware *Est. $700
- Best budget nonstick cookware Emerilware Hard-Anodized Cookware *Est. $200
- Alternative nonstick cookware EarthPan Hard-Anodized Cookware *Est. $180
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Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Cookware
Best budget stainless cookware
- Inexpensive
- Encapsulated aluminum disk in base
- Oven-safe to 550 degrees
- Riveted stay-cool handles
- No aluminum core on sides
- Some saucepans have high sides
Overall, reviewers say All-Clad Stainless (*Est. $700 for a 10-piece set) is easily the best stainless-steel cookware. However, for a lot less, experts agree that Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set is an excellent budget choice. Unlike the All-Clad cookware, which has an aluminum core that extends up the sides of each pot, the Chef's Classic line has a fully encapsulated aluminum disk built into the base of each pan, but it doesn't extend up the sides. Because of this, these pans heat fairly slowly, but once heated, they tend to run a little hot, requiring you to keep a close watch on your food as it cooks. This cookware is oven-safe to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, which is very high for budget cookware.
Cook's Illustrated includes Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless cookware in its exacting cookware tests. To gauge how this cookware holds up over time, we read dozens of owner-written reviews at Amazon.com.
All-Clad Stainless 10 Piece Cookware Set
 from Amazon.com New: $639.95 In Stock.
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Our Sources
1. Cook's Illustrated MagazineDetails/Subscribe
In this test of 3- and 4-quart saucepans, the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 4-quart saucepan is one of the models included. Saucepans are rated for ease of use, pan shape and cooking performance with a variety of foods.
Review: Large Saucepans, Editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine, June 2007
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
This extensive review tests nine sets of stainless cookware. Each set is evaluated on cooking evenness, ease of cleaning and handle design. Although it's great to see so many pots and pans tested, the report itself is not very detailed. Editors don't disclose how cooking evenness is evaluated and too much emphasis seems to be placed on the handle, which has three separate scores: safety, comfort and sturdiness. There's not much variance in the overall scores, but five pans receive noticeably low scores for ease of cleaning.
Review: Kitchen Cookware, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
3. Bon AppetitDetails/Subscribe
Bon App?tit magazine provides short buyer's guides to several types of pots and pans, followed by editors' picks. But even though the picks are from a well-known source, there no discussion of testing, so we don't really know why these pans, including the Chef's Classic Stainless Stock Pot 12-Quart, were included.
Review: Cookware, Editors of App?tit magazine, April 2008
4. Amazon.com
The Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set earns an average of 4.4 out of five stars in more than 270 reviews. Most owners are very happy with these pans, but a few say that food sticks to the pan bottom, and some say they feel flimsy and cheap.
Review: Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set, Contributors to Amazon.com
5. Cooking.com
Although the Cuisinart 10-Piece Chef's Classic Cookware set is not reviewed here, more than 50 owners give the 17-piece set an average of 4.8 stars out of five, and the 14-piece set also averages 4.8 stars from 24 owners. Reviewers say it heats very quickly and they like the value. Many owners comment on how easy it is to clean.
Review: Cookware Set Chef's Classic Stainless by Cuisinart, Contributors to Cooking.com
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Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set
from Amazon.com New: $760.00 $350.00 In Stock.
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Circulon Infinite Circulon 10-Piece Cookware Set
from Amazon.com New: $550.00 $249.99 In Stock.
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