Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 12-Qt. Stockpot with Cover

Bottom Line

The Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 12-Qt. Stockpot with Cover offers the best value among stainless-steel stockpots. In professional tests, its performance rivals that of the much pricier All-Clad Stainless 12-Qt. Stock Pot with Lid (*Est. $380). Users also find the Cuisinart stockpot well made and easy to clean. Its chief weakness, some users say, is that the surface can become pitted or discolored with use.

Performance

A top performer in professional tests. Like most stainless-steel stockpots, it has a disk bottom made of fast-heating aluminum encased in less heat-sensitive stainless steel. Unlike the pricier All-Clad pot, it doesn't carry the aluminum core all the way up the sides, but this doesn't appear to have much impact on its performance; in one test at a foodie magazine, its performance was deemed "very similar" to the All-Clad's. Owners at Amazon.com and ChefsCatalog.com also report that this pot delivers even heat and does a good job keeping a steady simmer.

"I was able to maintain a low simmer for over six hours with my electric stove near its lowest possible setting," reports one Amazon reviewer. We found only one complaint about this pot's performance: One Amazon user gripes that unlike with other pots and pans, food always "ends up burnt and stuck to the bottom." However, this was the only complaint of its kind; another owner actually praises the even heating boasting, "no burned gravy in the bottom of the pot."

Ease Of Use

Ideal size and weight. One user reports that the pot is large enough to stew two whole chickens, yet another says it's light enough to carry easily when full -- something the user says would be very difficult with the heavier All-Clad pot. A third owner at Amazon declares the pot "ergonomically nearly perfect," from its height-to-width ratio to its overall weight. Both professional testers and home users say that the Cuisinart's handles are well designed -- large, sturdy and attached at a convenient angle for grasping. Users are particularly pleased with the "finger grip" indentations on the handles, which they call "a nice touch" (literally). However, several users warn that the handles do heat up during use.

The handles themselves are considered a plus, but a couple of users are annoyed with the jumbo-sized rivets used to attach them. One owner says, "I regularly use a steamer basket in these big pots and the rivets prevent me from easily lifting out the steamer basket." Another calls the rivets on the lid "absurdly large," saying they make the lid harder to clean because they stick up and "catch on sponges and cloths." Aside from this problem, owners agree it "cleans like a dream."

Appearance

Owners love the glossy finish. "You have to see this to understand how beautiful it is," enthuses one owner at Amazon.com. "It is a mirrored finish and you can truly see yourself in it." However, we did see a few complaints that maintaining this mirror sheen is difficult. Several users report that with ordinary use, the surfaces of their pots have developed rusty-looking stains that can't be scrubbed off. Also, one owner at ChefsCatalog.com notes that the pot's large size makes it difficult to store.

Durability

Solid construction. Professional testers and users alike describe it as "weighty and solid," with a thick bottom and sturdy sides. One Amazon user says it is "built like a tank." A couple of dissenters say that the sides feel thin, but as another Amazon reviewer points out, a stockpot doesn't really need to provide all-around heat, so making the walls thicker would just add unnecessary weight. However, we did see some complaints about the durability of the stainless-steel surface. In addition to the problems with discoloration discussed above, a couple of users say that the surface became pitted with use, and another complains that it is easily scratched.

We also read one report that something in the surface of the pot reacted with the cooking water, turning it and the food inside grey, although this problem seems to be an outlier. Cuisinart does back this stockpot with a lifetime warranty, so, in theory, users who experience problems should be able to return it. However, a couple of owners warn that the pot must be shipped back to Cuisinart at the user's expense.