Cookware Reviews

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Cookware Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Cookware Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Testing Cast-Iron Skillets Lisa McManus and editors of Cook's Illustrated Sept. 2007		Editors explain the history, pros and cons of cast iron cookware, which has been around since the 6th century. Advantages include price, versatility and durability, while the downsides include the care required and weight. Editors provide tips for caring for cast iron. Eight pans, both coated and uncoated, are tested before the Lodge Logic 12-inch pan is declared the winner. Its "classic shape" aced steak and chicken tests, but it needed a second go-round before releasing foods perfectly. The Camp Chef SK-12, the heaviest and thickest of the pans tested, is rated a best buy. Poor performers include the Cajun Classic 12-Inch and Bayou Classic Heavy Duty 12-Inch.
2. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	The Guide to Essential Cookware Sean Lawler and editors of Cook's Illustrated June 2005		This lengthy review summarizes Cook's Illustrated's testing of eight types of pots and pans. Cooking performance, ease of cleanup and design are evaluated. All-Clad is top-rated in nearly every category from skillet to saucepan. A second choice among skillets is Wolfgang Puck's Bistro cookware. When it comes to Dutch ovens, Le Creuset enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch ovens get the best ratings. This article is also sprinkled with tidbits on popular types of cookware and a comparison of cooking metals.
3. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Inexpensive Dutch Ovens Editors of Cook's Illustrated Jan. 2007		The Dutch oven is known by many names -- stockpot, round oven, French oven or casserole -- but the editors here agree it is a kitchen necessity. A Dutch oven is heavier and thicker than a stockpot, which allows it to hold and conduct heat more effectively. There is excellent, detailed information about how the testing was done (everything from preparing a beef stew to making frozen French fries in canola oil to test heat retention and conduction) and a great comparison chart of results. Top performers include All-Clad's Stainless 8-Quart Stockpot and Le Creuset's 7.25-inch Quart Round French. The surprise performer was a discontinued Target pan. Another reasonably priced choice is the Mario Batali Italian Essentials Pot by Copco (*est. $100), which performed almost as well as the All-Clad and Le Creuset.
4. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Should You Buy A Bargain Sauté Pan? Editors of Cook's Illustrated Sept. 2006		Nine sauté pans are tested in a variety of tasks ranging from pan-searing strip steaks to cooking crepes. Editors also rate for design factors including the shape and seal of the lid, the weight of the pan and the shape of its handle. After putting the pans through their paces, editors found they could not recommend the Sitram Profiserie 3.3-Quart Commercial Stainless Steel pan due to slow preheating and cramped cooking space inside the pan. The good news is that the very reasonably priced Gourmet Standard Tri-Ply 10-Qt. pan was found equal in every level of performance to the All-Clad Stainless Steel 3-quart sauté pan. The Gourmet Standard pan is rated a Best Buy here.
5. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Nonstick Skillets Editors of Cook's Illustrated Aug. 2006		Editors put nine low-cost (under $50) nonstick skillets through their paces and came to some interesting conclusions. While the Cuisinart Chef's Classic finishes in first place due to its generous capacity, the WearEver Hard-Anodized 12-inch skillet kept pace with some of the bigger names in cookware, though it wasn't as heavy. Editors advise against the T-Fal Initiatives 12.5" Nonstick Sauté Pan (*est. $18) for its poor performance and flimsy construction.
6. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	The Little Nonstick Saucepan That Could Editors of Cook's Illustrated Mar. 2006		Nine small nonstick saucepans are given the treatment in a series of tests including making pastry cream and rice, as well as speed sautéing (starting with a cold pan and then cooking onions). There's excellent detailed information about the tests and why they are important in evaluating the quality of a saucepan. The Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 2½ Quart Shallow Saucepan with Cover is the favorite and costs far less than the two other highly rated pans from Swiss Diamond and Berndes.
7. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Large Saucepans – Updated Editors of Cook's Illustrated June 2007		Editors put 3- to 4-quart saucepans to the test in this update of their 2002 test. In the earlier test, only saucepans costing $100 or more received a rating of "recommended" or "highly recommended," but in the update, a $20 saucepan from Pinzon performs nearly as well as the champion All-Clad and is deemed a Best Buy. The "solid-feeling" Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 4-quart saucepan is also recommended, but some editors dislike its high sides. The Berndes Tricion 3.5-Quart Stainless rounds out the "recommended" list, but some editors find its handles too short.

Cookware Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Cookware Ratings Comments on Reviews

8. Real Simple	Which Pots to Stock: Cookware 101 Editors of Real Simple May 2004		With "the right pan for the right task" as their motto, editors list the pros and cons of cast iron, stainless, enameled cast iron, non-stick aluminum, copper and hard-anodized aluminum pans. They select a favorite pan in each category, suggest uses for it, and provide cleaning tips. There's excellent information here on materials, but editors don't test or compare specific cookware.
9. New York Times >> Details/Subscribe	In Search of a Pan That Lets Cooks Forget About Teflon Marian Burros June 7, 2006		Food safety expert Marian Burros embarks on a quest for Teflon-free cookware, testing eight skillets in the process and consulting expert chefs along the way. She used only a thin film of oil in each skillet, so foods frequently stuck to the pan bottom. All-Clad and Calphalon pans both failed these tests. Citing cleaning as "the kitchen job I like least," Burros sought an easy-to-clean pan, and she says she found it in the Le Creuset skillet. She preferred it for its imperviousness to acidic foods and its ability to cook in little fat. Two other cast-iron pans also fared well, but Le Creuset had the edge in the cleaning department.
10. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Cookware: Top Picks in Pans Editors of Consumer Reports Dec. 2005		This detailed review tests more than a dozen brands and 38 lines of cookware in areas like even cooking, safety and ease of cleaning. This review is notable because, along with major traditional brands, editors test cookware from stores like Costco and Sam's Club. Although it's great to see so many pots and pans tested, the report itself is not very detailed. Editors don't disclose how each type of pan (skillets, sauté pans, etc.) performs relative to others. More than half of the tested cookware gets the same overall rating of very good to excellent.
11. Good Housekeeping.com >> Details/Subscribe	The Best New Cookware Sets Editors of Good Housekeeping Sept. 2005		Good Housekeeping tests 25 brands of cookware, 14 of which don't make the grade in terms of heat distribution and simmering. Other tests include browning, ease of use and ease of cleaning. Of the 11 remaining brands, six sets are chosen as favorites. The T-Fal Soho set includes saucepans with measuring marks, and the copper-laden QVC Technique allows even browning. WearEver Excellence Stainless Steel cookware has a comfortable silicone handle with thumb rest, Revere Convenience pots have spouts and lid strainers, KitchenAid Hard-Base nonstick comes in red and blue, and the anodized aluminum in Analon Advanced is said to ensure even heating.
12. Cuisine at Home >> Details/Subscribe	Choosing a Nonstick Skillet Editors of Cuisine at Home Feb. 2007		Reviews in this magazine are a little strange in that they are written in the first person, but no author is named. Twenty-two nonstick skillets were tested for this report, but only the top five are mentioned (in order of price). Editors say that because nonstick skillets eventually wear out, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money. There is a nice sidebar on the different grades of Teflon, but no discussion of the Teflon controversy. Rated as the Best Value is the Cuisinart Chef's Classic 11.5-inch nonstick skillet, which has a titanium-reinforced nonstick coating and is oven-safe to 500 degrees.

Cookware Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Cookware Ratings Comments on Reviews

13. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Celebrity Skillets Editors of Cook's Illustrated Nov. 2004		In this interesting article, celebrity-endorsed cookware is put through the same exacting tests as other cookware. Each "celebrity" skillet is compared to Cook's Illustrated's favorite All-Clad stainless steel cookware. Although noted as not being equal to All-Clad and definitely heavier, Jamie Oliver's T-Fal Professional Series 12.5-inch Stainless Steel Sauté Pan is also recommended.
14. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Calphalon One Editors of Cook's Illustrated Mar. 2004		Calphalon One is made by adding advanced-release polymer to an anodized aluminum pan to combine "the best qualities of both traditional metal and nonstick cookware." The editors of Cook's Illustrated decided to see if this high-tech pan would compete with their favorite All-Clad traditional and nonstick pans. The test included searing steak and salmon, then assessing the amount of fond (the browned meat residue that is used to make sauces). The Calphalon One performed well as a traditional skillet, but faltered at nonstick tasks such as stir-fry and omelets.
15. Real Simple >> Details/Subscribe	One Set Fits All Francine Maroukian Apr. 2005		In this article, Francine Maroukian notes that the most important factor in cookware is good heat conduction. Top-rated here is the All-Clad Master Chef Two Nine-piece Cookware Set. All-Clad cookware is said to conduct heat best since it has triple-ply construction (aluminum sandwiched between stainless steel). Also rated is a selection of stockpots and Dutch ovens. However, no testing methodology is discussed.
16. Good Housekeeping.com >> Details/Subscribe	Testing Out New Celebrity Cooking Gear Editors of Good Housekeeping Nov. 2004		In this brief review of celebrity chefs' cooking tools, Good Housekeeping reviews everything from pots and pans to panini makers and peppershakers. Editors indicate that they put the stars' products to the test in their kitchens, but they don't detail what tests were performed or the rating criteria. Rocco DiSpirito's 10-Piece Cookware Set is the only traditional cookware highlighted. Kathy Ireland's Acafe Oven-to-Table Stoneware is also noted.

Cookware Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Cookware Ratings Comments on Reviews

17. Amazon.com	Cookware Contributors to Amazon.com As of Oct. 2007		This site is a good place to read reviews from owners, and there are more reviews here than at Target.com or Epinions. Amazon carries a large number of cookware items, so chances are good that at least a couple of people have commented on each brand/line.
18. Consumer Guide.com	Cookware Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Oct. 2007		Consumer Guide assigns some cookware with a rating for performance, but there's no evidence that any testing was performed. Eight cookware lines are rated as a Best Buy, but no explanation of the methodology behind the endorsements is provided. No critical data is offered, and the write-ups are product descriptions that read more like advertising copy than genuinely critical, objective information.
19. Epinions	Cookware Contributors to Epinions As of Oct. 2007		While lesser-known cookware sets and individual pieces of cookware don't get a lot of commentary here, many different cookware sets by the big names like Farberware, Cuisinart Everyday, T-Fal and Calphalon receive more than a dozen current reviews.
20. Target.com	Cookware Contributors to Target.com As of Oct. 2007		This site doesn't have many reviews of cookware, but there are a good number of comments on the more popular brands. Like Amazon.com and Epinions, Target is a good place to check for user reviews.