Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Triple Ply Stainless Steel 12-Pc. Set

We bought a Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set in 2011, and we're still using all the pieces. They have held up wonderfully and look amazing when cleaned and polished occasionally with Barkeepers Friend. Make sure you do not use any on an extremely high temperature stove top. We did that with the deep Dutch Oven skillet and made it warp slightly. Cuisinart replaced it with a new one, no questions asked. Thank you, Cuisinart!

I've been wanting stainless steel cookware forever, but the price for quality was more than I cared to spend. I was reading the reviews for this cookware and read one in particular that convinced me to buy this cookware. If you're thinking about the MCP Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless-Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set, read the 4th review on page one and you will be convinced this is the way to go.Prior to purchasing this cookware, I was looking at a 7 piece set of All-Clad in a High-End cooking catalog and drooling over it. My husband wanted to buy the $700.00 (!!!!) set for me as a gift. I just couldn't bring myself to buy something so expensive without doing some comparison shopping first (the guilt factor working here!). That's when I came to Amazon and started reading the reviews for this cookware. Review #4 on page one convinced me that this cookware was just as good, if not better than All-Clad and he was so, so right!First let me say that I kept my eye on the Amazon price. I ended up getting this set for $239.00 plus FREE Shipping! It's a no-brainer.....$700.00 for a well-known name brand (7 piece set) or $239.00 for a well-known name brand of the same quality (12 piece set)? I had to wait 4 weeks to get it, but it was more than worth the wait. While I waited for my cookware I decided to buy the All-Clad 12 inch fry pan with lid for $89.95 just so I could do a true comparison myself and the MCP set doesn't come with a 12 inch fryer, so it would also be a useful pan to have (get the MCP 12 inch fryer with helper handle...if you need a 12 inch fryer...it's $21.00 CHEAPER). I got my beautiful new cookware in November, right before Thanksgiving. Well, let me say....there is no difference except price and in my opinion, that's a HUGE factor. I honestly see no difference in the cookware...other than the name. They cook the same, they heat up the same and they clean up the same. In fact, the handle on the MCP is much more comfortable for me to use and the larger rolled edge for pouring makes the MCP better than the All-Clad....no drips down the side of the pans. The lid fit on the Cuisinart is no different than the lid fit on the All-Clad. Quality/construction difference? None. I truly do not see any difference in the 2 different brands. I am THRILLED with my decision to buy the MCP.I was in awe when I opened my box of new cookware. It's beautiful, hefty, well-made and pure quality! I love the brushed exterior....no fingerprints! The lids fit very well and the lid handles, on the stove-top, stay cool to the touch for a long, long time (simmering soup for hours will make those lid handles hot!). The long handles never get hot (except in the oven, of course). The small helper handle on the saute pan and stock pot handles get hot, but that's a given IMO. I have used every piece of my MCP and it is absolutely fabulous cookware. It cooks evenly, no hot spots. The clean-up is a breeze too. I just soak the pans while we eat and a simple wash with a soft cloth wipes it perfectly clean. Cuisinart says the cookware is dishwasher safe, but I hand wash it. You may choose to use the dishwasher, but that may leave water spots. If water spots don't bother you, use the dishwasher. I have had white shadowy areas after cooking, but Barkeepers Friend takes it right off (get Barkeepers Friend in the grocery store in the kitchen cleaning product aisle...by the Comet cleanser). It looks brand new and I know it always will. I use wood utensils or nylon utensils and will never have scratched bottoms. No metal utensils if you don't want scratched cookware! I did purchase the 5 1/2 quart casserole with lid separately and I LOVE it. It's the perfect size for just about everything.I have cooked everything from bacon and eggs, chicken breasts, to pork tenderloin (finished in the oven), to pasta dishes and soup/chili and everything came out perfectly. I've never burned anything in these pans and for me (and the smoke detector) it's a Good Thing. I ALWAYS had burned chili or soup because of hot spots in my other pans, even on the lowest heat setting on my stove. Simmering soups for hours in my old cookware just resulted in terrible hot spots/burned bottom. Not with this cookware. I start heating the pans on low and only go up to med/lo to medium and have never had a problem. The only time I took the heat to high was boiling water for pasta, other than that, cooking at a medium heat is perfect. I also love the fact that this cookware can go from the stove-top to the oven for finishing certain dishes. You can't do that with all cookware....especially teflon. The "secret" to cooking with stainless steel is to heat it BEFORE you put your food in it. If you do that, the food won't stick....even eggs.I just love it and I know it will be the last set I ever have to buy. This was money well spent and probably the best value EVER. $239.00????? Are you kidding me? Buy this cookware. It's worth every dollar paid...even at $299.00, it's worth it, believe me it is.

First off, let me preface this by saying I've only cooked in nonstick pans before. I bought these because I wanted something high-quality that would last a long time, and it seems like even the expensive high-quality nonstick pans don't give you more than 10 years or so at best.So, how are the pans? Pretty hefty and high quality. I actually expected them to be a little thicker, but I'm glad they aren't. The normal handles do seem to stay cool - they might warm up a bit, but don't need a potholder or anything to use them. However, the small helper handle on the saute pan does get pretty warm. I don't think this could be avoided though.At first I was really worried about food sticking to the pans. They aren't too bad in this regard. I've even cooked rice in one of the saucepans with no issues. They take a bit more work than a nonstick pan to clean, but I'm quickly getting used to it. I always soak the pans while I'm eating dinner, and they clean up fairly easily. The one time I had an issue, I was sauteing some chicken, and the oil had splattered onto the sides of the skillet, and was hard to clean off. The food itself hasn't stuck or anything though, and the pans heat evenly. One tip for sauteing that I've read to avoid sticking: heat the pan, then add the oil and let it heat up until it shimmers, then add the food. (Do some searching online to read more or understand why this works.)So, what are the downsides? Well, Cuisinart's quality control needs some improvement. In the set I got, the 8qt stockpot had two 1" long scratches on the side. One of the skillets also had a very small (1/8" or so) deeper scratch in the middle of the cooking surface. And the 3qt saucepan has a wavy/warped appearance in one spot on the base - it does sit level on countertops though, so it could be within tolerances; you can just see the unevenness when the light reflects off the surface or if you run your finger over it. (Yes, I'm being picky, but I did just pay several hundred dollars for the set.) Heck, the cheapo no-name brand nonstick set I bought in college had better quality control than this. (In hindsight, maybe I should've exchanged the whole set through Amazon. Oh well, they work fine.)I actually called Cuisinart's customer service about the stockpot - the other two pans didn't bother me enough to return. They let me return it, but here's the catch. I had to pay shipping both ways! Cost me $15 through UPS to ship it to them, and I had to include a $7 check for return shipping of the replacement pot. Since I live in CA, I'm supposed to get reimbursed for the shipping costs - we'll see if that actually happens (it looks like I should be getting the replacement in the next week or so, although I'm not sure since I've never heard from Cuisinart even acknowledging that they got the pot - I saw that my $7 check was cashed though). The representative that I initially spoke to about the return was knowledgeable and helpful, but their return policy is ridiculous. I shouldn't have to pay shipping to replace an item that was manufactured improperly and was defective before it left Cuisinart's facility.So, a summary:-good pans-quality control/manufacturing process needs improvement (maybe that's why they're so much cheaper than All-Clad)-poor return policy by Cuisinart (they did let me return it though, so that's good)Overall, I'd definitely recommend this set - it just takes some getting used to if you're accustomed to cooking with nonstick cookware. (I'm still getting used to them, in fact.)Finally, one more thing: Amazon's MSRP they list for the set is not even remotely accurate. According to the Cuisinart US website, the MSRP for this set is $299. Amazon, that is an awfully shady tactic to make people think they're getting a better deal - I would have expected better from you.