Magnalite Classic 13-Piece Cookware Set

This is a decent set of cookware, and that's about the most positive thing I can say about it. The pots and pans are heavy and seem well made. The lids are especially heavy. The pans heat up well, and cook food ok. But there are significant downsides to owning this all-aluminum set. See the attached pictures. The 1st photo shows the difference between lids in the set. They were new and had not even been used yet. The larger lid fits the 3 qt. sauce pan and the smaller is for the 1 qt. pan. Clearly, there's a noticeable difference in the level of gloss or 'sheen' between the two. As if the smaller lid had not been polished as much. The other two pictures show my 5 qt. pan after just ONE use....I boiled some spaghetti noodles. There's now a ring of discoloration all around the inside of the pot. And those squiggly lines are impressions, or 'ghost' images of the noodles. The noodles were not burned, but boiled for 9 to 10 minutes as the package recommended, with occasional stirring. I even followed Magnalite's advice and waited until the water came to a boil before adding salt. And yet, not even Bon Ami cleanser could budge these 'noodle prints' or the discoloration. Very disappointed with how difficult it is to keep this stuff clean. Two trivets are included, one with the roaster and one with the large saucepan and they're practically useless. Not even 1/4 of an inch high, they don't really elevate the food high enough away from direct heat at the bottom or to keep your roasts, chicken, turkey or other items from sitting in a pool of fat.Sorry Magnalite....I'm just not feeling the love for you. Maybe this stuff was better when it was made in America. And World Kitchen LLC doesn't cover 'stains or discoloration' in their warranty. I can see what a chore it will be to keep this set looking decent. Will do for day-to-day cooking, but I'll hide it away when company comes...don't want family and friends thinking I'm using pots and pans from a 50-year old soup kitchen. If I had to do it again, I would not have purchased this set.

I Love this Cookware! I almost did not purchase it because of all the negative reviews. No, it is not the Original Wagner Ware that I have used for years but, Good luck finding that. The only way I can tell the difference is by turning it over and it reads Magnalite Classic made in China. That has not affected the cookware at all and it comes with a 50-year limited warranty. So, with Proper use & care it will out last you and you can pass it on to someone else when you are gone. Read the Use & Care Guide very close. Hand wash only! Never use scouring pads or abrasive cleaner of any kind.Never Ever wash in a dishwasher! you will damage the finish and you will be lucky to get back half the shine with lots of cleaning and polishing. As with the Original Wagner Ware some foods will darken the inside of this cookware as well, I find it is easy to clean by using "BAR KEEPERS FRIEND CLEANSER & POLISH" available at your local Dollar General Store. I am not, sorry I made this purchase. I would do it again. That is how much I love them.

Like many from the South, I grew up with my parents only cooking out of these pots - I loved them from an early age when I helped mom and dad cook all the Louisiana favorites in these! When I moved to college, there was no way I was cooking out of cheap teflon pots - i begged and begged my parents to find these magnalites for me, and fortunately, Amazon made that easy - I've been out of college for some time now, and these pots are still some of my favorite kitchen items - I use them, along with a couple of Le Creuset dutch ovens, and a few Le Creuset stainless steel pots - But these Magnalites are used for nearly everything in my every day cooking.When using these, cook on medium - the high setting is way too high - aluminum is a fantastic heat conductor, therefore, anything above medium is overkill. To keep these nice and shiny, use Bar Keepers Friend - it removes any of the grayish residue that you get from boiling water in these pots. Anything acidic, as in tomato sauce or lemon will also do the trick - and then scrub with a steel sponge - then they are like new again!These pots are definitely a must-have in any kitchen - they are affordable and really do the job - yes, they are ugly pots, but who cares - cooking is truly enjoyable in these pots! My favorite of the line is the 15 inch Roaster - you can do huge batches of anything in there!

My family had Magnalite pots and pans growing up, and these look to be as durable as the old stuff. Just be aware that this is not necessarily non-stick cookware in the sense of teflon coated pans or cast iron cookware, but they do scrub up nice. IMO, these are best cleaned with the slightly abrasive pads that you would find in a dollar store. This cookware does hold up to more abrasive cleaning, at least better than other types of pots and pans, but like anything metal, if you clean it with a brillo pad once, you'll need to use one from then on. Also, this stuff is pretty substantial and takes almost as long to heat up as cast iron, but overall, I'm very happy with the purchase. Also, there is a big Made in China stamp on the bottom of the P&P, just in case there was a question of whether it was made in the US or not.

I received a similar set of Magnalite as a Christmas gift from my mother in 1983. I absolutely loved my cookware. In 2002 I put my cookware in storage and started using my mother's old set when we started building a handcrafted log home (handcrafted by us). This past fall my oldest daughter was complaining about her cookware, so I decided to order her a 13 piece set of Magnalite for Christmas. When it arrived it was every bit as wonderful as the set I had received in 1983. In fact, it was so wonderful I immediately ordered another set for my other daughter. My older daughter loves hers and uses it daily. My younger daughter loves hers but does not use it because she is afraid her college roommate may ruin it. She is keeping it boxed until she is in her own home. Now my new main kitchen in our log home is nearly done, and I can't wait to get my Magnalite out of storage. It will be like getting back a long lost friend!!!! In my opinion, this is the absolute best quality cookware, and it will last a lifetime.

Very nice, heavy, wish it was American made but still happy with product.