Cookware Reviews Now

If you asked me what is the best all around material to cook on, I would tell you stainless steel cookware.  I used to avoid it, only using Teflon coated aluminum pans.  Then one day, I needed to get a 5 qt. sauce pot quickly.  I went to the store only to find that they only had stainless steel Cuisinart 5 qt. sauce pots for individual sales, but I could get a complete set of whatever type I wanted.  I only needed the one pot, so I reluctantly bought the stainless steel pot.

Happy I bought stainless steel cookware, sorry I didn’t do it sooner

I have used that stainless steel pot more than any other pot I own.  I am just sorry I didn’t buy stainless steel sooner.  The main things that kept me away from stainless steel for so long were the price and the idea that every thing was going to stick.  Now, I formed these ideas early on in my life, when I didn’t have much experience buying or cooking.  But old ideas can be hard to shake.  This actually led me to not even consider stainless steel when I bought my first two cooking sets.

A lot of research leads to the best stainless steel cookware set

I finally decided that I wanted a stainless steel cookware set, so I took a look at many different sets and found the Cuisinart Multi-Clad 12 piece stainless steel set to be the best stainless steel set on the market.  And I am not the only one.  It is rated the top best seller in the stainless steel cookware category.  Out of hundreds of reviews, it consistently gets 5 star ratings from cooks. It has achieved a 4.5 star overall  rating.  This or even a 5 star rating may be easy to achieve if you have a few reviews, but keeping such a high rating with a large amount of reviews is reserved only for the best, like the Cuisinart Multi-Clad 12 piece stainless steel cookware set.

Two characteristics of quality stainless steel

Aluminum or copper core – The appearance of most stainless steel cookware sets look nice.  The are shiny and well, metallic  all over. But they are not all made the same.  If stainless steel cookware has a stainless steel core or a core with inferior metals, you will get hot spots in it.  this will result in your food cooking unevenly.  The result will be portions or your food under or over cooked.  Aluminum and copper are really good conductors of heat.  The core of your stainless steel cookware set should be made out of aluminum or copper.

Aluminum or copper on the sides – To ensure the very best cooking and eating experience, your stainless steel cookware should have copper or aluminum, not just in the base of the cookware, but up the sides.  This will provide the best heat distribution.

Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12 Piece cookware set has both.

Other important details

There are some other features that are very important to consider.  Is the cookware oven and broiler safe?  Is it dishwasher safe?  Does the cookware have strong, riveted handles?  Do the lids fit well?

Is the cookware oven and broiler safe?

If you have read my review on cast iron cookware, you would see that I am a fan of being able to go from the stove to the oven or broiler.  If stainless steel cookware can’t do that, then it is not really worth too much.  Imagine you are cooking chicken breast; one of my favorites.  You put a little olive oil in the pan and sear the chicken.  At this point, if you don’t have cookware that can go directly into the oven, you would have to move everything to another pot or pan.  But, with stainless steel cookware that can go directly into the oven, you save time and get to bring all the flavors already in the pan together with the dish as it cooks.  The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel set is oven and broiler safe.

Is this cookware dishwasher safe?

Yes, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12 piece set is dishwasher safe.

Does this cookware have strong riveted handles?

If you have never seen a pot full of boiling water spill all over the floor because the handle broke, then you may not appreciate the importance of having strong handles.  I can tell you from experience that it is scary to think of a handle breaking and spilling on to the floor, or worse, on to someone.  Don’ buy cookware that skimps on the handles.  The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel set use some of the best technology to ensure that the handles are the absolute best.

Related Posts

• Pressure Cooker Reviews
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“Pressure cooker reviews you have to read if you want the best”

My job used to take me to many different peoples houses.  It was in one of these customer’s house that I first experienced home canning.  The home owner had invited us to sit down and have a sandwich for lunch.  All along the wall were jars full of fruits and vegetables.  He asked us if we wanted to try some of his wife’s preserves and canned vegetables.  From that day forward, I have been a fan of home canning.

I recently decided to look at canning pressure cookers.  We grow a lot of vegetables in the yard over the summer and I would like to can them to use later in the year.  Since a pressure canner is not something I buy everyday, I decided that I would need to take my time and research the market well before making a decision.

Important Research Considerations

I determined that the first thing I had to decide on was the size I wanted to buy.  Pressure cookers come in a wide range of sizes; from as small as 10 quarts to as high as 41 quarts.  The size you choose will be based on how big your average batch will be.  If you are going to use the pressure cooker to cook food, you will have to know how much food you will cook.  Having a pressure cook that is a little large for the amount of food you are cooking is not that bad.  The size, though, will greatly affect how many jars you can put in the cooker for canning.  Make sure that the pressure canner can hold the number of jars that you would like to use in one run.  If you want use 14 quart jars per run, be sure that you can fit them in the cooker.  And the final determining factor for size is the height of the pressure canner.  The canning pressure cookers that I looked at ranged from 12 inches to 19 inches tall.

You also want to consider what the thing is made out of.  Pressure cookers come in Stainless Steel and Aluminum.  Aluminum is a good conductor of heat, so choosing an aluminum pressure cooker will give you even heat throughout the cooker.  If you decide to buy a stainless steel pressure cooker, you can still get good heat distribution.  You just have to make sure the pressure cooker you buy has an aluminum or copper core.  If you see a pressure canner that is stainless steel through and through, do not buy it.

Must haves in a pressure cooker

Durability
No gaskets or rubber seals
Automatic pressure release
Easily readable pressure gauge

Which Pressure Cooker/Canner did I choose?

I chose the All American Pressure Cooker/Canner because, quite frankly, it meets or exceeds all of my requirements and it has some of the best reviews I have ever seen for any product.  Here are a few from Amazon.

“I’ve had my Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry All American pressure canner for a couple of years, and I’m still very happy with the purchase.” a customer

“Bought one several months ago. Liked it so much, bought my daughters one to share. Excellent service, great product.”
Oregonian “Jann”

“This product is the best engineered cooker ever.” cds

You can read many more like this at Amazon.com.  The All American Pressure Cooker/Canner is the best of the best; receiving 4.8 stars out of 5.

What do you get?

You will receive your pressure cooker, cooking/canning rack, instructions booklet and recipe book.

What sizes can you buy it in?

10 Quart
15 Quart
21 Quart
25 Quart
30 Quart
41 Quart

How much will it cost?

The prices range from $179 to $464 depending on which size you choose.  I found the best price on pressure cookers at Amazon.com.

What material is used to make it?

The All American Pressure Cooker/Canner is made of professional quality, hand cast heavy duty aluminum.  It has a stay-cool bakelite top handle and double thick edges for extra protection on wear points.

Other Cool Things I Like About the Pressure Cooker

It has a geared steam gauge, automatic overpressure release pressure regulator weight with 5, 10, and 15 psi settings.  The pressure gauge is a nice size and very easy to read.

What about the lid?

The lid is sealed without the use of a gasket and features the All American Pressure Canner exclusive, precision “Metal to Metal” sealing system.  The lid is locked by clamps to the base and creates a perfect seal; no gaskets involved.  When I was reading the reviews the sealing system and the fact that the All American Pressure Canner/Cooker doesn’t use gaskets.  I particularly remember someone say the were doing research and came across a lot of people having trouble finding a replacement gasket for their older pressure cookers.  You won’t have that problem with the All American Pressure Canner.

Specific Detail of Each Pressure Cooker

10 quart

- holds 10 1/2 quarts of liquid
- 7 pint jars or 4 quart jars can be canned at a time
- measures 12 inches high by 13 inches wide overall
- measures 7 3/4 inches high by 10 1/4 inches wide on the inside
- comes with 1 cooking/canning rack
- weighs 11 1/2 pounds
- 15 pounds when packed for shipping

15 quart

- holds 15 1/2 quarts of liquid
- 10 pint jars or 7 quart jars can be canned at a time
- measures 12 1/2 inches high by 15 1/2 inches wide overall
- measures 7 1/2 inches high by 12 5/8 inches wide on the inside
- comes with 1 cooking/canning rack
- weighs 18 pounds
- 21 pounds when packed for shipping

21 quart

- holds 21 1/2 quarts of liquid
- 19 pint jars or 7 quart jars can be canned at a time
- measures 16 inches high by 15 inches wide overall
- measures 10 1/2 inches high by 12 5/8 inches wide on the inside
- comes with 1 cooking/canning rack
- weighs 20 pounds
- 25 pounds when packed for shipping

25 quart

- holds 25 quarts of liquid
- 19 pint jars or 7 quart jars can be canned at a time
- measures 16 3/4 inches high
- measures 11 7/8 inches high by 12 5/8 inches wide on the inside
- comes with 1 cooking/canning rack
- weighs 21 pounds
- 29 pounds when packed for shipping

30 quart

- holds 30 quarts of liquid
- 19 pint jars or 14 quart jars can be canned at a time
- measures 19 inches high
- measures 14 inches high by 12 5/8 inches wide on the inside
- comes with 1 cooking/canning rack
- weighs 22 pounds
- 32 pounds when packed for shipping

41 quart

- holds 30 quarts of liquid
- 32 pint jars or 19 quart jars can be canned at a time
- measures 19 inches high
- measures 14 1/4 inches high by 15 1/4 inches wide on the inside
- comes with 1 cooking/canning rack
- weighs 33 pounds
- 40 pounds when packed for shipping

Who has the best deal on Pressure Cookers?

Amazon.com, by far, has the best price on the All American Pressure Cooker/Canner.  And they have unmatched customer service to go along with it.

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• Stainless Steel Cookware Reviews
• Cast Iron Cookware

One day I was cooking dinner and a friend asked me why I was using cast iron instead of a stainless steel pot. I told him it all started when I was a kid, my mom used cast iron cookware all the time.

I remember we would bring home fresh rabbit for my mom to cook. She always cooked it down in a brown gravy and served it over rice. She would sear it in a cast iron pot; making it golden brown on the outside. Then she would add some beef stock, bouillon, and onions to the pot. She let it slow cook in an enamel cast iron french oven for hours. The meat was saturated with flavor and falling off the bones. It was one of my favorite dishes.

Weeks later I was think about the question my friend had asked me and decided to look at the cast iron cookware for sale; the one I had was given to me. I noticed that there is a wide price range for different types of cast iron cookware and that there is especially a big difference between the price of most and one brand in particular, Le Creuset. In my pursuit to understand the differences of the selection of cast iron cookware, I read hundreds of reviews of the top bestselling cast iron cookware brands.

I chose the top three brands to compare; Le Creuset, Lodge, and Staub. I compared the major features of each brand. The cast iron cookware that my mother has had since I was a kid, is made up of both a seasoned (bare) cast iron set and an enameled cast iron set. I have had some cheaper cookware with enamel coatings that didn’t hold up well, so I particular paid attention to enamel coated vs bare cast iron when reading the reviews and recommendations.

What I found through my research was just plain inspiring. The group that cooks with cast iron is smaller than the one that uses other cookware, although there are many who use both. But the cooks who use cast iron often are down right passionate about their cookware. They talk about the unique flavors that a seasoned cast iron pan adds to the dish; matched by no other cooking instrument. Or how slow cooked meat cooked in an enamel cast iron french oven is so tender that it falls right of the bones. I don’t know about you, but that makes my teeth tingle with excitement.

Why cast iron vs stainless steel

The number one reason for choosing cast iron over stainless steel. Many of the reviews I read said that their cast iron cookware distributed and maintained heat better than any other type of cookware they owned; noting that they could go from the stove top to the oven and then to the table with one piece of cookware and rest knowing that it would still be warm when it came time for a second helping; without the use of a hot plate or some other external heating device. Some people even said they used it to bake a cake in.

The only negatives

The only drawbacks I could find were, cast iron is heavy and you can’t wash the bare cast iron with soap or you will have to re-season it; which is nothing more than cleaning it thoroughly, coating it with vegetable oil, and baking it in the oven.

Here are a few quotes from some of the reviews I read at Amazon.com about Le Creuset cast iron cookware:

“Anyone serious about Cooking should have at least one cast iron pot and Le Creuset is the best quality available today.” Michael

“This is simply the best cooking pot I’ve ever used.” Grizz

“Wished I ordered this sooner…It cooks evenly…holds heat better than anything I have ever used.” Carolyn

A few quotes from some of the reviews I read on Amazon.com about Lodge cast iron cookware:

“The quality is outstanding and the color is beautiful…” C. Turner

“This is one of the nicest pieces of cook wear that I have ever purchased.” Terry

“…I have found that here in America they make as good of a product at a fraction of the price of the French version.” nmr

Best enameled cast iron Dutch oven (French oven)

Le Creuset French Ovens

Best enameled cast iron cookware set

Le Creuset cast iron set

Best enameled cast iron skillet pan

Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet

Best bare cast iron Dutch oven

Lodge Seasoned Dutch Oven

Best bare cast iron skillet pan

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

Best bare cast iron griddle

Lodge cast iron griddle

Best cast iron wok

Lodge cast iron wok

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