Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Some quick background about me... I cook almost daily. Prior to this Cuisinart set, my daily pans were a set of commercial non-stick anodized aluminum and a few pieces of Calphalon copper cookware (chef's pan, 3 qt. saute). I see my pots and pans as tools and not really works of art so my copper pans lost their brilliance years ago. I wanted to write a review immediately but decided to make sure I got some real cooking time with them to see if there were any surprises. This review represent about two weeks of twice daily cooking experience with the Cuisinarts. I'll try to break this review down into the various components. If you have questions, I'll do my best to keep up with this review to answer them. I'll try to keep basic kitchen knowledge to a minimum but I feel that for a proper review a few things have to be mentioned. I'll sometimes compare them to my Calphalons when I feel it's appropriate. Pans Interior & Cooking: * If you're used thin bottom steel pans and/or teflon coated pans, be prepared for a very different way of cooking with these. It's not difficult. In fact, I'd say it's much better for most styles of cooking. But you'll almost definitely go through an adjustment period. * The inside steel cooking surface on the Cuisinart's is very smooth. So much so that the sides of the skillets are like a mirror. The other interior surfaces are a nice "brushed" finish. * As I mentioned earlier, these are not "non-stick" pans but cooking an omelette was easy with a generous amount of butter. Flipping the entire omelette with a flick of the wrist was effortless. Eggs are probably the only thing that I would still consider using non-stick for but, as mentioned, it's entirely doable if you want to stick with just this set. * Heat distribution seems to be excellent. I don't have any fancy scientific equipment to measure but melting butter on the pans doesn't show any particular spots burning the butter faster than any other spots. * The edges of all of the pots and pans are flared so pouring is super easy with hardly anything dripping down the edge of the pan. This is very well done. * Cleaning has been effortless. A quick shot of dish detergent and some soaking when I encounter something stubborn is all it takes to clean them up. I haven't had any major burning incidents to test charred remains but if I do, I'll update this review. (If they're anything like my other coppers, it will take a little elbow grease to scrub out really bad burns but you probably won't be burning things often because these pans do such a good job of distributing the heat. Just something to keep in mind.) * The bottoms of the pans are perfectly flat. No distortions. Handles: * I was initially concerned about the handles getting hot. In my first two evenings with the pans, I noticed that the handles would get noticeably warm when I cooked. However, both of those nights consisted of recipes where the pans weren't heated for long periods of time. Fortunately, in the last few days, I've been able to test with longer cook times. The 5qt. saute pan served up a nice curry and was under heat for an hour while things simmered. The handles performed fine. They still get warm but never to a point that was anywhere near "hot." * Unfortunately, the handles are very uncomfortable to use. The ends of the handles are very squared off and if you are in the habit of reaching near the end of the handle the sharp corners dig into your palm. I do not like this at all and feel that the more contoured end of my Calphalons are much better designed. * On the flipside, the squared ends allow for a nice sized holes which makes hanging them from a hook super easy. * This isn't necessarily a big con but I also feel like the rivets used to hold the handle to the pans are a bit wimpy looking. I doubt it will affect long term performance but it's definitely something I noticed right away. * The handles have a nice curve to them which your thumb rests in. This makes it very easy to turn the pans to pour things from them. Lids: * The lids are my biggest complaint, by far. They feel so thin and flimsy. This is not something that has impacted the cooking in any way. However, every time I wash them I am concerned about placing them vertically in my drying rack. It feels like one misstep or accidental push while they're wedged in the rack and the rim of a lid might bend. * A quick comparison to show how drastic this is: I weighed the Cuisinart 5qt saute pan lid. It weighs 540grams. I weighed the Calphalon 3qt saute pan lid. It weighs 538grams. There is a considerable size difference between the two but they weigh almost exactly the same. Unfortunately, I don't have a micrometer to measure the thickness of these but holding the two lids together you can visibly see how much thinner the Cuisinarts are. For a set of pans this expensive, I do expect every part to feel more sturdy. This complaint extends to every lid in the set. * The lid handles are nice and big. They are easy to grasp even if you're using a towel or heat pad to protect your hands. The shape is easy to work with. Zero complaints about the lid handles. Upkeep/Finish: * Out of the box, these pans are gorgeous. The copper is beautiful and spotless and shines like a mirror. * If you've never cooked with copper pans be prepared for a color change after the first few heat cycles. They will start to change to different colors. Mine took on a beautiful purple tone. If you like this, great. You're done. If you want that beautiful copper color back you will need to occasionally use a mild copper cleaner. Cuisinart included a nice quick instruction on how to do this with some household materials (vinegar, salt, etc). There are also premade cleansers you can buy. They'll all work fine and get the shine back. I mention this because I've read many people who are new to copper pans think that something is wrong with the pans or they've messed them up. This isn't the case, it's just how copper works. If you find this troubling, you might consider pans with an aluminum or steel exterior. Size/Selection: * Overall, the selection of pan sizes is nice. It's a pretty personal decision what pan sizes you need. I am very excited to have a 5qt. saute pan. It will hold *a lot* of food and because it's so wide you can reduce things very quickly. I also love the 8" skillet. It's easy to wield and even my rather tiny wife can flip it easily. The sauce pans are a bit small in my opinion but, again, this comes down to your personal needs. There is nothing "wrong" with the sizes. The 8qt. stockpot is pretty much the gold standard size for these types of pots. * Personally, I feel the steamer basket is a bit of a waste. You can pick up a cheap steamer almost anywhere and it will be just as effective. I wish they'd taken the steel from the steamer and used it to make thicker lids. General Thoughts/Final Conclusion: * A very good set of pans for the money. I am sure they will serve me well for decades to come. My two biggest complaints are the uncomfortable handles and the razor thin lids. If not for those, I'd easily give five stars. * Should you get this set of copper pans or a competitor's set which costs almost exactly the same? There's no easy answer here. If I were making this decision, I'd take a close look at the individual pieces and decide which sized pans I need the most and use that as my main criteria. The quality of all the cookware in this range has gotten incredibly close to each other. Anything I missed about this set? Please leave a comment and I'll do my best to get you an answer.