Years ago, a friend of mine got married and decided to get a set of stainless steel cookware. As a newlywed, she had visions of using the cookware for an entire lifetime of culinary bliss – but she was also on a budget!
So, she didn’t want just any old cookware – she wanted the best value money can buy.
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When she came to me for advice, I recommended some well-known brands, such as All Clad and Cephalon (which I’d done a lot of research on) but she did some research on her own, and chose to get a completely different set. I hadn’t even considered it, but almost five years down the line, her cookware set is still going strong – and needless to say, she’s ecstatic with her purchase!
2 Things That Must Be Present In Any Stainless Steel Cookware
Before I go on, I need to explain that there are two things that absolutely must be present in any stainless steel cookware that you purchase, regardless of the price or brand of the cookware.
The fact is that not every stainless steel cookware set is the same. Obviously, there are differences in quality, which leads to differences in price. However, there are two things that absolutely any cookware set you plan to purchase must have. These are:
- An Aluminium Core Or a Copper Core – Or Both!
Stainless steel cookware looks great and is easy to clean. However, it’s not very good in terms of heat retention – which means that spots of your cookware will get hot and other areas won’t, leading to “heat patches” and uneven cooking. If you’ve ever cooked with a cheaper stainless steel set then you know exactly what I mean, with food getting burnt (ouch!) in one spot, and remaining uncooked in another.
This is why an aluminium or copper core is so important. These metals are great at transferring heat, and if the core is made of either aluminum, copper or both, then heat is distributed evenly meaning that your food is cooked properly (and you don’t get any of those annoying hot spots). - Aluminium or Copper That Runs Up The Sides
In addition to having an aluminum or copper core, you should check that the aluminium or copper runs up the sides of the pans as well. Many cookware sets these days have a good aluminum/copper core, but they don’t have the metal running up the sides. Having good aluminum or copper sides will make cooking and cleaning up that much easier and better.
Other Things To Consider When Buying Stainless Steel Cookware
There are a few other things you should consider when buying stainless steel cookware. This includes:
- Whether the pots and pans are dishwasher safe
- Whether they are oven safe
- Whether the handles are comfortable to hold and riveted well
- Whether the lids fit safely and securely
Of course a good set should fit all these criteria if you are looking to purchase something that will work well for your needs and last a lifetime.
The Best Stainless Steel Cookware – Consistently Gets Rave Reviews!
Ok, I’ll jump straight to the stainless steel set in question – the cookware set my friend chose to buy is the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel 12-piece Set! Yes, it has all the features I’ve mentioned – a good aluminum metal lining that goes all the way around the sides, as well as being comfortable to handle and of course easy to use and clean.
In addition, this particular item gets rave reviews everywhere. On all the shopping comparison sites, the lowest rating it’s ever received is 4.5 stars out of 5 – so I was definitely curious about this set!
In addition, this set costs significantly less than the other stainless steel cookware sets out there, like All Clad and Cephalon, which lead one reviewer to declare it was
“All Clad quality, but missing the All Clad expensive price tag!”
Video Reviews of The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set
Yes, it’s been consistently rated on various shopping sites as being the #1 stainless steel cookware set – but if you’d like to see for yourself what it’s really like, here are three videos I found that show the set quite well:
What’s Included In The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set
The Cuisinart Multiclad set includes:
- 8 inch skillet
- 10 inch skillet
- 1.5qt saucepan
- 3qt saucepan
- 3.5qt saute pan
- steamer insert (this fits onto the 3qt saucepan)
- 8 qt stockpot
Weight of The Cuisinart Multiclad Cookware Items
The entire set of the 12 items in this cookware set weigh approximately 26 pounds.
- 8 inch skillet – 2lbs
- 10 inch skillet – 3lbs
- 1.5qt saucepan – 2.8lbs
- 3qt saucepan – 3lbs
- 3.5qt saute pan – 5 lbs
- steamer insert (this fits onto the 3qt saucepan) – 3 lbs (slightly less)
- 8 qt stockpot – slightly less than 7 lbs
What It’s Made Of
The cookware set is made of stainless steel. The handles are pure stainless steel, however the pots and pans themselves are two layers of stainless steel, with an aluminum core running along the base and all the way up the sides. As I’ve mentioned earlier in this article, this aluminum core is very important to keep hot spots from preventing and for cooking your food evenly.
The Lids of the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Cookware Set
Except for the skillets, each of the saucepans and the stockpot come with individual lids. It is actually unusual for a set to have one lid per saucepan, since manufacturers often try to save money by providing one lid for two pans – however, no such corners have been cut in this set! The lids all fit securely, they will trap the moisture but there is also some room for steam to get out.
Rims of the Cuisinart Multiclad Cookware Set
The rims of the saucepans in the Cuisinart set are nicely rounded and this makes it easier to pour things out. I have compared them with the All Clad rims, and personally I prefer the rounded rims – it’s one of those little things that makes life easier.
Handles of the Cuisinart Cookware Set
The handles of each item in this cookware set are made from complete stainless steel. They are riveted and will be cool to the touch, even when you are cooking. Of course, if you put the pans in the oven then make sure you use mitts to take them out!
In terms of design, I have to admit that I am very impressed with the Cuisinart design overall – it is very ergonomic and nice-looking. The handles are very nicely curved. When you compare them to the All Clad handles, you’ll notice that the All Clad set’s handles turn up a bit at the edges, so the Cuisinart handles are in a way more comfortable to hold.
Is This CookWare Set Oven Safe?
Yes, the Cuisinart Multiclad cookware set is completely oven safe upto 500F. This means you can cook on the stovetop and then transfer the saucepan or skillet straight into the oven, making food preparation that much easier!
Induction Stove Tops
This set is completely safe to use on induction stove tops as well.
Dishwashers and The Cuisinart Cookware Set
The Cuisinart cookware set is completely safe to use in dishwashers.
Of course, it is recommended to always handwash your cookware sets in order to keep them looking better for longer – but I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a lazybones and just go ahead and use my dishwasher 
18/10 Stainless Steel
18/10 stainless steel is a mix of two alloys, chromium and nickel. However, as more and more people are using induction stovetops, this particular mix of alloys cannot be used. Manufacturers are moving towards making their products more compatible with induction stovetops, and this means that fewer manufacturers are making 18/10 stainless steel cookware sets these days. 18/10 is no longer being used as a determining criteria for good quality stainless steel, simply because 18/10 steel is not compatible with induction stovetops.
Cuisinart sets are not 18/10 stainless steel since they are compatible with induction stovetops.
There are very few good quality cookware sets these days that are 18/10 stainless steel – but if 18/10 steel is important to you then I recommend going with All Clad. You can read my reviews of All Clad cookware sets here:
(coming soon…)
However, Cuisinart remains my top pick for the best stainless steel cookware set in terms of both quality and value for money.
Complaints Regarding the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Cookware Sets
I’ve gone through many consumer reviews about the Cuisinart cookware sets, and most people have been hardpressed to come up with any complaints.
The one complaint that I have come across is that a few people mentioned that they get some discolouration on the exterior of their stainless steel cookware.
This complaint is not unique to Cuisinart sets – all cookware sets come with this “issue”, and the fact is that this minor discolouration will only occur if you use very high heat for cooking. Stainless steel cookware should be used on low to medium heat only. And of course, this discoloration is easily removed using Barkeepers Friend.
How Much Does The Cuisinart Multiclad 12-Piece Cookware Set Cost?
The prices for this set remain between $300 – $500, with the lowest prices being at Amazon.com. You can click the image at the top of the page to check the current price of the set – sometimes the price will go below $300 if it is on sale, but in that case units often sell out. So if it is in stock and below $299, then I recommend you buy it. I’ve noticed that the sets retail at full price in most department stores, so in any case you can save around $200 – $300 by shopping online.
Is It Better To Buy The Pieces Individually?
If you’re going to buy all twelve skillets, pans and the lids, then it is definitely better to purchase the lid, since buying individually (even online) will cost an extra $100 – $200.
However, if you think you don’t need all the items and just want one single skillet or a saucepan, then you may as well purchase the individual item. Again, I recommend comparing prices just to verify. However, in my experience the set will almost always represent a savings so you may as well get all the pieces. Plus, since this set lasts a long time you will find over the years that you may need to cook a number of dishes at once (yes, those dreaded dinner parties do happen!) and in that case it’s handy to have a full set rather than a few saucepans only.
Lifetime Warranty
To add icing on the cake, the entire set comes with a lifetime warranty.
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Hi, I'm Alannah Harris, a certified clinical nutritionist from Melbourne, Florida. I'm very serious about leading a healthy lifestyle, and for me this involves preparing food at home. Juicing is also a very big part of my life, and I am constantly testing out new juicers. I believe that health comes from within, and we need to do our bit to get enough nutrients naturally.