Classic 14 Quart Covered Stockpot Phenolic

The sauce pan is one of the most-used pans in the kitchen. This Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Sauce Pan is the smallest one: 1 1/2 quarts. This Cuisinart sauce pan is idealisti for littler cooking tasks that do not require a huge capacity pan.Cuisinart Multiclad Pro cookware is their top of the line cookware, a very solid performer throughout the board. The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro features an aluminum core bonded to a 18/10 brushed stainless exteriors and mirror finish stainless steel interiors. The polished cooking surface does not discolor, react with feed or modify flavors. Other Cuisinart Multiclad Pro features include:Dishwasher safeCool Grip handleOven safe to 550FTight-fitting lids seal in moisture and nutrientsCuisinart Multiclad Pro cookware has a fixed lifetime warranty from Cuisinart

A utile addition to any cookware collection, this beautifully designed saucepan features a round shape, flat bottom, and straight sides that come in handy for a assortment of culinary creations. Measuring 13-1/2 by 7-1/5 by 4-8/9 inches, the unit holds up to 1-1/2 quarts and works well for anything from making breakfast oatmeal or chocolate pudding to heating up vegetable soup, boiling noodles, or making homemade marinara sauce. It also comes with a tapered rim, which allows for pouring contents without messy drips.

Like other pieces in the Multiclad Pro line of cookware by Cuisinart, the saucepan features professional triple-ply stainless construction: a core of pure aluminum comes sandwiched amongst 18/10 stainless steel, resulting in fast, even heat distribution with no hot spots. Even more, the cookware’s 18/10 stainless-steel cooking surface won’t discolor, react with food, or alter flavors, and it is exclusive Heat Surround Technology distributes heat all over the bottom and up the sides of the pan to ascertain foods cook evenly and efficiently. The pan’s long cast-stainless-steel handle comes riveted for strength, stays cool to the touch on the stovetop, and offers a hole at the end for commodious hanging storage when not in use. A secure-fitting stainless-steel lid with a loop handle comes included, helping to trap heat, moisture, and nutrients. The cookware may be employed on any cooktop, including induction, in an oven up to 550 degrees F, as well as underneath the broiler. Best of all, the cookware cleans up effortlessly by hand or in the dishwasher, and it carries a fixed lifetime warranty.

Enjoy the Fine Art of Cooking

Inspired by the great French kitchens, Cuisinart begun making professional cookware closely 30 years ago. Constructed of the finest materials available to utterly carry out all of the classic cooking techniques, Cuisinart cookware proceeds a long tradition of excellence.

Our dedication to quality and innovation proceeds with our MultiClad Pro Stainless cookware, designed to meet the demands of gourmet chefs everywhere.

Unique triple-ply construction joins a brushed stainless steel exterior, a pure aluminum core that provides even heat distribution, and a stainless steel interior, for optimal performance. MultiClad Pro Stainless lets you celebrate the fine art of cooking.

What is MultiClad Pro Stainless Cookware?

Premium cookware that features professional triple-ply construction – a core of pure aluminum bonded to a stainless steel interior and a brushed stainless exterior – a fusion of the best materials for cooking supplying unsurpassed performance. Heat Surround engineering maintains even heat distribution along the bottoms and side walls of the cookware, eliminating hotspots. Premium stainless steel cooking surfaces do not react with feed or alter natural flavors.

The Cuisinart Details

Designed to provide professional gourmet cooking results, this collection offers perfective heat and perfective results, each time.

• The Choice of Professionals
  Aluminum core heats and cools quickly for precise temperature control. Heat Surround technology provides even heat distribution along the bottom and up the side walls of the cookware. Stainless steel interior is idealisti for delicately simmering sauces. Perfectly sautéing vegetables, browning meats, or boiling assorted servings of pasta.
   
• Covers Seal in Nutrients
  Tight-fitting stainless steel covers seal in food’s natural juices and nutrients for healthier, more flavorful results. Covers are dishwasher-safe.
   
• Drip-Free Pouring
  Rims are tapered for drip-free pouring.
   
• Professional Results
  Stainless steel cooking surface does not react with feed or modify feed flavors. Great for classic cooking proficiencies like sautéing, frying, browning, searing and tardily simmering delicious sauces.
   
• Superior Heat
  Triple-Ply construction includes the unsurpassed heat conductivity of a pure aluminum core. It insures greatest or most complete or best possible heat retention and even heat distribution, eliminating hot spots.
   
• Perfect Balance
  Exclusive Cool Grip handles stay cool on the stovetop. Handles with distinguishable thumb rests are riveted for perfective remainder and uttermost control when lifting and pouring.
   
• Triple-Ply Construction
  
  • Brushed stainless steel exterior
  • Pure Aluminum Core for even heat distribution
  • Stainless steel interior

Why make our best your best?

The MultiClad Pro Stainless Cookware Collection is designed to meet the culinary needs of the most demanding gourmet chefs. Its triple-ply construction facilitates effortless cooking and first-class results, enabling even the kitchen novice to whip up meals with a gourmet flair that will delight the whole family. Whether a menu calls for sautéed pork medallions, a slow-cooked Manhattan chowder, or spicy sun-dried tomato sauce that simmers all day long, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Cookware makes cooking it a joyful experience. Discover the gourmet chef in you, and get ready to cook your best.

Classic 14 Quart Covered Stockpot Phenolic Photo

Classic 14 Quart Covered Stockpot Phenolic Image

Classic 14 Quart Covered Stockpot Phenolic Photo

Classic 14 Quart Covered Stockpot Phenolic Pic

Most helpful customer reviews

157 of 159 people found the following review helpful.
Better than All-Clad, and here’s why
By The Vinocat
I’m a self-confessed cookware junkie and professionally-trained home chef. I have at least 60 or so different pots and pans, and actually use most of them regularly. I’ve been biased toward Calphalon Anodized (not non-stick) for nearly 20 years, and still love the line. I got into Calphalon Tri-Ply, which is superb, but thought I’d try this pan to see if the value was there.

IMHO, Calphalon Tri-Ply, Cuisinart Multiclad, and KitchenAid Clad all have far surpassed All-Clad for various reasons. Basically, All-Clad hasn’t changed its design in ages, and has missed out on a number of very real improvements.

To Wit: the rolled lip that eliminates pouring drips and runs of liquid down the outside of the pan. A simple improvement, but a huge one for simplifying clean-up later, and for whatever surface you rest the pan on. So far, I think Calphalon has the best lids — glass, deep draw, and very nicely fitting. This Cuisinart pan’s top fits acceptably well, but it’s probably the weak link. As for strengths, this pan weighs in as heavy or heavier than either the All-Clad or Calphalon offerings of similar size, so that’s a big win for heat dispersion and uniformity (All-Clad has become really thin over the years!). Unlike the KitchenAid, the exterior is matte finished except for the top 1/2 inch or so. This helps to ensure that the pan will look good despite real-world use. The shape is nice — not too tall and narrow, so it works well on a small burner.

Finally there is the handle. This doesn’t have the cool-V design of the Calphalon, but it stays pretty cool anyway. I have a major problem with All-Clad handles, which are extremely uncomfortable for me, the way I lift pans (I have very strong arms and wrists, so I usually lift pans overhand, unlike many who go underhand to get the extra muscle leverage). Lifting overhand, the All-Clad handles dig into my palm in a very uncomfortable way. These Cuisinart (and Calphalon and KitchenAid) handles do not.

4.5 stars overall; 1/2 star docked for the lid being less than perfect (but still as good as all the competition except Calphalon).

UPDATE: Feb 18, 2009: I’ve compared the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro and All-Clad Stainless pans side by side, and if anything, the Cuisinarts are heavier duty, certainly not meaningfully lighter! The All-Clad LTD pans (some of them) do appear to be thicker/heavier than their stainless counterparts, but then we’re comparing apples and oranges, and in any event it’s pretty much gilding the lily to go much thicker than they are already. The pouring lip on the Cuisinarts is a huge in-use advantage as well (far less messy). On the whole, the Multiclad Pro line is an incredible bargain. Search my reviews for other comments about these vis-a-vis Calphalon etc.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful.
All great but the handle
By Joseph N.
This pan looks great and performs great. It’s less heavy duty than All-Clad, but unless the kitchen is in the middle of a stone quarry it is plenty, plenty heavy duty enough. And it looks great, too. In addition to the price advantage, another lead over All-Clad is the turned lip. One disadvantage, though, is the handle. It’s not a light pot, and when it is full it is simply heavy. The handle is not broad/thick/shaped enough, and there is no helper handle on the opposite side. It works, certainly, but the 2006 version could be improved.

65 of 69 people found the following review helpful.
A Watched Pot Never Boils, So Watch This Pot
By dbphoenix
I thought I would love this pan. And I do love the multi-clad. And the handle’s fine, along with the rivets.

The problem is the lid.

For some reason, the Pro and stainless Chef’s lines use a lid that just sits on top of the pot rather than utilize the lid they provide for the non-stick Chef’s line, one that has an underrim on it and is seated within the pan (like the Calphalon lids; and, like the Calphalon lids, the non-stick Chef’s line lids are glass). The end result is that if and when the contents begin to boil, the steam begins to boil over, even if the contents themselves do not (and if it’s anywhere near full, the contents boil over as well; either way, you have a mess). Therefore, unless you watch it like a hawk, or leave the lid off, the 1 1/2qt pan becomes, practically, a 1qt pan, and you may as well get the 2qt if you want 1 1/2qts capacity. Or go with the non-stick Chef’s line. Or Calphalon (which, unfortunately, is nearly three times the price).

See all 152 customer reviews…

Food Network 5 Qt Tri Ply Stainless

Take your cooking to the next level with Emeril’s Pro Clad cookware. Made to please the most demanding cooks, this professional tri-ply bonded cokware features layers of 18/10 stainless, aluminum, and magnetic stainless steel all around the entire pan supplying optimal heat distribution and cooking performance. The ergonomically designed handles are permanently attached with stainless steel rivets and concede for a comfortable and secure grip for uttermost leverage and control. The pans also feature a flared rim that keeps spills and drips to a minimum and tempered glass lids to monitor cooking progress. Pro Clad cookware is oven safe up to 550F. and the glass lids are oven safe up to 350F. Emeril Pro Clad cookware is suitable for gas, electric, ceramic glass, or induction stovetops. The 12-piece set includes the following: 8-inch fry pan, universal splatter screen, 10-inch fry pan, 1.5-quart sauce pan, 2.5-quart sauce pan, 3-quart saute pan, 6-quart dutch oven/stock pot, steamer/colander and 4 lids.

Cook with selfassurance when using this dependable cookware set. Offering a potpourri of each day essentials, the 12-piece collection comprises of a 8-inch fry pan, 10-inch fry pan, a 1-1/2-quart covered sauce pan, a 2-1/2-quart covered sauce pan, a 3-quart covered saute pan, a 6-quart covered Dutch oven, splatter screen and a steamer insert. The fry pan offers a wide base and gently curved sides for flipping feed or sliding an omelet or grilled cheese sandwich without apparent effort from the pan to a plate; the saucepans come in handy for cooking breakfast oatmeal, heating up soup, or making homemade marinara sauce; and the deep-sided saute pan works well for one-dish meals–start by browning meats or sauteing onions, then add liquid and other ingredients to finish on the stovetop or in the oven. The set’s Dutch oven may hold a heap of chili or vegetable soup or be employed for boiling pasta, and the steamer insert fits securely in the pot for steam-cooking vegetables, seafood, and more.

Durably constructed, Emeril’s Pro-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless line of cookware features a thick aluminum core bonded amidst two layers of stainless steel for fast, even heating and optimal cooking results. Oven-safe up to 550 degrees F, the cookware comes equipped with wide, ergonomically designed handles that offer a secure grip and come permanently attached with stainless-steel rivets and caps. Even more, a gently flared rim on the pans grant for easy drip-free pouring, and the included tempered-glass lids make it easy to check on cooking foods at a glimpse (oven-safe up to 350 degrees F). To clean, place in the dishwasher or wash by hand in hot soapy water and arid thoroughly. The cookware carries a fixed lifetime warranty.

What’s in the Box
10-inch fry pan
1-1/2-quart covered sauce pan
2-1/2-quart covered sauce pan
3-quart covered saute pan
6-quart covered Dutch oven
Steamer insert

Food Network 5 Qt Tri Ply Stainless Photo

Food Network 5 Qt Tri Ply Stainless Image

Food Network 5 Qt Tri Ply Stainless Photo

Food Network 5 Qt Tri Ply Stainless Pic

Most helpful customer reviews

141 of 141 people found the following review helpful.
Great value. Meets expectations.
By John H
I’m just a guy who likes to cook. The Berndes teflon sauce pans that I’ve been using for years were starting to deteriorate, and I knew I wanted to replace them with a set of stainless steel clad cookware. As much as my ego wanted All Clad or Demeyere, I just couldn’t justify the cost. After a lot of research and store trips, I decided on the Calphalon Tri-Ply set. Deciding to make one last attempt to kill any buyer’s remorse, I made one more trip to Bed Bath and Beyond just to be sure. That’s when I spotted the Emerilware Pro-Clad set (this is the fully-clad line, not the original line with the heavy disk welded to the bottom). I should say I’m not really a fan of Emeril — he’s just another TV personality to me. I rarely watch his shows, and I’ve never eaten in his restaurants. If anything, I’m the kind of person who would avoid celebrity endorsed products.

Enough with the caveats. I wasn’t crazy about the handles on the Calphalon set. Too skinny and short for my hands. When I grabbed the Emerilware sauce pan, it was instantly very comfortable in my hand. The handle is much beefier than pretty much any other SS cookware I picked up. Performance-wise, the handles stay cool on the stovetop (I have a glasstop). Even the loop handles on the stockpot were cool enough to pick up and drain a pot of spaghetti. Love the handles. The pieces have a slight heft to them without being unwieldy. I have a couple of old monster fry pans, and these are very easy to manage in comparison. Good weight and balance. Also, liquids pour nicely off the rolled lip.

I’ve had no problem adjusting to SS after using teflon for a lot of years. I use olive oil or canola oil, and have had no problem with food sticking or burning. I love the saute pan for searing steaks, chicken, and pork chops, then throwing it into the hot oven to finish. Back on the stovetop (using a pot holder, duh), a little bit of chicken broth or wine deglazes the pan and makes a quick an easy sauce. I find that I use all of the pieces in the set on a regular basis. The steamer is useful as we prefer to steam our veggies. If you follow the instructions and keep an eye on the heat, these things clean up with absolutely no problem. Any residual discoloration or stubborn bits come right off with Barkeepers Friend.

I deducted one star for the following small gripes: I would have preferred SS lids instead of glass, even though I haven’t run into any drawbacks with the glass. Next, the Pro-Clad line is somewhat limited compared to other brands. I picked up the largest (3 qt) saucepan to round out the set — I would have preferred a 4 qt with an extra loop handle, but it’ not offered. I’m hoping the manufacturer adds other choices to the line over time. It would be nice to have a matching saucier or wok, for instance. Lastly, I’ve noticed that the frying pan is warped very slightly, maybe 1/16″, so that it rocks a little bit on the glasstop. I didn’t notice if it came out of the box this way, or warped slightly from the heat of the stove. It doesn’t seem to affect the performance anyway. All of the other pieces are perfectly flat on the bottom. I inspected all of the pieces for burrs, and found them all to be perfectly smooth.

In summary, my wife and I are really pleased with our purchase of the Emerilware Pro-Clad set. It works great and looks great. We expect them to give us many years of great food.

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful.
Even heat. Great look. Minimal maintenance
By FreeAtLast
I was reluctant to get a stainless set because of the reviews of those who found it easy to stain their pans — a fear reinforced by the pamphlet that came with the set warning of possible pitting from salt and discoloration from too high heat! And, sure enough, on about the third or fourth use, my wife cooked up some salty canned soup and one of the source pans looked like an oil slick with blue and pink hues that would not wash off. So, I hit the Internet and learned about Barkeeper’s Friend (which I ordered) and vinegar. While I was waiting for the BarKeeper’s Friend, I put some white vinegar in the sauce pan with some water. Almost instantly, the pan — which seemed cosmetically damaged beyond repair — was looking as good as new. I did heat the water, but I believe the stains were gone as soon as I added the vinegar to the pans. The pamphlet writer evidently didn’t know the vinegar trick!!

Cook with less heat and wait until the water is hot before adding salt — the combination will ensure that the pans continue to look new after repeated use. Lower heat and the use of the covers (there’s a reason for having them — and you won’t even get a false scare.

Barkeeper’s Friend — a less abrasive version of a cleansing powder — works well to remove minor stains from both the inside and the outside of the pans with no scrubbing required beyond that you can do with a sponge.

But, it’s not about the pan’s looks — even though it was great to find that the looks can readily be maintained. It’s about the even heating. There are no hot spots. The reason you’re paying extra for these pans is that their heat distribution is simply excellent, something you may never have experienced with cheaper sets. If you haven’t experienced cooking with even heat, you don’t miss it. But, once you do, you’ll never want to go back.

I’m happy with the set and delighted that the complaints encountered about stainless steel picking up stains are misguided. Yes, with too high heat, with salt being added to cold water, or with some canned soups, the pans may appear damaged and will not respond to just anything. But, the vinegar trick is totally effective with discolored pans and the Bartender’s Helper dispatches little black marks that may show up with ease.

Finally, if food gets burnt on to the pan, throw some water into the pan and bring it to a boil. The food can be easily scraped loose with a plastic spatula and Barkeeper’s Friend will dispatch dispatch any relatively stubborn spots.

With reasonable care, the good looks of the pans can be retained indefinitely. And, should there be some staining that I haven’t encountered, the pans will continue to do their jobs well anyway. It’s stainless steel. Nothing will leach from the pans into your system. Teflon isn’t necessary. Warm the pans before adding food, and the food doesn’t stick with a little cooking spray or oil to help things along.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
Performed beyond expectations
By Average Home Cook
I’m not one to take much time with giving reviews (very busy!), however, without the reviews of others who have gone before I would have had a much tougher time making the very big decision on what cookware to buy for my new induction stove. I researched for two weeks! So for those who are researching, here’s my two cents: If you don’t already know, only certain cookware will work on an induction cooktop (magnetic stainless steel, cast iron, enameled steel – if a magnet sticks, it’ll work, but it should stick firmly for best results). I Purchased an entire set of Emeril Pro-Clad Tri-Ply stainless cookware and LOVE IT! (I did purchase one piece of Emeril’s clad-bottom cookware to test first, and it didn’t perform as well as the Pro-Clad Tri-Ply. I think that line might be more suited for gas or electric burners?). This cookware is the result of a collaboration between All-Clad & Emeril, and for the price it is an incredible value. Heats evenly, handles don’t get hot, they clean up easily (thanks to all you folks who recommended Barkeepers friend – it really works)and the glass lids allow viewing of the contents while cooking. I wasn’t really a fan of the glass lids, but I’m liking them a lot now. I’m not a professional chef, but I can see that the cookware heats very evenly and like the cooking results I’ve achieved so far. In addition, it is substantial and heavy enough to work on induction without being too heavy to lift. Seems very well made (there is not much difference in weight or looks between this and the All-Clad cookware I looked at) and it looks as though I made the right decision! The experience of this home cook is that this product is superb!

See all 36 customer reviews…

Farberware Porcelain 12 Piece Cookware Black Image

Farberware Porcelain 12 Piece Cookware Black Image

Farberware Porcelain 12 Piece Cookware Black Pic

Farberware Porcelain 12 Piece Cookware Black Image

Most helpful customer reviews

See all customer reviews…

Scanpan Fusion 4 Inch Covered Saute

VMware Fusion 4 makes it a breeze to run your Windows and Mac apps side by side with unbelievable speed and the reliability you need. With more than 90 new features and optimized for today’s multi-core Macs and OS X Lion, VMware Fusion 4 is better than ever.

Switch to a Mac and Run Windows Programs Without Rebooting

VMware Fusion 4 has been refined from the inside-out to give users the easiest, quickest and most authenti experience in running Windows apps on a Mac without rebooting. With over 90 new features including OS X Lion optimization, an even more Mac-like design and next-generation 64-bit performance, VMware Fusion 4 is the best way to run Windows on a Mac without rebooting.

Migration assistant makes it easy to transfer your entire PC to your Mac.

Scanpan Fusion 4 Inch Covered Saute Photo

Scanpan Fusion 4 Inch Covered Saute Photo

Scanpan Fusion 4 Inch Covered Saute Pic

Scanpan Fusion 4 Inch Covered Saute Picture

Most helpful customer reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful.
Fusion keeps pace with OS X Lion
By airfoil
A long time user of VMware Fusion 3.x, I was hoping all would be well with my upgrade to OS X Lion. In fact it was seamless. But then VMware immediately had their Fusion 4.x offering to take advantage of tighter integration of your Windows 7 client. I took the leap of faith in VMware products, and upgraded to Fusion 4.x, and the whole thing went without a hitch. I had read prior to instalation of version 4, that version 3 had to be put in the trash, which I did, simply by dragging the version 3.x app from the /Applications folder into the trash. Then I inserted the instalation disc into my iMac, and to my surprise, version 4 comes with a specific icon to push if you are upgrading from version 3. After the rapid instalation took place, I booted my existing clients, and was relieved to see everything was intact, and Fusion 4 recognized that VMware tools needed to be updated on the client, and proceeded to perform that upgrade without any surprises. Everything was seamless, and just worked the first time. Now my client machines are treated as simply another desktop in Lion, when I run them full screen, which is my normal habit. This means you can use the swipe gesture to get to your Windows clients. Could not be more simple. I’ve yet to run into any issues, which is more than I can say for OS X Lion, which, as well known breaks many older applications built for pre-Intel macs.

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful.
Works really well so far, and surprisingly fast
By WolfPup
VMWare’s Fusion is one of three virtualization products that I’m aware of for the Mac-the other being Parallel’s product, and the free VirtualBox. Like those, Fusion lets you install an entire separate operating system inside OS X, that’s running at the same time.

It’s worth noting that modern Macintoshes can already run Windows and other OSes without separate software, by using “Boot Camp”, which basically lets you reboot your system to switch between OS X and Windows or whatever OS choose to install. The advantage of using Fusion instead of (or in addition to) Bootcamp is that you DON’T reboot, and can use Windows programs side by side OS X programs. The disadvantage of Fusion (and all products like this) is that it can’t give the OS that’s running inside it full access to your computer’s hardware…you’ll never get as good performance from Windows running inside Fusion (or any product like this) as you will if you actually reboot to Windows through Bootcamp, so for example if you’re wanting to run a game, or play a Blu Ray movie, or do video editing or something like that, you’d probably need to reboot through Bootcamp.

But for other, less processor intense software, Fusion’s a great choice. In my case it’s handy to use it for a financial program I use, among others.

I should note that while as far as I know, Parallels is a fairly new company, VMWare has been making virtualization products for YEARS for enterprise use. They know what they’re doing when it comes to making these products work and run stably. What I wasn’t sure about was whether the Fusion interface would be good from a consumer perspective…turns out it’s pretty great. I’ve been using VirtualPC for years (originally on the Mac when it was an emulation program, and now after Microsoft bought it as a virtualization tool in Windows). VirtualPC is very straight forward to set up and configure…and it turns out that jumping in to Fusion from VirtualPC is painless. Fusion’s just as easy to configure, only impressively it even handles a lot of the OS setup, which VirtualPC doesn’t do.

But I’m probably getting ahead of myself… My newest Macintosh is a 2011 Macbook Air, which lacks a DVD drive. I own a Superdrive for it, and needed to use it to install Windows XP anyway, but I was impressed that VMWare not only gives you a DVD, but also a USB thumb drive in the box. Installation is typical for OS X, where you just drag and drop the program, and then launch it. The ONLY problem I’ve had so far with Fusion is that when I ran it for the first time, it seemed to “lock up” for quite a long time…something like 5 minutes at least. I’m not sure how long as I left for a while, and when I came back it was responsive again. At that point I just ran the auto-updater, and haven’t noticed any unusual behavior from it since.

Once you run it, Fusion gives you several choices for setting up an OS. It’s supposedly able to kind of migrate you from an existing Windows PC to a virtualized PC running in Fusion (though I didn’t try this method). It’s also supposedly able to use a Boot Camp install. My Macbook Air doesn’t have much storage space, so I don’t have Windows set up that way, and couldn’t try that. I’m not 100% sure that this is an issue, but a possible problem with using your Boot Camp install of Windows is that every time you boot in Fusion, and then reboot through Boot Camp, Windows is “seeing” that your hardware has changed, which will trigger activation…so I’m not really sure how practical it is to use the same copy of Windows for both Boot Camp and Fusion.

The option I choose, was just to set up a new virtual machine from scratch. Impressively, Fusion detected the Windows XP disc I had in my Superdrive. The default options it selected seemed fine, and then it even prompted me for a username, password, and product key Windows would be using, so that I wouldn’t have to create those during the installation. So this was actually even easier to set up than it would be on a normal install!

I walked away again at the point, so I’m not actually sure how long it took-but Windows XP was up and running when I came back. It’s worth nothing that with Fusion (and any similar products, and Boot Camp), you’re actually running a real full OS inside the program, so it’s necessary to perform the same updates, install something like Microsoft Security Essentials, etc., just like you would if it were a separate PC. I should also note that you’ll need to buy a regular copy of Windows to use inside Fusion. I happened to already have an unused copy of Windows XP, so I just used that, but if you’re buying new, I’d just go with Windows 7 (probably the Home Premium version for most people).

At this point I just started setting things up like I would a normal Windows PC…ran Windows update, installed Firefox, etc. I’ve used it off and on for a few days now, and haven’t noticed any issues. I HAVE noticed that Fusion seems surprisingly fast…it SEEMS to feel faster running Windows XP inside Fusion than inside VirtualPC.

Unlike VirtualPC, Fusion provides more modern graphics support…supposedly you get at least some hardware acceleration for Windows XP or newer, which should mean that Windows Vista or 7′s graphical interface should run okay (like with OS X, Windows Vista or newer offloads processing of the graphical interface to the GPU, if you have one). Now it’s still not going to give you as good performance as running on the same hardware natively…so for games, Blu Ray, etc. you’ll probably want to use Boot Camp instead, but I am impressed by how snappy Windows feels compared with running it inside VirtualPC. Again, this is why I’d pick VMWare’s Fusion over other products-while their Macintosh product is just 4 or so years old, they’ve been doing this a long time for enterprise stuff, and it shows. Of course I have a 2011 Macbook Air…the 2010 models would probably feel much slower, while a 2011 Macbook Pro would be faster.)

A few other things worth mentioning…
-Fusion installs almost a Windows Start menu up by the clock. It’s kind of neat…it basically is structured similarly to the actual Windows start menu, and lets you launch programs from that. I haven’t yet, but I assume you can shut it off.

-Like all virtualiazation programs, Fusion has to install some system level drivers/kernel extensions or the like. I don’t like having third party software muck about with my operating system, but virtualization software has to…which again is a reason I’d prefer it be done either by the same company that made the OS, or by VMWare that at least knows what they’re doing with this stuff.

-Like all virtualization programs, OSes running within Fusion use up a chunk of your Mac’s RAM. Fusion by default gave Windows XP 512MB, which can be changed. Obviously that means the more virtual machines you want to run at the same time, or the more RAM you want to give to a virtualized OS, the more RAM your Mac needs…that may be a problem for the Macbook Air which doesn’t have upgradeable RAM (the Macbook Pro by contrast you could easily upgrade to 8GB if need be). The “hard drive” the hosted OS sees is really a file on your real hard drive, so again, the bigger your real hard drive, the more space you have to give to the hosted OS. Fusion also lets you select the number of cores/CPUs that the hosted OS “sees”. Be default, it configures Windows XP to use 1 core, but you can increase that (and of course the more of your CPU you let it use, the worse OS X may run while the hosted OS is running).

-You can also “pause” Windows, roll back changes that have been made to it, etc. Running an OS like this can actually be really handy to test out a piece of software you may not want, or for development work, etc.

-By default, Fusion configures Windows for NAT, that is it shares the Macintosh’s internet connection…if your Mac is connected, so is Windows running through Fusion. Though if you have more complex needs, it’s possible to set up networking differently.

I’m probably forgetting to comment on some features…and obviously a product like this is kind of impossible to test in every conceivable way, given the dozens of Mac models it runs on, the hundreds of OS configurations, thousands if not millions of programs you can run inside it, etc. But at least so far I’m very impressed-VMWare seems to have made a very stable, fast program, that to my surprise seems to be just as easy, if not actually easier to configure as VirtualPC…if you’ve got the need to run Windows programs without rebooting, Fusion is definitely worth checking out!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
Good product, poor usability
By Chad Myers
I’ve used Fusion 4 for a while now. I’ve used the prior versions of Fusion and I’ve used Parallels 6 recently also. All are on Snow Leopard / 10.6 on Mac Pros and MacBook Pros.

The good:
* You can finally do disk cleanup on VMs that have snapshots! I regained around 10-15 GB of real disk space by doing a disk cleanup on a couple of VMs.
* Unity feels much more responsive than it did in Fusion 3.
* No stability issues.
* The snapshot timeline and hierarchy view is quite handy.
* Works in both 32-bit and 64-bit kernel mode on Snow Leopard. Not sure if it supports 32-bit on Lion; VMWare’s knowledge base implied that it didn’t but I haven’t personally checked.
* VM encryption support. I don’t recall seeing that before. Haven’t tried it so I don’t know what the performance penalty is.

The bad:
VMWare made the choice with Fusion 4 that eye candy was more important than responsiveness and functionality. They created window animations in front of all the major functions. From poking around, it seems that it is supposed to mimic Lion’s behavior. Unfortunately, the pretty eye candy makes doing VM management downright painful.

The new Virtual Machine Library window is no longer a list. Instead it is a large thumbnail for every machine. If you have any information noted with the VM, like user / password info for a seldom used virtual machine, it was plainly visible when you selected the VM to launch it in Fusion 3. In Fusion 4, now you have to bring up the VM Library window, click to select the VM, click to bring up the settings for the VM, then click to go into General. Every single one of those clicks wastes 3-5 seconds displaying a completely useless window animation on a Mac Pro.

The Snapshot management window requires bring up the VM Library, selecting the VM, then going up to the menu to Snapshots (or using Cmd-S). That then launches a pretty animation that makes what was the VM Library window now a window for the selected VM. The VM window then has a pretty animation that converts it to the Snapshot window. It then starts yet another pretty animation to fly the individual snapshots into place. More snapshots == more animation == longer time before you can actually do something productive. When you’re done with the Snapshot window, click Close. Wait on another animation while the snapshots fly away. The window then switches from Snapshot back to the VM. However, if you happened to move the Snapshot window while you were working on it, when the animation for closing it finishes, the window for the VM jumps back to where it was when you opened the Snapshots.

That brings up a key point. The VM Library window is now almost useless for anything beyond launching a VM. Where in Fusion 3 and prior, the VM Library window was a real, independent window, in Fusion 4 it is simply a front for whatever VM you happen to click on. As soon as you do -anything- with a VM in the window the VM Library window is gone, replaced with another useless animation as it becomes the VM’s window. Not really a problem if you only have a couple VMs since you don’t go there that often. However if you have several VMs, and I have about 15 on one machine, it’s a completely different story.

Remember the good part about Fusion 4 supporting disk cleanup on VMs with snapshots? Well, after I found that I wanted to go through my VMs to see which ones had space that could be recovered. Here’s the process:
1) Open the VM Library
2) wait on useless animation to bring up the window
3) Click a VM
4) Click on the Settings icon
5) wait on a useless animation as the VM Library window miraculously transforms itself into a blank VM window with the play button
6) wait a little bit longer while another animation slides in the settings window
7) Click on General
wait a little bit while the settings window transforms into the General window
9) Look at the disk info at the bottom
10) Wait about 5-15 seconds for Fusion to scan the VM and show the amount of Reclaimable disk space
11) If applicable, click Clean Up Virtual Machine
12) repeat from step 1 and increase frustration level

It’s obvious that when they were making the animations that they wanted to ensure each animation took at least a certain amount of time, say 2 seconds, for the animation to run to ensure that everyone had at least that much eye candy. Unfortunately, someone didn’t realize that adding pretty at the expense of function was a Bad Idea. Pretty is nice the first few times, after that it just gets in the way. Even better? All those animations? They aren’t completely smooth.

Remember the status bar in Fusion 3 and earlier that let you see things like disk activity and network activity when in Window mode? Well, it’s still there, but no longer a status bar at the bottom of the window. Now it’s at the top of the window in a bar that extends from the settings button at the upper left. Tad annoying since when I’m looking for status I expect to see the status bar in its proper location at the bottom of the window. I keep looking down there, not seeing anything, and remembering that I have to go look at the opposite corner of the screen.

The so-so:
You still can’t clone a snapshot like you can in Workstation. And there still isn’t any official support for linked clones.

Oh, side note. I did shift over to Parallels 6 before upgrading to Fusion 4. One of the things I noticed was that Coherence in Parallels 6 behaved a bit differently than Unity in Fusion. In Parallels, when I hid an application that was running in Coherence mode using Cmd-H, it hid all of the Parallels windows instead of just that one application. In Fusion, both version 3 and 4, when hiding an application running in Unity mode via Cmd-H, only the application is hidden. That one difference in behavior is what shifted me off of Parallels and back to Fusion full time.

Overall:
So, overall, what do I think of Fusion 4? Well, it works reliably and well. I use it daily and haven’t had any functional issues. For that, I give it a solid 4 stars, maybe 5. Unfortunately, it’s wrapped inside completely useless, time-wasting, frustrating eye candy that is impossible to get rid of. That knocks it down to 3.

Update Feb 17, 2012:
I’ve had Fusion die on me a couple times now. Never when running a single VM, only multiple. And it may be tied to using Unity. The last one I know I had Unity mode running on one of them, but I’m not certain if that was also true for the prior one. The recent one was running 4.1.1, but I don’t recall if that was true for the prior one as well.

There is a bit of good news here though. The way Fusion operates, each running VM is an independent process that is started by Fusion. The main Fusion process is what lets you see and interact with each VM. If it crashes, the VMs continue to run without a problem. When you restart Fusion, it reattaches to the running VMs and lets you see and interact with them again. Still annoying, but thankfully the way it operates means the crash doesn’t cause you to lose anything inside the VMs.

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Pedrini Stockpot Set Qt 20

8-Quart Enamel Steel Stock Pot – Red

ReviewPoach chickens, simmer stocks, cook pasta, or prepare a vegetable soup or classic chili in this tall, narrow, 8-quart stockpot with a tight-fitting lid. Made of heavy-gauge steel and double-coated with hard, bright enamel, the stockpot coordinates with Le Creuset’s famed enameled cast-iron cookware in the French manufacturer’s handsome colors and is as at home in the dining room as a serving vessel as it is in the kitchen on the stovetop or in the oven. The lid has a plastic knob that is ovenproof to 450 degrees F. Fitted with a steel rim to prevent chipping, the pot is lasting sufficient to outlive it is 101-year warranty versus defects and goes safely into the dishwasher and refrigerator. –Fred Brack

Pedrini Stockpot Set Qt 20 Picture

Pedrini Stockpot Set Qt 20 Photo

Pedrini Stockpot Set Qt 20 Pic

Pedrini Stockpot Set Qt 20 Photo

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39 of 41 people found the following review helpful.
Culinary who can read a product description and loves good cookware!
By Culinary in Chicago
This stock pot is enamel on steel, not cast iron, it was never meant to be. No reason for any confusion. I’ve had mine for 5 years, there are no chips or scratches. No matter what I’ve made; spaghetti sauce, posole or any kind of soup. Nothing has ever burned, nor has the enamel come away from the pot. Turn the heat down, I always get perfect results.

LeCreuset comes with a great guarantee in regards to workmanship and defects. Shame on anyone who purchases cookware in this day and age and doesn’t follow up with the manufacturer when there is an issue such as some I’ve read above.

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful.
Red Pot for a Happy Kitchen
By Michela
Compared to my favorite Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized 8-Quart Stock Pot, the Le Creuset 8-Quart Stockpot is much lighter and easier to lift and carry when filled with liquid. This stockpot is not enamel-coated cast iron like the Le Creuset pots and pans, but the colors are identical. It heats up very quickly in comparison, too. Soups, stews, and stocks cook well in this pot because the lid is tight-fitting. I would like it for a second stock pot in this size. I like the Calphalon stock pots better because they all have pasta or steamer inserts.

The Le Creuset Red Pots are not the same cherry red like their famous heart-shaped 2-Quart Pan, but a slighter deeper shade.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful.
Le Creuset stands by their product
By A
I bought my set at an outlet store. I bought “2nd quality” which were supposed to be cosmetic defects only. I started noticing tiny rust spots on the inferior quality products the first month.

I sent back to Le Creuset, and they sent me perfect replacements immediately.

The only negative was having to wait two weeks during the exchange.

But this has been a wonderful experience. I am very impressed with how Le Creuset stands by their products, and how helpful their staff is. I would whole-heartedly recommend Le Creuset to anyone.

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Wholesale Forging Purple Marble 6 Piece

This product is CLEAR Water Pearls, colors are caused by colored Lights. These are not little 10 gram packges that trade for less it is 225 grams and does a big amount of Water Pearls. This is just for a Bulk bag 8 ounces of Clear polymer pearls, they are formulated by merely adding water, the displays are not included. The Pearl balls are very tiny beads when you receive. Soaking in water causes them to exaggerate into perfective miniature spheres, from 8-10MM in size or 1/4″-3/8″ or larger. Small sufficient to fit in any vase. Use them to add galore extra color to your embellishing system by inserting our Colored Light-Ups with them, yes you may mix colors of lights. Pour off excess water or drain in a collander. DIRECTIONS; Add 1/2 oz. or 3 tablespoons of Clear Water Pearls into a 40-48 fl oz container of tap/distilled water (The “purer” the water, the larger the crystals will grow. Distilled water is the best). Let the pearls sit and hydrate 6-8 hours. Drain any excess water. When the polymer has finished hydrating the aspect will look like a crystal clear pearl ball that is in regards to 1/4″ to 3/8″ diameter. Just add water to keep hydrated. This item is NOT returnable for credit or exchange. Caution not for humane ingestion, and be careful around chidren do not let them eat any, non toxic but not a food.

Wholesale Forging Purple Marble 6 Piece Pic

Wholesale Forging Purple Marble 6 Piece Image

Wholesale Forging Purple Marble 6 Piece Image

Wholesale Forging Purple Marble 6 Piece Image

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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
Amazing!
By mother of the bride
We purchased the water pearls as part of the center piece for my daughters wedding reception. They were amazing! We did a trial run on June 16 to test the longevity of the product and how long it took for them to expand. I would suggest a full 48 hours for them to expand but believe it or not, they are still in good shape today. Just as a side not, use Kool-Aid to add color to your beads. The color is more vibrant.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
A lot for your money!
By Panda
My goodness! I didnt realize how so little could go so far. These tiny little marbles absorb water and amaze me at their end size! I couldnt really figure out how to get them to dehydrate, but I love knowing that they are biodegradable. They lasted for weeks on end to the point where I just has to part with them. I still cant believe I got so many bags! These are going to last me forever unless I find a use for them all! lol The bags do come with instructions, and it does warn that it takes about a day for them to grow to full capacity…but I would suggest doing a tester first so you can get the feel for it. The first time I did it I used too many beads and it overflowed (and I hardly put any in there)!
I used these for my wedding center piece. They filled a bowl that I placed a waterproof light at the bottom of that I also bought on Amazon (and you can see the example in the photo for this product). The beads reflect the colorful lighs beautifully! I placed the bowl on a mirror to add to the sensation of it all.
The only complaint I have is at how easy they are to break apart. If I want to put a light at the bottom as a tester for example, moving the jelly beads around breaks them apart when I take the light out, etc. Putting flowers in does the same thing. So just beware. The broken peaces do not look so good floating around

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Great
By hail
This is awesome, I bought these for my wedding decor and the grow big quick. And they last for a longgg time without water!! And by long time i mean like weeks!! I would deff buy again! and if you add a little food coloring they even will slightly change colors

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Cajun Cookware Piece Aluminum Pot

Cajun Cookware Sets 8 Piece Aluminum Pot & Pan Set. GL10040. Cookware Sets. This Cajun Cookware Pot & Pan 8 piece set is high quality, made of 1/8 inch thick polished aluminum to assure fast even heating, easy cleaning and low maintenance. This Cajun Cookware set includes 1 and 2 quart sauce pans with matching lids, a 12 inch skillet, and 5 Quart Stock Pot with a lid that fits both the 12 inch skillet and 5 quart stock pot.

Cajun Cookware Piece Aluminum Pot Photo

Cajun Cookware Piece Aluminum Pot Pic

Cajun Cookware Piece Aluminum Pot Image

Cajun Cookware Piece Aluminum Pot Image

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Clad Stainless Steel Quart Saute

The kitchens of France were the inspiration behind the refined and tasteful Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Cookware collection. Cuisinart has included everything you need in this spectacular 12-piece set to utterly carry out all the basic cooking tasks, big or small. From reheating a single percentage of soup to preparing appetizers, entrées and side dishes for the entire family, you?ll find each tool you need in this deluxe set.

Clad Stainless Steel Quart Saute Picture

Clad Stainless Steel Quart Saute Photo

Clad Stainless Steel Quart Saute Image

Clad Stainless Steel Quart Saute Pic

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700 of 707 people found the following review helpful.
Well thought out and well executed design
By R. P. Poletti
This is the set you want. Why? Here are some reasons. Some are about Stainless steel cookware in general, but all apply specifically to this set.

o Stainless steel is sanitary. You can get them perfectly clean very easily. (Commercial food processors are often required to use stainless steel for nearly everything that comes in contact with food.)

o Stainless steel cleans up nearly as easily non-stick cookware. You do clean it differently, however.

o These pans have an aluminum core wrapped on both sides by stainless steel. Stainless steel does not transmit heat quickly but aluminum does. Aluminum is soft and dents easily, stainless steel is hard and strong. This means you get the toughness of stainless steel with the even heat distribution of aluminum.

o Even heat distribution and rapid heating allows you use lower heat setting thus saving energy and reducing the chance of burning food.

o Handles stay fairly cool, better than most cookware I have used.

o Dishwasher safe, unlike most non-stick pans.

o Oven-safe. Like to grill that steak then broil it to get it tender? Or you need to bake that stuffing then keep it warm? Use one pan!

o Pans are a little bottom heavy. They will not tip as easily as lighter weight pans, even empty or with a large spoon hanging off one side.

o Pans are well balanced and not too heavy. Want to flip those pancakes or toss those grilled onions, these pans give you fine control. They have been excellent for every use I have put them through.

o Lids are interchangeable and fit well! The lids even fit the skillets which is great if you are making grilled sandwiches. Note that lids may seem loose, especially when pans are cold. Remember that as pans get hot, their shape can change. Also, you do not want a perfect seal as you can make a bomb just by boiling water. Thus the lids need a little room to vent steam as well as accommodate changes in the shape of the pan.

If you have a gas range, consider using a flame deflector. This is good advice for ANY type of cookware.

Personally, I have owned the high quality non-stick stuff as well as stainless steel cookware. The non-stick stuff is quite over-rated, it does not clean up any more easily than the stainless pans. None of my non-stick Analon and Caliphon stuff has lasted more than six or eight years. The only stainless steel pot I ever had I got from my mother back in 1979. It is in great condition and looks like I bought it last month.

Unfortunately, some researches recently have linked some of the binding agents in non-stick cookware to cancer, so perhaps, to be safe, avoid the complex chemical treatments of the non-stick stuff and go for simple stainless steel.

697 of 707 people found the following review helpful.
You can pay more, but you can’t buy better!
By Happy as a steamed Clam!
For those of you considering upgrading your cookware to professional grade stainless steel, look no further.

I’ve owned this 12 piece set for over a year, and can’t offer enough praise. It still looks brand new (use Barkeepers Friend to clean it). It heats evenly and quickly, retains heat for a long time, sears and browns well without burning, handles comfortably, cleans up easily and looks great! I’m fortunate enough to have several different types of cookware to compare. My cookware includes: All-Clad, JC Penny Elite (5 ply Copper Core), Chefmate tri-ply, Hard Anodized non-stick and Cuisinart Tri-Ply Copper.

In my opinion, the All-Clad Stainless Steel line is much overated. Its great cookware, but has no rolled edges for easy pouring without making a mess, and I prefer the handles on just about any other brand. All-Clad’s materials and construction are the same as the other premium lines, with the exception of the rolled edges. Incidentally, staunch supporters of All-Clad make inferences of inferiority when speaking of other brands such as Cuisinart, stating “its made in China”. I have two All-Clad pans hanging on the pot rack right now, one made in China, and the other made in Indonesia. Most of their line is made in the USA, but premium cookware made overseas (including some of their own lines)is not inferior!

The Chefmate Tri-Ply in direct comparison to the Cuisinart cooks and handles about the same with a slight edge in cleaning ease. The Chefmate has a true mirror finished interior, but overall isn’t as heavy duty. The Stainless Steel lids are also a lighter gauge. Its been discontinued.

The JC Penny Cooks Elite 5 ply Copper Core is fantastic cookware, and the equal of the All-Clad Copper Core in every way except the handle. The handle of the Elite is far superior to All-Clad’s. In comparison to the Cuisinart, its very comparable in performance, but quite a bit heavier. Its original price was about 2-3 times the cost of the Cuisinart. It too has been discontinued.

The Hard Anodized non-stick cookware is fine, convenient to use, even heating, and now relegated to camping. It doesn’t brown foods like Stainless Steel does. The non-stick fininsh WILL wear off, and render the cookware somewhat useless with daily use.

The Cuisinart Copper Tri-Ply is fantastic and really the only competitor for the Multiclad. It looks fantastic, cooks fantastic and gives you an ever so tiny advantage in temperature control over the Multiclad. The pots and pans are the same configuration as the Multiclad, albeit with an outer layer of Copper instead of Stainless Steel. The handles are different as well, but both styles of handles are cool to the touch and comfortable to hold. I enjoy the Copper and don’t mind the few minutes it takes to polish, but if you don’t want Copper and the extra effort, the Stainless is perfect. I only use the Copper when preparing special dishes for company or when I need specialty pans such as Sauciers for Risoto or sauces. Otherwise, I rely on the Multiclad for daily use.

Incidentally, I have no afilliation with any of the above cookware brands. I am in the food service industry (restaurant design and build) and have the opportunity to speak with many chefs. You’d be very surprised by how many of them use Cuisinart Multiclad or Copper tri-ply at home. I’d say its a 50-50 split between All-Clad and Cuisinart for their home use.

With so many high end brands after your hard earned dollar, you can buy similar quality and performance, but there is no better value than Cuisinart Multiclad. It’s heirloom quality and will be your last cookware purchase.

Update:

I reviewed this cookware set some time ago, and thought it appropriate to write an update. I’ve been reading through all the reviews that have been written since my first review, and everyone seems to say “as good as All-Clad”.

I DISAGREE!

Cuisinart Multi Clad isn’t as good as All Clad; IT’S BETTER! I have both All Clad and Cuisinart as well as other brands of high end cookware including Tri Ply, Five Ply Copper Core, Copper etc. Here are my reasons for declaring Cuisinart the winner:

o Rolled edges on the Cuisinart eliminate dribbling down the side of the pan as experienced with the All Clad. All Clad top of the line Copper Core does have rolled edges as well, but their stainless line that directly competes with the Cuisinart does not. In daily use this makes a huge difference.

o The Cuisinart handles are far superior to the All Clad. The Cuisinart remain cool enough to touch without pot holders, and their ergonomic shape and angle are very comfortable when shaking, flipping, tossing and moving the pans. The All Clad handle is thrust up at a sharp angle which is somewhat awkward, and the handle itself is uncomfortable.

0 The Cuisinart can be used on induction ranges. The previous Multi Clad line wasn’t designed for induction ranges, but the Multi Clad Pro is and therefore no more advantage to All Clad in this respect.

0 The Cuisinart line cleans up easier than All Clad. I’ve cooked eggs in both All Clad and Cuisinart pans using the same prep and cooking mediums. In fact, I’ve cooked one egg per pan using the same burner without altering the gas flow. Eggs stuck slightly in the All Clad, and not at all in the Cuisinart. The Cuisinart’s interior is slightly more highly polished than All Clad, and I suspect this to be the reason. I was able to repeat the same results with skin-on chicken, fish and other troublesome foods. Deglazing and clean up is just easier with the Cuisinart.

o Some All Clad pieces don’t come with lids! You have to purchase a lid as an option. I have nearly every piece of Cuisinart, and each came with a lid (skillets are the exception).

o Cost. Cost isn’t the only factor here. However, if two products perform similarly and will last virtually forever, why pay way more for one based on brand prejudice? The product that performs the best should be the clear winner regardless of price. Therefore, Cuisinart wins outright, and the fact that the entire 12 piece set costs less than most All Clad single pieces makes it a remarkable value.

In conclusion, Cuisinart has better design and construction, both ergonomically and practically (rolled edges and handles), easier clean up and maintenance, and out performs All Clad.

230 of 232 people found the following review helpful.
Ah, the joy of cooking…
By The Writer Bee
…with the right pot.

When I was checking into buying more high-quality cookware a few years ago, I was totally sold on AllClad, but then a friend of mine whose job at the time was to test kitchen cookware (if you can believe that!) told me I should check out Cuisinart’s MultiClad line instead. Turns out it’s had the same features (and add-ons) as the AllClad I was so in love with (stainless steel wrapped around an aluminum core), but without the major price tag that comes with the “AllClad” name.

So I got the Cuisinart line and absolutely have loved it ever since – I’ve even been adding to my collection every year or so.

As far as comparing it to nonstick cookware…well, I still have some nonstick pieces, but I don’t use them much – a little bit of Pam Cooking Spray, and I haven’t had any trouble. It also comes with great cleaning instructions…in fact, mine still look almost new even though they’re a few years old.

———-

Update – September 2010… I just wanted to add that I’ve had this set for almost 10 years of heavy use now and still love them. When I follow the cleaning instructions, they look new. I’m still adding to my collection and highly recommend.

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8 Quart Stockpot In Black Onyx

Designed quintessentially to heighten the slow-cooking procedure by evenly spreading heat and locking in the optimal amount of moisture, the Signature Collection round French Oven mixes the best of the past with the latest inventions for ease and functionality. Handcrafted one at a time inside our Fresnoy-Le-Grand foundry for almost a century, Le Creuset round French Ovens have been a fixture in homes and restaurants around the world for generations. Their enduring quality, wide-ranging skillfulness and stylish colors have made them necessary in the kitchen and cherished around the table.

8 Quart Stockpot In Black Onyx Picture

8 Quart Stockpot In Black Onyx Photo

8 Quart Stockpot In Black Onyx Image

8 Quart Stockpot In Black Onyx Image

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Bigger handles, better grip, most useful size for soup and roasts
By Joanna Daneman
My original Le Creuset has the smaller handles and though it’s the most beloved pot I own, the handles are an issue. I have a bit of arthritis in my thumbs and I found that lifting the pot using even Silicone Mitts was a bit squirmy and I felt a bit unsure, especially when taking a heavy pot out of the oven.

This pot has bigger handles for a better grip but is the same, wonderful enamel-over-cast iron that works so well for cooking soups and roasts. The enamel is inert (like glass) and is non-stick as long as you remember not to scratch it up with abrasive cleaners and scrubbers. If something sticks, you can soak it when it’s cooled down, and there is a TRICK for the sad, black patches that happen occasionally to the distracted cook. (No saving the burnt-flavored food, you’re on your own if your pot roast “catches” on the bottom. I taste the sauce, and if no burnt flavor permeates, we are good to go.) To remove burnt patches, let the pot cool down, fill about 1/4 the way with water, add a handful of baking SODA and boil up. Then let sit off heat. The action of the alkaline soda on the somewhat acidic burnt food will lift it right off the bottom in big flakes. Then you can wash out the pot as usual. For stains, you can use a paste of baking soda or try some Barkeeper’s Friend (which is said to be non-abrasive.) The pot will eventually stain a bit on the bottom, and that is called “patina”; in other words, don’t fret.

This pot stays on my stove all the time–it’s pretty and I love the cherry red, though the other colors are equally attractive. I had to choose, and red is good in many kitchens (black and white, yellow, for example.) It looks appetizing.

I will include here my pot roast recipe, which was and is our favorite dish from the dutch oven:

French Style Pot Roast

3 lb chuck roast
olive oil
1 big yellow onion
1 leek, white part cleaned and sliced
1 diced carrot
1 stalk fine diced celery
1/2 lb mushrooms (prefer brown crimini, but white mushrooms work too)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 handful parsley, chopped, optional
Salt, pepper as desired
1/3 bottle good Merlot, Cabernet, or Shiraz (any drinkable dry red wine)
1 Tbs beef stock paste (Mrs. Miners) or 1 packet beef bouillon powder

Method:
Brown meat in Le Creuset Dutch oven until all sides are browned. Take out meat and set on a platter.
Brown onion (large dice), then leek, carrot and celery until softened. Add in tomato paste, garlic, beef stock paste or powder, deglaze (bring up the cooked bits from bottom of pot with the wine. Add back the meat, season, add bay leaf. Place in 325 degree oven, cook for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart. About 1/2 the way to this point, add in the washed, sliced mushrooms.

When the meat is cooked, remove it to a platter and keep warm. De-grease the sauce: remove bay leaf, push sauce through a sieve (to extract vegetables), pour sauce into a gravy separator and let settle. Pour off the sauce and discard the fat. Reheat gravy, season if you like with the parsley. Slice the meat and serve with the gravy.

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