Cuisinart French Classic Tri-Ply Stainless 1-Quart Saucepan with Cover,Silver

I too purchased this pan as a "test" while trying to decide how to make the leap from my very pretty (but impossible to clean) anodized non-stick to the world of stainless. I did a great deal of comparison, between these and the "WAAAAY" more expensive lines. This pan is triply - a stainless sandwich around aluminum. This is supposed to be more conductive and responsive than simple stainless, and far easier to clean and maintain than either aluminum or copper (which is even more conductive) and far less expensive than copper, either lined or sandwiched. These are the same physical thickness as the American brand (which is now owned & produced by China...), slightly thinner than the Belgian pans and about the same as the French and Italian lines - depending on which line you choose. The French company still has a line that is thicker, but they are hard to find in the US, and if you have to ask the price? You can't afford them. These are made in France - they still make great cookware there. These are a great weight, heavy enough to distribute heat well - even over cheap wonky burners - but still light enough to lift & move with one hand, even full. It is much harder to burn things! I LOVE the mirror finish and the polished interiors, makes them clean easier! If you use the stainless method (heat pan till water skates, add oil, heat oil till it waves, THEN add food, WAIT...) the food releases properly and does not stick - it does take a bit of practice, as those of us used to no-stick cookware tend to rush it. They go in the dishwasher (yea!) the design is lovely, clean lines, beautiful handles - which not only look gracefully curved and balanced, but fit nicely in your hand, no cutting edges, and the curve is functional, it keeps the handle away from the flame so they don't get hot. The thumb dimple works! It lets you grab the handle in the right place without having to look. The style is straight sides, which I love, but for those who like the rolled lip, that could be a negative. I am moving to stainless, for a multitude of reasons, but significantly, because I was tired of hand washing everything - not necessary with these as they go in the dishwasher! But even hand washing is much easier than my anodized aluminum. The wonderful thing is that they have taken cooking to a new level, things are easier, fonds better, less burning and scorching! And rice is sooo easy! I LOVE these pans! They are Stainless steel triply at it's best - nice weighted, responsive pans, no hotspots, easy cleaning, more fun cooking, and absolutely BEAUTIFUL! AND they are significantly cheaper than the other brands. If you are thinking of switching to SS, this is a great way to go. Just an update: I liked this pan so much that I am slowly replacing all of my pans with this line. It is a different level of cooking for me, I couldn't be happier😁. Just a note: if you take the plunge, this pan isn't in either of the sets, so it is a fabulous test piece, and an incredibly useful size - I am back for a second one since I like this size for both sauce/gravy and rice (and a lot of other things...) and I do these together a lot. The 10 piece and the 13 piece sets are complimentary - the saucepan sizes in each set are different - so be sure to check those to be sure you pick the set with the sizes you will use most, or buy both boxes for a full compliment of the sauce pans and duplicates of the heavy hitters - 1 on the stove and one in the dishwasher? 😉. It is cheaper if you cook a lot and/or will use more than one of a given piece at a time. Figure out what you need, then watch for them to go on sale. Oh, I use a grate gas stove, and while I am VERY familiar with having light pans tip on the burners when they have insufficient food in them, I have not had that happen with this pan even empty - or any of the pans in this line. Still in love with these pans! I think I'm gonna need a bigger stove....🥴 Just an update to address the "rim issue". So, there is a huge "flurry" related to the American Company's lawsuit concerning rims - here is how I understand the issue, you should research it if this concerns you: when "triply" was marketed - a few years back (20?) there were advertising campaigns telling consumers to "examine the rims" to ensure that you were getting "true triply" - you could see the layers in the rims! No layers, NOT triply! All companies copied this strategy with their triply. (I suspect that sealing the rims - especially around bolts and rivets is significantly more expensive). These were guaranteed "for life with normal use" and declared dishwasher safe, because the stainless steel protected the aluminum from the corrosive effects of dishwashing detergent, a great step up from aluminum pans, but nobody really thought about the rims and the rivet holes... Fast forward to recent history - a bunch of folks who bought their American triply, and put them in the dishwasher multiple times a day - and this included a lot of restaurants, so 8, 10 or more times a day?.... these folks started noticing that the edges of their skillets were sharp, lots of minor cuts - and they figured out that the dishwashing detergent had eroded away the central aluminum layer on the exposed edges over time, leaving the two thin layers of stainless steel sticking up alone, and as they were thin stainless, they were sharp, and cut. Many restaurants considered this a "business expense" for what were the industry standard, and simply replaced them when they started to get sharp. A bunch of other folks decided that the guarantee was an opportunity to get all new cookware "free", and requested brand new pans - after 20 years of using them. Replacing all the pans they had sold for the past 20 years was a bankruptcy event for the American company, so the lawyers declared that this was not a design flaw, but regular wear event, so not a replaceable event. The inevitable "full employment for lawyers" class action suit followed, which has devastated that company. They are now a Chinese holding, and have moved a major portion of the manufacturing to, yes, China. (They now say "assembled in USA", like Apple?). So, yes, these pans - and almost ALL triply pans currently manufactured - have been manufactured with open rims and expose the aluminum. Yes, your dishwasher detergent WILL react with that aluminum, as with vinegar. Lemon juice and many other substances, and you may find a slight grey residue on the rims and around the rivets and bolts after a dishwashing cycle, and in about 20 years or so - depending on how much you cook - the rims WILL become sharp if you put them through the dishwasher all the time. That said, rims are a minuscule percentage of the pan surface, and is NOT exposed to cooking food - so very little food contamination (there is aluminum everywhere btw). These will last 20 years with daily use before there is a problem (what else can you say that about?). I have only found 1 company that currently manufactures sealed rims, and they cost 3x the price I paid for these. This is my first go at triply stainless, I'm not even ready to pony up the cost of the AMERICAN company, much less the European sealed rim pans! For me, I am aware, and in spite of the rim thing, I still think these are the best buy for me. They will give me plenty of time to evaluate triply technology, and when it is time to replace them, maybe everyone will be manufacturing - more expensive - sealed rim pans. 👍🙌, or not. I have had these a year now, am still in love with them, they are still beautiful - and I cook every day, every meal. I would buy them again in a heartbeat! Best set of pans I have ever bought!

So, I needed to replace a 1 quart saucepan that I burned up on the stove. I was totally ticked off at myself because it was my favorite saucepan. The one I used the MOST. And I KNEW I wouldn’t be able to replace it because it was an older saucepan, made in South Korea and I know darn well that the Koreans have since moved away from the manufacture of light manufactured things like pots and pans and their economy is now very sophisticated enabling them to tackle much more complicated things like; cars, computers, tvs and high quality kitchen appliances. And, yup, search as I might, I could not find a saucepan like the one I stupidly ruined. So, now what? I was resigned to my fate, to have to buy something more expensive, that I would not like as much. But after much searching and comparing and googling “Best Pots & Pans”, etc., I finally settled on this Cuisinart French Classic Tri-ply stainless 1 quart Saucepan w/cover. An all stainless saucepan! They are still made! Without the BS, fragile, non-stick “miracle coating du jour” that is certain to wear off within a year or two and probably poison me in the process. With some trepidation, I pluncked down the $50, expecting to be disappointed with all that money down the drain as penance for my clumsy sins in the kitchen. The Cuisinart arrived quickly! With bated breath I opened the box and……...gasp! Holy Toledo! This thing is a SERIOUS piece of cooking equipment! It is built like a TANK. WAY more saucepan than a mere screw-up like I deserve. Very well weighted, it doesn’t tip when empty with the lid removed. The bottom is thick stainless steel; well designed for even heating. No question, this one pot is the classiest, highest quality piece of equipment in my kitchen. However, all that good stuff being said, I do have a complaint. The design of the edge of the pan does NOT allow liquids to be poured out of the pan! Without a "rolled" top edge, liquids run down the side instead of pouring neatly out over the edge. So, this pot cannot be used for example, for boiling water for pouring into a Melitta coffee filter funnel. Now all I have to do is try to live up to, “The Promise of the Pan”.............here’s crossing my fingers, wish me luck.

After shopping around and comparing features and pricing on all the multi-clad cookware available, I settled on the Cuisinart French Classic line. I still needed to test out the product so I purchased this small saucepan. It has performed exactly as I hoped it would. I am a professional chef and have used a great variety of cookware at home and work. I have respect for the big name multi-clad brands but the price is out of range for most cooks. There are bargain priced and store brands manufactured in China but the ones I have seen have a poor fit and finish, and the steels used are dubious in quality and consistency. It appears that Cuisinart has found the sweet spot between price and quality with this line. (Keep in mind Cuisinart also manufactures "Made in China" lines of multi-clad under various names, only the French Classic Line is the one made in France to these specifications). This pan is substantial in weight, it has a beautiful finish and all details are impeccable. The handle has a pleasing shape, very comfortable to hold. I have encountered many pans of good quality where the dealbreaker was an awkward handle. The lid is solid and heavy as well, it fits perfectly on the pot and the handle is large enough to grip with a towel or hot pads. As for it's ability to cook foods without sticking, one must use common sense and keep the heat low to medium. If the nonstick ability is your primary concern, there are many chemically coated cookware choices out there. The strengths of this style are in its' purity- no coatings to break down, no finish that will wear off, no iron to keep seasoned against corrosion. This cookware can last a lifetime with care and be passed along to another generation to keep cooking. As far as care, I wouldn't use anything abrasive on the outside of pan or lid if you want to keep the beautiful mirror finish. If foods stick to the pan, soak it in hot soapy water, then use a scrub brush to clean out the residue and finish with a sponge or washtowel. I have found staining on the interior after cleaning, it appears as a faint shadow of what was cooked. A light scrub with a sponge and some Barkeeper's Friend will polish that right off if it bothers you. If I were to list a negative with this pan, it would be that the handle is so heavy the pan falls over when empty without the lid on it. I will update this review as time and use dictate. (Update 6/2015) Still very happy with the saucepan. Just to clarify earlier comment about pan being unbalanced when empty- Initially I was using a gas stove with burner grates, the pan-tipping-over problem was due to sitting a certain way with the handle over the empty space between grates on burner when empty with no lid. It has no trouble sitting upright on a normal flat surface. I now use an induction cooktop and have not experienced the issue since.

Excellent quality. Aluminum core for heat distribution is encased in stainless steel so it won't react in your dishwasher. Heavy, well balanced handle. No mirror interior finish - so no scratches when you use Brillo. Getting more sizes.

But a great cook does need great pans and these are ultra fantabulous! Yes, I can cook. And I can shop. My Wife hates the amount of time I spend comparing products, reading reviews and getting opinions. I looked at all brands, all styles and all sets with their respective add-on's to see what I felt was the best for me. I like the clad multilayer bottoms. I like the big thick round long handles. How fast they heat up and transfer heat evenly is important. How the handles feel in your hand. I don't care how they look. They live in a cupboard, on the stove or in the sink. I care how they cook and how they feel and handle. I have big hands and mostly all handles are thin, frail and very uncomfortable in my hands even with a pot holder or cooking rag wrapped around. These feel good, are comfortable to grip and all handles are well done and they cook great. They also clean great IF you read the directions on how to cook properly with them. There is one issue... and I expected it, and my Wife has issues with it... they are heavy. But, that is what makes a great set of pans. Remember, these are stainless, not aluminum. If they're not heavy, they're not as good. The smallest skillet could easily be a formidable weapon. LOL.

This little sauce pan is beautifully manufactured. It is perfect for heating up a can of soup or beans. Nice even temperature throughout and cleans up well. Some other reviews complained that the handle is too long and it tips over when empty or not on a flat surface. This pan has plenty of weight and is not tippy at all. I don't see anything wrong with the handle, if it was any shorter they would complain that the handle gets too hot. I personally think it's just perfect and you shouldn't be cooking on an uneven surface or with nothing in it anyway. Great little sauce pan and a great value. Highly recommended.

Very good and heavier than I thought

I've been using the 1qt saucepan every morning for several months to cook oatmeal. The rest of the pans I have are All-Clad D5. This is a great pan and comparable to All-Clad D3, but the handle is not flush with the pan. There's a wee bit of space between them. It's not a cooking issue but it is a cleaning defect. You'll hang up the pot after drying it, then water seeps out from that space between the handle and pan. It's an unfortunate flaw and more annoying than anything, but it does seem to be a manufacturing error. The gap shouldn't be there. Otherwise a great product.