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KitchenAid Reserved 12-Piece Hard Base Cookware Set
The KitchenAid Reserved 12-Piece Hard Base Cookware Set is of great benefit to anyone who needs a good, relatively inexpensive set of cookware. The set has a large high-walled saute pan with glass cover, a large slant-walled fry pan, a smaller slant-walled fry pan, a medium-sized cookpot with flared edges and perforated glass cover, a smaller cookpot with glass cover, and a large 8 qt. stockpot with glass cover.
I find that the primary advantage of the cookware is the non-stick inner surface, which allows for easier clean-ups. One should use wooden or plastic utensils to cook with, never metal, as this will scratch and cause early wear on the non-stick surface. The cool-touch handle makes it easier to use, but a oven mitt or dishtowel might be required for cooking that involves longer cooking times.
The disadvantages include that the hard base enamel outer surface cannot be used on high heat on glass cooktop surfaces because of the potential for the enamel melting and fusing to a glasstop surface. There is a disclaimer in the owner's manual, but it is poorly worded. I contacted KitchenAid customer's service to be sure that this was the case. At this writing, their FAQ section of their website was difficult to navigate. The enamel set can be used on electric coiled surfaces and gas ranges without a problem. It is only with glasstop surfaces that one should be cautious. Be sure to read the owner's manual for further disclaimers for use of your product, such as using in the oven, cooling on glass or wooden surfaces, and care.
With this set of cookware, the large stockpot should have an insert or colander for steaming or straining, but it does not.
On the other hand, the high-walled saute pan with cover is a joy to use for pasta sauces or large vegetable entrees. The large slant-walled fry pan and smaller slant-walled fry pan are useful for stir-fry and omelets, respectively. The glass covers for the saute pan and medium-sized strainer pot rest safely on the top of the large and small fry pans if one needs to steam or cook with covers.
Also included in this set are one medium-sized and one smaller pot. The medium-sized pot has two flared edges that allow for straining of water from the pot while still covered. The pot lid has perforated holes in it that allows one to cook food and/or allow steam to escape while cooking. Straining water from vegetables can be accomplished by tipping the pot to one side with the lid on, and through the perforations. The smaller pot is useful for cooking smaller vegetable servings or sauces.
All-in-all, I gave this set of cookware a rating of 4 stars for the fact of its usefulness and comparatively low cost. The detracting factors were the inability to cook at high heat on glasstop surfaces (which I have), and the lack of a strainer insert for the large stockpot.
The teflon non-stick surfaces in all pots and pans are very useful for clean-up. One should use a soft, non-abrasive sponge or dishrag with dishsoap. Never use a scouring pad or abrasive cleaners. I clean my KitchenAid in the sink, but I am not sure that these are dishwasher safe. Refer to Amazon.com or the KitchenAid website to determine if these can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
KitchenAid products are exceptionally well-constructed and should last many years if correctly taken care of. I would suggest this set over less expensive higher priced anodized sets as they are usually not non-stick, and cheaper sets that are not non-stick as well. The value of this set is what makes the Kitchen-Aid stand on it's own.
[Tuesday, December 16, 2008]
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Great Pans!
This is a great set for the price! I put mine in the dishwasher with no problems - just a little fading of the red. They heat evently and look great on the stove!
[Saturday, November 29, 2008]
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Wonderful!
I treated myself to these because my current pans were getting old and pretty worn. I am so glad I did! I thought my other pans, Ultrex, were nice when I got them years ago. But these blow them away. Nice even cooking, beautful results, and super easy to clean, they swish clean in seconds! They are also really sturdy but not nearly as heavy as my other set. The old pans immediately went in the trash and these are all I will use now. I am so loving cooking again - and my husband is enjoying me cooking more. The price is great too, these were at the mall for $189 on sale. Same thing!! Thank you Amazon for great prices and great products.
[Thursday, October 09, 2008]
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