One of the best set of pans i ever owened got tired of nonstick coated pans always peeling off after time only resulting in having to buy new ones. Stainless Steel pans are just as nonstick aslong as you use them as recomended buy the manufactor as far as amazon saying they go for 800 plus well 399 is the recomended price for the set of the manufactors web page if you shop around like i did i got them for 328.00 including shipping but a 5 star recommendatation for people thay are tired of the same old peeling coated nonstick pans that need to be replaced after a couple of years time after time.

I love to cook but did not want to take out a small loan to buy new pots and pans. These pans fit the bill. They have a nice weight and distribute heat evenly. I'm glad I finally chose these pans.

I've always owned non-stick cookware until recently, when I noticed my food sticking to the pans. I realized that much of my non-stick coating had worn off, presumably in my family's food! I began searching all over to find a stainless set that was affordable, easy to clean, and safe to use. After nearly six months of asking and reserching I found the Calphalon Tri Ply set; it certainly fit the bill (although more than I had EVER spent on cookware in my short adult life!) and I have been reborn as a stainless believer.

I had heard all the horror stories about the awful clean-up of foods like eggs, but I have had no problems in the past three months with any meal I've cooked. They're almost as easy to clean as non-stick, and you can put these in the dishwasher without fear of that precious layer of coating coming off like you have with non-stick! My family's favorite recipes still taste just as good and I only have to use minimal oil, if any at all, so I don't feel like I'm making unhealthy meals for my kids and husband.

The only downside, if you can actually call it a downside, is that it takes the pots and pans a little longer to heat up compared with non-stick; a fair trade-off for choosing stainless. This set is attractive and sturdy. Well worth the nearly $400 price tag!

I did an enormous amount of research on pans when I wanted to register for a set for my wedding. I have begun to cook a lot in the last few years, but never had the guts to go out and just splurge on a great set for myself. I had always used nonstick in the past, so I was originally going to go with the Contemporary nonstick set. That is, until I started reading about the health hazards, which I had never realized. When I decided that stainless seemed the healthiest way to go (not to mention the smartest if I wanted to be able to make yummy pan sauces), I decided to go with the Contemporary stainless (I immediately ruled out Allclad because I could not justify asking people to spend that kind of money on me). I saw the tri-ply set on websites, but it never looked very appealing to me, so I never paid it much attention. I'm not going to lie, I wanted pans that would not only cook well but were nice to look at. Why not? But one day I was in a local retail store and saw the triply set in person. The pictures really don't do it justice. They are BEAUTIFUL with their sleek exterior and glass domed lids. Suddenly I started paying attention to these truly gorgeous pans. When I compared the 13 piece set to the 10 piece contemporary, it was pretty much a no-brainer. For $100 less you get more pieces that both cook equally well since they both contain a full aluminum core. Cooking with them has been an absolute joy. They really do heat fast. I have had to train myself to set the temperature lower--I learned the hard way when I managed to burn chicken on barely over medium heat! They also cook very evenly. I really do taste the difference. I particularly like the 4 1/2 quart saucepan. It comes in handy so much more than I thought it would when you make something that is too much for the ever-used 2 1/2 qt., but seems too little to have to drag out the big stockpot. I really put these to the test when I tried scrambled eggs. Using one of the fry pans, I kept the heat pretty low and let the butter heat up. Voila! It may as well have been a nonstick pan! That's how perfectly the eggs slid off. I can't wait to try more and more recipes using these. They are such a delight to cook with that I look for things to make every chance I can get. I would recommend these hands down to anyone. You're getting the same quality as Allclad (it's the exact same material and construction!), but so much more for your money! Plus, they are beautiful to look at and they cook quickly, evenly, and wonderfully.

The best part of all is that the cleaning is so easy. In my opinion, it hasn't been any harder to wash these than it is to wash non-stick. Barkeeper's Friend has really been a lifesaver. After my chicken burning incident, my pan had a whitish film all over it that was very unattractive. A few circular strokes with a damp cloth and Barkeeper's, it looked brand spanking new again. Some might think that it's a lot of work to keep stainless steel clean and looking nice, and that something like teflon is a lot more convenient. Convenient, yes, but if cooking and good tasting food is really what matters to you, then a little extra polishing and cleaning now and then is a small price to pay for a true quality product. Like another reviewer said, stainless steel requires a lot of appreciation to really understand what this cookware can do. It can do things that no teflon pan can do! You absolutely cannot go wrong with these. Buy them now!

We bought this set about 4 months ago after thinking and researching the purchase for about a year. Today, we couldn't be happier. Frankly, WE LOVE THEM!

Pros:

- Glass lids (not a feature found on the All Clads, mind you)
- Even heat distributions makes for consistent cooking.
- Handles don't get hot.
- Food cooks faster, especially true when boiling water.
- Really easy clean up (even fish!); I was actually shocked how painless clean up was. And to tell you the truth, we put them in the dishwasher and they look fine. If we want them looking really spiffy, we use a little barkeepers friend.
- Speaking of looks, they are so very attractive!
- Sturdy construction. Heavy, but not excessively so.
- Great price (bought them from another retailer with a 20% coupon and a free $50 gift card bonus that we used on the same transaction).

Cons: Um? Honestly, none!

Good luck and happy cooking!