Amazon.com Customer Reviews
17 year Circulon user! - Review written on December 29, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful.
I got several Circulon pots and pans when I got married 17 years ago. Every one of them is still being used! I just ordered this set because it has a few pieces I never got around to getting but have always wanted, some will be duplicates and the 8 qt stock pot will be a replacement to my original. It still has quite a bit of life left in it and considering that it has been used a minimum of once a week for 17 years (and put in the dishwasher more times than I care to admit), it is in incredible shape! Once I stopped putting it in the dishwasher, the light "film" you get on the outside from putting it in the dishwasher has come off. It still looks good, the lid still fits perfectly, no dents - still shiny. There is absolutely no warping to this pot. A slight amount of the finish on the inside is coming off. But after 17 years of use - we never baby our cookware - it is in great shape. All our other pieces (dutch ovens, several pans, wok, double boiler) are still in like-new shape.
Buy with confidence! This is an incredible deal - and the last set you'll need to buy...well, maybe for 17 years! ; )
Edited to add: I received this set last week. It is not the same quality as my original pots/pans. The circular finish is only on the bottom of the pots, not the sides like the originals. Like other reviewers have noted, the 8 qt. stockpot is slightly warped and the lid doesn't fit perfectly. None of the finish has flaked off though.
Think hard about buying Circulon - Review written on August 17, 2007
Rating: 1 out of 5
10 customers found this review helpful, 9 did not.
My first set of cookware in this current marriage was Circulon. Why? Because I was so in love with my husband that I let him pick out our cookware. Whatever was I thinking? I was used to Revere Ware, which is fairly low end, but it got the job done for me for many years, plus it went in the dishwasher. Okay, my husband thought that Circulon was "neat looking", and of course it is very expensive, so that has to make it better, right? Wrong. My experience with it in over 8 years, before I gave myself permission to replace the set, was similar to other reviewers. Flecks do start to come off the finish; this is very disconcerting when it is in your food. More important, you are consigning yourself to a lifetime of washing these pans by hand, and for all of your effort, over time food WILL remain in those ridges. That is because the finish will deteriorate and allow food to stick. I also do not believe that they are particularly good at conducting heat uniformly on the bottoms. Believe me, because they were so expensive, I followed all of the manufacturer's instructions for use and responsible hand washing. I truly grew to hate these pans but felt obligated to keep them because of their high cost. I paid over $400 for this set originally. I still love my husband madly, but did he ever cook with these pans (much less wash them often enough)? Of course not. Do yourself a favor and check out other brands, such as Cuisinart, Oneida, and Farberware, that offer 18/10 stainless steel pans, with or without nonstick surfaces, that will tolerate oven temperatures and being put in the dishwasher. Postscript: October 20, 2007, I see that Amazon has raised the price from $169 to $229 for this set; they were no bargain at the lower price.
Never scrub again! - Review written on July 17, 2007
Rating: 5 out of 5
5 customers found this review helpful.
My girlfriend is a professional certified chef who works for a five-star restaurant/entertainment resort. Nothing but the best for her--and I'll tell you that no one in my house can complain about these pieces. Both aesthetically pleasing and fun to cook with, I would recommend these pots 1,000 times before spending quadruple the price on the so-called professional cookware that I've seen in magazines.
First, these heat as evenly as it comes, so I can guarantee that your food will be prepared very well and heated evenly throughout everytime. Secondly, I have never had it so easy to clean up when dinner is finished. Unless you're going to let these pots sit out for 4 days after purposely burning something like cheese and molasses into them, you will not have to scrub whatsoever, and if food does start to dry, just let them soak for 5 minutes while you're washing cutlery and plates, and everything comes right off.
Last note: just read the instructions that come with these pots. Don't wash them in a dishwasher or scrub them with abrasives so you do not ruin the coating. In all honesty: you really don't have to!