After hearing a lot of good things about Cuisinart’s products, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Despite the company’s French-sounding name, they are actually American and have been in business since the 1970s. Let’s get to it and see if the length of time they’ve been in business results in quality cooking sets!
(Please note that this article contains affiliate links.)
What is The Best Cuisinart Cookware Set?
The best Cuisinart cookware set is the Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel collection. Featuring suave looks, superb performance, and excellent durability, this stainless steel set is a steal for the price (not sorry about that pun!).
There are actually several types of cookware sets available from Cuisinart. I had to make a personal recommendation based on a combination of performance and affordability. Here are four of the most popular collections from Cuisinart:
- Chef’s Classic Stainless Collection – Best Mid-Range Choice
- Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel Set – Best Overall
- GreenGourmet Hard-Anodized Set – Most Scratch-Resistant
- Chef’s Classic Non-Stick – Best Value for Money
You’re probably wondering why I recommend the Multiclad Pro Stainless Collection out of those four options. My best answer is that this particular collection offers the best performance and durability, in my opinion.
The Multiclad Pro set is the priciest one on the list. However, my grandmother used to always say, “if you buy cheap, you buy twice,” and I tend to follow that mantra when it comes to cooking appliances.
Before getting into the nitty-gritty on why I recommend this set, let’s actually take a quick look at what you get out-of-the-box:
- 1.5-quart (0.44-liter) saucepan with lid
- 3-quart (2.83-liter) saucepan with lid
- 8-inch skillet
- 10-inch skillet
- 3.5-quart (3.3-liter) saute pan with cover
- 8-quart (7.5-liter) stockpot with a steamer insert and lid
Here are some of the main pros of the Multiclad Pro; my choice of the best Cuisinart cookware set.
✓ Triple-ply construction leads to incredible durability; with good care, these pots and pans could last a lifetime.
✓ Safe for your oven up to 550 F (287 C).
✓ The Heat Surround technology ensures even distribution and no hotspots in the pots and pans.
✓ The stainless steel construction is premium quality and completely non-reactive to food.
✓ The brilliantly designed tapered rims give drip-free pouring from pots.
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of these main attractions of the Multiclad Pro stainless steel set. When it comes to premium cooking utensils, those added touches like the tapered rims make all the difference.
If you’ve ever poured sauce or soups from a pot with a non-tapered rim, you’re almost guaranteed to have encountered that annoying issue of drops of sauce splattering all over the counter.
The triple-ply construction and Heat Surround technology are what really make this stand out as the best Cuisinart cookware set, though.
The construction is of an aluminum core bonded to a stainless steel interior and brushed with a stainless exterior. The result is a set of pans and pots that retain their new look while delivering excellent durability over repeated use.
The patented Heat Surround technology delivers even heat distribution on the base and sides of the pots and pans. This is a real plus compared to cheaper pots which tend to have annoying hotspots that can overdo your food and uneven heat distribution leading to poor cooking.
Its oven safety also seems extremely high aswell. I’ve checked out several cookware sets and I rarely see a manufacturer claim oven safety above 440 F. The Multiclad Pro set’s upper-temperature limit in the oven stretches a full 110 degrees higher than that, which is impressive.
Is this set good for Thai food?
Given that this is a Thai food website, it’s always important to tie in the suitability of any products I review for cooking Thai recipes. The Cuisinart set is more of an all-rounder suitable for a broad range of recipes from several cuisines. It’s not a cookware set that caters to Thai cuisine specifically.
However, the set’s saucepan and stockpot are excellent for making Thai soups such as Tom Yam or Tom Saap. The steamer insert can also be used to steam sticky rice (which is the cooking method for sticky rice).
Are there any drawbacks to the Multiclad Pro set?
In my experience, there are always drawbacks to any product, no matter how good it is. To me, no honest review can really just discuss the good stuff; there needs to be a discussion on what not to like.
With that in mind, here are some of the main drawbacks of this set:
❌ The price might be considered high by some people
❌ The tapered rims can be quite sharp so you have to be careful when handling the pots and pans.
❌ Can be more difficult to clean compared to other materials such as non-stick or ceramic.
I’ve already discussed why I believe higher prices are often worth it. To elaborate on the sharpness of the tapered rims, it’s not like they’ll cut you like a knife. But it’s worth being careful not to roughly scrape your skin against them.
To me, the difficulty of cleaning is probably going to be the drawback that repels some people from buying this Cuisinart cookware set. Soaking them in hot water is essential to remove food stuck to the bottom.
Particularly tricky food types include fried eggs, fish, and other proteins. In fact, the stickability of proteins to stainless steel cookware is one of the big disadvantages of this material, regardless of brand.
Dishwasher use is not recommended in the long-term because it can ruin the finish. Ultimately, the best solution is to use a dedicated pan for eggs and other proteins.
Is Cuisinart Cookware Safe?
Yes, Cuisinart cookware is extremely high-quality and safe to use. The food you cook in it will not be impacted by or react with the stainless steel surfaces. There are no toxic fumes released either.
Is Cuisinart a Good Brand?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, Cuisinart is one of the most reputable brands for cookware in the world. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of the contribution made to American cooking by Cuisinart founder, Carl G. Sontheimer, who passed away in 1998.
The story of Cuisinart and how it came to be is actually quite interesting. If you don’t want to read the NYTimes link I posted above, in summary, Sontheimer, an electronics engineer got bored during retirement and wanted to start a new business venture.
Armed with a passion for French cuisine, he went to France in the early 1970s to seek inspiration. He came up with an idea for a cookware business and named it Cuisinart. The rest is history.
Where are Cuisinart Products Made?
My best guess is that the cookware sets are either made in France or from the company’s headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. It is difficult to find exact information on where Cuisinart products are made. In fact, the manufacturing location seems to differ across the company’s entire product line.
Closing Thoughts
You likely arrived on this page while looking for the best Cuisinart cookware set. Having gone through the pros and cons, I stand by my selection for the 12-piece Multiclad Stainless Steel set. With superb heat distribution, great durability, eye-catching design, and nifty extra features like tapered rims, you really can’t go wrong with this set.