Product By Culinary Institute of America(5 customers reviews)
- 7-Ply Copper Core construction extends up full side of the pan for quick and even heat distribution
- Induction Ready
- 18/10 stainless steel interior is non-reactive, easy to clean and safe to cook in
- Riveted ergonomically designed handles are comfortable and add to ease of use
- Lifetime Warranty
2009-10-13
By J. Rogers (Melbourne, Australia)
This set was exactly what I was looking for - good value, good quality cookware in the shapes I want! This is a review after my first month.
Like everyone else, I compared this set to All-Clad very carefully. What swayed my mind was:
- the use of sauciers instead of saucepans
- similar quality at a better price
- perfect sizes for what I needed (the small covered saucier is so handy)
- stackable!
- great service from CIA, vs incorrect answers from All-clad distributor
Heating is very even. I've used the biggest pans on the smallest, largest & wok gas burners, always getting an even rise of bubbles as I approach boiling point. The clean up is easy, especially with a stainless cleaner which I've only used once. I've never been tempted to grab a wire scrubber yet, though I regularly pan roast and broil in these pans
I would change a few little things, but given the price, I can live with them (and I couldn't find a set with these at any price in clad):
- rolled edges on all pots (currently just on pans)
- the handle design, while comfortable, isn't the most stable on the stove when pans are near empty (more due to my gas stove which have 4 balance points). A little more weight in the body would be great, even though it felt the same as All-clad
- smooth cooking surface inside where handles mount (the rivets are the only part hard to clean)
2009-07-03
By P.W. (Naples,Florida)
I replaced my over rated all-clad stainless clad,cop-r-chef and ltd with this superior cookware. Forget the review about scratching or discoloring,they all do it. Use some Cameo to clean it. Cia has combined the best assests of them all into one. The handles are so comfortable, great fast even heating,induction ready and handsome styling.They continue to amaze me. I really don't care if it is made in China, price would be very high if made here.The profits go to the CIA cooking school.
2009-04-14
By chefgirl (Portland, OR)
Things I love about this cookware: The copper core makes it incredibly responsive. When I am making delicate sauces, or candy I can control the temperature up or down immediately (I do have a gas range, and I imagine it would take a little longer to respond on an electric stove, but so would any cookware). The weight is perfect. These pots are heavy enough to be really effective, without breaking my arm. Additionally the curve of the handle makes moving them on the stove, or carrying to the sink easy. I much preferred these curved handles over other handle choices from other vendors. The cooking surface on the skillets is really generous. Clean easily (I dishwash all the time).Handles resist heat transfer from the stove.There was a really great pamphlet included in the boxed set with tips on using stainless steel cookware that was put together by the chef's at the CIA. I have been cooking on good cookware for years and the tips included were still very helpful to me, especially about not cooking too hot. When you go from cooking on average cookware that doesn't hold heat to excellent cookware like this that does conduct heat so well - it's really easy to get your pan too hot. Lastly - GREAT VALUE! I couldn't be happier with the performance or the price.
2008-10-22
By lola wald
I purchased the Cia master 10 Piece set and love it! I have used All Clad and other very expensive cookware in the past, and I have to say that the Cia collection beats them all by a long shot. I have used the cookware for a couple months now and have had no issues with scratching of the pans, or food sticking to the pans. I have used all sorts of utensils with my other cookware sets in the past and they have all scratched easily...not so with the Cia Masters Collection! It also washes up really great. I have told all of my friends to go out and get this cookware because it is so great. I will continue to purchase products from the CIA Masters Collection line.
2008-03-20
By S. Drilling (St. Louis)
We purchased the CIA Masters 10 piece set, plus the 12 inch frypan and a wooden spoon after researching the Viking and All Clad Copper Core sets. We were able to visit stores in our area to handle the Viking and All Clad sets before purchase - we were not able to see the CIA Masters set before purchase. In terms of weight, the CIA Masters set is similar in weight to the All Clad regular stainless set. The handles have two rivets and have the All Clad grove with the Viking curvature. The lids are slightly domed similar to the Viking set. In terms of the copper layer - we compared the CIA set against the All Clad Copper Core. If you look at a piece of All Clad Copper core you will see a copper layer that is about 1/8" thick and very easily identified. If you look at a piece of CIA Master cookware, the copper layer can hardly be seen. Given the price of copper these days, my guess is this amount of copper in the CIA cookware is part of the price difference to the All Clad Copper Core set. (10 piece set of CIA cookware is $499, 10 piece set of All Clad Copper Core $1200.) The set arrived from Metro Kitchen in three days and was beautifully packaged. So - why won't we recommend the set? First -you need to use silicon or wooden utensils with this set. Do not use metal utensils. The stainless steel is very very soft and the pans scratch easily. In fact, the very first time we used the set we made large, easily visible scratches on the outside bottom and inside just from making risotto. (note -- we have other stainless steel cookware where this is not a problem.) Second, the golden rule when using stainless is to use low to medium heat. Higher temperatures cause a reaction with stainless steel which cause a bluish / brownish stain. The first time we used one of the frypans this marking appeared despite the low heat we used. We haven't had any problems with food sticking (that pretty much a function of knowing how to cook in stainless anyway...) - but we can't honestly say the cookware is any better than the Emerilware or Cooks Essentials set we had previously. Frankly we wish we had not paid $500+ for cookware that is "just okay" and that is going to show wear in a very short time. The Viking or All Clad set would have been a better choice.
