Street Corner Talkin': Eddie G. Is Going To Pot!
Written: Aug 27 '05 (Updated Aug 27 '05)
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Pros: Durable, attractive, versatile.
Cons: The rivets on the lid/handle did eventually rust.
The Bottom Line: Eminently useful small set of saucepan, steamer and double boiler inserts with a Smart lid which lets off a little steam rather than blowing its top; less boil-over prone.
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| kcfoxy's Full Review: Cook's Essentials Stainless Steel Non-Stick 3 qt. ... |
Every so often I'm writing one of these cookware reviews, and I start to wonder if anyone out there is really reading them-is there any genuine interest in hearing about a wizard 3-qt. pan with steamer and double boiler at a very nice price.
Round about then, I'll either give a not-so-subtle snap of my ever-present psychic rubber wrist band or simply ask myself, so what would Eddie G do, (henceforth, WWEGD). The answer then, becomes crystal clear, to forge on, head up, smile firmly in place, always leading with my chin.
Cook's Essentials Stainless Steel Non-Stick 3-qt. Cook Set
As cook sets go, this is a small one, consisting of clear, tempered glass Smart lid, with phenolic plastic, stay-cool vent/grip, tallish as opposed to wide, 3-qt saucepan, 2-qt double boiler insert and similar-capacity stainless steel steamer insert.
I'm highlighting this set, because 3-qt happens to be an awfully smart size, whether for larger families or 1-2 persons. (My 1 and 2 quart, especially the 1 quart spend a inordinate amount of time squatting useless in a darkened cupboard.) Ample enough for boiling 6 largish potatoes, simmering a dozen eggs for Easter decorating, a couple quarts of homemade chili or spaghetti sauce or browning a couple pounds of cubed stewing meat.
The hefty, 18/10 gauge stainless steel bottom is sandwiched with a generous layer of super heat conducting aluminum, reducing your chances of hot spots, scorching or other less than desirable results, yet cleans up like a dream. and though the claim is made that metal utensils can be used with impunity, I'm pretty sure I know WWEGD: plastic scubbies and non-metallic utensils are all I've used thus far.
Cook's Essentials knows you don't want to waste your get down and boogie time soaking then scrubbing pans, and the durable, DuPont Scratch Guard non-stick interior is the perfect foil for even Ed's finest, certainly not pedestrian macaroni and cheese.
The steamer insert is perfect for a supermarket-sized bag of frozen veggies or your own garden-fresh specimens, and is just large enough for me to steam a handful of homemade tamales to perfection. The drainage holes are a nice trade-off between teensy tiny and large enough for rice grains to slip through and the stay cool handles are much better than the usual metal flanges out there.
As a nurse, since reading that microwave cooking actually destroys 90% of the all-important anti-oxidants and vitamins from my favorite broccoli, I'm back to old-fashioned steaming in a big way. This insert sits solidly on the saucepan base. different from those little $1.99 collapsible models remembered from Back In The Day.
Speaking of anti-oxidants, Ed and I secretly thrill to the idea of both red wine and luscious chocolate being listed in leading nutritionists' good column, and I can now melt those pricey 70% chocolate liqueur morsels for the silkiest mousse, flourless cake straight out of Fauchon's in Paris, or make a nutmeg-kissed Gruyere cheese sauce that's curdle-free.
Again, as a separate unit, the double boiler's stay cool handles, safety rated to 350 degrees, give superb control while pouring and otherwise removing this insert from the gently boiling water below.
The entire set nests well for storage, making it fine for even smallish kitchenettes, with the double boiler insert doing double duty as an extra pan, (just avoid direct flame), and the steamer seeing colander action as well.
The stay-cool, black plastic handles come with intelligently recessed loops for hanging, if desired, and the whole set fits in nicely with my enameled Cook's Essential pieces, both in new eggplant, (squeal and leg kick), or more prosaic black.
There is a Lifetime LMW, the handles are sturdily riveted to the pans, and the only problem I've had in many, many moons of creative cookery has been a slight discoloration or rust spot on the underside of the lid's topnot-styled handle.
Final Thoughts And Recommendations
A classy set at a nice price that works like it's supposed to, and doesn't hog a lot of storage space. That's 4 stars in my cook's value book, any day.
I'm probably spoiled these days, what with easy-clean almost everything, but never more so that perched in my 1941 bungalow kitchen without a dishwasher. Automatic one, that is...the pooches pre-treat and the Big Guy washes and dries.
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This is an entry in the Ed Grover Appreciation Write Off. Ed is a dear friend, has always supported the Community in our writing endeavors, and offered only the kindest, most sincere comments on my gaggle of Quick Recipe and cook and bake ware reviews.
A Classy guy, with a capital "C", I doubt he'll mind my use of the diminutive version of his name, or the wink, wink, nudge, nudge title of this piece, given his bright wit and superb sense of Style. Groove on, Gentle Sir!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 42.56
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Epinions.com ID:
kcfoxy
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Member: Casey Stewart
Location: West Coast Of Mars
Reviews written: 935
Trusted by: 643 members
About Me:
Save the Earth...it's the only planet with Chocolate!
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