I decided this year that I was going to make a concerted effort to cook more. After numerous complaints from my boyfriend about the amount of money we spent on take-out, I decided to upgrade my cookware in preparation for all the new dishes I would be preparing.

My old cookware consisted of a small set of T-Fal that my grandmother bought for me when I was in college. It was in okay condition, but it had a couple of scratches from the metal forks and spoons used in it over the years. I started to do research on what the best set would be more for my needs.

Contenders

I looked at several companies:

1. Calphalon - they got great reviews from critics and consumers, but the price was a little out of my range.

2. All-Clad - another great company, but if Calphalon was out of my range, there's no way I could afford All-Clad.

3. Revere - these were definitely in my price range, but there were way too many bad reviews for my taste.

4. Farberware - this company was in the same category as Revere...too many bad reviews.

5. Anolon - after doing the research and seeing all the good reviews and discovering that they had the best non-stick coating available, I decided to make the purchase. It also helped that the 8-piece set was only $149.99 on Amazon.com and I had a $20 coupon available!

The Set

The set consists of a:

1 1/2-quart saucepan with a see-through lid

2-quart saucepan with a see-through lid

6-quart stockpot with a see-through lid

10-inch saute pan with a see through lid that also serves as the lid for the 6-quart stockpot

8-inch French skillet

All pieces in this set are made of heavy hard-anodized aluminum. The outside finish is a light gray and the interior is a very dark gray. The non-stick coating is actually bonded to the interior of the pans. Anolon uses the Dupont Autograph nonstick coating, which happens to be the best nonstick available in today's market. Anolon guarantees that it won't crack, chip, peel, or interact with food.

Pros and Cons

The pros of this pan are:

1. The non-stick coating

The Dupont Autograph coating is excellent. I have never had anything stick to these pans and I've been using them non-stop since January. I've cooked all types of meats, cheeses, dairy products, etc. and have never had to worry about anything sticking or cleanup. Cleaning these pans is a cinch and takes very little effort or time.

2. Black phenolic handles

The handles on these pans are black phelonic. This was a consideration for me because I didn't want to be constantly worried about hot handles while I cooked. These handles stay cool to the touch and oven mitts are not necessary. The handles are double riveted, so you won't have to worry about constantly using a screwdriver to tighten them up.

3. See-through Lids

These lids are made of break-resistant, heat-tempered lids. Anolon describes them as "high dome, self-basting lids". These lids clean up nicely and guaranteed for life against breakage. So, if you break one, just contact Anolon and they will be glad to replace it.

4. Heating abilities

The heating ability of these pans is excellent. It took a little time to be able to get used to boiling on less than maximum heat. I'm able to cook most items on the medium setting with these pans, while on my old T-Fal, everything was on high.

The cons of these pans are:

1. Cleaning the rivets

As I mentioned earlier, the handles on these pans are double-riveted. This is great for providing sturdy handles, but for cleaning purposes, it requires a little extra care. When washing these pans, I probably spend more time making sure there is no leftover food around the rivets, than I do cleaning the actual pan. It doesn't take too much time, but it is an extra step that you might have to take.

2. Loose screws on the lids.

The lid handles are secured with a regular screw and of course, they sometimes get loose. It would be nice if they were as secure as the handles on the pans.

3. Hand-cleaning

I list this as a con for those of you who like to be able to use the dishwasher. Anolon advises against using a dishwasher because the harsh detergents and high heat can damage the exterior of the pans. This is true of all hard-anodized aluminum cookware. However, these plans are so easy to clean that I find absolutely no problem with hand-washing.

Final Opinion

As you can see from my pros and cons, the pros far outweigh the cons. Cooking with these pans are a pleasure and cleaning them is simple. I would advise any beginner cook or expert cook looking for great nonstick to buy these pans.

Helpful note: If you have a man in the house who doesn't do all the cooking, put away all metal spatulas, spoons, etc. I discovered this after the first time cooking with this cookware. My boyfriend came into the kitchen, reached for the metal spoon and started stirring. I came in and grabbed the spoon. Luckily, there were no scratches, but to be safe from future occurrences, I put away the metal and brought out all the wooden and nylon tools.

Recommended: Yes