Find out why the Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel Cook Set is the best stainless steel cookware sets and why it belongs in the kitchen of every serious cook.
There has been a buzz around the cooking world concerning the new MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel Set for Cuisinart. There was so much of a buzz that I had to find out for myself what all the fuss was about. I must say that what I found was pleasantly surprising and well worth the trouble.
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If you are a home chef or a person that takes cooking seriously you will find the contents within this review especially insightful. If you are a not so serious cook, but you have a strong penchant for quality, you will also find this article insightful.
Lastly, if you are driven by aesthetics and understand the importance of kitchen decorum, there is something is this article for you as well.
Why Stainless Steel Cookware Set Stands Out?
Before moving into discussing the many benefits that this product has to offer as well as discussing some of the draw backs (all products have them) associated with the product. I want to take a brief moment to introduce the concept of using stainless steel cookware.
- Aluminum core bonded to brushed stainless steel exteriors and interiors
Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
When you watch cooking shows or reference recipe books, there is a great deal of emphasis being placed on the ingredients being used and very little emphasis placed on the tools and equipment used to prepare the food. I have learned through experience that what you cook with is just as important as, or maybe even more important than what you are cooking.
Cooking is an art and your cookware is the medium through which your presentation is created. Tools matter.
A good quality cook set can insure that food is evenly cooked, that there are no hot spots that can scorch or burn the food.
A good stainless steel set with quality construction will make your life in the kitchen a whole lot simpler.
Below you will find just a few reasons why stainless steel is a good choice for the serious cook, and the popular choice for commercial establishments:
- Corrosive Resistant – Stainless steel has long been recognized for its non-corrosive properties. Stainless steel gets its non-corrosive properties from the existence of Nickel. Stainless steel cookware can have a Nickel content as high as 10 percent. The higher the better. The MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel Cookware Set has a Nickel make up of 10 percent by the way.
- Durability – One of the greatest features of stainless steel is its durability. It gets its durability and toughness from the existence of Chromium. Most stainless steel cookware sets have an 18 percent Chromium makes up. The existence of Chromium insures that the cookware set is able to resist dents and cracks over the course of time. A good stainless steel set has the potential to last 20 years or more (honestly, it could last a lot longer than that, but then what would we shop for?)
- Easily Maintained – In addition to being extremely durable, stainless steel is easy to clean and maintain. There are no special treatments necessary. You simply pull it out, use it, clean it up and put it away again.
- Aesthetics – Stainless steel is extremely attractive to the eye. Whether the surface is brushed or polished it brightens up a kitchen while adding a sense of style and class. It neutral appearance makes it the perfect fit for any décor.
- Cooks well – Stainless steel provides one of the best cooking surfaces on the planet. I personally don’t like cooking on non-stick surfaces, they seem unnatural and they make me lazy as a cook. If food is sticking to your cookware that means that there is something wrong with your approach and it will also express itself in the taste and texture of the final product. There are those times when a good old cast iron skillet is required (boy I love deep frying); however, for the most part, stainless steel can get the job done.
- Stainless steel is also non-reactive with all known foods- This means that there are no known foods that will have a negative reaction to stainless steel when it is heated. There are some metals that can contaminate food when heated to certain temperatures. This also means that cooking with stainless steel will not interfere with the flavor of your food.
Well, that’s enough about the basics of using stainless steel. Now let’s move on to some of the specifics that make the Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set such an extraordinary addition to your kitchen.
Cuisinart MCP-12 Features
Built to Last
Construction is extremely important when selecting a stainless steel cookware set. How the cookware is constructed will impact its durability as well as its ability to provide an enjoyable and productive cooking experience.
- Aluminum core bonded to brushed stainless steel exteriors and interiors
Last update on 2024-10-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set is designed with detail and consideration being given to the actual cooking experience; right down to the design of the rim (prevents drips when pouring). Let’s talk about the construction.
Cuisinart uses a triply design in the construction of this cookware set. What this means is that the inner and outer layer are constructed of stainless steel while the inner core consists of aluminum. Because stainless steel does not conduct or retain heat well, aluminum, copper of a combination of the two must be used in the core. This is extremely important.
The aluminum core helps address the uneven cooking issues that are sometimes associated with using stainless steel. This was always one of my concerns. The triply construction is used on the base and sides of all of the pieces. This insures that all of your food will be cooked evenly
This cookware set also boasts an 18/10 makeup. This simply reveals the percent of Chromium and Nickel in the metal. Chromium is an extremely hard metallic substance; that contributes to the hardness of the metal, while Nickel is a substance that is resistant to corrosion.
Lower quality stainless still sets have an 18/0 ratio, meaning that there is no Nickel in the makeup of the metal. Having an 18/10 make up lends to the brilliance of the luster, the resistance to rust, durability, as well as increasing the ease of cleaning and maintaining the set.
As mentioned earlier the rims are tapered so that you don’t have to worry about dripping. Who hasn’t had a situation in which you are attempting to pour from a pot, but the food is running down the side of the pot instead. These tapered rims put an end to the madness as well as the “after pour” dripping.
The lids are designed to provide a tight and secure fit.
What Are You Working With
Okay, I guess it’s important for you to know what all comes with this set, so here goes.
- 1.5 Quart Sauce Pan (lid included)
- 3 Quart Sauce Pan (lid included)
- 3.5 Quart Sauté Pan (lid included)
- 8 inch Skillet
- 10 inch Skillet
- 8 Quart Stock Pot – with cover
- Steamer Insert – with cover
Light Work on the Clean Up
By its very nature stainless steel is pretty easy to clean, but the increased quality of this product adds to that ease. The set is classified as dishwasher safe. If you are like some of my friends and you believe that nothing is dishwasher safe except plastic ware, feel free to remain paranoid and just hand wash your cookware set. No harm, no foul. Manual cleaning is quite easy with this product and hand washing does add to the longevity of the set.
Easy on the Eyes
The average person might not see the value in aesthetics in cookware, but for the person that spends a significant amount of time in their kitchen or for the one that is engrossed in their décor, even cookware has to look nice.
This set is extremely aesthetically pleasing, with a brushed exterior and a mirror polished interior (for easier clean up and to prevent sticking). This handsome set is so attractive that you will be driven to leave it on the stove or purchase a hanging pot rack, if you don’t already have one.
Gets The Job Done
Having a beautiful cookware set will do very little good if it has no true functionality, unless you are one of those people that never use your kitchen. You don’t know what you are missing. The Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set performs well in the kitchen.
Because of its 18/10 triply construction, the MCP-12 addresses one of my main concerns with cooking with stainless steel, and that is even cooking. If you are a serious cook you understand the importance of being able to trust that your cookware is conducting heat evenly. If heat is not being conducted evenly, it can lead to scorching, or unevenly cooked food (consistency in heat leads to consistency in taste and texture).
The dependability of the set in this area allows you to get the same results every time (something you don’t get with inferior cookware). The triply construction also allows the cookware to respond quickly to changes in the source temperature, keeping you from having to remove and replace the pot or pan back on the burner.
The MCP-12 is broiler and oven safe up to500 degree F. If you are like me this is both good and bad news. Whenever I put stove top cookware in the oven I soon forget after taking it out that it was in the oven. Inevitably, I end up touching the hot handle without an oven mitt.
The sauté pan browns and sautés perfectly. I have a special gravy recipe that my family loves and I sauté my ingredients separately before starting my gravy. Even heating is extremely important to insure that my gravy comes out right.
The steamer is huge and built to take on almost any home sized job. It fits right into the stock pot and it has its own cover. I love to steam my veggies and this creates an all-in-one opportunity.
The handles, which are very important when cooking, are ergonomically designed with great consideration being given to the actual cooking experience. These pots don’t just look good, they perform. For the most part, the handles are cool to the touch, unless you leave them on the burners for longer than normal or you place them in the oven.
When comparing the handles of the MCP-12 to the more expensive All Clad design, the consensus is that the handles of the MCP-12 wins hands down.
Warranty
The product comes with a lifetime warranty that covers workmanship as well as any material defects. I guess it’s easy to offer a lifetime warranty when your product has such great quality. The warrant is effective from the date of original purchase.
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The Numbers Work for Me
The Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set is not your department store 59.99 garden variety cookware set. It is a set that is of exceptional quality. Honestly, there are brands that are more expensive than the Cuisinart MCP-12, such as All Clad and Calphalon, which can be around the thousand range.
According to the opinion of many experts, the MCP-12 can more than hold its own with these other brands. By now we all know that price alone does not establish quality. Quality is in the design, construction and the materials used. In this case, the Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set can more than hold its own with the pricier models.
If you want to go out and spend a grand on one of the pricier models, feel free, but what you gain for your money is minimal at best.
The price for this exceptional set is really reasonable, which is a steal and its available on Amazon.com. The value of this set cannot be overstated. The quality durability and functionality make it a must have for the serious cook.
Not to mention its aesthetic allure. For the price, you cannot beat this.
Not Perfect But Close
No product is perfect, so this is the section where we talk about the things that are not so appealing about the product. I have to be honest, I had to really press hard to come up with a down side to this product. It does what it was designed to do, and it does it well.
If I had to point to some things that could be considered low points it would be these:
Pricing – Although almost everyone can see the value in this gorgeous cookware set, not everyone has the money in their budget to be able to purchase it. With that being said, the price is more than fair, and if you are a serious cook, the purchase is justified.
Cuisinart no longer manufactures their products in France; instead all of the products are manufactured in China. There have been some cooks that have said that they can see a difference in the quality, but honestly, there is no proof to support this.
There will be more sticking during the cooking process than with traditional non-stick cookware, but this can be minimized by taking the time to learn how to prepare and cook foods using stainless steel. It requires a little more patience, but the results of great; and you don’t have to be concerned about dealing with the chemicals associated with non-stick cookware.
The product is classified as dishwasher safe, but it would probably be best to wash them by hand. This is simply precautionary.
The Masterminds
Cuisinart has been manufacturing quality cookware and kitchen appliances for more than four decades and they have established an excellent reputation in the kitchenware industry. The company was founded in 1971 by Cal Sontheimer who developed the company into one of the most popular brands in North America. Even Julia Child and James Beard have endorsed the brand.
The Cuisinart brand has always stood for quality and excellence. The company takes great pride in their innovative design and in using the best possible material in the construction of their products. If you are looking for cookware product you can trust, start with Cuisinart.
The Final Verdict
If you have made it this far you understand the quality and value of this product. The pros far outweigh the cons. The Cuisinart MCP-12 MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set is the ideal set for those who spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen and have a desire to produce a quality product every time. Cuisinart took the time to address some of the issues normally associated with the use of stainless steel cookware.
They addressed issues such as uneven heat conduction allowing you to be assured that your food is being cooked evenly. They also minimized the occurrence of sticking.
The construction of the product is second to none, being compared to sets that cost three and four times its price. The attention to detail makes it even more appealing and trustworthy.
Let’s not forget about style. This set gets bonus points for style. For some the price may seem a little steep, but with all things considered, this set is a worthwhile investment, that will pay for itself over and over again in the way of great cooking experiences and the pleasure of watching your family enjoy your creations.
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