Premium 12-Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set - Multi-Ply Clad Pots & Pans with Stay-Cool Handles, Oven & Dishwasher Safe (500°F) - Ideal for Professional Chefs & Home Cooking Enthusiasts

Like many other reviewers I decided to make the transition from teflon to stainless steel cookware for several reasons. I was tired of replacing cookware every 3 or 4 years, and I keep reading all these articles about the dangers of ingesting the teflon coating, so I knew I had to go back to my roots and go back to stainless. I researched so many things before I made a decision, and I knew I wanted all clad construction rather than just encapsulated bottoms, but most sets were way outside my budget. I came across three sets that caught my eye because of good reviews and being within my price range. I narrowed it down to this Cooks Standard set, Tramontina and Duxtop. Honestly, the reason I chose this one over the other two was because it came with the steamer insert which was a piece I really needed. The steamer is a piece I use almost daily so it was nice to find it included in a complete set rather than having to buy a separate piece. I have a small family and this set has all the pieces I really need,along with a few pieces of cast iron cookware I use to compliment this set. I have used every piece of this set so far except the larger frying pan, and I must say that I am over the moon. The pieces are really beautiful and sturdy. Cooking is even, constant, and quick. I was afraid I might burn a few things at first since I have been using non-stick cookware for over 20 years, but that never happened! Even when I cooked rice, it came out perfect and fluffy! Cleanup has been a breeze! A simple soak for 5 or 10 minutes and everything washes clean with ease. It's perfectly normal to see some rainbowing or water spots on stainless steel cookware, but as others have mentioned, a spot of barkeepers friend restores the original mirror shine with ease. Other reviewers have said this set is comparable to the ultra expensive allclad cookware. I have never owned any of those to be able to compare, but I can honestly say that this looks to be a quality set of cookware that could easily outlast me with proper care. And incidentally I saw this exact set on two other sites for double this price!! The joy of cooking has been renewed, and I will never look back at teflon again!UPDATE: 12/17/2013-Going on two years now since I have bought this set and I have to say it was one of the best purchases I have ever made. Thanks to the suggestions of other reviewers about Barkeeper's Friend and handwashing, my set still looks brand new! Obviously there are some small scratches here and there from normal use, but they are still super shiny with a great mirror finish. Some reviewers have complained about sticking, and the handles getting hot. I really haven't had a problem with food sticking any more than normal. I preheat my frying pans before I cook eggs or meat or other foods that tend to stick. As far as the handles getting hot, that is to be expected since they are steel and metal conducts heat. The trade off is worth it to me since you can put any piece on top of the stove as well as inside the oven, whereas with plastic or rubber handles you cannot put them inside the oven. It has just become second nature to me to keep the oven mitt handy while I am cooking for when I lift the lids or move the pots around. My favorite piece is still the steamer insert. I use it so much I am considering buying another one so I can steam more vegetables at one time! LOL. I recently had one of my cheaper pots with an encapsulated bottom actually come apart while I was using it! The bottom became detached and started spewing hot soup from the bottom. Another great reason to look for 3 ply or 5 ply construction. All in all, I highly recommend this cookware set. I look forward to many more years of use from this set.