Cuisinart 77-10 Chef's Classic Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set

Cuisinart 77-10 Chef's Classic Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set
The day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday" is the official kick off of the Holiday shopping season. I have never participated in this event, however those 20% coupons to shop between 6AM and 11AM enticed me. I needed a new cookware set, since my old pots and pans dated back to before I was born. 
I am known as the "Research King" & "The Negotiator", so yes I did my homework. I was going to purchase a non stick set for $300.00, however you have to "feel" the set before buying. Is the weight even, do the covers fit right - you know what I mean. NOTE: I cook every night and have for years. I am not a Chef, but can cook a great meal. 

Right next to Anolon at Macy's Dept. store, was the Cuisinart 10 Piece Classic Stainless cookware. It looked good, the weight was even, the lids fit great, but why so inexpensive? I researched Cuisinart and knew it was a good brand, so after playing around with the pots and pans for 20 minutes I bought the set! So this is what I got: 

- 8" & 10" Skillet 
- 1.5 QT & 3 QT Saucepan with covers 
- 3.5 QT Saute with helper handle and cover 
- 8 QT Stockpot with cover 
FREE Gift with purchase: 2 QT Saucier 
Extra Purchase: 5 1/2 QT All purpose pan with cover. 

So, all in all, I got a 13 piece set for the grand total of: $130.75 

Yes, I took advantage of a 20% coupon and then an additional 10% coupon. All 13 pieces are part of Cusinarts's Cheft's Classic line. 

My Experience: (Rate by school grade A through F) 

* Appearance: All the pieces looked great. The set looks as if it should be worth $500.00 (Grade A ) 

* Weight: The weight of each piece is solid and even. An important point because I flip my food and move the pans a lot while cooking. Note: These pieces do not feel cheap. Very good solid feel. (A-) 

* Covers: The lids are a little light in weight, however they create a vacum seal when the heat is turned down. They do a better job then I expected. Normally with lighter lids you think they would wiggle and pop off, but these hold tight! (B ) 

* Handles: Solid Stainless steel, riveted handle. Solid feel and yes they stay cool. Also long enough to get a good grip. (A) 

* Heat Distribution - Cuisinart recommends cooking on lower heat. Yes, this is true. The aluminum bottoms heat quickly and there are no hot spots. Trust me, use low heat. (A ) 

* Sticking - Well, these are not non stick. I used most of these pots and pans already to reheat our Thanksgiving dinner. Some things really stuck to the pots even when using PAM. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, stuck like glue. Next morning: Bacon stuck, but eggs did not. Go figure.... (B-) 

* Clean Up: Water and soap in pan right after cooking. Yes this works well, but I have always done this. (B) 

* Dishwasher: Yes, they are dishwasher safe, however after one cycle, the inside bottoms of a couple of pans had a purple tint to it. So, I have decided just to hand wash these for now. (Until I get lazy). (C-) 

Final grade: B