KitchenAid Gourmet Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

KitchenAid Gourmet Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set
OK, I am a bachelor, I live alone with the cat. OTOH, I am actually a fair hand in the kitchen. However, my pots and pans are a collection of thriftshop bargains and hand-me-downs, no two of which match, and several of which aren't in very good shape. 

So, when I had a chance to get this cool new cookware set from the famed KitchenAid folks, I jumped on it. 

And, I am glad I did. This is a pretty "cool" set (and "cool" has a double-meaning here). Each piece is well crafted and solid. No thin cheapo stuff here. 

You get two saucepans, a stockpot and a sauté pan- all with good solid glass covers with the neatest silicon rubber seals I have seen. And, two fry pans. 

The glass covers allow you to watch your food, while sealing in the heat and steam when needed. They also don't rattle. 

They also come with a silicon rubber pad under the heavy handle. This means that a heavy pot doesn't cut into your hand when lifting, it decreases fatigue. It also protected my hand from getting burnt when I forgot the potholder- NICE! That's the other "cool" part. 
(Still, one should always use hand protection anyway. "Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon."). 

They also clean up just fine, just about as well as "non-stick". Just a spritz of oil spray and they were spotless with little effort. I even "torture tested" one, leaving stuff overnite and it still cleaned up spotless. 

Now, in this paean of praise, I do want to say one thing- I still like my old inherited cast iron frypan (It's older than I am!). I think it does a better job even than these stainless steel & aluminum marvels for certain fry jobs, like steaks (And I do like a good steak!). But of course, seasoning and maintaining good cast iron is a long term process, and not for everyone. However, for me, for this set, I would have preferred one more saucepan and one less frypan. 

Gorgeous set, perfect for as a gift- wedding, housewarming or that bachelor you may know. 

I have dropped off all my old stuff to the Salvation Army folks.... except my cast iron, of course!