Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 12-Piece Cookware Set

For those of you considering upgrading your cookware to professional grade stainless steel, look no further.

I've owned this 12 piece set for over a year, and can't offer enough praise. It still looks brand new (use Barkeepers Friend to clean it). It heats evenly and quickly, retains heat for a long time, sears and browns well without burning, handles comfortably, cleans up easily and looks great! I'm fortunate enough to have several different types of cookware to compare. My cookware includes: All-Clad, JC Penny Elite (5 ply Copper Core), Chefmate tri-ply, Hard Anodized non-stick and Cuisinart Tri-Ply Copper.

In my opinion, the All-Clad Stainless Steel line is much overated. Its great cookware, but has no rolled edges for easy pouring without making a mess, and I prefer the handles on just about any other brand. All-Clad's materials and construction are the same as the other premium lines, with the exception of the rolled edges. Incidentally, staunch supporters of All-Clad make inferences of inferiority when speaking of other brands such as Cuisinart, stating "its made in China". I have two All-Clad pans hanging on the pot rack right now, one made in China, and the other made in Indonesia. Most of their line is made in the USA, but premium cookware made overseas (including some of their own lines)is not inferior!

The Chefmate Tri-Ply in direct comparison to the Cuisinart cooks and handles about the same with a slight edge in cleaning ease. The Chefmate has a true mirror finished interior, but overall isn't as heavy duty. The Stainless Steel lids are also a lighter gauge. Its been discontinued.

The JC Penny Cooks Elite 5 ply Copper Core is fantastic cookware, and the equal of the All-Clad Copper Core in every way except the handle. The handle of the Elite is far superior to All-Clad's. In comparison to the Cuisinart, its very comparable in performance, but quite a bit heavier. Its original price was about 2-3 times the cost of the Cuisinart. It too has been discontinued.

The Hard Anodized non-stick cookware is fine, convenient to use, even heating, and now relegated to camping. It doesn't brown foods like Stainless Steel does. The non-stick fininsh WILL wear off, and render the cookware somewhat useless with daily use.

The Cuisinart Copper Tri-Ply is fantastic and really the only competitor for the Multiclad. It looks fantastic, cooks fantastic and gives you an ever so tiny advantage in temperature control over the Multiclad. The pots and pans are the same configuration as the Multiclad, albeit with an outer layer of Copper instead of Stainless Steel. The handles are different as well, but both styles of handles are cool to the touch and comfortable to hold. I enjoy the Copper and don't mind the few minutes it takes to polish, but if you don't want Copper and the extra effort, the Stainless is perfect. I only use the Copper when preparing special dishes for company or when I need specialty pans such as Sauciers for Risoto or sauces. Otherwise, I rely on the Multiclad for daily use.

Incidentally, I have no afilliation with any of the above cookware brands. I am in the food service industry (restaurant design and build) and have the opportunity to speak with many chefs. You'd be very surprised by how many of them use Cuisinart Multiclad or Copper tri-ply at home. I'd say its a 50-50 split between All-Clad and Cuisinart for their home use.

With so many high end brands after your hard earned dollar, you can buy similar quality and performance, but there is no better value than Cuisinart Multiclad. It's heirloom quality and will be your last cookware purchase.

Metallic Chrome KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer KSM150PSMC

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There's nothing better than KitchenAid Stand Mixer! Why didn't I buy one before?! I'm extremely happy with this product. It's esthetically pleasing and performs very well. I can't stop using it now. I bake all the time. I also use it to prepare food for cooking, mash potatoes, pasta, ravioli, salads and soups, etc. The only negative (but not really) thing is its huge weight and moving it around is hard on my back. I understand that because of its weight Stand Mixer gets its sturdiness and high performance and I like that. I hope this thing will last a very long time because I really like it. I would strongly recommend KitchenAid to everyone, it'll make cooking easier.

I can't believe I waited so long to purchase a KitchenAid mixer. After blowing up my latest hand mixer, I decided it was time. After hearing friends praise their KitchenAids, this was the one for me. Prior to purchasing it, I probably baked a couple of cakes per year, as it was just a pain to do with the wimpy hand mixer I had at my disposal. In the month that I've had the new mixer, I've made 6 cakes, kneaded pasta dough, and beaten eggs for ommelettes. No more standing and holding the mixer while beating for 5 minutes. I let it run while getting other things assembled or doing a few dishes.
I'm very happy with the metallic chrome color also, and I tell everyone it's the most beautiful thing I ever owned. I have bored my friends, my clients, and my husband to tears with tales of what I've made, or will be making or just about how pretty it is!
Next on the list are attachments. Then I can exhaust everyone with stories of meat grinding or ice cream making. Don't wait! Get one. Now. What are you waiting for?

Ice KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer KSM150PSIC

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I highly recommend this mixer! I have wanted one of these beautiful KitchenAid mixers for so long, and this year I finally asked everyone in my family to pool their gift money and buy it for me for Christmas. I have been using it non-stop since I received it, and the quality is everything everyone says and more. The metal bowl and attachments are so easy to clean, and the machine is incredibly powerful.

Since there are already so many reviews of the product, I'll just add a word about the colors: My husband insisted that we go look at them in the department stores before ordering from Amazon, and I'm so glad that we did because in person the colors don't always look the way you would think, based on photos from Amazon or the KitchenAid website.

I, for example, was originally set on the Surf Green color, but when I saw it in person, it was much darker than I'd expected. By the same token, the Blue was lighter than I'd expected, and the Tangerine was much more appealing that I would have thought. I ultimately ordered this mixer in Ice, and I am so happy with my choice! The color is so cheerful and just bright enough without taking over the kitchen. Anyway, the moral of the story is, if you can go look at them in person before buying, I'd really recommend it.

KitchenAid Komen Foundation Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Pink

One of my old roommates used to own a 15-year-old KitchenAid mixer that he inherited from his parents. It worked like magic. After I moved out, I saved up to buy one of my own. When it came, I made French bread twice in two weeks. It worked amazingly.

On its third run on the third week, the mixer stopped working while it was kneading bread dough. It just kind of got stuck in the dough and couldn't push through the dough's resistance. The motor still seemed to be working, but instead of turning the dough hook (which stayed dead still), the motor kept making unbearably loud and obnoxious noises. It still didn't work when I dislodged the bit from the dough, too. I am so disappointed. I understand breaking down after 4-5 years, but seriously? 3 weeks?

I might try to purchase another one from elsewhere and see how that goes. FYI, the same mixer (in the same pink color) is $50 cheaper at Williams-Sonoma website.

My wife had been asking for a KitchenAid mixer for about 4-5 years; however, it was tough to pull the trigger on such a pricey item. After her Sunbeam died (it did last about 4 years), I decided to petition Santa for the KitchenAid. The price was right on Amazon, cheaper than what I could get it for in a store. The shipping was super fast and the package was in pristine shape. The wife has used this on several occasions, and I have reaped the rewards on those occasions. This mixer absolutely makes a difference in the end product. She loves it and I feel it was a good kitchen investment. The pink was a little bit more expensive, but was for a great cause.

KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus Series Mixer

I received this mixer as a gift, and honestly, it is so great that I almost feel guilty I don't use it every day. I have heard good things about the reliability of Kitchen Aid mixers, and this one is far more powerful than what I actually need it to do.

One especially great thing is the slow-start feature--I do a lot of cake batter and icings, and it's nice to avoid getting flour all over the cabinets after each round of mixing. It mixes very thoroughly, although I was initially suspicious since the bowl doesn't rotate. You do have to stop and scrape the bowl, as with any mixer.

The machine is also incredibly quiet--it makes less noise than the microwave does. I like the fact that the bowl and white attachments are dishwasher safe, too. It might seem trivial, but I also like the styling of the wider bowl that comes standard with this model, instead of the narrower one that comes with the Artisan.

At first I thought the bowl-lift thing might be uncomfortable to use, since I'm used to tilt-head stand mixers. The bowl has two tabs with holes that fit on either side of the mixer, plus a metal nub that rests in a slot at the back. Once those three points are secure, you rotate the lever to lift the bowl to mixing position, and it's very stable.

I've only found two minor inconveniences with this machine. First, it's pretty tall, so it won't fit on the counter underneath my cabinets--I have to move it back and forth from another shelf to use it, and it's heavy. Second, when you're done mixing and lower the bowl, it's hard to scrape all the stuff off the beater because you can't get a good angle. So you have to detach the beater and let it fall into the bowl and when the bowl is off the mixer you can scrape everything out. Thinner stuff like cake batter wouldn't be a problem, but for frosting or mashed potatoes, a lot of stuff is left on the beater. This is not a big deal--just a different thing to get used to after a tilt-head mixer.

I have the cobalt blue model, and I hesitated because I thought it might be too "loud," but it's beautiful and I'm so glad I got this one.

 

Empire Red KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer KSM95ER

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Currently all the reviews on Amazon are for the Artisan series mixers, probably because of the extra 25 watts of power over the Ultra series. I got my beloved Empire Red Ultra from my sister, in brand new condition, because she got tired of my constant admiration (actually, covetousness)of it every time I came to visit her. She happens to be a very busy working mom who doesn't cook and bake as much as I do, so she sold it to me at her cost, and I think she now regrets it! At any rate, on to my review...

First off, let me say this baby is HEAVY...at nearly 25 lbs. I don't move it around very much. It stays in its designated space on my counter, and I don't even TRY to store it. I'm disabled, and just don't have the physical strength to tackle that. However, its weight is one of the many advantages of the machine, when mixing heavier items such as bread and cookie doughs. It obviously saves me a lot of hand and arm fatigue; a hand-held mixer is out of the question for me. It has plenty of power, and easily mixes 2 loaves' worth of bread dough with minimal bogging. The only thing that I would improve upon is I would add a way to store the cord neatly; but that is a small thing compared to how much I rely on it to help me cook.
From whipped potatoes to buttercream icing, this mixer does all that I require of it, and probably much, much more...I hope to be able to buy some of the attachments for it soon. At about $50 less than the Artisan series, don't pass it up thinking that the extra 25 watts of power is the only way to go.

Classic 250 Watt KitchenAid Stand Mixer K45SS

Unlike many of the reviewers, I've only had this mixer for about a year, and it's this specific model, the 250W 4.5 quart mixer (the bottom of the Kitchenaid line). It was a real splurge at the time we purchased it, but it has turned out to be well worth it.

KitchenAid's stand mixer is a substantial piece of equipment: 250 watts of mixing power make child's play of creaming butter, kneading dough, and whipping cream. The kid in you will appreciate how quick and easy it is to mix up a batch of cookie dough; the 4-1/2-quart bowl can hold up to 8 cups of flour, which translates into as many as 192 sweet treats.

This model comes with three attachments: a flat beater for making batter, meat loaf, and all textures in-between; a wire whip for egg whites, mayonnaise, and more air-infused creations; and a hook for mixing and kneading yeast doughs. All three are solid in construction and easily secured to the beater shaft with a simple twist; untwisting them is a bit trickier because the attachment stems are short and can be hard to grasp, especially if they get the least bit greasy. The bowl itself locks tight to the base.

Standing 14 inches high, jutting out a foot, and weighing more than a grown woman's bowling ball, this stand mixer isn't the sort of appliance you'll wipe down and put away. Better to find a square foot of free counter space for easy access; besides, this machine is as pretty as it is rugged--you'll want to show it off.

KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers

My wedding gift mixer (a Sunbeam Mixmaster) turned 33 a week before Christmas, and my husband thought it was time for me to have a new one. He gifted me on Christmas with the KitchenAid 5 Qt. Artisan in white. I love this mixer and leave it out on my counter, something I never did with the Mixmaster. I recently purchased the citrus juicer attachment from Amazon and am very pleased with it as well. I have not read all 109 previous reviews on this site, but I have read a few that were disgruntled because their Artisans did not mix well. I initially had the same problem with the beater/bowl clearance. It is very simple to remedy. There is a beater adjustment screw on the mixer and the manual describes how to make the adjustments. I got even better instructions by calling customer support at KitchenAid. The technician told me to drop a dime into the empty bowl, turn the mixer on (about setting 2) using the flat beater, and it should move the dime 1/4" to 1/2" each time it rotates around the bowl. This is the right clearance for the beater to mix everything at the bottom of the bowl, but not low enough to cause wear on the beater from constant friction with the bottom of the bowl during usage. I tweaked the screw setting 1/4 turn each time until I got that dime moving. At this setting, I can now beat a single egg white to stiff peaks in the 5 qt. bowl. That's impressive.
This mixer is as sturdy as a tank, and you can hear the quality as it mixes. Although I had previously purchased a KitchenAid mixer for my daughter as a gift, I would never have splurged on one for myself. I am so happy my husband thought I was worth it!

Caviar KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers KSM150PSCV

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It's not just the creme de la creme of mixers, it's the only one you should ever own. If you're new to Kitchenaid, I know what you're thinking. "Gee, this is a really expensive mixer! Why would I want to pay this much when I can easily get one of a hundred other brand mixers for 50 bucks?" It's simple -- there is a reason why in every movie or television show containing a kitchen scene, you'll see a KitchenAid mixer somewhere. It's not just slick product placement.

It's the simple fact that there is nothing, and I mean NO OTHER MIXER that even comes close to being of the quality and durability that even the most CASUAL user would need! For example: I discovered baking when I was 8 years old and would haul my mother's mixer out of the bottom cabinent on a regular basis to make some increasingly devine concoxion.

This passion for baking continued the 10 additional years I lived at home. During that time, we went through three mixers (motors burnt out) and more than a dozen new pairs of beaters (a real pain to order). For the price of all of this, we could have easily bought a KitchenAid, which I did -- as my first kitchen item in my 1st apartment at 18. Now I'm 28, a KitchenAid owner for 10 years, and still on my original mixer and beaters! [grin]

And . . . did I mention it mixes better and more thourough and it's easier to clean? Yep! What more could you want?PS, my grandmother willed me the one she owned for more than 40 years so now I have a black one and a white one. Both, I'm sure will last long enough to put in my own will.

Cornflower KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers KSM150PSCO

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I don't want this review to be full of teenage angst. My sister's were all married before me and received this as a christmas gift. I didn't get one. After reading the description.. I was drooling for one. I lived with one of my sister's and really got to know this appliance. Being in a very large family.. there is alot of baking that goes on at christmas. The mixer had a great trial by fire. Over 400 large cookies later (yes, in one day.. one right after the next).. the mixer was doing fine. After a few cakes, the mixer was still kicking it. It was pretty warm, but didn't overheat during this stress period. We even had 2 bowls going (you can buy a second bowl for the mixer). This mixer really did it's job. Supurb. No complaints from me or my sisters. They've had the mixer for about 10 years.

We often (during non peak seasons), put a bowl of cookie dough in the fridge or freezer (depends on the kinda' week it's going to be)... and have a few fresh cookies whenever. Since we have a second bowl.. you can still have your fresh bread with dinner.

For some reason, everyone includes the color on here... ours was white. <shrugs> It's an appliance.. I realize it's a great appliance you have out all the time, but I'm not using the color to color code my kitchen.. got issues with the many color options.. put a cover over it. <shrugs>

I was also amused that someone got their mixer replaced fast and without hassle. This made them nervous and want to rate to product lower. I'm sad that of many people.. they had a problem with their mixer. Complaining that the company was too nice.. which made them nervous about the mixer and then wanting to rate it lower even though the experience was mostly pleasant. Maybe she needed to be yelled at or ignored for a better experience. <shrugs> Odd.

My life wasn't changed by this mixer. <grins> I just am more willing to try recipies that require alot of fuss. It really took the work out of cooking. Kinda' like having a stove, or a microwave. It did make a big difference with my baking.

Negatives..
- I hate washing anything with a wire whip. If you stick it in the diswasher it discolors a bit... (see above on covering mixer if you spaz on colors).
- If you over fill it you'll need to use the splash guard. <shrugs> if you can find it.. or you keep it out. cool. I find it annoying because then I can only pour something in at the pour area. The small amount of flower it kicks up isn't scarry for me. Also if you start it at the low speed and then increase it it's less likely to do this then when you add flower to something mixing at a high speed. The fun part.. is you don't need to over fill it... because it's not much more work to make 15 batches in singles or doubles as it is 2 the regular way. It's also nice not to have to wait for the butter to soften or to have to stop to rest your arm.

Good
- It really makes life easy if you've got alot going on in the kitchen. Without one.. there aren't times when I go.. how about I just whip up a batch of carrot cookies.. because it would take forever. With one.. I did all the time. Ask my sister :) When I first started using it.. I think her husband suddenly learned what "thin" jeans and "not so thin" jeans were for a few weeks.
- It's not hard to clean. I love my food processor.. but it's got to be a pretty interesting recipe for me to be convinced to get it out because of the cleaning. This machiene is actually pretty easy. I'm also not the kind of person who cleans their dish rack more than once every 2 weeks.. and shock of all schocks.. it remains on my counter alot.
- All of the attachments are easy to get and replace. I see alot of reviews for other products.. that if something is lost.. it's lost forever, but not with this company. They've been making these for awhile... everything's easy. If you need another pouring shild.. you can have it off amazon in a few days. Whatever.

I hope someone gets it for me soon.. I'm not picky about when.. the wedding, birthday, christmas.. someone.. anyone...buler

White KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers KSM150PSWH

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I shopped around a long time before I bought this mixer. Based on other reviews and the great reputation of KitchenAid, I finally took the plunge. While it's a lot of money to shell out for a countertop appliance, I've found that it's been worth every last cent. No more scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula, no more unmixed flour in the bottom of the bowl, and it is pretty and sleek enough that I can keep it sitting on my counter!

The pouring shield makes it easy to dump ingredients in, and not get them poofed back in your face! I occasionally whip up batches of decorator's cake icing, which requires 2 pounds of confectioner's sugar. On my old mixer, everything within a 1-yard radius of the mixer would be covered in with a layer of sugar. Not any more. The pouring sheild keeps the mess contained to the bowl and the underside of the mixer head. I wanted a mixer with a tilt-up head instead of the bowl-lift mechanism on other KitchenAid models. It's designed well so that tilting the head back doesn't even knock the pouring shield off with the beater.

I make a lot of focaccia bread, and mave always hated the 10 minutes of hand kneading. So I dumped the dough in my kitchen aid and ran it at the lowest speed with the dough hook. It came out beautifully. Not sure how I ever lived without this.

The only problem is that with the black model, it ends up looking a little streaky if you just wipe it down with a sponge. Be sure to wipe it dry, too! My boyfriend, the cuisinally challenged, put the regular beater attachment through the dishwasher, and it came out with some sort of powdery-looking deposits all over it. Working on getting that cleaned off.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Artisan mixer. It's powerful enough for the heftiest mixing jobs, and was thoughfully designed with the practical cook in mind.