Previously, I've owned the New T-fal D913SC64 Signature Hard Anodized 12-Piece Cookware Set by T-fal, which I loved. I expected to feel the same way about this T-fal set. I was especially excited to try the square grill pan.
I seasoned the pans as directed, then I used the square grill pan for frying up some pork chops (something my other set of T-fal excels at). I couldn't believe how badly those chops stuck to the pan! Even after soaking the pan in hot, soapy water for an hour, I still had to use a lot of elbow grease to get it clean! It wasn't a matter of cooking it wrong either... The first time, I cooked them exactly the same as I do with my other pans. The second time, I used a much lower temperature (thinking that I may have accidentally cooked at too high a temperature the first time). Even using the lowest temperature, the chops still stuck!
After a little research, I think I've figured out why. T-fal has two different manufacturers produce their pans. My previous set (the D913SC64) is made in France. This Jamie Oliver set is made in China, and it shows. T-fal, I'm disappointed.
The only thing "unique" about this set is the Thermo-Spot heat indicator, which lets you know when your pan is heated up by turning solid red. That's a fine feature, though I don't find it terribly important-how hard is it to just wait a minute? I guess if you're in a rush and need to know right away, it's cool.
But I have several issues with this set:
1. NOT dishwasher safe. The manual says all their other sets are dishwasher safe, EXCEPT the hard anodized exterior sets. This is not made clear on the packaging.
2. Nonstick doesn't work well. Like another reviewer, I first tried cooking eggs in the small pan. They stuck like crazy! It specifically tells you not to use cooking spray or oil because it can mess up the pans, but there's no way I could go without it. I even took a photo because I couldn't believe what a mess it was to get these eggs out of the pan. I've had much better nonstick pans before.
3. Thinner than I'm used to. The pots and pans are weighty-they don't feel cheap-but they must be thinner or more conductive on the bottom than my usual pans because I had major trouble cooking pancakes... I have a gas range, and even on a low setting, the pancakes burned on the outside very fast, yet were liquid on the inside. Even after several rounds, I couldn't get the pancakes to cook right. I'll keep trying with thinner pancakes and an even lower setting.
5. Cannot be used under the broiler because of the rubberized handles.
6. The "large" saute pan is really just medium-sized... that's the one I used for pancakes, and I could really just cook one large pancake at a time. It would not suffice for a real dinner for more than one person. You'd still need to buy a separate large saute pan for everyday use.
It's an attractive set, it feels good in the hand, and it's nice to have three lids with the set, but I can't recommend it in good conscience because of the above issues.
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Some of the reviews so far have not been particularly favorable, and I understand the concerns of those folk. Nonetheless, I've been thoroughly delighted with the set, which is impressive in appearance, has a decent, if not "Calphalonic" weight to each of the pieces, and stack easily in a small space (I have them on the top rack of a smallish baker's rack).
The pans conduct heat nicely and (surprisingly) evenly. I have not had any of the issues others have mentioned with things like releasing an egg from the pan, though I must admit, I use a bit of butter (always) and not cooking sprays (ever) for my eggs (or anything else personal preference). I live alone, but entertain frequently and I've had no issue with the size of the pans, though I tend to make multiple courses of smaller amounts.
The only issue I've had with this set is that I generally make my sauces in a skillet (rather than a saucepan) and the shallowness of the pans makes serving the sauce directly from the pan a bit clumsy and unnecessarily messy and when eating alone, don't feel I should have to pour the sauce from a pan into a serving vessel merely to get it onto my plate. A quick wipe up of the stove and that's remedied, but a bit more depth to the skillets would have been nice. Perhaps in the next incarnation with the next celebrity chef!
Read Best Reviews of Jamie Oliver by T-fal C942SA64 Nonstick Hard Anodized Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator 10-Piece Cookware Here
I received far more than I expected and am so delighted about this T-fal Set. At first glance I thought this is just another set of cookware and began reading the instructions. Do this and do that so you can begin using this pot or skillet. No bid deal but a bit more work than most new sets require. I started with a small sauce pan and worked my way up to the big pot along with the skillets and honestly this is one fine set no matter how you might want to classify it.
Put the raw food in, cook for a while and it's over. Clean up is a white tornado of speed. The pots and all are lightweight and tough. The little center Thermo-heat spot is there and it appears to be effective but I am too much of a novice to be an expert. The sauce pans heat quickly but when using they do not scorch nor burn the contents. Being able to see the food cook with the glass tops is another plus and makes the process just that much more enjoyable. After using all pieces I have had zero defects or problems and highly recommend this set for the amateur or the professional.
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I was looking for an Anodized set because of what people say about it (twice as strong as stainless steel, professional look, etc) and I went to the stores to find myself one but they were very expensive. I could not believe I found this set on Amazon at this price. I have had T-fal product before and the non-stick is great. And I also love Jamie Oliver and what he stands for so I thought the combination of both T-fal and Jamie would be a winner.
No doubt about it, this set is awesome.
The non-stick inside is second to none and nothing sticks and sooooo easy to clean.
The outside is very pretty and should last me a lifetime.
The handles are made of a soft rubbery material like silicone so they are super comfortable to grip and it also means your pans can go in the oven at a higher temperature than my old pans with plastic handles.
The 2 fry pans and the grill pan have the red dot in the middle which tells you when your pan is at the right temperature to start cooking. I had never really used it on my old T-fal pans but I thought I would give it a shot with these new ones. It actually does make a difference. If you heat your pan (with no oil) until the dot turns solid red and then you pour in a little bit of oil your food will actually take less time to cook and will cook at the right temperature. It's a cool little feature I will be using more often.
Overall.......... a great set of pots and pans and it has all the pieces you really need to do most of your regular everyday cooking at home. The beautiful grill pan is a plus. Such a nice pan.
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For some reason, the big-box hardware stores recently stopped carrying replacement grills for my gas BBQ. I had a suspicion that I would still find replacement parts on Amazon. The grill rack I ordered is the upper level rack that swivels as the lid goes up and down. The replacement fit perfectly. No need to buy a new grill while parts for the old one remain available. Sounds like a big-box plot against old grills. I would suggest, though, that you carefully measure your old grill before ordering a replacement. There a many sizes available. Don't go by the picture.....go by the measurements that mirror the ones on your grill.
