I need help: Anybody have any thoughts on Gourmet 1500 Series Stainless Steel 10-pc. Cookset

[MagickMuffin]

I need a new set of cookware and don't really have the money to purchase an expensive set. These cost $99.

I have to exchange a KitchenAid food processor I got for Xmas .......... 12 cup for a 7 cup, so I have some cash coming from that and I have a gift card.

I searched a long time for a review and no one has written one.:-( Also I can't view them at the store:-(:-( Online orders only:-(:-(:-(

Here's the info. I wanted to post a pic, but it wouldn't let me.

Gourmet 1500 Series stainless steel cooksets. 18/10 polished 6mm stainless steel richly finished with 24k gold plating on the stay-cool handles and knobs. Tempered glass lids with steam vents make it easy to see whats cooking. Enduring impact-bonded base for even heating. Classic belly shape. Dishwasher safe. Oven safe to 350. 10-pc. Set includes 1-qt., 2-qt.., and 3-qt. covered saucepans, 5-qt. covered Dutch oven, 8 in. and 10 in. skillets. Limited warranty. Imported.


I couldn't find out where they were imported from either:-(

If anyone can help me out I would really appreciate it.:hi:

[hippywife]

1. I don't know anything about those but

I just bought my first set of stainless steel and couldn't afford a pricey set, either. I ended up with Farberware for the same price of the set you're looking at. I haven't had mine long so I stop short of a recommendation until I have, but unfortunately the skillets were coated aluminum which was on the box in small print on the side somewhere. I will eventually replace those but I think my pots are oven safe to 425 or 450 if I remember correctly. So far I love cooking with them and they clean up beautifully. I don't know why I never considered stainless steel before except maybe that I was lulled into thinking the non-stick coatings were the way to go by decades of advertising.

If I had it to do over again, was paying better attention and knowing more now what I'm looking for, I would have paid more for a set with stainless skillets, too. I guess I could have packed them back up and exchanged them for a different set but...

I hope you find a set you love at a price you can live with. :hi:

[MagickMuffin]

11. We were considering Farberware

I suppose I have a few days to shop around some more and do more research.

We ones I have are getting a little long in the tooth. I don't like using them anymore.

Thanks for your input. I look into Farberware some more.:hi:

[Warpy]

19. I've loved my Farberware saucepans

Again, I got the relatively cheap ones with the aluminum base bonded onto the stainless steel pot. The handles are Bakelite and stay cool, my only pans that do. Even when they finally wear out, they're not a huge investment, like that full set of French copper ware we'd all love to see hanging from a rack in the kitchen but are less enthusiastic about constantly polishing. The handles do need to be retightened every couple of years, so keep a screwdriver in the kitchen. It beats having cheap welds let go and having to find a pop rivet gun or drill them out for machine screws and nuts.

Farberware is good, basic, sturdy stuff that won't break the bank.

[NMDemDist2]

2. everything is made in China these days,

H2S will be along in a few I'm sure, he'll understand the numbers better but I should think these would last a while

I doubt you'll pass them down to your children if you know what I mean. 6mm is the key I think and the thinner metals may make the edges of the pans more likely to bend.

good luck! and add a link to the page if you can so folks can go look at them eh?

[MagickMuffin]

3. Here's a link......... D'oh, been up to long :=D

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00855819000P?filter=Price%7C%2470-140%5E&vName=For+the+Home&cName=Cookware%2C+Bakeware+%26+Gadgets&sName=Cookware

I really like the looks of them. The pic let's you zoom in pretty close, so you can see a lot of detail in them.

I'll check back later:hi:

[NMDemDist2]

4. well 6 mm seems standard, all stainless might be better so the gold

doesn't wear off, but they should give you years of service

I got a new stainless set for Xmas myself and it's like getting jewelry for the kitchen

:bounce:

[MagickMuffin]

12. I knew the gold plate would wear off eventually :=(

I kinda liked the design, but thought sense I couldn't find any reviews then perhaps the pans weren't very good.

I remember your thread about your Xmas gift.

How are you liking them?

I will do more research before making a hasty decision.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it :hi:

[NMDemDist2]

15. actually, I don't like them as much as my Wolfgang Puck set

I may have to go rescue the sauce pans out of the shed

you can get a set of Puck's stuff at Amazon or HSN

of course the skillets on the new set will stay as my Puck set had teflon skillets and those can stay in the shed LOL

I do like the pasta pot with the new set so it seems I'll have a hybrid set :hide:

the reason I don't like the new fancy set is the handles are curved and fancy but they don't give me the grip of the old WPuck set, they want to slip in my hand when I'm trying to turn the pot

here's a link to the basic set of Puck's stuff that I have/had except these don't have the teflon and they're in your price range

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&upc=60219006018&pid=_Froogle



this is the new set my mom paid 4x for but the handles are stupid and don't give a good grip and the glass lids don't seem near as sturdy as the Puck's set

[The empressof all]

20. Definitely get the Puck set with the non teflon pans

My set came with two large chicken fryers, a 12 inch sloped sided pan and an 8 inch omelette pan. The large fryer pans are my go to pans for everything. I've even baked cakes in them.

[Warpy]

6. Even if they turn out to be a little on the cheap and cheesy side

they'll last you for years. It doesn't say much about the bottoms, but I would guess that it's an aluminum base bonded onto the bottom of the stainless steel pot and not the more expensive deal of having a stainless bottom with an aluminum or copper core. These will be less durable and will be prone to having the bottoms separate after 30 years or so.

The gold plating on the knobs and handles will go first, but my own taste would be for unplated knobs and handles and ten bucks off the price.

[MagickMuffin]

13. Ouch, cheap and cheesy

:-(

Don't worry my feelings aren't really hurt. But man you're brutal:rofl:of course they're just a little on the cheesy side, that was there appeal.

I did take into consideration about the handles and knobs wearing off. I want something more durable over appearances.

I'll continue to look for something else. I really didn't want to purchase something online without having something to go on, beside the little info on the site.

I needed some feedback thanks for the food for thoughts :hi:

[Warpy]

21. Another thing you might want to consider is that trendy bulbous

shape of the Dutch oven. No way could you possibly pry your New York Times lazy bread out of that sucker. It would be wedged in there and need to be dug out with a long handled spoon.

My own cookware is purely mongrel, stainless for some things, cast iron for others, a little Calphalon, a little Le Creuset, thin steel wok and crepe pans, and one copper tea kettle.

[The empressof all]

5. I highly recommend Wolfgang Puck line for reasonable stainless

I got an entire set for under 120. a few years ago and use it daily. I'm hard on pans and they still look relatively new. I've been very very happy with these pans.

[NMDemDist2]

9. me too, in spite of the new Calphon set I got for christmas, I like my Puck pan

handles better


all I really wanted was a couple stainless skillets.......

[MagickMuffin]

14. I'll do some research on the Puck

I generally don't like buying into the celebrity cookware, but if you like their performance then I'll check into it.

I am looking for durable pans that will last over several years, but preferably decades.

Thanks for your suggestion:hi:

[The empressof all]

18. I know what you mean...I almost didn't buy them

But they did get a very high rating at Consumer Reports. I'm always a little leary about the celebrity endorsements but these are just exceptional for the price

[Stinky The Clown]

7. First off, read Warpy's reply ..... spot on

Next, they're probably made in either China or Thailand, which seem to be the epicenter of cookware production today.

The set is a lightweight, low cost set. It will probably last a long time, as even cheap aluminum stuff lasts for years and years. The weak points will be the handles. Cheap means low quality control and weak welds (where the handle joins the pots) are possible. And that gold plating probably has a life span measurable in days.

Again, while this will serve you okay, you may want to keep looking. I'd be very wary of a set with silly bling put in place to blind against other issues.

I understand about budgets and tight bux, but consider others ources for your cookware.

A set from Costco .... they always have good, basic stuff.

Individual pieces for a closeout store ...... Marshalls, Home Goods, etc.

Kohls, when cookware is on sale ....... they carry cookware at several price points.

Used ...... don't discount it ....... either from Ebay or locally, like from Goodwill or similar stores, or even at 'antiques' shops (many get stuff by buying estates - the houses of dead people, who's kids are selling the contents). I dare say almost everyone who posts in this forum regularly proudly uses used cookware on a regular basis. I know I do.

[hippywife]

10. Really good advice.

I wish I could have taken more time to hunt down some really good used pieces at great prices. I had to get something quick because the rubber was really meeting the road already on my old set pf T-Fal that I was given as a wedding gift. I look forward to getting many more than just those 10 years out of the stainless.

[MagickMuffin]

16. I agree about the bling versus the purpose

I would rather have a set of pans that will last me decades. The ones I have now are in bad shape and I didn't have the budget back then for a decent set back then either, Man cookware can be very expensive. Handles are one of my issues tho. I hate handles that have to be retightened every so often, and I don't want hollow handles as well.

I didn't want to invest what little money I had to buy something I couldn't see myself. And no reviews made me curious. That's why I decided to inquire here before I wasted my resources.

Thanks for the addition info on places to check out. I definitely need to do some more serious research before I purchase.

I would love to find a cast iron skillet from "yesteryear" that I could use to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Cornbread.

My mother had one when I was growing up. And the PUDC and CB made in a cast iron skillet made all the difference in the world.

I have never been able to perfect those two recipes without a cast iron skillet. I do need to visit the thrift shops for one as well as some other items I would like to repurpose.

Thanks for your insights:hi:

[eleny]

8. I so agree with Husb's suggestions

There may be pots in a set that you'll never or rarely use. If that's at all the case, I'd opt for getting often used good pieces at a discount store. I'm thinking of a really good, large frypan and saucepan. I found an All Clad small frying pan at Bed Bath & Beyond for $15.00 last year. We use it all the time for making eggs since it behaves like a non stick pan. And the thrift shops almost always have old cast iron which are the heavy horses of the kitchen.

So unless you've got your heart set on a matching set - and that's always a delight - I'd suggest the thrill of the hunt for great individual pieces from all sorts of places.

Good luck with your decision!

[MagickMuffin]

17. I do want a cast iron skillet, need to get to thrift shop

I'll probably look into a set from some of the suggestions in this thread.

I had my reservations about this product, and I knew I could count on some input from people here. I'm glad I did. It provided me with more info.

It was difficult since I couldn't view them in person. And of course if I did buy them online and didn't like them for some reason, well hello, I get stuck with dealing with the reshipping. Yuck who wants to deal with that. Not me.

Back to my research lab

Thanks for the tips:hi:

[displacedtexan]

22. You probably know someone who can buy wholesale.

Think about it before buying the dept. store stuff.

You probably know someone in the restaurant biz: a waitress; a cook; a chef;
a restaurant owner. They might be able to help you buy wholesale, or they might
sell you their used pots & pans when they replace theirs.

The best stainless (at places like Restaurant Depot, that only sell to the trades)
is about 1/5 the price of the dept. store stuff, and it'll last a lifetime with
just home use.

The handles don't heat up, either; and it's easy to clean.
A little Bar Keeper's Friend will keep it shining.

[Shakespeare]

23. You might check Amazon periodically to see if they bring this steal back again:

SO glad I snapped this up when I did!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=37224