KitchenAid KSM150PSBY 5 Quart Artisan Stand Mixer - Boysenberry

I love this mixer!!!
I spent a lot of time researching counter top mixers and I must say that KitchenAid had a really good selection. I love the variety of colors you can choose from. The mixer is really sturdy and easy to use. I enjoy being able to add ingredients with the pouring shield without having to stop the mixer and then add in the additional ingredients. I've always heard great things about the KitchedAid countertop mixers and I am in love with mine! I bake cakes and make homemade buttercream icing on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis and this mixer is definitely a step up from my old mixer..a handheld one that you have to stop what you're doing and put it down every time you had to add something in or go grab something from the fridge. I got my mixer in Boysenberry :) The handle on the bowl is a plus!
Great item, but different price for color
I like kitchen-aid products, however when shopping it for a gift, the same machine, the Artisan 5 qt. stand mixer was quite a few dollars more costly from the rest in the class because I selected the "Boysenberry color" The product is efficient but I would alert anyone before buying to consider the color, it maybe a lot more than advertised.
Just What I Expected From KitchenAid
I got the idea of getting one for a friend as I was helping her run a home assembly-line, turning out scratch angelfood cakes prior to Christmas (...thinking, "Wow! This would be soooooo much easier if I still had my old KitchenAid mixer!"). I was pleasantly surprised when I found one in "purple" (boysenberry) here at Amazon since that is my friend's favorite color.

I have owned/loved one in the past and found it to be the only logical choice when it comes to stand-mixers in both quality and performance. She was amazed at the attachments that came with it and the others that were available and is planning to order more of them. The splash guard that came with hers is functional and saves quite a bit of cleanup.

The KitchedAid whipped up the egg-white mixture using the whisk very fast when she tried it the next time she made an angelfood cake.

I'm sure that I will gain both benefits and hazards from this gift in the future. (Goodies vs...
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Cooks Standard NC-00232 12-Piece Multi-Ply Clad Stainless-Steel Cookware Set

Same quality as Le Creuset, better design than All-Clad!
Reviewing: Cooks Standard NC-00232 12-Piece Multi-Ply Clad Stainless-Steel​ Cookware Set. (I have all the items, except I bought them separately).

VALUE. I've been wanting a set of tri-ply stainless cookware and never understood the premium people were willing to pay for All-Clad. I was really glad to find this brand - I got the 10-piece set and the 11" deep pan - it was cheaper at the time to buy it separately, than to buy this set that includes it (I think now buying this set is the best value). The sets are a fantastic value, the separate items are a bit more pricey, though. I also ended up ordering the 13" "wok" (chef's pan with dome lid) - it might not be a true wok, but it's a great risotto vessel or for anything else that will require "tossing"!

CONSTRUCTION/QUALITY. Anyway, these are so well made. And attention to detail is excellent - these are designed by smart people. I also have a couple of tri-ply Le Creuset sauce pots and Cooks Standard is...
Worthy of nesting with my All-Clad
I own 10" and 12" All Clad skillets and love their beauty and functionality. I was looking to retire pathetic old deteriorated non stick cookware and fill out my cookware with more All Clad but was loath to pay the price. Looking at lower cost alternatives led me to Cuisinart Multiclad and Emirel Pro Clad as well as the lesser known Cook's Standard. Of the three the closest to my All Clad appeared to be the Cooks Standard, the only one I could verify to be of similar weight materials and using 18/10 stainless for the interior steel cladding.

I was not disappointed by the purchase. It had all the pieces I needed (I really like the large 5 qt saute pan with lid), it is indeed a beautiful set (really is more beautiful than my All Clad and performs as well). I was surprised at how comfortable the handles are on all the pieces, the lids fit well and they cook and clean as my All Clad does. I really love this set. While I have only owned this set for two months now I have...
Cooks Standaed 12 pc Multi-ply cookware set
Recieved order in 4 days. Absolutely beautiful. Cooks great easy to clean. I hope that cooks Standard will make more cookware. I would like for them to make a lid for the 10 inch skillet. I do most of my cooking in that. A great value !!
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Scanpan CTX Cookware Set, Silver, 5-Piece

Excellent
Hard to imagine spending this kind of coin for pans, but here we go. I'd gotten a 2qt saucepan to try out and it's so good that I'm back for the whole set. This is the non-stickiest non-stick ever, just a real pleasure to cook with and then clean up. The 2qt is now three years old and the interior finish looks like new. The outside underneath has a little discoloration but our stove is gas so I can't complain -- pans are for cooking, not admiring.
awesome
After getting my new Electrolux induction stove I have tried and returned Elo, Calphalon, Cuisinart. In all cases the model set I chose was the most top of that lines "Induction Ready" offerings. In every case the stainless steel must have been paper thin because it took between three and four full minutes to boil my "Standard" two cups of cold water. That is actually longer than my previous Jenn Air stove took so they were all returned.

When these CTX Pans arrived the first thing I did was run the two cup boil test. I was astonished to see a full rolling boil in one minute flat. Then I cooked something saucy. Within four minutes on the five setting the pan was showing little simmer bubbles spread so evenly over the entire pan.

I have now used these pans for a week. They are every bit as incredible as my new induction stove. My only disappointment is that the two saucepans are only 3/4 quart apart. One should be much smaller and the other much larger IMO.
Expensive but worth every penny
These pans are awesome! I got a Scanpan saute pan for Christmas and was so impressed I bought the whole set. They are expensive but in my opinion worth every penny. The pans truly are non-stick and they really work great. The surface won't scrape off like other non-stick pans because it's a solid thick lining. The stainless surface on the outside is easy to keep clean with a stainless steel scrub pad. The set comes with plenty of lids and I like that you can see through the glass. The two sauce pans are good sized and nice and deep. Overall, I could not be more happy with this purchase.
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Wolfgang Puck Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set

Disappointed and Burned
I received a set of Stainless Steel Wolfgang Puck pans from my parents as a gift two years ago. They figured I would enjoy some high class cookware especially since it came with the extra cooking utensils. I was so excited to have designer cookware, and I have been repeatedly disappointed in so many ways. I'll spell them out clearly so others can make an informed purchase:

1) This cookware starts out looking great, but after a few uses on a gas stove, the pitting and discoloration of the steel is terrible. I read all the instructions and cared for these pans with much effort - handwashing, gentle cleaning, etc. They have been so pitted and stained after the first month of average use that I'm embarrassed to use them when other people are in my kitchen because they look downright dirty. I even tried gentle silver polish, overnight soaks, and just good ole' elbow grease without success.

2) Uneven cooking. I have been cooking for over 15 years, and some of...
Great pans!!!!!!!
I purchased this set from Ross for $69.00 and it was a steal. This is my first purchase of a stainless steel set. I have used Calphalon and Circulon before and liked them also-but they were nonstick.

The secret to using these pans seems to be to heat them up with nothing in them to not much over a medium heat before cooking in them. Then reduce heat to what is needed. I have a gas stove and these pans DO NOT require high heat to get the same heat as you would with other pans. NOTHING sticks to them so far. They clean up beautifully with no stains, discoloration or pits. Because you don't need high heat from your stove the handles are easy to handle. The lid metal does get too hot to handle without a pot holder-but they do cool off quickly.

If you keep the heat on the pans to med high at best and probably lower, your handles can be held with bare hands. The heat seems to stay in the heavy bottom of the pans.

Before purchasing these I read a lot...
Overall a Great Buy
I purchased this set after I had cheaped out on two separate sets I had purchased from Big Lots and Target. Those sets started to fall apart after two weeks and couldn't withstand repetitive, long-term use (I make a lot of stews and slowly cooked items). So I opted to purchase this set with the only expectation for it not to fall apart.

This set has remained resilient for me. Easy to clean, easy to cook in, and considering the frequency of usage, it still looks great. Nothing is peeling, falling apart, and the handles are still sturdy. I also appreciate the variety of cookware, allowing me to cook beyond my stews. I might not know much about gourmet cooking, but personally I found this to be a prudent investment and would recommend it to anyone.
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Zwilling J.A. Henckels Four Star 8-Piece Knife Set with Block

Awesome set, cuts like butter!
This is the 3rd set of Henckels I've owned. I sent the first set to the local cutlery store for sharpening and they came back with a different personality. Didn't cut like Henckels anymore. Really disappointed. In search of a replacement set, I got the lower end Twin Signature 11pcs set. It was stamped, not forged. They cut well, but the knife felt cheap compared with the real forged Henckels.

I am really satisfied with this Four Star set. Feels solid, even weight distribution from front to back, and cuts like butter. My friend has a set of Twin Crusine which is so well built that ended up being too heavy in the back. Feels like I am just about to lose control and dropped the knife. Gives me the insecure feeling that I might cut myself trying to overcome the Twin Crusine under control.

One thing I learn this time.... make good use of the sharpening steel. I finally got the courage to learn how to use the sharpening steel with the correct angle and...
Great knives... could be better, though.
I bought this knife set after reading many positive reviews. It has been two months since I received the set from Amazon and I'm impressed with its overall quality. Each knife is still sharp and beautiful. Seven-inch Santoku and 8-inch Chef's knives are my favorites.

My complaints:

1. Blades for two peeling and paring knives are too short to handle a variety of small cutting tasks. For example, I tried to cut apples but the knives are too short to cut the fruits in one stroke. I had to use a bigger utility knife from my old Chicago Cutlery knife set.

2. Five-inch utility knife has a serrated edge, which I believe is useful in certain tasks, like slicing tomatos, but it is not really versatile. As one of the previous reviewers pointed out, you will need a regular utility knife. Six-inch utility knife would be great although it costs $65 if you buy it from an open stock. Update on 12/1/09: Cutleryandmore.com started its holiday sale... Henckels 6-inch...
Needs a regular utility knife
The knives themselves are fantastic, but the set really needs a regular unserrated 6-inch utility knife. Since buying it separately is outrageously expensive, I've had to pull a poorer-quality knife back out for now since this is a knife I used frequently. I love the santoku, had never used one before, but it's amazing for chopping. The handles are a perfect size for me, a woman with larger hands, and a man would probably appreciate them as well (although the five-star series knives have even more substantial handles). I see other reviews saying they prefer the Twin series, but these are the higher-end knives, forged instead of stamped like the Twin knives. Overall I would recommend this set as a good starter, and suggest you buy other pieces like the utility knife, bread knife, and steak knives as you come into inheritances....
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Global GF-24 - Straight Carving Fork

Global cutlery doesn't disappoint.
No surprises here. Just as expected from a Global product, it's sturdy and has a good grip.
Stays firmly stuck to the magnetic cutlery holder.


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All Clad Stainless Steel 13-Inch French Skillet with Lid

A Solid Pan
As with all All Clad products, this skillet is solidly built and performs as advertised. The helper handle makes it easier to use with heavy loads, but harder to hang up with my other pans since the space I have isn't as big as this pan is long. The included instructions say not to use salt directly in the pan as the pan will become discoloured or pitted; The first time I used the pan, I salted my fish fillet prior to placing it in the pan and the pan became pitted immediately. I don't mind that much since it was going to happen eventually.
Reasons I Love this Pan
All-Clad is a brand of cookware I am familiar with and this is a recent gift I feel so fortunate to have been given.
First, I love the overall high quality construction. When I'm cooking with this I know I'm definitely cooking with one of the very best skillets there is.
Two, I am not too thrilled with Teflon coatings and this provides a stainless steel inside which helps keep food from sticking, without Teflon or similar coatings.
Three, though it may not be very important to some, I love the look of the skillet. It just gleams. I love the bolts holding the handles in place.
Three, the handles don't get hot. This to me is very important, because when hustling in the kitchen, I have accidentally opened pans without a mitt and gotten my fingers burned.
Four, the heat is evenly maintained and will not burn in certain spots.
I am just thrilled with my skillet.
Everyone has their preferences and I prefer this skillet to my others and the lid fits...
The Perfect Skillet
Most of my cookware is nonstick, but I needed a large skillet with a lid that could handle high heat in the oven. I decided to use it to make my spaghetti sauce today. I fried the Italian sausage, then the meatballs, ground beef, and then I sauteed the onions and peppers and finished with the tomatoes and let it all simmer. I was shocked when after all of this the pan was spotless using only my dish sponge and liquid soap. Cleanup was as easy as my nonstick. I don't expect it to always be so, but this was amazing. This was my firt tri ply, and the even heating was dramatic. I had intended for this to be the last piece of cookware I would ever need, now I plan to replace a few of my nonstick pieces with All Clad.
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