Tramontina 10-Piece 18/10 Stainless Steel TriPly-Clad Cookware Set 4.8 5 204 231
Excellent value - top notch service After doing my due diligence shopping for triply on-line I decided this set would fill the bill at a great price compared to equal quality offerings. I am definitely not disappointed! The earlier review by Cook's Illustrated rated the 8 pc. Tramontina set a best buy ... except they commented on the small sizes in the set. In the same article they mentioned the 7 pcs. they feel every kitchen should have. Tramontina must have read this article and then put together the 10 pc. set. It contains all of the sizes recommended by Cook's Illustrated, however the article included a non-stick pan, an enameled dutch oven and a cast iron skillet which, of course, are not in this set.I have used every piece in this set daily since I received it a month ago and am elated with the quality and performance. I have made batches of chili and braised chuck roast in the dutch oven, used the 10" and 12" pans for hashed browns, ground beef and searing steaks before putting the pan in the oven. I have cooked down blueberries, scalded milk and made sauces in the saucepans. Everything comes out wonderfully!As to cleanup, it's a snap. After they have cooled I put them in a sink of hot water with dish washing liquid and sometime later return to wipe them out with a dishcloth. A few times the interior's have discolored/rainbowed slightly however a quick wipe with "Bar Keepers Friend" for "cookware" made them like new again. By the way, Bar Keeper's Friend Stainless Steel Cleaner is avail. in stores, however according to their website, their product made specifically for cookware (and labeled such) is only avail. on-line.Lastly, regarding Tramontina service. The day I received my set I opened and inspected ea. piece thoroughly. I was immediately impressed with the weight, construction and look of the set however the 12 qt. stockpot had a depression on the lid's edge and a major burr at the top of the pot. I called Tramontina, the representative cheerfully told me they would send a replacement lid and pot along with a return shipping label. All I did when I received the replacement was put the damaged pot in the box the replacement came in, slapped on the return label included and dropped it off at the closest shipping location.This set is everything I hoped for and would recommend it to anyone wanting superb performance at a value price. I rated 'durability' a 5 because, even though I've only used it for a month, the heft and quality of each piece is superb and it's obvious it will last a lifetime. I've always received excellent value and service from Walmart and the same is now true for Tramontina. 09/09/2009
Excellent Value, However.... This all started because I needed a 12" fry pan with flared sides. A quick check of my America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook informed me that the All-Clad Stainless Steel is the brand to beat, and next thing I know, I'm holding the beautiful thing in my hands and about to shell out 120 clams for it! Eeep!Long story short, I ended up with the 10 piece Tramontina set instead, for a mere $80 more. "Enthusiastically Recommended" by ATK, and backed by dozens of 5 star reviews from happy customers, I just had to try it. I figured it would compliment my favorite cast iron pieces and summarily replace the disk-bottom Belgiques wasting space in my cabinets.My cookware arrived just a few days ago and overall I'm impressed. It's a beautiful set, a good weight, with comfortable handles. So far I've used the 4 quart sauce pan for making a pasta sauce and the 5 quart dutch oven for boiling pasta and making soup. Both performed nicely and as expected: even, distributed heating with no scorching or sticking....very similar to my porcelain-enameled dutch oven. Both pans cleaned up easily washing by hand. Quite pleased.However, I do have just a couple complaints/concerns. Initial inspection out of the box revealed small imperfections on each piece. Every pan has at least one small, shallow scratch, either on the outside or on the cooking surface. Having never purchased stainless steel cookware before, I don't know whether or not this is par for the course. I decided however, at less than $200, I wasn't going to worry about what is probably nothing more than a cosmetic issue, especially considering how they will eventually look after years of use.Secondly, the pans are not perfectly flat on the bottom. Tonight I noticed that the 5 quart dutch oven rocked a bit on the stove stop, so I whipped out a straight edge and checked each piece. Now, I have no idea if this is normal or considered a defect (or if it's even related to the wobble), but the bottom of each pan is arched very slightly, so the middle of the pan is slightly elevated from the edges. I then checked my old disk bottom Belgiques, and found that they are perfectly flat. As I use a gas range, I don't think I'll have an issue with the arch, but I wonder if users of glass top or induction ranges would? I've searched online and can't find anything on this topic, so if anybody out there reading this has a clue, please respond with a review and enlighten me! :)Anyway, even with the cosmetic issues and the unexpectedly arched bottoms, I'm still very happy with my purchase, and I think I'll love cooking with this set. The craftsmanship may not be up to All-Clad standards, but it's close enough; and for the price, an unbelievable deal. I would, without hesitation, recommend Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad to anyone looking for quality, affordable cookware. Happy cooking :) 06/09/2010
Excellent alternative to expensive clad cookware Incredible value with near All-clad quality at Wal-mart prices.Pros• Heavy duty pans and lids• Big pan sizes for a set• Excellent quality and value• Tri-ply construction• Comfortable handlesCons (Admittedly nit-picking)• None of the lids fit the fry pans• No sauté pan in set (available open-stock)• Relatively expensive open stock pieces• Not as well finished as All-cladNotes:• The box this comes in is huge. Each piece is individually boxed inside the larger carton.• Another alternative to consider is the J.A. Henckels International Classic Clad. Its a bit more expensive then the Tramontina but seems to be even better made and well thought out. Quality is similar to, or slightly better than All-clad. Handles are incredibly comfortable and easy to use. All-clad handles are terribly uncomfortable.Care and Use Notes:• Learn to use these pans to best effect. They are excellent but do require the right techniques to avoid scorching and to develop a nice fond.• Do not use high heat until you gain some experience with stainless steel tri-ply cookware.• Start the cleaning process with a cup or two of warm water on the range while the pan is still hot. Just like deglazing this will help dissolve the sticky bits.• Never run a hot pan under water or it may warp.• Use Barkeepers Friend (a powdered cleanser for stainless steel) to clean the pans when necessary.• If you put them in the dishwasher they will discolor. Hand wash for best results. 11/30/2009
It may last forever My previous cookware included stainless steel pots and skillets and non-stick coated aluminum skillets. I finally became fed up with the uneven heating of the skillets and griddle; and having read a very positive review of Wal Mart's 8-piece Tramontina in Cook's Magazine, I decided it was time to replace my old cookware. I purchased the 10-piece set rather than the 8-piece one.Although I have only been using this set for several weeks, the pieces are so heavy and well-made that I'm sure they are going to outlast me and my wife. The triple ply construction is used for the entire piece--all the way to the top. You must use low to medium heat for cooking. I believe the lower cooking temperature contributes to the ease of cleanup. I use dishwashing detergent and a sponge to clean both inside and outside of the pots and dry them at once.The set looks gorgeous, and I intend to keep it that way. I think this purchase was one of my better expenditures this year. 10/18/2009
