I have to admit that I got this pad to review awhile back, and just now getting around to reviewing it.  I’d almost forgotten about it until my daughter mentioned something about it.

This pad comes from Knock Knock Stuff and several months ago Priscilla contacted me and asked if I would like to try one of these pads out. I said sure and soon got one in the mail.

The All Out Of pads are basically a grocery list with most of the ingredients that you would buy at the grocery store already filled in. All you have to do is check off the things you need, pull the sheet off and head to the store. The pad is magnetized so you can keep it on your fridge.

I thought the idea of this was great but implementing it is a little harder. It took me forever to find the ingredient I needed to check off on the list. I finally just went back to jotting down what I need on the notepad on the side of the fridge.

My daughter saw it and asked if she could try it out if I no longer wanted to use it so I gave it to her. She loves it and thinks it’s much easier to use than writing things out. So maybe it’s just I’m too old to change.
Anyway this would make a great stocking stuffer for Christmas for your mom or whoever else you know that has to buy groceries.

The All Out Of pad is not the only thing Knock Knock Stuff has. They have a lot of cool stuff, mostly paper related. I love the 5 Days A Week To Do List mousepad. It’s a great way to keep your weekly to do list right in front of you and then at the end of the week, just pull it off the pad and start another.

Check out the site. There’s lots of things on there that are funny, irreverent, or organizational that would make great  gifts for co-workers, or Secret Santa gifts or stocking stuffers. Here’s the link again:

http://www.knockknockstuff.com

Article by Cathy Ratcliffe
 

KitchenAid Gourmet Distinctions Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set

Click here to see today’s price!

Introduction

I decided it’s time for another product review and my choice this time is the 10 piece  KitchenAid Gourmet Distinctions Stainless Steel Cookware set.

If you have read any of my other reviews, you know I only review products I have personally used. And I tell the good things and bad things about the product.

If the bad things can be remedied, I also give the remedy.

Why Buy Stainless Steel Cookware Anyway?

Well by now, I assume most people know that the non stick pots and pans that we have been using for 30 odd years is very unhealthy for us. It may make cooking easier but you are paying a price for that convenience with your long term health.

I love that quality stainless steel cookware lasts forever. I am in my fifties and when I was a child, my mother bought me a set of bake ware made from stainless steel to put in my hope chest (this was back in the days when most girls, Southern girls anyway, had a hope chest that they filled throughout their childhood with things to start their own households with as young adults).

Anyway, I still use those stainless steel baking pans and they still work beautifully and look great. They are over 40 years old and have been used on a regular basis for well over 30 years. I am sure they will still be in good enough condition to be passed down to the next generation after I’m gone.

So obviously buying stainless steel cookware is a wise investment. The right set should last a lifetime.

Why I bought The KitchenAid Gourmet Distinctions Set

I bought this set almost a year ago as a Christmas gift to myself.  My old Teflon pans had lost a lot of their coating and it sickened me to think my family was ingesting that stuff when I cooked a meal for them.

As I planned this to be the last cookware set I will ever buy, I wanted something high quality. I also had limited funds to buy cookware with.

After several weeks of reviewing cookware on Amazon,  and asking friends what they used, I decided on the KitchenAid gourmet 10 piece cookware set.

It was reasonably priced, looked beautiful, had mostly positive reviews and is made by a brand I trust.

I wanted to wait awhile before I reviewed these pots and pans to be able to give an accurate view of them. I think enough time has passed now.

What’s Included

(Doesn’t it look nice on my stove?)

• You get 10 pieces but 4 of those are glass lids.
• You get one 8 quart stock pot with lid, which is my favorite! You can even poach a whole chicken in this baby. I use it for pasta, soup, and also as a dutch oven.
• You get 3 saucepans. One is 1 1/4 quarts, one is 2 and a half quarts and one is 3 and half quarts. All 3 have lids.
• You get 2 skillets, 8 inches and 10 inches. The lid for the largest saucepan also fits the 10 inch skillet.

Features and Benefits

• Each piece has 4 layers at the base: aluminum, copper, aluminum and stainless steel. This protects the cookware from burning and allows even heating with no hot spots.
• Cookware and lids are oven safe for up to 500 degrees.
• 18/10 stainless steel which is something you want in all your stainless steel pots and pans.  It indicates high-quality, durable construction that will be highly resistant to stains, rust, and corrosion while maintaining a bright shine.
• The long handles stay cool (but not the lid handles).
• Dishwasher safe.
• The glass lids clean up very easily. They also allow for you to see your cooking food without lifting the lid.
• Will work on all types of stove tops including induction, convection, gas and electric.
• The sides flare gently which is not only stylish but helps reduce splatter from boiling liquids.
• They can be nested for easy storage.

The Pros

• All of the features listed above.
• High quality for the price.
• Beautiful and durable.
• It has a limited lifetime warranty.
• The glass lids fit snugly which keeps in nutrients and the moisture and heat.

The Cons

• The biggest complaint was that this set didn’t come with a 12 inch skillet. I actually bought a 12 inch skillet several months before I bought the whole set of pots and pans, just to see if I’d like stove top cooking with stainless steel cookware (I did). You can see the 12 inch skillet I bought here.
• The handles on the stock pot and the handles on the lids do get hot. This is really to be expected and is not so much a negative as it is something to be aware of.
• A few folks said their pots had leaky rivets. Most stated that theirs are fine so maybe that’s a flaw the company has taken care of. Mine are not leaky at all.  Even if by some chance, you get some with leaky rivets, and if you didn’t want to return them; the easy solution is not to fill the pot all the way up to the top. The rivets are towards the top so as long as you don’t over fill your pot (which you shouldn’t be doing anyway) you should be fine if you are the rare customer with this problem.

Who Should Buy This Cookware

• Anyone who is concerned about their long term health.
• People who are looking for quality cookware at a reasonable price.
• Those who know how to or are willing to learn how to cook with stainless steel. It isn’t hard but it is a little different.

Who Should Not Buy This Cookware

• If you have an Induction stove that does NOT have a small burner option, you will not be able to use the smallest sauce pan. The rest of the cookware will work fine. You may want to measure your burner before buying to see if the burner is small enough to accommodate the small pan.

Is There a Warranty?

• Yes there is a limited lifetime warranty but I don’t know what the “limited” part is. Here is KitcheAid’s warranty page if you want to see it: http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/page/customer-service-warranties/

What Others Are Saying

•  ”They still look great in my kitchen (if I had an overhead pot rack, I would be proud to hang them there) and appear to have cost a lot more than they did.”

• ” This set makes me wonder why someone even felt they needed to invent non-stick cookware. I have made gravy, reductions, caramel, eggs you name it. I can honestly say that cleaning them has been easy with just some warm soapy water.

•  ”These pots were purchased to replace a set of non-stick, coated cookware, and I was a little nervous about food sticking in these pots. However, food does not stick if cooked properly, and they are easy to clean. Plus I think that the food tastes better.”

• “I love this set. I am glad I didn’t listen to the small amount of bad reviews. It is worth taking the time to learn and adjust to cooking with stainless steel if you are used to non-stick. I am very happy with this healthier beautiful alternative.”

• “Really beautiful on the stove. The shining, sloping sides add a very elegant and sophisticated air. Extremely quick and even heating. Handles stay cool. Just all around a great cookset!”

Read full reviews here.

Where to Buy This Cookware

• You sometimes can find this set at Kohl’s or Macy’s but the best price is usually at Amazon.
• Plus Amazon offers free shipping and exemplary customer service. To read more about it or to buy it, click here

So there you have it. Would I buy this set again? Definitely! I love my KitchenAid Gourmet Distinctions cookware!

Please feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading,