Bought this 5 1/2 quart saute pan to round out our 10 piece set. When my wife and I retired a few years ago we upgraded our kitchen appliances to include an induction slide-in range. Unfortunately, our All-Clad LTD (anodized exterior stainless interior) cookware is not induction compatible. My wife chose a set of Anolon Nouvelle Copper (nonstick) cookware because of her preference for nonstick. I wanted stainless that did not have the fused aluminum disc bottoms. I chose the Cuisinart French Classic set. I like the style and the fact that they are manufactured in France. I find that this set heats rapidly and cooks evenly without the need of constantly adjusting the temperature. The aluminum core retains enough heat to allow for browning meats on both sides without "sweating" which produces a nice even brown. As with any quality stainless set these clean up easily after soaking. Don't put these or any quality cookware in the dishwasher. Take the time to wash by hand. Take care of your tools and they will take care of you for many years to come. Bar Keeper's Friend will keep them looking as good as new.

This is THE best purchase I've made in the cookware category, and I've bought a lot of good cookware of all varieties over the years. I've been disappointed by the declining standards of design and manufacture of even higher-end cookware lines lately, compared to what I purchased 25 to 30 years ago by the sae manufacturers when i first became a serious home cook. The most noticeable change that occured during that time is the almost universal reduction in the thickness and weight of even the higher-end products. Consequently they are less consistent in cooking than the more substantial pieces i first cooked on. But that doesn't apply to this piece: The quality is clear from the first moment you hold it. The weight is heavy - in a good way - because they have put so much metal into this piece. It's substantially thicker than the standard Cuisinart tri-ply (I have several pieces ot that line, too). This piece is the thickest stainless steel cookware piece I own! The French craftsmanship is absolutely faultless - not a flaw on it. It's completely comparable to, and IMHO exceeds, comparable pieces by All-Clad, which I've always thought were overpriced (even though I've bought a couple pieces over the years). And it's half, maybe one third the price of a comparable All-Clad piece! It's so beautiful and classic it can go right on a dinner table, even one set for a fancy dinner, and look just fine. I browned herbed chicken on the stovetop with it tonight after receiving it, then moved it into the oven to finish cooking. It performed perfectly. Kudos to Cuisinart for creating such a quality line of cookware. I didn't know about the Cuisinart French Classic line until recently. I will be buying more very soon.

This pan is BIG. We are getting this as part of the plan to replace all our nonstick cookware. Our regular nonstick sautee pan is probably half this size (and weight!), but I know we will use this even more. Quality is awesome, it's beautiful, and functional.

This is now my go-to pan for making dinner for our family of five -- I like it better than the 5-quart stainless steel dutch oven that has dominated my stove-top for the last 20 years. It heats evenly, is well-weighted, and cleans easier than the pan it is replacing. I use it for almost everything: to saute, for pilafs, risottos, frittatas, even soups. I recently read that I should also use it to cook my spaghetti because it can lie flat, but have not tried that yet.

It fits the large burner of my induction stovetop.

The outside of the Cuisinart French Classic pots and lids are polished and absolutely beautiful truly a piece of art. I almost don't want to use them for fear of damaging them. Now for the inside finish, well, they could have paid a little more attention to smoothing out the finish. The handles on the Cuisinart French Classic are simply the best feeling. I will say the handles on these can get warm to hot, but hey, we're cooking here so expect some heat. As for the double boiler insert I'm not sure if I like the rounded bottom since it will be impossible to take it off the pot and put it on the counter without using some kind of additional aid. In the end, I am a satisfied owner and do not regret my purchase in the least.