Cuisinart 4-Piece Cookware Set, 12 Quarts, Chef’s Basic Stainless Metal Pasta/Steamer, 77-412P1

Great stock pot in a great size!
Due to numerous health and food issues in my family, I cook all the time and I cook from scratch. A good set of pots and pans is absolutely imperative to cook well. I prefer stainless steel because it looks nice, imparts no off flavors and does not leach toxic chemicals. Stainless steel also washes easier than most other finishes. I own a nice set of 18/8 stainless steel pots and pans which includes 2 – 8 quart (2 gallon) stock pots plus 3 different 5 gallon stock pots. But until I purchased the Cuisinart 77-412 Chef’s Classic Stainless 4 Piece 12-Quart Pasta/Steamer Set, I had nothing in between the2 gallon and 5 gallon stock pots. Whenever I made food like chili or chicken and dumplings, I had to either use my 2 gallon stock pot and make a small batch (and risk food boiling over) or use a 5 gallon stock pot and either make a huge batch or inefficiently use my pot. The Cuisinart 12 quart (3 gallon) stock pot has been a much needed addition to my collection of pots and pans.WHAT IS IN THE BOX: One mirror finish 18/8 stainless steel 12 quart (3 gallon) stock pot with pasta insert, steamer insert and stainless steel lid.WHAT I LIKE: Every single piece of this set fits into my dishwasher! I hate hand washing pots because I just don’t think they end up as clean as they do in the dishwasher.This pot is the perfect size for chili! Chili not only tastes better the second day, but it freezes well for “fast food” on days when I don’t have time to cook or I don’t feel like cooking. If I am going to go through the trouble of making homemade chili, then I want to make enough for it to be worth my time. Plus, I always end up with more beans after soaking them over night than I think there will be. It is so much easier to cook chili in this 3 gallon pot than it ever was in a 5 gallon stock pot and I just could never seem to make the under 2 gallons of chili necessary to use my smaller stock pots.The pasta insert is great for boiling whole chickens and other things I want to pull out of the cooking liquid. It is also great when I make large quantities of homemade pasta. I like to entertain and this is the perfect size pot for cooking a big meal.I do a lot of all day cooking with this pot and it has never developed a hot spot or given me any trouble. The heat truly is distributed throughout the bottom of the pan resulting in even cooking.This pot is not so deep as to make stirring contents difficult. It is not too heavy to move around even when full.WHAT I DON’T LIKE: I prefer clear lids to the metal one on this pan. The clear lid is available on a similar sized pot at an increased cost, but it wasn’t worth the increase in price to me.PICTURES: I am including a picture of my 2 gallon and 5 gallon stock pots side by side. I also have a picture of these 2 pots with the Cuisinart 12 quart pot in between them.I purchased the Cuisinart 77-412 Chef’s Classic Stainless 4 Piece 12-Quart Pasta/Steamer Set at full price.

Review: Focus on the steamer insert. Steaming cheat sheet included.
This cookware is amazing. This is a truly well crafted stainless steel set. The pasta insert works great but the thing I love more is the steamer insert. The steamer insert paired with the solid lit make the best steamed vegetables. I am really impressed. The clean up is a snap too. Make sure to clean with non-abrasive surfaces, such as the soft side of the sponge, not the rough side(usually green SOS material). Cloth also works well. In addition I noticed a reviewer say that it scratches easily. The only way I can see this scratching easily is if the pot was cleaned with abrasive material (rough scrubbing), metal utensils (always use soft plastics and wood!!!) or harsh cleaners. These are basic rules for any stainless steel set.This pot works great for stews and soup stocks. The pasta insert is nice, but cooking pasta is pretty fool proof.I bought this set for about $80 and it is money very well spent. I am very happy with my purchase. I fully recommend this set to anyone that wants to steam vegetables, tamales, meats etc. We eat a lot of pasta in our house so being able to cook the pasta while the vegetables steam up top is a huge perk. Also, I had the option of going with a pot set or a plastic electric steamer, but be aware that almost all plastic steamers have BPA. I have a toddler I could not go that route. I have had experiences in the past with electric steamers (plastic) leaving food taking weird, almost plasticy. With this pot (and any stainless steel set) you will not have to worry about strange plastics and strange tastes. Buy this set, you will love it.I’ve included cooking times for people that are not familiar with steaming. Stick to these times and you won’t fail. You will notice that there is a variant in time (example 6-10 min). Shorter cooking times produce crispier vegetables and slower and longer cooking times product softer vegetables. Make sure not to over cook though. Remember, the point of a steamer is to cook the vegetables without losing precious nutrients.Vegetable, Size/Preparation, Time in minutesArtichokes, Steam whole artichokes, 25-40 minAsparagus, Whole spears, thick spears peeled lightly, 7-13 minAsparagus, Cut into 2-inch pieces, 4-7 minBeans, green, Whole beans, 6-10 minBeans, wax, Whole beans, 6-10 minBeets, small or medium-sized, Whole, unpeeled beets scrubbed clean; peel off the skins after steaming, 35-50 minBeet greens, Cleaned and coarsely chopped, 7-9 minBroccoli, Trimmed stalks, 8-12 minBroccoli, Trimmed stalks split in half or florets, 5-7 minBrussels sprouts, Whole, trimmed, 8-15 minBrussels sprouts, Trimmed and halved, 6-8 minCabbage, Cut in wedges, 6-10 minCarrots, Cut into ¼-inch thick slices, 7-10 minCarrots, baby, Whole baby carrots, 10-12 minCauliflower, Florets, 5-10 minCelery root(celeriac), Cut into ¼-inch thick matchsticks, 5-7 minCelery stalks, Cut into ½-inch thick slices, 4-9 minCorn on the cob, Whole, husks removed, 7-10 minDaikon, radishes, Peeled and cut into chunks 8-12 minChicory (endives), Cut in half lengthwise, 5-10 minFennel bulbs, Cut crosswise into ½-inch slices, 8-10 minJerusalem artichokes(sunchokes), Peeled or scrubbed; sliced, 5-8 minJerusalem artichokes(sunchokes), Whole tubers, peeled or scrubbed, 20-25 minKale, Trimmed, 4-7 minKohlrabi, Peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, 5-8 minLeeks, Trimmed, cut in half, 5-8 minOkra, Fresh whole okra, trimmed, 6-8 minOnions, pearl, Whole onions, peeled, 8-12 minParsnips, Peeled and cut into ½-inch slices, 7-10 minPeas, green, Fresh, shelled peas, 2-4 minPeas, sugar snap, Whole pea pods, trimmed, 5-6 minPotatoes, all, Peeled or scrubbed clean, cut into ½-inch slices, 8-12 minPotatoes, new, Whole, scrubbed clean, 15-20 minRadishes, Whole radishes, trimmed, 7-14 minScallions, Cut into ½-inch slices, 3-5 minSpinach, Cleaned, whole leaves, 3-5 minSquash, butternut, Peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, 7-10 minTurnips, Cut into 1/2-inch cubes, 8-12 minTurnip greens, Cleaned and coarsely chopped, 4-6 minSweet potatoes, Cut into large chunks, 8-12 minSwiss chard, Coarsely chopped leaves, 3-5 minZucchini, Cut into 1-inch slices, 5-8 minSorry it’s kind of messy but you should be able to read through it. Take care.

Love Love Love this cooker
If you are looking at this you obviously need one err maybe two? One works for me..alot.Crab Boil, Lobster or Steaming Artichokes, Corn on the Cobb to Making bone broth to Pasta’s this is a versatile and durable cookware.I think I do want two, its that great. Get yours today and use it.Beautifully Crafted but not so heavy as to be cumbersome. Cleans up nicely. Draining, Straining and as a tall collander for rinsing and cleaning vegetables it is very nice easy and clean design.

An excellent set of stainless strainers and pot great for marmalade making and stock making

This expensive product looks fantastic-Unfortunately it was never delivered-so we don’t how efficient it may have been.I suggest that Amazon “VET” the delivery companies they use, with more scrutiny.