As convenient as non stick cookware sets are for mess-free cooking, most of us want to move away from using chemically-coated pots and pans.
The good news is that with just a little extra work you can achieve excellent results using stainless steel instead. If the thought of maintaining a cast iron pan is just too much, it’s the next best thing!
In this Cuisinart Muticlad Pro review, I’m taking a detailed look at one of the most popular stainless steel cookware sets on the market.
What do you get if you buy it, how well does it work in the kitchen, and is it worth the investment? Read on for all the answers.
(My home cookware guide contains plenty more tutorials and buying tips!)
Jump ahead to:
About The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Cookware Set
The Cuisinart brand started off life in the early 1970s and has been delivering consistently outstanding cookware for almost 50 years.
That’s alongside a huge variety of kitchen gadgets and gizmos, which have collectively earned the company an army of loyal fans.
It’s become something of a go-to brand for the amateur cooking enthusiast who wants to build out a collection of high-performance kitchenware, without spending a fortune.
Who’s The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Set For?
If you’re shopping around for a collection of high performance cookware, but don’t want to spend an absolute fortune, the Multiclad Pro set is a great option.
It’s a supremely versatile set that’s targeted at typical home kitchens.
You should also have a preference for cooking with stainless steel. You’ll be happy to heat the pan and add oil before adding the ingredients, so you don’t create a big sticky mess.
The nature of the material means that magnetic stainless steel is also suitable for induction cooktops, so if you have this kind of stovetop I think you’ll be very well served by the Multiclad Pro set*.
(*Please be aware that only the Pro edition of the Multiclad line is suitable for induction cooktops. Other editions of the product line are not.)
- SET INCLUDES: 1.5 Quart saucepan with cover, 3 Quart saucepan with cover, 3.5 Quart sauté pan with helper handle and cover, 8...
- DURABLE DESIGN: Elegant and contemporary, the professional Triple Ply Construction features a core of pure aluminum and a handsome...
- COOKING AND CLEANING: Polished cooking surface does not discolor, react with food or alter flavors. Tight-fitting stainless steel...
- OVEN SAFE: Oven safe up to 550 degrees F with rims tapered for a drip-free pouring experience. Suitable for use with induction...
- COMMITMENT TO QUALITY: Inspired by the great French kitchens, Cuisinart began making professional cookware almost 30 years ago....
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Who’s The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro NOT For?
Stainless steel has a tendency to attract stains and oil discoloration over time. It just goes with the territory of using this material.
If you like your cookware to retain a pristine finish, this may not be the material for you!
It’s also a little slower to heat up than other cookware materials, and it really does need to be pre-heated as it doesn’t have any non-stick properties.
Although I think the overall quality of the Multiclad Pro is fantastic value for money, it’s not a high end, premium cookware range.
Pros
- Stainless steel construction prevents warping from heat, or corrosion from acidic foods.
- Extra large lid handles make removal easy, and keep your hands away from the heat.
- Riveted – rather than welded – handles ensure long-term durability.
- An overall well-designed cookware set that will serve the typical family household really well.
Cons
- Stainless steel is not a non-stick material, and so a little extra prep effort is required to avoid food sticking to the surface.
- The pan lids are made from stainless steel, and so need to be lifted to check on cooking progress.
- Stainless steel will attract stains and oil marks over time. Not a direct criticism of this set, just something to be aware of.
- Those lids also sit quite low down in the cookware, so overfilling will result in drips and splashes!
- The generously sized lid handles also make storage a little trickier.
If you want to find out more, carry on reading for the rest of my Cuisinart Multiclad Pro review.
Let’s see how this stainless steel set really performs.
Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless Steel Set
Although other sized sets are available, I’m going to be focusing on the 12 piece set for the rest of my Cuisinart Multiclad Pro review.
It’s by far and away the most popular set, and the one I personally recommend. You might like to have a look at the different options before buying it though.
The Materials & Finish Of The Multiclad Pro
The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro set is constructed using something called “Multiclad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel”.
Put simply, you can think of this triple ply construction as a material sandwich.
The inner core of each item is made from aluminum which helps with heat distribution.
That’s then wrapped on both sides with stainless steel, which helps with conductivity and reduces the overall weight.
Cleverly, the Multiclad Pro set extends this material sandwich to the sides of each cookware item.
This ensures the heat is distributed really evenly around the entire cooking surface, something Cuisinart calls “Heat Surround Technology”.
As for overall appearance, there’s a real premium finish to everything included in this set. It definitely looks better than the price would suggest.
If you’re planning to hang the cookware from a rack in particular, I think it looks really smart.
The exterior of the cookware has a brushed stainless steel finish. That means it won’t spot or stain easily over time.
The interior, on the other hand, is mirror polished. Not only does it look good, but this mirror finish provides no cracks or crevices for food to build up over time.
What You Get In The 12 Piece Set
Here’s a breakdown of what you get in the box, and what each item is designed for.
That’ll help you decide whether this is the right set for you. Alternatively it might a good option, but you’ll need to grab some extra pieces for your kitchen:
- 1.5 quart saucepans + lid
- 3 quart saucepan + lid
- 3.5 quart covered sauté pan + lid
- 8 quart stockpot + lid
- 8 inch open skillet
- 10 inch open skillet
- Steamer insert + lid
Saucepans
Not much needed here by way of explanation! Even if you’re very new to cooking, you’ve surely worked with one or two of these in your time.
You’ll use the stainless steel pans in this set for any jobs that involve boiling or stewing ingredients. They have a tapered edge in this case, which means drip free pouring.
As with the other lids in this set, the two saucepan lids sit quite low down on the actual pan.
You get a very good seal which keeps moisture in to stop everything drying out. It does allow steam to escape though, which is also important.
The smaller pan is ideal for making smaller dishes or heating up leftovers, while the larger is obviously better suited to preparing main meals.
Open Skillets
If you don’t need to stew or steam the contents, you’ll want to turn to the open skillet. It’s also your best option if you plan to do any open-air cooking.
As the name suggests, these skillets don’t come with any lids. They’re designed for food types where you don’t need to worry about trapping moisture.
Straight Sided Sauté Pan
If you’re making things like casseroles and stews, sauté pans are a very useful part of your cookware collection.
This one is oven safe, and great for those jobs where you need to start on the hob, then transfer the contents to the oven.
In the case of the Multiclad Pro set, the sauté pan is well built and there’s a useful “helper handle” opposite the main handle too.
The meals you’ll make in this pan will typically be quite heavy and require moving around. This extra handle makes it much easier to transfer the contents safely.
The straight side of this sauté pan is also very useful when you want to sear or brown the sides of meat. Just grab your cooking utensil of choice and hold it up against the side.
Stock Pot
The stock pot in the Multiclad Pro set is great for making things like soup and, of course, stocks. It’s also the go-to pot when you want to make use of the vegetable steamer which I’ll come onto next.
What I really like about this stock pot is the wide, flared handles on either side. This kind of pot tends to get very hot around the sides, and this design keeps your hands well away from the heat.
Steamer Insert
We’re all quite used to boiling vegetables, but you retain much more of their nutritional content if you steam them instead.
Fussy eaters in your household might take some time to get used to the harder texture, but it’s the easiest way to improve the impact of your fruit and veg intake.
Thoughts On The Collection?
You’re never going to get every last bit of cookware in a set at this end of the price range, but I think this is a great collection overall.
There’s enough included here to handle just about every job a typical family household cook is going to need.
Stainless Steel Lids
For the most part the lids on the Multiclad Pro set are well designed. They make a very good seal that traps moisture in the pan, while still allowing enough steam to escape.
They’re also dishwasher safe, so that makes cleaning up a little bit easier.
There are two things you need to know about the lid design here, however:
- The lids themselves are made of stainless steel. That means you can’t glance at the contents to check on progress. You’ll need to life the lid to see what’s happening. If this is a deal-breaker for you, there are lots of cookware options that feature glass lids instead.
- They sit very low down on their pans. That means you’ll need to be careful about how high you fill each pan. Overfill and you risk making a mess of your cooktop.
Handles
The handles one each item on this set are constructed from just stainless steel. That helps keep them cooler than the pan itself, which is obviously important when you’re carrying these things around.
They stay pretty cool even when you’re cooking at high heats too. There’s also a little thumb rest which makes them easier to lift, and then angle when you’re pouring out liquids.
On the subject of pouring, the rims of the pots have tapered edges. That helps the flow start gradually, and reduces the risk of making big messy splashes all over your kitchen.
The handles on the Multiclad set are also riveted to the body of the pan, rather than welded. This helps preserve the durability and lifespan of each piece.
Performance
A cookware set is only as good as the results it gives you in the kitchen.
The aluminum core does a really good job of transferring heat evenly across both the bottoms and the sides of each pan. That makes judging the “doneness” much, much easier than it is when only the bottom is aluminum.
On top of that, the stainless steel layers give that aluminum much more durability, and help prevent reactions occurring between the aluminum core and your food. It’s all solidly constructed, without the risk of warping over time.
In terms of heat tolerance, you can place these pots and pans into an oven with a maximum temperature of 288 degrees Celsius / 550 degrees Fahrenheit. They work just as well on a medium heat as well.
That’s well within the range that any typical household cook is going to need, and covers the stovetop cooking surface too.
I think the lids strike just the right balance between keeping moisture in the food, while letting a little necessary steam to escape. The food is neither too dry nor too wet when you’re finished, which is right where you want it to be.
I also like those long handles on the pan and the wide handles on the lids. They make storage a little more difficult, but it’s a super safe set.
The items in this set are also as easy to clean as any other stainless steel pots. You can read more on this in the next section, which is all about caring for this set over time!
Ease Of Cleaning & Maintenance
The flat lids on the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro pots are absolutely dishwasher safe, and you’ll have no problems doing so. I tend to put cookware lids on the top rack though, to keep them away from the heating element.
Technically the pans themselves are dishwasher as well, but I prefer to wash stainless steel cookware like this by hand.
Dishwashers tend to be very warm, and very humid places, even after the wash cycle has finished. The rivet plate featured on the Multiclad Pro pans provide some opportunity for moisture to accumulate.
That, over time, will increase the risk of rust building up. This is particularly important if you tend to put the dishwasher on late at night and leave it to dry out while you sleep.
When you’ve finished cooking with a Multiclad pan, just fill it with warm water and a little standard kitchen soap. Let it stand for a while, then clean it all up with a kitchen sponge, before drying off by hand.
In terms of general maintenance and protection, try to avoid using metal utensils that can scratch the surface. It’s better to grab a set of wooden or silicon utensils, as this will help preserve the lifespan of your cookware considerably.
I should mention here as well that Cuisinart offers a lifetime warranty on this cookware.
That’s the kind of thing I like to know is there, but would rather not have the hassle of having to use it! Fortunately a little bit of TLC goes a very long way when it comes to caring for this stuff.
Final Verdict On The Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Set
I’ll cover some commonly asked questions in the final section, but that’s the end of my Cuisinart Multiclad Pro review.
The verdict?
For the relatively low cost involved I think this is an excellent alternative to some of the premium options out there.
- SET INCLUDES: 1.5 Quart saucepan with cover, 3 Quart saucepan with cover, 3.5 Quart sauté pan with helper handle and cover, 8...
- DURABLE DESIGN: Elegant and contemporary, the professional Triple Ply Construction features a core of pure aluminum and a handsome...
- COOKING AND CLEANING: Polished cooking surface does not discolor, react with food or alter flavors. Tight-fitting stainless steel...
- OVEN SAFE: Oven safe up to 550 degrees F with rims tapered for a drip-free pouring experience. Suitable for use with induction...
- COMMITMENT TO QUALITY: Inspired by the great French kitchens, Cuisinart began making professional cookware almost 30 years ago....
The food cooks evenly, each item in the set is durable and well-designed, and you’ve got all the items any aspiring home chef is ever likely to actually use!
It’s a great cookware set, from one of my favorite kitchenware brands and I think beginner cooks kitting out a new kitchen will love it in particular.
It’s a little bulkier to store due to the large handles and lids, but that’s something you’ll need to weigh up against your own individual kitchen design.
Otherwise, there’s not a lot I don’t like about this set, and at this price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Finally, I thought it would be helpful to answer some of the most common questions people have about this particular set, as well as stainless steel cookware in general.
Should I Season Stainless Steel Cookware?
You can season stainless steel cookware, but it’s not as crucial – or effective – as seasoning cast iron cookware.
No matter how smooth a cookware surface might feel to the touch, close up it’s covered in imperfections. By seasoning cookware with oil, you fill those microscopic pores to create a truly smooth surface that food can’t stick to.
Why isn’t seasoning so effective with stainless steel, then?
For a start, you’ll be using a little oil with your cooking anyway, which means the gains are marginal.
You’ll also need to repeat the seasoning process many times, as you’ll be cleaning the oil off whenever you clean the pan.
If you’re working with really delicate stuff like fish and eggs though, you can use the following steps to season your stainless steel first:
* Wash the pan thoroughly with hot water and soap.
* Dry it off and then heat the pan gently on the stovetop. This helps to open up the pores in the material.
* Add a little oil to the pan, then work it into the bottom and sides with scrunched up paper toweling. Watch the heat! I recommend vegetable oil for this, as it has a high smoking point.
* As soon as the pan starts to smoke, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.
* Grab some more paper toweling and wipe away any oil that remains.
Honestly? If you’re buying a stainless steel cookware set for convenience, I consider this to be more effort than it’s really worth.
I’m happy to simply preheat the pan and use a little oil to prep for cooking each time. It’s always good to have the option when you’re working with very delicate ingredients though.
Where Is Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Made?
All Cuisinart cookware is manufactured in either France or in China.
At the time of writing this review, the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro set is manufactured in China.
Which Is Better – Cuisinart Or Calphalon?
The answer to this question is that it very much depends on your budget.
Calphalon’s best cookware uses 5-ply material design compared to the 3-ply approach used in the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro.
This arguably results in better cooking performance, but you’ll pay quite a premium for this advantage.
If money was no object, I would lean towards Calphalon as the superior range overall.
With that said, Cuisinart’s cookware is fantastic value for money, and more than good enough for typical household cooking.
Is Cuisinart Multiclad Cookware Safe?
Yes. Aluminum can react badly with acidic ingredients like tomatoes and citrus fruits, lending the food a distinctly metallic taste.
Because the aluminum used in the Multiclad Pro is sealed on both sides with stainless steel there’s no concern about the material contaminating your cooking!
It’s also worth mentioning those lid handles again. There’s a huge amount of room beneath each one, which means there’s little to no risk of your knuckles coming into contact with the hottest part of the pan.
Mark’s a lifelong food fanatic and spent ten years working as an entertainment journalist. He now combines his love of food, drink and writing as the founder and editor of Viva Flavor. Read more