Need Opinions on Pampered Chef Cookware

[Nancy for Disney]

I originally posted this on the cooking forum but I haven't gotten much of a response so I will try here.

I am getting ready to have a Pampered Chef party. My original plan was to have the party so I can get the cookware half off. I will still be paying $145 to $160 on the cookware with the discount. This would include three pieces plus 2 lids.

For the people that have the cookware, what are your opinions? I currently have some of the pieces and have been satisfied but not "this is the best stuff ever!" either. My wok has started to chip although it is now 10 years old. I have other pieces that are chipping. These are a little older and used frequently so I am not too bothered by it. Of course, these are the items that I am hoping to replace.

I cook all the time so I am considering getting the "Professional" cookware which is stainless steal. I have never used that before. What are some opinions of the stainless cookware? Is it easy to clean?

Is there something out there that is comparable to Pampered Chef for less money?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[lemondog]

I swear by my All-Clad. I won't lie, it's expensive. But it lasts a lifetime. Very heavy, cooks evenly, no chipping, etc. I got a base set when I got married 11years ago and have slowly added to it, getting a piece once every few years. I really don't know much about the durability of the Pampered Chef cookware, but I would rather pay a bit more and know I was getting something that would last forever.

Now I DO love my Pampered Chef stoneware for baking. I have the bar pan, pizza stone, deep dish cooker and 9x13 dish. I love the way it seasons itself and you never need to wash with soap or spray. It's naturally nonstick.

 

[mickeylove2]

I love my stoneware, swear by it! Also, the Executive cookware by Pampered Chef is what I use, I absolutely could not cook without it. It is expensive but IMHO well worth it.

FYI- if you want to get your stones looking new again, place them in the oven and run the self clean. Look brand spanking new afterwards.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I love all my stoneware from pampered chef.

I have stainless steel cookware but it's not from pampered chef. I LOVE LOVE it. It cooks so much faster and evenly. Do NOT NOT turn the burner on high under a skillet unless you want to scorch something. I learned that very quickly.

I use a touch of oil when cooking something and then I soak the skillet/pan at the end and it comes clean with no issues. They are a bit heavy if you drain stuff out of your skillet like grease and the handles can get hot. I love that I can put the skillet or big pot in the oven and cook it just like that.

 

[Dancemom03]

FYI- if you want to get your stones looking new again, place them in the oven and run the self clean. Look brand spanking new afterwards.

I do that every six months or so. Discovered it by accident the first time when I forgot to take out the pizza stone. Opened the oven after the self clean cycle and was nicely surprised. Now I gather up several pieces whenever I clean the oven to do too. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

OP - I love my all-clad so can't help with a PC cookware opinion but I use PC knives every day. The knives - especially the bread knife - are some of the most used items in our kitchen. A great investment.

 

[zulaya]

PC Consultant chiming in...

For your stir fry skillet that is 10+ years old...that's most likely from a cookware line that they no longer carry. So I wouldn't judge that piece against what you can purchase today.

The Cookware is VERY good. Both lines: The Executive is the non-stick line. There is a Stainless Steel line.

BOTH lines have a LIFETIME warranty. So if you encounter a problem, you send it back and they replace it.

A couple of things to consider:

1. Non-stick cookware, as a rule across the industry, is not dishwasher safe. The harsh abrasives tend to mar the finish. Putting it in your dishwasher can void the warranty.

But seriously, you can wipe those pan with a wet paper towel and 99% of the time, that's all that would need to be done. No elbow grease required.

2. If dishwasher safe is high on your priority list, get Stainless Steel.

3. The Executive cookware has the non-stick coating on the outside of the pan, as well as the inside of the pan. It's the easiest clean-up outside the dishwasher you are doing to find.

4. As with all non-stick cookware, don't use metal utensils. Use bamboo, nylon or silicone. If you have to use metal utensils, then get Stainless Steel.

 

[alyssa8]

I have bought my first items from Pampered Chef and, while I really like the products, this is not something I can really afford. I am not much of a sales person and don't like to ask people to spend money in this economy on things so I don't really want to have "parties"... I just want the discount for myself! Is it worth it? Does Pampered Chef have sales?

 

[shellybaxter]

I'm not much of a Chef - but I do love their knives - best I've ever used

 

[golfgal]

I have their really large frying pan and it is ok. I like my Analon set better but it is nice for the size. It would fall into the 'ok but not the best set ever" category.

 

[Shmily1]

I have the executive line and love it! I got it when one of my friends was a consultant and I had a party for her. That said, I also got the Paula Dean copper bottom pot set and those things are the bomb too!! DH loves cubed steak and gravy in those pots! Like a PP said, even though I use the dishwasher alot, these two sets of pots never have seen the inside of it!

 

[S. C.]

PC Consultant chiming in...

For your stir fry skillet that is 10+ years old...that's most likely from a cookware line that they no longer carry. So I wouldn't judge that piece against what you can purchase today.

The Cookware is VERY good. Both lines: The Executive is the non-stick line. There is a Stainless Steel line.

BOTH lines have a LIFETIME warranty. So if you encounter a problem, you send it back and they replace it.

A couple of things to consider:

1. Non-stick cookware, as a rule across the industry, is not dishwasher safe. The harsh abrasives tend to mar the finish. Putting it in your dishwasher can void the warranty.

But seriously, you can wipe those pan with a wet paper towel and 99% of the time, that's all that would need to be done. No elbow grease required.

2. If dishwasher safe is high on your priority list, get Stainless Steel.

3. The Executive cookware has the non-stick coating on the outside of the pan, as well as the inside of the pan. It's the easiest clean-up outside the dishwasher you are doing to find.

4. As with all non-stick cookware, don't use metal utensils. Use bamboo, nylon or silicone. If you have to use metal utensils, then get Stainless Steel.

What kind of warranty did the cookware from 10 yrs ago carry?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I originally posted this on the cooking forum but I haven't gotten much of a response so I will try here.

I am getting ready to have a Pampered Chef party. My original plan was to have the party so I can get the cookware half off. I will still be paying $145 to $160 on the cookware with the discount. This would include three pieces plus 2 lids.

For the people that have the cookware, what are your opinions? I currently have some of the pieces and have been satisfied but not "this is the best stuff ever!" either. My wok has started to chip although it is now 10 years old. I have other pieces that are chipping. These are a little older and used frequently so I am not too bothered by it. Of course, these are the items that I am hoping to replace.

I cook all the time so I am considering getting the "Professional" cookware which is stainless steal. I have never used that before. What are some opinions of the stainless cookware? Is it easy to clean?

Is there something out there that is comparable to Pampered Chef for less money?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

I have a inexpensive set of stainless, got it off QVC, but I am going to go All Clad + Le Creuset for the skillet & bakeware. It is not cheap however it will last forever. I also cook all the time and need something to hold up.

I have been married almost 23yrs and it is time to replace my stuff.

If you are looking for value & large set of cookware, I do recommend checking out QVC and HSN. They are many chefs on there that peddle large sets of their cookware. It is a good value for the money.

I do have a lot of Pampered Chef pieces that I love but I probably would not go for the cookware just due to the expense. If I am going expensive, I will do All Clad.

 

[SandrA9810]

Stainless will last a lifetime, and it's just as easy to use/clean as non stick. A little bit of pam in the pan before frying will make everything slide. I like the fact that I can just take a scouring pad to it if I burn something. I have a mixed set of pieces, a couple non stick and some stainless steel. The SS is by far easier to clean.

As with any cookware, don't use anything more than med heat. If you're on electric, let the skillet come up to temp before throwing the food in. If you like high heat cooking, then get cast iron.

 

[mhsjax]

I have never used their cookware, but I have used some of their other things including the stones.. My personal opinion will go against everyone here. I find it to be a HUGE ripoff. Some of there stuff is ok, but I bake all the time, have for years. I made some cookies and some rolls on one of the stones. My kids asked me to NEVER to it again. They were terrrible. Over done of the edges and raw in the middle. I do not purchase anything form Pampered Chef after that.

Also, it wasn't my oven. I turned right around and used my "normal baking sheets and the cookies turned out fabulous as usual.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I don't have experience with the newer pampered chef cookware, but used to have pieces of the original and professional lines from 15 years ago. Used and a used them and finally needed o throw them away a couple years ago. Couldn't afford all clad and picked up a set at Costco, their house brand. $150 for a 12 piece set or something like that. Choice of stainless or nonstick. I'm under no illusion it will last forever but feel its good value. The nonstick is comparable to analon pieces I have.

 

[PizzieDuster]

I love my stoneware, swear by it! Also, the Executive cookware by Pampered Chef is what I use, I absolutely could not cook without it. It is expensive but IMHO well worth it.

FYI- if you want to get your stones looking new again, place them in the oven and run the self clean. Look brand spanking new afterwards.

Great advice! Thank you! I just reheated pizza up on my pizza stoneware 20 minutes ago. We love that thing! Use it all the time!

 

[usnuzuloose]

No pampered chef stuff. But I have all clad from 10 years ago and love it.

 

[beavismom]

I have the stainless set and I love it. It is quite heavy though so be prepared for that. My only other minor complaint is that the long handles make it somewhat impractical to put in the dishwasher. That isn't a deal breaker for me, and might not bother someone else at all. I got it half price after hosting a party and felt like it was worth it at that price. I don't think I would have paid full price for it.