So I guess this post falls in the 'beyond' cooking section. My wonderful husband got me the best Christmas present - a set of Emerilware pots.
Now granted most women do not put new pots on top of their wishlist but then I'm not most women and I have been lusting over these pots every time I've gone to Bed Bath and Beyond. First time I got a good look at them I was buying a wedding present. I took at look at them mainly because I was curious to see what was so special about them. As I lifted a frying pan for a closer examination, it was love! Since then every wedding gift I have given has been the Emerilware from the couples register.
OK so why do I love them. Well firstly I really hated my old set - Magnalite, and I will be doing a post about why a new set of Magnalite is not your Grandmothers Magnalite. But that's for a later date.
The Emerilware is a tri-ply stainless steel, in English it's an outer layer of stainless steel, an inner core of aluminum and an inside of stainless steel. So you get the benefits of the aluminum without the possible health issues of aluminum. (Note I'm not a scientist and don't know if the link to aluminum and Alzheimer's has been proved but hey once smoking was thought to be good for your health!)
The first time I used one of the pots I was extremely surprised by the fact that the handles were not hot and even after being on the stove for an hour I could lift it off without burning my hands. If you have ever burnt yourself you will understand why I was impressed!!!
They are really wonderful to cook with and the Dutch Oven is a great size for cooking gumbos, chili, etc. I haven't used the steamer insert yet so no comment there. I was really impressed by the universal splatter screen as it works for all the pot sizes. The saute pan is awesome. The lids are glass so you can see inside the pot without lifting the lids and again like the handles, the lid handle doesn't get hot.
I highly recommend this set and if you are looking for a good quality set of pots then this is the set to go with. They are a little pricey, middle of the range, but you can buy them as open stock instead of as a set, so if you are replacing an existing set then you can do it piece by piece. And Bed, Bath and Beyond always have those wonderful 20% off coupons.
