Culinary Institute of America Masters Collection 4-Quart Sautoir with Cover

The pan does a very good job in spreading the heat to ensure even cooking. But after only a few uses it began to pick up stains and had significant discoloration I had not experienced with my less expensive steel cookware. For the price charged I expected that it would resist the staining and discoloration as well as function well on the stove. The pan was washed by hand according to the instructions.

This saute' pan is all I expected (and I expected a lot since I know some about the CIA) ... and MORE! We have prepared MANY things in this pan in the short time we have had it and it makes me want to buy MORE of their products. I purchased this pan to replace a pan that I bought for my wife about 30 years ago. It was her favorite pan, so I had a lot "to live up to". The previous pan got destroyed when our glass top stove burner went "Super Nova" and caused the (Then "State of the art") copper spreader plate ("Core")to peel off in layers. THIS NEW PAN has these multi cores WITHIN the PAN! Two different kinds of Stainless Steel "sandwich" these cores together AND in THIS PAN the cores go all the way up the sides, not just the bottom! I love this pan, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, my WIFE loves this pan! By the way I am a Department of Health, Food Facility Environmental Specialist (some say a "Health Inspector") for over 36 YEARS! I know a bit more about pans than the average person. UPDATE: We have used this pan for about 3 years now. It looks and cooks as good as new. THIS is my wife's favorite pan. She uses it many times more than any other of her very large collection. I use it too. Since the pan is large enough, I even use it as a flat griddle! The cooking is so even across the whole surface - even to the top edges of the pan. The food does NOT cook at different rates across the pan surface! I think we like this pan NOW even MORE than when we first bought it! (I am now retired from the Florida Department of Health .... and enjoy doing more cooking!). UPDATE #2: This pan continues to be one of my BETTER PURCHASES! Karla and I both use it very frequently for so many different tasks. I am cooking more and will soon be grilling more. Maybe I'll buy another one of these and see how well it works on the grill? {Did my review help you decide?}

I was hesitant about paying this much for a pan, but when I added up all the money we've spent on pans in the past thirty-five years, it suddenly made sense. The even heat is a joy, and I plan on adding more of this collection to my kitchen, albeit gradually. The handle is not uncomfortable, but it is not the most comfortable I've ever uses, either; having the helper handle is just what this pan needs and it has one. I suppose that I cannot expect a pan of this weight to be light and easy to balance, so I am adapting as I use it. A cast iron pan would be heavier, and I would miss the sleek look of this pan. I most certainly would buy it again.

I purchased this pan because I only had teflon coated pans that could not endure the high tempuratures. I absolutely love this pan for searing and it is easy so to clean. Because of the price though I will have to slowly add more CIA pots/pans to my non-teflon coated collection.