Cuisinart MCPS19-18N MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 2-Quart Saucepan with Cover

I'm more than pleased with this triple-ply 1.5 qt saucepan so far and I'm glad I found it. I've boiled water in it (see below), used it once to reheat food including sticky cheese, and washed it in the dishwasher. It still looks new and I don't anticipate any problems with it. The bottom is flat and fits my smaller size 6" burners perfectly. It's heavier weight than the one it replaced. The stainless steel handle doesn't get hot and I like the design of the lid and the no-drip rim. I usually cook one or two servings and 1.5 qt is probably my most often used saucepan size. Some reviews complain about rust and discoloration. Maybe that was an older version? Stainless steel should not rust and if some foods discolor it, vinegar or Bar Keepers Friend should take care of that. One concern of mine was that Cuisinart's instructions say to not ever use it on high heat, even to boil water. What?! I don't use the highest heat setting for anything other than bringing water to a boil, but I've never had bringing water to a boil on high hurt any pan. I tried it with this pan and it was fine too. (I'm not telling anyone else to do that, but that's what I've always done and will do.) I don't do things like put cold water in a hot pan, boil pans dry, etc., but I didn't want a pan I must baby. This seems to be a great pan and a great value at $20. (It was $40 at Kohl's.) If it shows any rust or corrosion later I'll try to come back and edit this review. My other stainless steel cookware has never rusted in decades of use and I don't expect this one to do so either.

The 12 piece MultiClad Pro set MCP-12N, sold elsewhere on this site, is by far the better value per piece and includes the 1 1/2QT and 3QT saucepans sold individually here. But I often need to use two 1 1/2QT saucepans at the same time, and I wanted to evaluate product performance before investing in the larger set, so I started with this individual one. I'm no longer comfortable using my old non-stick anodized aluminum pots and pans, for health reasons. If you're reading this, you likely have the same concerns and already decided on stainless steel, are wondering whether to get this one or another brand. Get this one. The top two brands are All Clad and Cuisinart, all others fall short in one way or another. All Clad are made in the USA, and you pay for that. Cuisinart are made in China, but this is one example where the product is of comparable quality. It really comes down to whether or not you think the Made in USA aspect is worth up to twice the price. Below are some comments meant to apply to the MultiClad Pro line in general as well as this individual saucepan. But for this saucepan specifically, in the 1 1/2QT size I found it to be wider and shallower than my old non-stick. This was a plus, because it created a larger surface area on the bottom - on my gas range it was difficult with the old one keeping flames from going up the sides even on the smallest burner, but that hasn't been a problem with this one. The first time I used it, for some broth-based soup, I had some vaguely "rainbow" discolored stains on the bottom. These are hard water stains and they disappeared instantly after applying a little white vinegar. Subsequent uses and cleanings have been easy with no residue requiring extra steps. In general: Construction - these have three layers running throughout the cookware, both bottom and sides (many other brands are only layered on the bottom). Inner layer / cooking surface is 18/10 (aka 304 grade) stainless steel, the gold standard for stainless steel kitchenware (316 grade is more corrosion resistant but there's no advantage in the kitchen, only marine environments). Middle layer is aluminum for heat conductivity (SS by itself is a poor conductor). Outer layer is 18/0 stainless steel, which is magnetic for induction stove compatibility. The middle aluminum layer is completely encapsulated and does not come in contact with food. Handle is cast SS and of a design that stays cool while in use. Lid is all SS. Overall slightly more hefty than non-stick ano aluminum but much lighter than modern cast iron (and cast iron is a poor choice for saucepans anyway). Cooking - the aluminum core distributes heat quickly and evenly. You really can effectively cook using a lower heat setting than you would with non-stick ano aluminum. Stainless steel is NOT non-stick, doesn't matter which brand, but that's more relevant with skillets than saucepans. Cleaning - it comes with a cleaning guide, which states that after you finish cooking with it, fill it with hot water, add some dishsoap, then let it cool to room temperature while you do your other dishes. This has been surprisingly effective, with a quick scrub using a blue non-scratch scrubbing sponge being sufficient to finish the job. Really, with this saucepan specifically, I usually don't even have to do that much, just wash it normally like any other pot. If you get some discoloration on the cooking surface, that's likely hard water stains which are easily and quickly removed with a little white vinegar, also as stated in the included cleaning guide. Anything else you can't get off can be removed using Bar Keeper's Friend (a widely available cleaning product), but you typically won't need to use that unless you're just burning everything to carbon all the time. It's also dishwasher safe though that will create more wear over time. Overall, not a challenge to clean if you follow the instructions. Recommended.

Great pot, even for this 70 yr old grandma! It takes a while to heat on medium, but it holds heat and cooks great. I use it to boil pasta and rice, saute meat and make gravies, cook veggies, pop corn, etc. It is sturdy and heavy. I pick it up near middle of long handle to distribute weight better and carry from stove to sink to drain pasta or rice. I can’t praise pot enough. I own and cook regularly in two of them!

Great product, great size! Perfect for making sauces, small soup batches or steaming veggies. Love that the center core goes through the sides as well for even heating and not just a flat base on the bottom, thats what truly sold me.

Size matters. I own and love the 3 quart but sometimes you want something a little bigger. The 4 quart lists as taller but the same diameter as the 3 quart, which would be just perfect for my space. Unfortunately when it arrived its girth is much bigger than listed and sadly just to big for my tight space. I know it should be all about how you use the pot that should count but its still frustrating. Otherwise these are great--a little heavy because they have a fairly thick fully enclosed inner layer of aluminum which has them heat evenly, cool, comfortable handle, and oven safe to 500F--So if you can deal with the bigger size, I think you are going to love the 4 quart. Note: Actual outer diameter of the 4 quart is 8-1/2 inches. The 3 quart does nest in the 4 quart, which would be perfect for me, but then the 4 quart's handle sits so high it does not fit in my space with both of them like that.

Excellent cookware. Very well made and perfect for an induction stove

Excellent size for candy making. No sticking and easy to clean. Used on induction stove top and heated evenly.

This is a great pan. It cleans just like any other stainless steel pan I have, but it's got no encapsulated bottom for water to seep into over time and eventually ruin the pan. (That's how I lost the pan this is replacing.) Instead, the aluminum core goes all the way up the sides, with no seams. And what that does for cooking is, it takes away any temperature differential between the base of the pan and the sides. No hot spots. The whole pan heats right up—and also cools right down, depending on what it's in contact with. The thick walls help, and a full pot of hot food will stay hot for a good while, but these metals don't hold heat well—nothing but cast iron really does—and that's the compromise for a pan that changes temperature so quickly and uniformly. I love gas stoves, but I've been compelled to use electrics for a while now. I can tell you that if you use this pan on a gas stove, the handle will absolutely get hot—unless you restrict the flame so it only touches the bottom of the pan. And that's because there's absolutely no way to insulate a metal handle from heat that goes up the sides of the pan! If you crank that burner up, you will for all intents and purposes be applying heat to the handle as well as the pan. What is possible, and works very well with this pan on an electric stove, is to insulate the handle from heat that comes *through* the sides of the pan. The biggest advantage I've found to using this pan on my electric stove has to do with boiling potatoes or pasta. I never had this problem on a gas stove, but on every electric I've ever used, a pan of potatoes or pasta set to boil will foam over onto the stove, just like if I were making rice. Obviously, the answer is to turn it down once it boils and keep a watch on it—but that's more work for something I want to be able to leave alone while I'm doing other things. But it doesn't happen in this pan, and the best I can figure is it must have something to do with the heat differential between the base and the sides in my pans that have encapsulated bases and sheet-metal sides. That differential hardly exists in this pan.