We have used Belgique stainless steel cookware for the last 24 years, although on our old set, our handles are not ovenproof and after almost a quarter of a century, they show a bit of wear. We were excited to try this T-fal set of 14 piece stainless cookware. Immediately we noticed that the stainless steel on these pans is a bit thinner than our Belgique set, but the silicone edges on the ergonomic feeling handles is a huge improvement over our Belgique. The count of 14 pieces seems a little bit disingenuous because their count is broken down as: 1) 1.1 qt Saucepan 2) Lid for 1.1 qt Saucepan 3) 3.2 qt Saucepan 4) Lid for 3.2 qt Saucepan 5) 3.5 qt Deep Saute pan 6) Lid for 3.5 qt Saute pan 7) 5.5 qt Dutch Oven 8) Lid for 5.5 qt Dutch Oven 9) 8 in Fry Pan 10) 10.5 in Fry Pan 11) 1/4 tsp Measuring Spoon 12) 1/2 tsp Measuring Spoon 13) 1 tsp Measuring Spoon 14) 1 TBSP Measuring Spoon Usually when a cookware set is advertised as a certain number of pieces, they do count the lids separately (which I disagree with, but accept as industry standard), but the inclusion of measuring spoons counted piece by piece is kind of silly. I would call it a 10 piece set with a bonus set of measuring spoons. I had been very excited at the notion of dishwasher safe cookware, since our Belgique is hand wash only. As it turns out, (and I should have guessed) they recommend hand washing...but they ARE dishwasher safe. We are determined to ultimately wash them in the dishwasher for the best test of their durability and for the convenience, but I'm torn by the fact that our dishwasher requires a lot of pre-washing. So, pre-washing these makes it too easy to just scrub a little more and have them already ready to dry and start their next cooking task! Since there are only 6 pots in this set, I like having them ready to go! T-fal is best known for their non-stick surfaces, but in light of all the new information about how dangerous those surfaces are, there has been a healthy industry shift away from them. I was looking forward to trying this new "Techno Release" to see if it might be more conducive than our plain stainless pan bottoms to preparing certain foods...especially eggs. We use Grapeseed Oil when we cook our eggs and I found with a scant amount of it in the pan, the Techno Release was actually somewhat effective...certainly more-so than our plain smooth stainless bottoms. (Please note that this set of cookware can only be used with medium heat or less.) After cooking eggs or other sticky foods (like the caramelized maple from cooking breakfast sausage), I added a tablespoon of baking soda to the pan and some water and let it simmer for a few minutes, then turned it off. The stuck on food lifted off well and the pan was easy to clean. We did have a super weird experience with our first use of the fry pan that led me to make a baking soda and dish soap mix and scrub all the pans thoroughly. We had followed the instructions and washed the new pans thoroughly with warm soapy water, but apparently it wasn't enough for a first use...our first cooking experience with eggs turned the eggs gray?!? (See first pic) Eww.. I know of reasons that eggs can turn gray/green (like extreme over cooking of the eggs), but those factors were NOT an issue here...it happened almost immediately after we started cooking the eggs, so I'm certain it was an invisible something in or on the pan. We tossed the first set of eggs, scrubbed with the baking soda and dish soap mix and then tried again and they turned out great! We have been very happy with the way sauces and foods cook in these. The lids fit a little on the loose side, but the handles are nice and the venting is convenient and works well to help keep the lids from leaping all around. One of my favorite things about this cookware is that the pots are all oven safe up to 400 degrees, except the Dutch Oven which is safe up to 500 degrees (since the handles on the Dutch Oven are only stainless steel). As I mentioned, the handles on the Dutch Oven are stainless steel alone, but the rest of the pans have what they call a "silicone wrap", though it is really around 3/4 of the handle (the very tops are open). The handles also all have openings for hanging them. I love the feel of the ergonomic handles..they are comfortable to hold, even when full. The measuring cups are nice, but it is hard to consider counting them as part of the pieces in a set of pots and pans. In general this set is very nice! They could definitely be a little more heavy duty, and while I like the Techno Release, I do wonder if making the raised design more prolific in the bottom would help even more.
