The incredible amazing Chefmate saucepan and more

[Varmint]

I have the North Carolina market cornered and will begin to sell actively on eBay. The FTC will be sending me a civil investigative demand shortly.

[jhlurie]

This is clearly a time to buy stock in Target, because the rash of pot and pan buying that will result from this will definitely push them over the top.

[Ellen Shapiro]

Sometimes I'm afraid. Very, very afraid.

[madams77]

Over the weekend, my friend (HungryChris) and I found two All-Clad "try me" pieces for $19.99 each - a 1qt saucepan and a 7" skillet. I was so excited with this find as I venture into the world of "decent" cookware! Later in the weekend, we happened into our local Target (we llve in southeastern CT) and recalled the Fat Guy's recommendation on the Chefmate pan. We found the pan, and also a Chefmate 8-piece set for $99.99. Even though my plans were to buy an All-Clad set someday....I decided to try the Chefmate now (I have that immediate gratification thing going!) When I got home and looked at the Chefmate pieces, I was amazed that they appeared to be of similar quality to my two new All-Clads, but at a fraction of the cost. I wonder if the old saying "you get what you pay for" will turn out to be true!

Just wanted to thank the Fat Guy for sharing his discovery at Target!

[nightscotsman]

So has anyone cooked with these things yet? How do they handle? Hotspots? Heat retention? Clean-up?

[Fat Guy]

How do they handle? Hotspots? Heat retention? Clean-up?

I still don't own one -- I've given all my purchases away -- but I have been present for two instances of cooking in one at a friend's house. They handle like professional cookware. There are no hotspots at all. Heat retention is on par with cast-iron. The only flaw I witnessed was in clean-up. These things are very hard to clean back to their original shine. There may be a specific product that does the trick, but I think you're going to have to resign yourself to significant dulling of the surface. I don't think it will affect performance, though. If there is a flaw in the construction it's going to be found in the joining of the pan to the base, but only time and repeated stress will be able to demonstrate the quality of construction one way or the other.

[Jason Perlow]

The Chefmate 16 quart Stockpot in Action.

[Dave the Cook]

How do you get the shrimp to jump out of the pot and into the strainer like that?

Oh. They must be in pain.

[Rachel Perlow]

I like the stock pot very much. The base is nice and thick and the lid fits very tightly, while at the same time it holds the wire part of the temperature probe in place easily (I set the temp monitor for around 210 so I'm notified when the water is boiling without having to be in the kitchen). It is quite a heavy pot, but it fits in my sink, so it was easy to clean off the shrimp scum.

Haven't used the sauce pot yet.

[crumbs]

I bought the 3 qt copper bottomed Chef Mate ($19.99) & an 8 qt "professional" stockpot for $34.99. The 8 qt includes a pasta-cooking insert, a vegetable steamer insert & glass lid. It's the perfect size for our family of three!

Also, I was at a Super WalMart yesterday in Auburn, Alabama (had to take our dog up to the vet school) and they had what looked like the identical products under the name Revere. They were sold out of the 3 qt. copper bottomed, but it was on sale for $16.49! Might be worth a look....

Thanks for sharing -

Debi

[Ruth]

I used my 16 quart stock pot to make a huge poultry/ham stock over the past two days - probably a three month supply. It's very heavy when full of meat, bones and liquid but what else are husbands for? Cleaning? Not much of a problem with Barkeeper's Friend. The shine is still there. That aluminum base is really important to stop any of the solids at the bottom from burning. Making stock is such a messy, time-consuming business I was delighted to be able to make so much in a single pot. This was one of the best tips ever. I always go for quality cookware but an AllClad or similar of this size would break the bank. Now the problem is finding room in the freezer!

[Fat Guy]

Crumbs: I'm pretty sure Revere is a different brand altogether, with a "painted on" copper bottom rather than a clad copper bottom, but I'll check Wal-Mart next time I pass by one.

[Dave the Cook]

Revere is owned by World Kitchens, the same company that owns, among other things (the list is pretty long):

• OXO
  
• Corning Ware
  
• Chicago Cutlery
  
• Pyrex
  
• Ecko
  

So far as I know, there is no connection between WK and Chefmate or the Herald Group.

[JAZ]

How do they handle? Hotspots? Heat retention? Clean-up?

The only flaw I witnessed was in clean-up. These things are very hard to clean back to their original shine. There may be a specific product that does the trick, but I think you're going to have to resign yourself to significant dulling of the surface. I don't think it will affect performance, though.

FG, it's been my experience that it's tough to keep any "clad" type stainless cookware looking new. I have pieces of All Clad and Kitchenaid and they both require lots of Bar Keepers Friend and hard work to keep really shiny. Even my beloved Demeyere takes some scrubbing occasionally to stay looking nice.

Does the Chefmate seem harder to clean than, say, All Clad?

[crumbs]

Crumbs: I'm pretty sure Revere is a different brand altogether, with a "painted on" copper bottom rather than a clad copper bottom, but I'll check Wal-Mart next time I pass by one.

This wasn't painted on. (My mom used those for years--she considered her Revere pots top-of-the-line . Those copper bottoms were cleaned with a copper paste every night--they still look brand new.) The 2 qt. WalMart had in stock looked identical to the 3 qt. Chef Mate I bought from Target, right down to the shrink-wrapped lid. The copper bottom had the same outside ridge where it's clad to the stainless & the weight felt the same. Even the rivets to the handles looked the same. They also had a "professional" all stainless line which was again priced just under Target's CM.

(Now watch that the only place in the world they carry this is Auburn, Alabama! I don't see it on their web-site.)

EDIT: Oh wait!! I did find them on the internet--Sold at Target through Amazon!!!

DOUBLE EDIT: I did notice that the copper bottomed said to limit to 450o & the stainless said 500o. (Note the low rating from the Amazon guy who managed to ruin two pots. Geeze.....)

Revere Ware at Target

Debi

Edited February 14, 2003 by crumbs (log)

[Fat Guy]

Revere Ware at Target

Wow, that does look extremely similar to the Chefmate stuff. Very interesting.

[Dave the Cook]

Chefmate:

RevereWare:

And just for fun, here's Farberware, which both these lines remind me of:

Edited February 15, 2003 by Dave the Cook (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Some interesting remarks though on amazon from a customer who says the copper encapsulation coating on the Revere stuff comes off on high heat though.

copper "encapsulated" NOT copper clad, January 27, 2003

Reviewer: A Kitchen & Housewares enthusiast from USA 

These pots are worse than useless. The instruction leaflet that comes with the pots states:

"Never let cookware boil dry or use on high heat. Products with Tri-Ply/aluminum disc/or encapsulated bottoms may melt/separate."

I tried frying some falafels, and sure enough, the copper bottom started to seperate from the pan. Same thing happened to another pot when I inadvertantly let some broccoli boil dry. Also in the manual it says that if bottom of pan melts/seperates, DO NOT USE AGAIN.

I've enjoyed years of use out of my Revere copper clad cookware, but after only a couple weeks several of my new copper encapsulated pots and pans are ready for the landfill. I am very dissapointed.

[Dave the Cook]

Never let cookware boil dry or use on high heat. Products with Tri-Ply/aluminum disc/or encapsulated bottoms may melt/separate.

I've never read a "manual" (such as it is) that came with clad cookware that didn't warn about separation of the bottom clad layer. High-end stuff comes with a significant warranty, though. Demeyere, for instance, warns about the problem, but also has a 30 year guarantee.

[Fat Guy]

Dave: They don't look much like Farberware to me. What similarities are you suggesting?

JAZ: Would you believe I don't have a single piece of All-Clad in my kitchen? A couple have passed through over the years, but they were the LTD type with the black anodized aluminum exterior. So I can't say.

[Dave the Cook]

Dave: They don't look much like Farberware to me. What similarities are you suggesting?

I wasn't suggesting that they are related in a corporate way, if that's where you thought I was going. I am suggesting:

- They are all after the same price point. And I think FW offers a good value in their Millenium line. I looked at it pretty closely for an eGulleter a couple of months ago, and the S/S line looks pretty good. I don't think it's in the same category as All-Clad or Demeyere or Sitram, but it's about half the price. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a friend on a budget.

- All three lines are knocking off All-Clad. ChefMate and FW have a closer look.

- The handles on the CM and FW -- it's that All-Clad style that Cuisinart and Calphalon have emulated.

- The lids on the CM and FW are both that recessed type that you see on KitchenAid. It's a good design, I think.

That's all. Nothing sinister or convoluted.

[Richard Kilgore]

Just curious as to how the Target Chefmate pans and stockpots are working out, and how they compare to All-Clad after using them a little.

[Bashful3]

Just went to Target, special, to get this $19.95 Chefmate wonder. Aside from its hefty weight, I was definitely impressed.

I may return someday to buy the $99 multi-piece set for my daughter who hates non-stick pans of any kind.

[Richard Kilgore]

I have been converting from old Calphalon annodized to All-Clad Stainless recently. But I have been curious about the Chefmate, so I went to the nearby Target to get the 3 qt to try it out. They had the 3 qt copper encapsulated and a 2 qt three ply. My guess is that the three ply is a safer bet, so I got the 2 qt. The copper pieces are all priced under the three ply, so that likley tells us something.

The only thing I don't like initially about the Chefmate pan in comparison to the All-Clad is the handle. The CM is curved and lacks the thumb groove of the All-Clad. I think this is okay up to about 2 qt pans, but I think you could lose it with a full three qt.

I'll report back after I have had a chance to test it out. And I'll probably pick up at least one of the "professional" CM stockpots later.

Edited February 27, 2003 by Richard Kilgore (log)

[indiagirl]

i've had a 16 qt stockpot for a year plus now - it does not say chefmate anywhere on it but looks *exactly* like the posted photograph. i bought it at either linens and things or bed, bath and beyond (those stores meld into one in my mind). paid forty bucks for it and it came with two strainer inserts a shallow one and a deep one.

it rocks.

i mostly use it to make pasta and one time i had a huge tomato pickle fiasco in it and it had a layer of burnt crust in it that was inches high (ok, a slight exaggeration there)

anyway, a little barmate thingy powder, steelwool and a lot of scrubbing and it was like new again.

the only downside - storage and washing, the thing is so damn tall it fits in none of my shelves and it's hard to maneuver in my sink

but i love it anyway and i'm going to target on the way home from work tommorow to buy the saucepan.

thanks for the tip.