Is the Circulon Elite 10 Hard-Anodized A Good Value? Where Can You Get a Great Deal on this 10 Piece Cookware Set?

Step into your kitchen and enjoy the easy, breezy convenience of Circulon Elite's nonstick hard anodized cookware. This is a product line that brings you to a better level of satisfaction with performance and ease of use that you usually don't find in home products.

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The Circulon line originated with Meyer Manufacturing Company, a firm dating back to the Fifties that produced small household consumables such as flashlights. It segued into cookware products in the Seventies, but it was not until 1985 when an innovative design team married the popularity of modern nonstick cookware with the sturdiness of traditional aluminum products. Circulon was the result of utilizing anodized aluminum for these pots and pans.

Just what is hard anodized aluminum? A typical anodizing technique subjects aluminum to an electrolyte bath followed by electrical charging that coats the aluminum so that it resists sticking. However, when you take the electrolyte solution to freezing temperatures and ratchet up the voltage of the electrical current, the result is hard anodized aluminum.

Here's what hard anodized aluminum offers over the older, traditional cooksets: Kitchen products made this way have a more substantial nonstick surface, and this thicker coating fills in more of the aluminum's natural porosity. The resulting cookware weighs less than stainless steel and it costs less. On top of that, it withstands heavy use and repeated cleaning.

With the Circulon Elite 10-piece Nonstick Hard-Anodized Cookware, you get two saucepans, one- and two-quart sizes, plus an eight-quart stock pot. The skillets come in eight- and ten-inch sizes, and you'll love the slightly larger sauté pan. The set comes with four lids that can be used interchangeably on the various cooking pieces.

What makes this set so terrific? All of the handles are stainless steel, riveted onto the various pots and pans. They are covered with silicone grips that protect you against heat and reduce the risk of dropping the pans. Any part of the set can be used in a hot oven as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The lids are made of tempered glass and rimmed with stainless steel so you can watch what you're cooking. They are designed with deep recesses that help prevent the annoying drips of condensation-which also means you won't get burned from those drips.

Besides its light weight relative to its strength, another great benefit of hard anodized aluminum is the evenness of heat distribution. Many people swear that this feature plus the absolutely non-stick surface allow them to cook with less oil. The bottoms of the pans are flat and smooth without grooves, so they work well on ceramic or glass stove tops.

There are a couple improvements that Circulon could make to its next generation of cookware. This set would be even better if it included a larger, possibly a three-quart saucepan. The one-quart pan is great for whisking small quantities of sauces, but the larger saucepan would be much better for boiling pasta, for example.

Also, while the see-through lids work well and stand up to dishwasher punishment, the indentations inside the lids can be difficult to clean.

Overall, however, the pots and pans in this set are easy to handle, perform well on the stove top or in the oven, and wash up effortlessly. Consumers report that the finishes on these pieces maintain their sleek appearance even after they've become old friends in the kitchen. The company provides a lifetime limited warranty, and it offers compatible companions if you find that you want to add pieces to your set.

See Lowest Price on Circulon Elite 10 | Read Customer Reviews