Cuisinart 744-24 Chef's Classic Stainless 6-Quart Sauce Pot with Lid

I too ordered this pot based on the Cook's Illustrated recommendation, and I am not disappointed. As a vessel I use primarily for handling large volumes of liquid, it is ergonomically nearly perfect. The height/diameter ratio is just right, as is the weight for a pot that will have to be carried full to the sink and then maneuvered to drain. As CI notes, the handles on both the pot and lid are particularly large, sturdy, and well designed. For those who complain that the sides are not thicker/sturdier: Folks, this is a stock pot, not a dutch oven. You don't really need or want side heat for most purposes, and thicker would mean substantially heavier. As is, the sides are hardly flimsy, so this would be a poor trade off. Moreover, without sandwiching in more aluminum up the sides--WAY more expensive--thicker sides would merely add more weight without really improving performance or durability.

Excelente!!

This pot is very well made just like all my other Cuisinart pots and pans. It distributes heat evenly with the heavy bottom. I have a pretty large stew pot from the set of Cuisinart pans that I already owned. This one is the perfect step in between. I have been using my set of Cuisinart for about 15 years now. Previously we had other brand name sets with Teflon that would have to be replaced in about 5 years, did not do a good sear and weren't made to go in the oven. Cast iron was not an option due to my glass top stove. I finally went for the solid stainless steel set of Cuisinart and have never regretted it. I thought that I would not like the frying pans but find that they are wonderful to use and easy to clean when you know a couple of tricks (I will share at the end.) They are excellent to sear steaks with a finish in the oven. This pot lives up to the quality of all my other Cuisinart pots and pans and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Cleaning tips: I use my skillets to sear steaks at very high heat then do a finish in a hot oven. After I remove the steaks and they are resting, I immediately put the hot pan into the sink and add water to it. This is like adding wine to your pan to 'deglaze' only this is for cleaning purposes. Then I use the spatula to scrape any stubborn bits. Most often I can get all the bits this way. For any stubborn bits and discoloration I use soft scrub; apply and let sit a few minutes then use a scrubbie. I can get the pan clean and put away before the steaks are done resting.

First, contrary to what some reviews have suggested, I believe that this is a 10 qt pot. The interior markings end at 9 Qts but there is 10 qt capacity above the last mark up to the rim. So it holds 10 qts technically but not practically or usefully. For me, that's not an issue at all. It's a great size for cooking pasta, soup, chili, ragu, etc. So many pots this size are taller. This one is slightly shorter and wider which makes it easier to store and probably a little easier to heat through with the contents not quite so deep. It performed really well browning beef chunks for ragu. I do believe the heating and browning was better and more even than my much more expensive stainless All-Clad pans. Clean up has been easy and the mirror finish is still looking great. Didn't think I'd find the cup markings inside so useful. How did I live without them? Pasta water amount is measured as it's filling up and always easy to be consistent. We often make a whole or double recipe of soups, chili, pasta sauces, divide equally and freeze half. No extra measuring now. Just use interior marks to determine half. This pot has been a dream to use, made things easier in both cooking and clean up, and has been so much more than I expected.

I bought this based on Cook's Illustrated's recommendations. It is definitely a great pan for a great price. Sure, the All-Clad is sturdier and cooks a little better, but it also costs $300. This was just over $50 when I bought it and it works fabulously until I can fork out the money for an All-Clad set.