Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $810.00
Sale Price: $322.58
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So far I'm thoroughly pleased with this cookware. Looks great, comfortable handles, nice heavy weight, and most importantly, heats evenly without the hotspots found with less substantial cookware. Absolutely love the size of the 'dutch oven'. It's heavy enough and the perfect size for my 'no knead bread' recipe.
I'll admit to being a bit leery prior to purchase. Only announced in June of 2011, this line was an unproven commodity. We were leaning heavily toward the All-Clad stainless line. I decided to order the 1qt saucepan of the French Classic Cuisinart cookware to compare. After that we were sold.
Pros:
Induction compatible, which was a must for us as we plan on upgrading to an induction cook top.
Handles more comfortable than All-Clad (an individual thing I'm sure. Try them both if you can to see which you prefer.)
Price compared to other what I would call "better quality" lines of cookware like All-Clad, Viking's Pro line, ...
Interchangeable covers. The stock pot, dutch oven, and sauté pan all use the same size lid, and it also fits the 10" skillet.
Cons:
Selection. You can get a piece of All-Clad cookware in every size and style imaginable. Only a few pieces available in this line. But if what they offer is all you need...
Pouring. The non lipped style doesn't lend to pouring from pot or pan neatly. A guide spoon is needed if pouring slowly from a fuller pan. The plus side of that is well fitting lids.
A nice set overall that we're very pleased with. I'm no pro and have never really needed a Windsor, Sauteuse, or Paella pan. :)
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Awesome set. Fast to heat up. Even heating. Foods don't stick. Comfortable handles. Great look and mirror finish all for hundreds of dollars less than all clad.
Best Deals for Best Download Cuisinart FCT-10 French Classic Tri-Ply Stainless
This review will compare this set to a similar set available at Bed Bath and Beyond. For a general comparison to other brands of tri-ply, see my review of Cuisinart FCT33-28H French Classic Tri-Ply Stainless 5-1/2-Quart Saute Pan with Helper Handle and Cover As you can read, the French Classic is constructed the same or better than other lines of tri-ply, but I really like how it looks. It's cost is similar, or cheaper than most lines. It performs great, and compares well to my outgoing Circulon set. It's also probably the only thing I own that's made in France, and I like to buy non-Chinese(quality and slave labor issues) when possible, so that's worth something.
The set at BB&B costs $240 if you use one of their 20% off coupons, which is quiet a bit cheaper than this set. They are both 10 piece sets. Both come with the same 8 and 10 inch open skillets, and a steamer basket. Both have a 2 quart sauce pat. Other than that, there's quiet a bit of difference. The BB&B set has glass lids, while this set has stainless lids. My 5.5 quart Sauté Pan came with the stainless lid, so I can compare the lids. I prefer the glass. The stainless lids are so shiny that they show smudges easier than the glass. I also like seeing the food cook. They probably both seal equally, but because you can see the food through the glass, you don't have to lift the lid as much, so the glass effectively keeps in more moisture.
Another big difference is the 3 quart sauté pan, which lacks a helper handle on the BB&B set. I like pans with a helper handle, because it's easier to move them around. I also like how you can balance the pan over the sink on the two handles while you fill it with water to soak. I wish the BB&B pan had a helper handle.
The BB&B set's 6 quart stock pot is 2 quarts smaller than this set's. It would be nice to have the larger stock pot. Another big difference is this set offers a nice Dutch oven, while the BB&B set offers a 1 quart sauté pan. You can bet that you'll use the 1 quart saute pan more than that Dutch oven, and you can buy a nice Dutch oven with the $160 price difference, and a larger stock pot if you need one, though not from the French Classic line. I already had one, and I already had a large stock pot. Note that you can't buy the larger 8 quart stock pot or the Dutch oven separately in the French Classic line. You can buy the Cuisinart FCT19-14 French Classic Tri-Ply Stainless 1-Quart Saucepan with Cover separately, though.
I think the BB&B set is a good basic starter set, or a good set to buy to replace frequently used pans, like I did. You may already have the larger pans it's missing, or you can buy them with the price savings over this set. You may prefer the glass lids, as I do, or you may like the shiny metal ones on this set. The only thing this set has over the BB&B set for me is the helper handle on the 3 quart sauté pan.
You'll like either set, and both are great values when compared to other lines of tri-ply. I just think the BB&B set is a better value. In either case, consider if you will want to buy any other pans, and if you'll want them to match these sets, because there's hardly any open stock French Classic pieces.
Honest reviews on Best Download Cuisinart FCT-10 French Classic Tri-Ply Stainless
I recently purchased this set and just love it! I have the cuisinart gourmet green for non-stick cooking and it's terrific as well. My mom used Waterless stainless cookware for 40 years (I have that set) but this Cuisinart French Classic has it beat. Even heating, non-stick and easy clean up. It's nice to be able to cook on lower heat settings with fantastic results!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Best Download Cuisinart FCT-10 French Classic Tri-Ply Stainless
I purchased this 10-piece Cuisinart cookware set to replace a set of Revere ProLines that are falling apart (literally, the copper bottoms are dropping off). I thought my ProLines were pretty good, but the quality of the Cuisinart French Classic far surpasses what I've been using, with triple-thick walls, stainless form-fitting covers, and a nice balance in the hand with contoured handles. They are on the heavy side, but I like a substantial pan, they feel durable and I don't doubt they will last a lifetime. They heat quickly and cook evenly with less heat because of the aluminum core.
A few (minor) complaints: The large rivets for the handles on the inside of the pots are a little hard to clean up, but that doesn't affect my overall love of the cookware. Then they recommend plastic or wood utensils to preserve the glossy interior. I don't care so much about the insides, so I'll continue to use metal utensils on my cookware. I would have also liked to have seen another saucepan or two in this collection, but there are pieces that can be purchased separately.
There is a lifetime warranty on the French Classic line; Cuisinart appears to have their own repair center and offers a large variety of top-quality cookware should something need to be replaced. I cannot get Revere to honor their lifetime warranty on their ProLine pans, since they don't offer repair and they no longer make the line or anything comparable.
I highly recommend this cookware set if you are looking for something substantial and long-lasting. I would say these are on par with higher-end brands out there, and are relatively inexpensive compared to those. I'm very pleased with how they look, their durability, and how they cook.
