T-fal A821SA Initiatives Nonstick Inside and Out Dishwasher Safe Oven Safe Cookware Set, 10-Piece

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You’ve come to the right spot if you’re on the lookout for an affordable cookware set with non-stick properties and a whole lot of great features.

We’re taking a deep look at the T-Fal Initiatives Nonstick Inside and Out 10-piece set. We think you’ll be as impressed as we are with the quality you get for such a small cost!

Enough chit chat, let’s look at the T-Fal Initiatives Nonstick Inside and Out 10-piece set.

What do you get?

This set includes:

• 1-quart saucepan with lid
• 2-quart saucepan with lid
• 5-quart Dutch oven with lid
• 8-inch saute pan
• 5-inch saute pan
• 11-inch saute pan
• Steamer

We love the variety of pieces provided here. There’s really nothing missing. You’ve got your smaller saucepans for sauces, gravies and smaller batches of pasta or noodles.

You’ve got the dutch oven for large pasta batches, casseroles, stews, curries and soups. The three saute pans are perfect for meats, pancakes, eggs, fritters, fish…anything which requires searing and has little or no liquid content.

And the steamer is crucial for steaming veggies (and other goodies such as steamed buns!) without added oils or fats.

What’s it made of?

The bulk of these pots and pans are made from aluminum. This is great news because aluminum is a wonderful heat conductor and is great at distributing heat evenly (better than other materials such as stainless steel).

The aluminum is coated with a PFOA-free non-stick coating on the interior and the exterior. Wondering why they put non-stick on the exterior? Because it makes clean-up far easier.

If you spill sauces and stickiness down the sides, it’ll simply wipe away, meaning your cookware remains clean and fresh for longer.

The lids are made of tempered glass which is sturdy, easy to clean and see-through so you can see the food as it cooks.

The handles are fantastic! They’re made from tough plastic which resists heat and is comfortable to grip. The shapes of the handles are ergonomically designed for safe and comfortable handling so you can be confident when running around your kitchen with heavy, hot pans.

If you are wondering about the safety and toxicity of the materials used, T-Fal addresses this here. Basically, this set (and all T-Fal products) doesn’t contain PFOA, lead or cadmium.

These are nasty substances which are present in other (cheaper or less regulated) cookware so it’s great to know they’re not present in this T-Fal set.

Best features

Oven safe: this cookware set is oven-safe! You can use every piece in the oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

We love this feature as it just makes the cookware all the more versatile and even saves you from pulling out a separate dish when it’s time to use the oven.

You can keep dishes warm, slow-cook or broil in the same pan you used to start the process on the stove.

Dishwasher safe: yes, you can wash each piece in the dishwasher. However, we do recommend that you hand-wash your cookware whenever possible as it will prolong the quality and performance.

Sometimes the dishwasher and detergents used can cause peeling or chipping, despite the “dishwasher safe” label on the packaging.

Totally non-stick: because the interior and exterior of each pot and pan is non-stick, cleaning is all the more simple and frustration free. You won’t need to soak and scrub to get rid of food residue.

But aside from cleaning, the non-stick surface makes it far easier to cook with less fat, great for anyone watching their caloric intake.

It also means that you can cook sticky foods (eggs, pancakes, fritters…anything involving batter!) without risking that rage-inducing disaster of stuck, burnt food.

Even-heat, anti-warp base: you’ll see that the base of each piece has a silver-toned pattern of concentric circles. This is the even-heat, anti-warp base which ensures that there are no hot spots and uneven cooking.

It also makes sure that the base doesn’t go wonky and warped. A warped base is frustrating as it wobbles on the cookware surface and refuses to come into contact evenly with the heat source.

Thermo-spot heat indicator: yes, this set has T-Fal’s signature Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator which is that red spot in the center of each frying pan.

When the frying pan has reached maximum heat (according to the heat level you’ve chosen on the stove) the spot will glow, letting you know it’s time to get sizzling.

Pouring spouts: you’ll notice that each pot and pan has a spout on the edge. This small design detail comes in so handy when you want to drain liquid from saucepans or pour saucy liquids from frying pans onto your plates.

It allows you to get a neat, tidy pour without sloshing sticky, oily mess down the sides of the pan. This also makes the pans great for making tea so that it can be easily poured on to the cups.

Anything to be wary of?

The only thing I would say to be careful of is the utensils that you use with this cookware set. If you’re attached to your metal utensils and don’t want to use wood or silicone, I would look for another cookware set.

(Another small detail to note is that this set is not compatible with induction cooktops).

Who would this set suit best?

This set would suit you if you:

• Require a mix of saucepans and a few frying pans
• You often cook eggs or sticky food items such as battered fish or pancakes
• You require a set which is easy to clean and won’t become stuck with foodie mess
• You require cool-touch, sturdy-grip handles
• You require an oven-safe cookware set
• You prefer glass lids
• You require a pour spout
• You like to hang your cookware on hooks (each handle has a hook hole)
• You have a very small budget

Final thoughts

We think the T-Fal Initiatives Nonstick Inside and Out 10-Piece Cookware Set should be a very high contender on your list of potential new cookware sets.

It’s incredibly affordable, has an all-around nonstick coating for easy cleaning and fuss-free cooking, and it’s safe for the oven. It has a well-rounded variety of cookware pieces to cover all home cooking tasks.

Just remember to use wooden or silicone utensils, and be wary of the dishwasher (in our careful opinion)!

This would be a wonderful set for a student home (thanks to the affordability), a young family on a budget, or even as a set to keep at a holiday home or guest house.

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