The Tupperware Chef Series cookware collection isn't your average, run-of-the-mill cookware. This line has an elegant flair with pans that are designed to be functional yet attractive.

The professional-grade cookware is made from gleaming 18-gauge stainless steel with thick aluminum disk bases. The smooth rounded pans look more like serving vessels and can easily go from stovetop to table, provided a heatproof pad is used to protect the table. Triply construction -- two layers of stainless steel surrounding one layer of aluminum -- means a heavier pan and less likelihood of burning, which often results with thin-bottomed pans. Each of the pans in this line features a nonstick cooking surface for easy release and cleaning.

The pans have cast stainless-steel handles, which are hollow so they stay relatively cool to the touch during stovetop use. The largest pans in the line have two handles -- a long handle and a helper ring-style handle, such as the wok; or two ring-style handles, such as the stock pot and sauté pan.

The mirror finish on these pans is absolutely stunning. Elegant contoured handles are attached to the pans with two rivets, which won't ever loosen over time. The longer handles of the saucepans and frying pans have "V" style ends where the handle meets the pan. This design keeps heat from traveling up the handle, and results in a cooler grasping point.

Pans can be purchased as open stock pieces or as an 8-piece starter set. The set comes with a 9.5-inch covered nonstick fry pan, 2.5-quart covered nonstick saucepan, 4-quart fry pan, 2.5-quart covered nonstick saucepan, 4-quart covered nonstick saucepan and 6-quart Dutch oven with stainless-steel cover. The pans are safe for use on ceramic, gas, electric or induction stovetops, and are oven safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tempered glass lids let you keep an eye on the cooking and clever angled handles reach up and away from the glass to protect knuckles from scorching. The glass covers are oven safe up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Little extras on these pans include handy pouring spouts on the sides of the saucepans and wide, comfortable handle grips so you'll never hurt your hand while lifting the pan. Ring-style openings at the end of each handle also enable you to hang the pans from a pot rack.

The Chef Series pans are a bit pricey; however, the extra attention to detail and Tupperware lifetime warranty make them a good choice for the discerning cook.


Pros: Triply construction, hollow, stay-cool handles, nonstick coating
Cons: Glass covers are subject to breaking if dropped

Warranty
10 years, nonstick coating; lifetime, pans