All-Clad Stainless 7-Quart Stockpot with Pasta Insert

A Pratical Cook and Mom
My family gave me this set for Mothers Day. I really love it. The heating is very even in this pan. I never need to use heat over med to cook. I can cook 1 1/2 pounds of pasta. The insert holes are too small for pasta to pass through. When lifting pasta out you have to do so slowly to allow the water to drain into the pan. I then leave the insert at an angle to serve from the pot this keeps the pasta warm. I was able to cook 6-8 ears of corn-on-the-cob by standing the ears on end. I can cook large quantities of vegetables and drain to serve without effort. The stockpot is great. It is deep enough to make jams without the jam splashing out of the pan onto the stove like my other stockpot. The set is too big to fit in the dishwasher with the dishes from the meal, but it does fit. I am able to clean it easily after cooking, even cooked jam without much effort at all. This set is a very practical addition to my kitchen.

Everything I Wanted
I have been eyeing this pot for years! I thought it could be replaced by the All-Clad 12-Quart Stainless Multi Cooker with Steamer Basket, but no dice. The multicooker has an aluminum base and takes a while to heat up. Also, unless you're cooking for an army, it's really big. I had been using the All-Clad Stainless Asparagus Pot with Steamer Basket, but it only works for 1-2 people. I needed something in between those two pots!

The pasta pentola is perfect. The seven quart size is nice. I love that it's tall versus wide. Because it is fully clad (aluminum on the bottom and sides), it heats more effeciently than the multicooker and asparagus pot.

The insert works beautifully. It drains well and after draining, you can tilt it over the pot to keep the pasta warm as you finish other items for the dish.

I...

Good idea but in practice not used much
I got this cool looking pot and insert thinking, Wow! I won't have to strain the noodles. But then after using it a bit, I realized that I don't need to heat 7qts of water to feed my family. And that the insert doesn't sit far enough down in the bottom of the pan to really hold enough pasta. I know this is a contradiction but that's what this pot combo is. It's really too wide for asparagrass, although if I have enough people it works. It's a bit too samll for steaming corn on the cob, as I tend to heat 2 ears per person. Also lifting the pot full of noodles isn't a thing to do over the stove. It's move the pot to the sink and lift there. 7qts of water is heavy and this isn't a task to be taken by smaller cooks.

On the great side, the 7qt pot turns out to make great soups. It fits the small burner at the back of the stove. The soups rarely burn even without stirring. And the steamer works for that big batch of clams I have once a year. So while I won't give it away, I'm not sure I...

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