CSN Product Review

This is kinda delayed... blame it on my being sick. I kept meaning to do it...

Anyways, when CSN offered me a chance to review another of their products, I jumped at the chance to get some new cookware. You cannot do everything in two cast iron pans, no matter what anyone says. (Yes, cast iron is awesome. But it's also heavy and I'm not the strongest person in the world.)

So what I ended up getting was a stockpot, three frying pans and a bench scrape. This is what it came as:

(Technically they came all sealed up and everything, but I got so excited to get into them that I didn't think to take a picture until I was halfway through the boxes. Give me a break here, shipping was a pain. Not CSN's fault, but if it's going to be sent through Purolator, make SURE your address is EXACTLY right.)

If you can't see as well in the last picture, this is some of the stuff they're packaged with, along with what is basically giant bubble wrap. It was all recyclable and you could just pop them and let the air out for easy clean up. I really like that the packing material could be recycled because we all know those packing peanuts are horrible for the earth. And staticky.

This is the box the stockpot came in. On CSN's site, it was $29.95, which is a darned good price. (And I buy most of my cookware at bargain stores.) On Amazon*, it's $38.90, so that's really quite a nice difference if you're buying it.

These are the pans I got. The pans were $59.95 for all three, so that boils down to about 19 dollars each. Again, a good price for cookware. On the Rachael Ray website, there isn't a three-pack like I got, but if you add up the three pans I got, it's about $67, but I think they're having Christmas sales, so the normal difference might be more.

And this is how the bench scraper looked in the box. You can't really see it... but there it is. The bench scraper was $7.95. On the Rachael Ray site, it's the same, but I think it might normally be higher. (Don't quote me.)

Last: Everything laid out to show it all off. Isn't it pretty?

Now, onto the more review...y part of this review. I haven't used the stockpot yet, so I can't review it, but I'll do the frying pans and bench scraper, okay?

Rachael Ray Porcelain Enamel Skillets

First of all, I love the colour. I'm a blue freak and blue makes me happy. :) They're non-stick, which is nice and oven safe to 400*. As someone who has used both cheap (bad) pans and cast iron, I love that I can lift them with one hand, even the biggest one. Yet they have a nice weight to them that suggests to me that they'll last a good long time. I also like the silicone handles. Not only do they make it look nice, they're easier on your hands than plain bare steel handles.

I did have a bit of an adjusting period with them because I wasn't used to having to cook things on slightly lower temperatures (but pancakes might not have been the best first thing to make).

One thing to note... these are handwash only. Not a big deal for me since I don't have a dishwasher anyways, but it might be for some.

All in all, I really like these and I'd probably recommend them.

Rachael Ray Bench Scrape Shovel in Blue

I LOVE this. It's good for scooping things up, yes. The scooping edge curves down a little, so it really slides underneath and the handle keeps things from falling off the other side and protects your hand from what would be a rather hard edge otherwise. My knives are all very sharp so I don't much use them to scoop because I worry about cutting myself, but this takes care of that.

The thing I love it most, though, is for when I make bread. More specifically rolls. I use it to cut up the dough. I find it easier than using a knife. Maybe because the edge isn't as sharp, but it seems to go through the dough easier, and I find I can put more pressure on it than I perhaps would one of my knives. It might also work well for lifting and transfering cut-out cookies, but I haven't tried that yet.

All in all, if I had bought this, I'd be very satisfied. I like CSN's products and the shipping would have been very good had it not been for a mix-up with my address, but that's not the company's fault.

I haven't used the stockpot, so it wouldn't be fair to review it, but I will soon. :)

Peace and cookies,
Laina

*All prices mentioned in this review are in US currency and subject to change.