Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)At its present price of just under forty dollars at Amazon (with free shipping if you're an Amazon Prime member), this is an extraordinary buy. And the 4-for-3 promotion just makes it even better.
Even at a higher price (sixty dollars, maybe?), it would be well worthwhile.
These servers are petite, lightweight (i.e. easy to carry), sturdy and elegant-looking. The ability to cook either on the stovetop (we have an induction stove, and it works beautifully for these) or in the oven is a huge plus, so that you bring your food already warm to the table and skip any messy transfer between pots and servers.
The fact that our guests can see through the pretty glass top of the server to identify what they want seconds on before opening all the servers makes it even nicer.
With four of these servers, I can serve a hot brunch with eggs, bacon/sausages and two sides, and I don't have to worry about keeping these dishes hot while also plying guests with green salad, cut-up fruit and baked goods. For Thanksgiving, I can have turkey/dressing in one, mashed potato in another, and 2 separate vegetable side dishes, all nicely warmed (with just some means of keeping gravy warm to worry about!). :)
Each server holds 2 1/2 quarts -- approximately 20 traditional 1/2 cup servings or 10 large full-cup servings. Non-liquid dishes can mound up just a bit in the center to hold a bit more than 2 1/2 quarts and still be covered by the slightly domed lid. These are not massive items. Don't confuse them with huge buffet servers. If you want to serve 5 quarts of food, use 2 servers, or refill your server halfway through. They're very easy to refill -- just pick up the lightweight pan with or without the lid, take it back to the kitchen to add more food, and then return easily to the table where the pan will slip gracefully into its rack, no problems.
The servers were beautifully packaged, with the glass lid separately wrapped and protected. Setup took about 8 seconds. The rack is pretty and graceful, letting most of your tablecloth, runner or polished tabletop surface show beneath it. Six tealights are included (the server uses two), so you are stocked up for three events before you have to go buy more tealights (which are easily purchased almost anywhere and extremely inexpensive).
Unlike the porcelain servers with tealights we used previously, these servers are stainless steel and diffuse the heat easily across the entire base, so we don't have as much of a problem with hot spots or scorched food on the bottom.
They also clean up beautifully, as do all the Cuisinart pans from the Classic Stainless Steel line, which these match perfectly. Note: while the classic stainless steel pans are best handwashed, they are technically fit for the dishwasher: just don't use a dishwashing detergent containing lemon, which will erode the mirror finish on the stainless steel. I prefer to hand wash, which is very easy, as food releases almost magically and the pans air-dry almost spot free, requiring just a quick polish here or there with a paper towel.
Note that there's no place to hold the lid when it's opened, nor a serving spoon, but that's not unreasonable. I just up-end the lid on the buffet behind the server while guests are moving through the line and then cover the dishes until guests later help themselves to seconds. A pretty saucer right next to the server easily holds a serving spoon after the first round until guests return for more. Problem solved.
And if you have to bring a hot dish to a potluck or church dinner, this is a wonderful solution. The cover fits very nicely, so you shouldn't have to worry about spills during transit (though of course you'll want to hold the pan carefully, not let it tip on an uneven car seat). You can then set the pan and cover into the rack and light the tealights once you get there. No problem keeping your specialty warm, even if there aren't enough outlets available for everyone to plug in a crock pot or electric skillet.
These are a steal. Grab some under the current promotion if you can. Even if it expires, these are worth buying at the regular price. A terrific way to ease the burden on you when you entertain, while still making your tasty delights pleasant and attractive to your guests. And don't think you're going to want just one -- consider how many hot dishes you typically serve, and do yourself a favor by getting enough to take the load off you when you entertain or for everyday use for a large family.
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