Have you ever gone to purchase something you really wanted and while the salesman is talking, red flags keep going off in your mind?

While buying our Circulon cookware, a few red flags popped into my head, while the salesperson was pitching them, that I wish I had payed more attention to.

First was that we were told NOT to let the children use them because they're such good cookware, "You wouldn't want the kids to damage them."  My kids were teenagers, at the time, and we wanted them to do as much for themselves as possible, including cooking meals from time to time.  If they were really as good as we were told, we shouldn't have to worry about that, anyway.

Second, I was told I would have to buy a special brush just to get them clean!  They have little grooves all along the sides & bottom, that when you cook anything but water, food gets stuck in the grooves and when that happens, the "Lifetime Warranty" becomes void. 

Third, the sheer weight of each piece, when there's food in it, and the stainless steel lids with handles that get too hot, are a huge problem.   Any pan that takes 2 hands to lift, unless it's a stock pot, is too heavy.  A potholder should ALWAYS be used on both the lids and the long handles. 

I was appalled that I "had to buy a special Circulon brush" and because I didn't, the two fry pans that came with the set, got ruined because most of the time, I didn't cook waterbased foods in the fry pans.  When I tried to have the Meyers Corporation send me replacements, according to the warranty policy, they sent the ruined ones back to me, at MY expense, and told me it was due to "improper cleaning" and therefore the warranty was void!!  They did, however, send me a coupon good for 20% off the purchase of new pans.

It took me awhile but I finally smartened up and am now in the process of replacing my Circulon, one piece at a time, with All-Clad stainless steel cookware that can be used the way most people use their pots & pans.  No "kid gloves" needed with these babies!!!