Review of Rachael Ray 5-Quart Hard-Anodized Orange Oval Sauté Pan with Helper Handle

I have Lupus, and suffer from the growing loss of mobility in all of my limbs. I love to cook, but have struggled to continue using my expensive cookware because it is now too heavy for me to safely manage.

I have agonized over this development and had feared that I would be forced to replace my cookware with really thin (light and cheap) aluminum pots and pans. If so, I knew I would be giving up a lot of cooking flexibility and the quality I had learned to rely on and love.

At least, I thought that until Rachael Ray put out her imaginative cooking line! Not only does this five-quart oval saute cook like a dream, it weighs about half of what my other cookware does, has that great helper handle to lift it and serve the contents, and cleans easier than ANY pan that I own at any price.

As a result, I can continue to do what I love -- cooking -- despite my illness! When you're disabled, you have to give up a lot of things that had been meaningful in your life, not to mention independence. I applaud ANY product that is disabled-compatible.

In reading the reviews for this great pan, I hadn't noticed anyone raving about its weight. For folks like me, that's a really huge deal.

Thanks, Rach!



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Product Description:
Increase the valuable space on the stove of your busy kitchen with this unique oval shaped saute. Because of its design you can easily fit this large piece on one burner and even a second one on the next.

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Review of Rachael Ray 12-Ounce Cast-Iron Covered Oval Casseroles, Set of 2, Orange

These are "mini-me" sized covered casseroles. A French person might call one a mini Doufeu, as it has the central indentation on the lid on which one could put mini ice cubes. The small interior measures 4 3/4" by up to 3 1/4" wide, and a shallow 1 3/4" in depth.

They are enamel over cast iron, similar to Le Creuset in appearance, however don't expect to put more than, say 7-8 ounces of food in one, to keep the food from bubbling over and creating a real mess.

How/when to use them? They are a functional novelty item, a large ramekin in capacity, so I'll use them perhaps for serving a small portion of soup that will keep its heat for a while, rather than actually cooking from scratch in one. They are too narrow and tiny to use for browning items before a stew, so do any "serious" cooking in a larger container, then transfer to this for serving, to be realistic. It's a good size for a side of vegetables, as 7-8 oz of food is not a full meal for many teens or adults! Do not put enameled cast iron in the dishwasher, and do dry it quickly after use, to decrease rusting.

Drawback 1: The mini casseroles have a cheap phenolic (plastic) handle on the top cover/lid, which the manual says are "oven safe" ONLY up to 350 F temperature. This makes no sense, when recipes may call for 350-400 degree temperatures! A 350 degree handle is just as hot to the touch, be it made of cheap plastic or sturdy cast iron. Le Creuset's products are certified to 450 degrees, not Rachaels's mere 350 degrees.

Drawback 2: People are noting cracking of the enamel on the larger casseroles, not a good sign of quality control. Perhaps Le Creuset learned a few tricks in ~100 years of making enameled cast iron. (See reviews on "Rachael Ray 3-1/2-Quart Cast-Iron Covered Round Casserole, Blue", and talk with people who handle returns at your dept. store.)


Quite a few bakers know that oven temps may vary from 50-75 degrees from what is "set", at times! While using plastic handles saves a small expense for Rachael, it may limit oven temp setting to 300-325 for some, to have a safety margin, avoid the handle's meltdown. It just gives one more thing to worry about while cooking-to not let the plastic handle melt into a puddle of Halloween-orange goo.

Rachael, these are so cute! With the next batch, please give matching cast iron lid handles instead of cheap plastic handles, and make it easy on your customers!


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Product Description:
These oval shaped mini casseroles are the perfect size for single-serving one-dish meals or baked side dishes for a small family.

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Review of Rachael Ray Hard Anodized 15-Inch Oval Grill Pan, Orange

I bought the pan because I was in the market for a griddle type pan, and I was really interested in the new oval shapes in cookware. I enjoy Rachael Ray's show and follow quite a few of her recipes, and that orange trim really caught my eye, so I bought it.
Other than the fact that I wish the handle were on the shorter end rather than centered at the widest point, (because maneuvering can be tricky unless you have a huge rangetop), I'm pleased with the way it cooks. I'm lucky enough with a large enough kitchen that I can leave it out, because it's rather eye-catching, (I bought the saute' pan too, with the lid) and I find myself using it more and more often. It's great for searing. I made wonderful porkchops last night. I recommend it if you don't want to spend a fortune, but still want those nice grill marks in a pan.

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Product Description:
During the frosty months of winter, grill hamburgers and steak at the stovetop in this 15-inch oval grill pan. From Rachael Ray's hard-anodized line of cookware, the elongated grill pan's grooved cooking surface replicates the coveted stripes of an outdoor grill on bratwurst and tofu dogs. The grooves also facilitate effortless burger flipping while the meat's run-off juices collect in between the raised ridges. The oval pan's hard-anodized aluminum construction distributes even heat while deflecting dents, corrosion, and general wear and tear. The nonstick coating on the pan's interior enables greater ease while cooking and cleaning. To steady the pan while cooking or to remove it from the burner, a handle is securely riveted to the cookware's side. An orange silicone rubber sleeve on the handle provides a comfortable grip while the sleeve also can sustains temperatures up to 400 degrees F in the oven. For enhanced storage options, the handle end offers a pre-installed hanging hole. Wash the pan by hand while avoiding abrasive pads and cleansers to preserve the nonstick treatment. A limited lifetime warranty covers this item. Made in China, the grill pan measures 18 by 15-1/3 by 4-3/5 inches and weighs 2-4/5 pounds upon shipping.

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Review of Rachael Ray 3-Piece Spatula Utensil Set, Orange

Having bought and pitched several spatulas over the years, I looked around for reasonable spatulas that don't suffer from the issues of "cheapies" .. This is a pretty nice offering. Its reasonably priced for high-temperature spatulas. This seems to be a signature of the practically-minded Rachael's tv personna.. most "famous" people place items at PREMIUM pricepoints.

The only complaint that I have is that the material that scrapes the pan (some silicon compound) is a bit stiff for me.. I find that it won't "bend to conform" to the container unless you really apply some muscle to it.


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Product Description:
These Lil' Devils have a slightly pointed end designed to get into places that ordinary spatulas can't easily reach.Available in 3 fun colors, these will quickly become one of your favorite kitchen tools.

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Review of Rachael Ray 8-Quart Hard-Anodized Covered Oval Pasta Pot, Orange

I am kicking myself that I decided to buy this Rachael Ray version over Analon's original design. I figured I'd save myself 30 bucks. This pan is really thin and heats pasta water rapidly because of it, but it is horrible for soups, legumes, etc. Because the walls/bottom of the pan are so thin, stuff sticks and scorches very easily. It's best for pasta or corn on the cob.

I do understand that it being lightweight is a plus for a pasta pot, as it makes it easier to lift and pour...but I really was hoping it could do double duty like Analon's oval 5qt saute pan.Thankfully, though it tends to burn my soup, it does clean up easily!

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Product Description:
The unique oval shape of this Pasta, Etc. pot means no more breaking long pastas, and the convenient pour spout makes draining liquids from the pot easy.

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Review of Rachael Ray Hard Anodized 12-Inch Open Skillet, Orange

When I started learning to cook, which wasn't that long ago, I used my mom's "Fancy schmancy" cookware. I hated it. It was terrible cookware and even when you do everything right, the food comes out wrong.

So I bought this skillet. Since I've gotten this one I have actually used it. I'm not burning food, food isn't sticking and I love it.

It is a little heavy for me to lift which is why I plan to purchase a smaller size as well.

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Product Description:
From Rachael Ray's hard-anodized line of cookware, this 12-inch open skillet excels at browning chicken tenders, frying bacon, and cooking omelets alike. The skillet's hard-anodized aluminum construction distributes even heat while it deflects dents, corrosion, and other signs of wear and tear. Nonstick coating to the skillet interior enables greater ease while cooking and cleaning. To steady the skillet while cooking or to remove it from the burner, a handle is securely rivets to the skillet's side. An orange silicone rubber sleeve provides a comfortable handle grip which, when placed in the oven, sustains temperatures up to 400 degrees F. For enhanced storage options, the handle's end offers a pre-installed hanging hole. Wash the skillet by hand while avoiding abrasive pads and cleansers to preserve the nonstick treatment. A limited lifetime warranty covers this item. Made in China, the skillet measures 20-1/3 by 12 by 4-4/5 inches and weighs 2-1/2 pounds upon shipping.

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Review of Rachael Ray Nylon Tools 3-Piece Spoonula Set, Orange

I wish I had come over these sooner. They are great! It is really true, they can stand heat and everything slips off when you wash them. No need for scrubbing these. Also I like a bit of color in my kitchen. This will be a great Christmas present!

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Product Description:
For mixing batters, scraping frosting from bowls, or sautéing and serving vegetables, Rachael Ray offers this three-piece Spoonula spatula set. The Spoonula, Ray's variation on the spatula, features a slightly concave, spoon-like side on the utensil's head. The set includes a 9-1/2-inch long small spatula, a 10-inch long medium spatula, and a 12-1/2-inch long large model. Crafted out of high-grade, durable silicone, the heads of the three spatulas sustain temperatures up to 500 degrees F. The spatula heads' construction offer enough strength for effective application without the risk of scratching nonstick cookware. At the end of the spatula handles, preinstalled holes invite hanging storage. The handles resist heat up to 350 degrees F. Made in China, the dishwasher-safe set comes in blue, green, yellow, and orange. A lifetime limited warranty covers this item. Upon shipping, the set measures 5 by 15-4/5 by 1/2 inches and weighs 1 pound.

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Review of Rachael Ray 10-Piece Hard-Anodized Cookware Set, Orange

I received this cookware December 06 and have been cooking with it everyday since then. It is truly an amazing cookware set. It goes from stove top to oven with no problem. It looks nice hanging on my pot rack in my kitchen even after all of the use it gets from me and my family. The pots cook evenly and the food does not stick making clean up spectacularly fast and easy. I was lucky enough to receive and add to my collection this past Christmas the larger, deep oval skillet for large family dinners. I highly recommend this set for anyone from beginning cooks to very experienced ones.

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Product Description:
This cookware set is an exceptional value, including all of the pans needed to equip your kitchen with the most used cooking pieces. As the set contains only basic pieces, you'll really use each and every pan. It includes saucepans for whisking a homemade sauce or cooking your morning oatmeal, a big stockpot for soups, stews or boiling pasta, and skillets (probably the most used pan in any kitchen) that will help you turn out perfect pancakes or a tasty tuna melt.

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Review of Rachael Ray 10-Piece Porcelain Enamel Cookware Sets

I was really excited to buy these, loved the color and loved the silicone handles. Unfortunately I have discovered the porcelain enamel rubs right off, even with just plain old water.

I noticed the first week I bought the set that the most of the pans already had minor smudges exposing the metal of the pan under the green paint. Then one day I was toweling off a pan I HAND WASHED and noticed the green enamel rubbed off all over the towel. I simply washed the pans with warm soapy water, nothing harsh.

I am extremely dissappointed with the quality of these pans. It is a great design but they are evidently made with very cheap workmanship.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rachael Ray 10-Piece Porcelain Enamel Cookware Sets

Product Description:
This cookware set is an exceptional value, including all of the pans needed to equip your kitchen with the most used cooking pieces. As the set contains only basic pieces, you'll really use each and every pan. It includes saucepans for whisking a homemade sauce or cooking your morning oatmeal, a big stockpot for soups, stews or boiling pasta, and skillets (probably the most used pan in any kitchen) that will help you turn out perfect crepes or a simple grilled cheese sandwich. The set also includes a sauté pan, a wide, straight-sided pan that can perform many of the functions of a skillet but features deep sides for extra capacity, perfect for one dish meals. Start your dish in this pan by sautéing onions and browning meat, then add your liquid and other ingredients into the same pan to finish on the stovetop or in the oven.

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