CAT CORA by Starfrit Stainless Steel Cook N Serve Casserole, 3.8-Quart

I love my new pots! They heat evenly and cook food well. The lid fits nice and secure, and the pot fits inside the bamboo sheath nicely also. I was excited to find pots that I can take off of my stove and place in its own holder, preventing my counter tops and table from getting burned. I also really like that there are measuring marks on the inside of the pots. I am very pleased with this purchase!

The idea is a good one: a stainless steel pot for cooking, plus a bamboo sheath to use as a cover when serving from a hot/cold pan, plus independent use of the sheath as a bamboo serving bowl. The bamboo bowl itself is fine, and the stainless steel 3.8 qt. pot with perky glass lid seems fine too.But... the sheath doesn't quite fit properly. The handles of the steel pot are necessarily attached under the pot's rim, meaning that they stick down lower than the rim itself. Yet the rim of the bamboo bowl is perfectly even, without indentations into which the pot's handles could slide. So the pot touches the bowl only by its handles when it's nestled inside the bowl, leaving the rest of the rim between the handles free-floating over the rim of the bamboo bowl. This means the steel pot can tip a little bit either forward or backward -- a bit disconcerting when trying to move the filled combo or scooping out food.Second, the handles on the pot stick out a very long way beyond the bamboo sheath. So, if the pot was really, really hot when you put it into the sheath, it would be awfully easy to knock your hands against those still hot handles by mistake when trying to serve yourself, pass the item to someone else, or carry it from stove to table. Especially given the potential for the pot to tip inside the sheath (see previous paragraph)!Third, because there are no handles on the sheath, it's not easy to pick up the filled pot/sheath combo. You have to compress your hands tightly against opposite sides of the bamboo (CAREFUL not to burn them on the pot's handles!), raise the combo a little, and then slide your hand under the bottom of the bamboo bowl for a better grip if you want to pass the dish around the table or take it to a potluck. Of course you then need to reverse the procedure to put it back down. So to me the sheath seems best as a sort of fancy trivet, already placed on a buffet, to which you bring the hot (or cold) pot for insertion, but which you never move when full of food. It does have some additional insulating properties that way, of course, but the combination doesn't really work for me if you ever need to move it full of food.This combo was available a couple of weeks ago at an exceptionally attractive price, so I was happy to try it out. I originally thought I might want to get a second one, but I don't think I would now, even at that original price (which is no longer available).But I'm a huge fan of Cat Cora's food line available from Amazon, especially the tapenades. Try  Cat Cora Gaea Green Olive Tapenade, 3.5-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6)  or  Cat Cora's Kitchen by Gaea Sundried Tomatoes Tapenade, 3.5-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6) , for example -- both are stunning. She has several other flavors which are probably just as good, too. I keep at least the green olive and the sundried tomatoes versions stocked in the pantry at all times, both for use by themselves as dips or sandwich spreads, and as ingredients (there are recipes printed inside the cardboard sleeves, and the stuffed mushrooms made from the Sundried Tomatoes are world class!!). They're perfect as last-minute appetizers with crackers or a good bread and have made many, many guests of mine incredibly happy! :)

I bought several of these lovely stainless steel cook and serve casseroles as wedding gifts and included recipes that the brides could use with their new pots. Got rave reviews from the recipients! It solved a big problem for me as the shopping where I live is limited to a few stores-or a 45 mile drive. I always end up at Amazon.com and have been so pleased.

Best suited to be an ice bucket for a bar or hotel room.You might be able to cook in it, but the sides are paper thin, and the handles get really hot. Lid fits another pot I have, so not a total loss.

Beautiful , just as described, I plan to cook many wonderful meals in this

Completely satisfied with the size, ease of use, ease of cleaning, shape and look of this pan. Better than expected.