Side by Side Comparison of: HappierChef vs ExcelSteel

Perfect for pho noodles or blanching/boiling vegetables. It's a generous size - larger than I realized from the description. Very handy kitchen tool that I can see myself using frequently. Sturdy and well made. The bamboo insert on the handle helps keep it cool enough to touch.

Excellent item. I bought this for cooking pasta or blanching vegetables in quantities that do not require a large pot. The holes would be too large for cooking some extremely small dried pasta (e.g., orzo or acini di pepe) but it is very handy for cooking larger sizes. It also works extremely well for reheating cooked pasta or vegetables via quick plunge into boiling water. The handle hangs nicely on my pot rack.

I had no trouble using it with a medium sized pot. The straight handle is designed for a tall pot/cooker and the basket has a hanging hook so the cooked food can drain. The basket will take a full pound of pasta if the pot is deep enough - asparagus pot. Our pot isn't as deep so we can cook 1/2 pound of pasta at a time. We have cooked ravioli and shrimp in the basket - really nice to pull the basket out instead of having to use a slotted spoon. Doing a second 1/2 lb batch is easy since the water is already hot - just drain and dump the first batch, the second batch takes just the cooking time not the time to also boil the water. We also use it to cook potatoes - nice for cooking potatoes until they are really soft, you don't need to strain the water. Also good for cooking beans. We will make a stock in our KitchenAid multi-cooker, then cook beans, different batches of pasta for soups like mini rings, in the stock. Now we can have customized bowls of soup or chili.We cooked down a chicken carcass in our KitchenAid multi-cooker - the basket fit, diameter and height. I was able to position the handle at the pour spout and the lid notch allowed the lid to fit nicely. Great for cooking a chicken carcass for soup - no bones got into the liquid, the veggies went outside the basket so they didn't end up mixed in the meat/bones at the end. I use a tea/herb ball for the spices so they also don't get mixed in.KitchenAid KMC4244CA Multi-Cooker with Stir Tower - Candy Apple

Purchased this last week. I blanched and froze several batches of green beans with this basket. It made it so easy. I loved using it. The basket is good size and made very well. It even has a little hook to hook onto the side of the pot. I had no issue whatsoever with the blanching process. This basket helped make it nearly fool proof. This will be getting lots of use here while produce continues to roll in from the garden.

I love this strainer basket. I cook noodles quite often and that's what I brought this for. But I have found it useful for so much more in the kitchen. The long handle makes it very easy to grab and shake dry anything you put in the basket. The flat bottom lets you put it down anywhere and the hook is great to let it hang dry. The holes are just the right size to strain pasta, veggies, fruit and pretty much anything else. Love it.

Exactly what I needed. Perfect for boiling/blanching as well as keeping things in place (e.g. eggs) in a circulating sous vide water bath. I first saw this used when we were sat at a chef's table in a restaurant kitchen and they were using this for soft boiled eggs that they start in boiling water then transfer to a lower temp sous vide bath.

I have really enjoyed this set. The steel feels thinner than I thought it would be, but it works just perfectly. I wanted this set so that my children could easily cook pasta (which they do all the time) and wouldn't burn themselves trying to drain out the water. The draining pot works great.

Besides the obvious uses (cooking pasta, steaming veggies, etc), I like to use the pasta container for boiling eggs (without having the eggs touch the bottom of the pan where the burner is applying direct heat).I boil the water (ensuring the whole process starts at exactly 100 degrees Celsius), lower about a dozen eggs in there, wait for the water to come back to a boil again, then I cover it and set it aside. After 20 minutes, I put the whole pan in the kitchen sink and run cold water into it until everything is cold. I get perfectly boiled eggs, every time! The yellows are perfectly cooked through, with no gray/green, and the whole egg tastes almost fluffy. Not rubbery at all! You've got to try it!

Great for doing 12 or so pounds of veggies at one time. Do wish it had a metal lid, rather than a glass one, which if dropped, could break. Also it should have a better knob on top for gripping, preferably of a non heat-conducting material.

The reviews on this product were confusing. They either liked it or hated it. Some of them didn't know what they paid. They said it was okay for $34. I paid $25 & saved $34. So, I figured if they couldn't read the pricing, maybe they were confused about the quality, too. I am very pleased with the quality. It appears to be well made for just $25. It works for my canning (blanching) needs & steaming needs. Thank you for another great product.

I received this yesterday and used it last night. I love this pasta set. Just the right size for one person or a small family. I really wanted a 4 quart size, but after using this one, I'm glad I bought the 8 quart. Pasta did not stick to the pan at all like it does in a regular pot. It doesn't boil over due to the nice vent in the lid. Only complaint, they say it has "Stay Cool Handles and Knobs" Not so...the handles get very hot!! I'll probably come back after using it longer to comment on how it is holding up. The weight seems heavy enough to be of pretty good quality stainless. Not compared to my Calphalon pans, but not close to the price either.

I have just had it with a bad shoulder sapping my strength which made the moving a pot full of boiling water and pasta from the stove to be drained in the sink dangerous ... I just cannot do it for the time being until the shoulder is healed. Purchasing this pot with pasta insert and vegetable insert and see thru glass lid has solved my problem, plus given me another large pot to mix in crew size salad, casserole etc when I use it was a mixing bowl with handles. BE AWARE OF THE WATER LEVEL... after the pasta is put in there is a tendency for the water to boil over; too little water and the water level does not reach the pasta as the pasta basket/insert does not touch the bottom of the large external stainless steel pot. I have yet to use the veggie steamer insert... hope it works. One minus might be if you are one who puts the sauce into the pot of pasta; you will have to remove the insert of pasta, dump the hot water and return the pasta to the cooking pot to add the sauce... still easier than carrying the weighty hot water, pasta and pot to the sink to dump.I have high expectations for this pot even tho it is not made in the USA.

It is helpful to drain noodles or pasta. But it is a big and tall piece. You need big cabinet to fit it.

Love this product that i can use not only with noodles, pasta i can also use this for veggies and fruits lol but yeah worth the money! The quality is really great!!

WELL MADE AND BIGGER THAN I ANTICIPATED. HAVE NOT USED AS YET BUT AM SURE IT WILL BE HANDY FOR MY PASTA COOKING. I BOUGHT IT SO I DON'T HAVE TO LIFT THE FILLED POT, AND WILL UPDATE WHEN USED.

This colander is extremely well made and effective. I expect to keep and use it fairly regularly for a long time. It's great for asian noodles that you can drop into a stock pot where other colanders can't fit.THat being said, this is fairly giant... be aware! The basket is probably a little smaller than a folgers can... a full six inches in diameter.I was surprised by the scale of the product but very pleased in how well it worked.

I bought this product for my son in law, I'm the using it. Well made and easy to clean. It is a little bigger than I thought, not much. Our pot is actually on the short side. I like being able to cook small, quick batches of fresh pasta and not having to pour out the water. I will order your smaller basket strainer for single servings. Can't wait to do ravioli's. Thanks.

I was looking for easier way to cook and drain pasta for 1-2 people and not use 4-5 quart size insert. This works great!

Alot of pieces. Sparkling stainless steel. Meets my expectations. Takes a while to reach boiling temperature. Easy to use and disassemble.

Decent little set that worked quite well for a camping trip, and looks like it will last for years. It's a little thinner than I'd like for daily use at home, but it's not flimsy by any means. Nice thing about this style is that I can boil my pasta, lift to strain (and not wrestle with a colander on uneven ground) and easily retain the hot water to mix with cool for washing dishes after dinner.

Arrived dented but not from our carrier, sometime previous to this so ... originally gave this 3 stars, after reading the horrible reviewsIt has now served two rounds of pasta and give no evidence to support those horrible reviews ... of course we don't leave it wet inside the DW for a day or more18/10 is usually considered standard/fine materials for such service; I can support some that say portions may seem light/thin (also the dent reported) but no mention that other wearing parts are very solid/substantial (reason an older version by others needed to be trashed)Thank you for Prime shipping

I really like this product. Yes, it is light-weight, and should not be used for anything except steaming foods, but I wanted a steamer and this is a good one! I use other cookware for doing other types of cooking. You can use really low heat and it still steams well, and it's light enough to wash easily. The only thing I don't like about the design is the way the handles on the basket flop back and forth, which makes it a bit harder to grab them when they're hot and it makes it a little harder to wash the basket by hand.

I've used this set twice since I received it about a week ago and I have to say it does a great job. The only "complaint" I read about this product prior to my purchase was that water bubbled out between the stock pot and the pasta colander. Well, the first time I used it to make pasta (never had one before and I wanted to start slow), yes some water did bubble out of the pot, but I attributed that to me; I think I put too much water in the pot. The second time I used it (today) I made pasta and steamed veggies (broccoli, asparagus and slices of red peppers). I cooked everything at the same time; pasta in the colander and veggies in the steamer. This time, I used less water and there was no "bubble over". Perfect! I would recommend this product to anyone who is thinking about purchasing a cook pot with steamer and pasta insert - particularly if this is the first one you're buying and you don't want to spend a bundle. It cleans up easily, heats up nicely. For the price - you can't beat it!

it heats up in 5 minutes, its a great pasta pot. I would not use it as a stock pot, seems too thin and as a 3 generation Italian, we never used the pasta pot for anything other then cooking pasta. great at what it was made for, making stew, get something heavier.Months on, some discoloring on the bottom of the strainer but nothing too bad.just purchased one for my Mom it is not an all clad pot but honestly, its for boiling pasta.

It is a fine strainer

Does the job if you cook pasta first and simply use this as a drain

Sorry it should have been 5 stars

not a very useful tool. it is taller than my pot.

I found it to be very large and awkward to hold. Otherwise it is a nice concept.

Bigger than I expected. Seems like it would work for larger portions but not great for small ones. My fault I bought a big one, not the sellers fault. They were great. Its just better used on a large pot, for larger portions is all.

This product works ok for its intended purpose, the the bottom of the pot is a bit thin. Things burn to it fairly easily and it discolored fairly quickly. Have not noticed a change from the discoloration in reference to performance, nothing sticks or does not stick any differently. This is ok for light use, but if you are a heavy user and use something like this for many different applications, you are better to look at a more heavy one, especially with a thicker and multi layer bottom. The walls are also slightly thin, but this has not caused any issues for me.

Arrived with a dent in the main pot. I was able to pop it out because it is a this gauge steel. It is just fine tho for boiling pasta and steaming vegetables.I like the clear lid.

The top lid is cheaply made. A thin metal is on the top of the lid knob crudely and unevenly crimped. The pot developed a strange black speckled stripe stain on the inside on the first use to steam some vegetables. The first pot arrived damaged and was promptly replaced by the vendor. It works as designed, but next time I would lean towards a brand name not made in China.

Clean thoroughly when you first get it. There are rust in the holes. Or use a saucer or parchment paper to avoid getting the rust for a few times. I don't know when it will get better. Over all, it's not bad. Wear a oven glove when open, it's hot.

I'm a little disappointed with this product. It looks amazing and has a quality feel but I've only used it twice and the steamer basket is already beginning to rust around the two handles and on the sides. I read the reviews of other purchasers and this problem was noted but I took a chance on buying it. Perhaps I should have listened and went with another product.

I used these all the time. The only problem I have is if they don't get dried right away then there are these spots that are left; which they did say this would happen in the booklet; I just didn't thing it would be that touchy. I have other stainless steel pans and they are not like that.

Here's my issue with this: While it's well-made, who boils pasta in a tall, skinny pot? Basically, it's a waste of water to use this. It's really well made, but I can't stand the wasted space in the pot. Why don't they make one that shorter and fatter, like the typical pot you'd boil past in? (Oh, and don't try to use this for spaghetti, LOL. Yeah, I was that dumb.)

The handle and entire handle area get VERY VERY hot as they are directly above the boiling water- I have to use a glove to lift it up and out of the pot when cooking - STRAIGHT up due to the vertical handle.It's nearly impossible to dump the cooked pasta out of the basket unless you either dump it towards yourself (handle at the top) or attempt to dump it from the side without burning yourself. A very poor industrial design.I've also found the holes to be too large as even linguini finds its way out or gets stuck in the holes every time I use it. In the end, using this basket isn't very much more ergonomic than lifting the heavy pot of water. Yes, it's lighter, but comes with its own list of issues.An angled handle like you'd see on a fry basket would make this an infinitely better product - it would be easier to dump out the pasta and NOT be directly above the heat. Design fail.

I have wanted a pasta pot for a while. This was inexpensive but thought since it said stainless it would be okay. When I put it in dish water I swear I smelled rust. I washed it but something black got on my dish cloth, looks and acts like permanent black marker. It was coming from the strainer portion where it was sealed together. It is also on my dishpan. I'm not happy. This is my first review but I'm disappointed with my buy.

After three uses boiling water for pasta on a gas stove, the pot has developed rust spots inside. I would recommend spending your hard earned money on a better brand.

smaller than average. Only buy if for side or for couple or single. Otherwise too small.

I'm guessing the "encapsulate" bottom is made of aluminum which does not work on my induction stove.Had the description said anything about aluminum I would have known.One of the people who answered the question regarding this problem, saying that she has an induction stove and it works great, either works for the company or does not have an induction stove. Should have paid attention to the person who went to the trouble of trying the magnet test on the bottom of the pan! If a magnet won't stick it will not work on an induction stove.

I have had this pot since Oct 2012. It was great in the beginning. I loved that I could steam large quantities of spinach and broccoli and even a little of something else in the top basket. HOWEVER... the condition of the steel has been getting worse and worse and now I am afraid to use it. The whole bottom of the large basket is very chalky. The inside of the pot itself has lots of 'spot' marks on bottom and the sides has a type of residue. I'm not sure what to make of it but I don't think it's healthy to cook in this pot anymore. Unfortunately I can't return it so I will just throw it out and purchase something of better quality. I don't under stand the 18/10 stainless steel description but I would think that is the problem. Cooks... beware!

I received it today and I was surprised how thin the material is. I don't believe it is real stainless steel and I am disappointed that Amazon carries product that is not what they claim to be (I never had problem buying from Amazon before...). My other pots and pans has "18/10 stainless steel" on the bottom of the pan and they are much stronger material. Since I thought I am stuck with it, I used it to cook pasta(paid almost $10 for shipping which was not indicated at the check out point, and don't want to spend more money to return it because it is not worth spending another $10 shipping for $25 pot).The size is perfect to cook one box/package of pasta and as one reviewer writes, "This vessel cooks pasta just fine" However, in my case, after cooking pasta with salt just once, my pot also "showed signs of rusting in the inner lift-out basket. The interior of the main cooking pot is stained and spotting". I took photos if anyone needs proof...I am not sure where it is made but it did not come with any product information nor warranty. I would not recommend buying this product to anyone for any price.This was a bad experience I had with Amazon for the first time (I buy all kinds of things from Amazon).

Poor quality material thus it takes forever to just boil water

I am vastly disappointed in this item.. I purchased it on 9/16 because it was on sale. I loved the design. I thought it was a great alternative to both the usual spaghetti pot and also to the type of steamer you insert into a regular sauce pan. In fact, it gives you the ability to boil and steam 2 different items at the same time if desired. How good is that? I also loved that it was advertised as stainless steel. I wanted to get away from all the problems that come with non-stick cookware.Last night is the first...and only time...I have ever used this item. All I did was boil some elbow macaroni and I seasoned the water with herbed garlic salt. Imagine my dismay when I removed the macaroni only to find hundreds of dark spots on the bottom of the inset that held the macaroni. At first, I thought it might me some of the herbs from the seasoned garlic salt that stuck to the bottom of the insert. But after soaking it and scrubbing it the dark spots remained. Upon closer inspection, I saw that this really isn't stainless steel. It is something silvery and shiny plated onto a base metal. And the dark spots are what remained after the plating had lifted off!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. How can they say this is stainless steel when in fact it is some kind of metal plated onto another metal.Also, there were minor imperfections in the way the pan is made. I didn't like it, but was willing to overlook it because it just wasn't worth the effort of returning it.I gave them 1 star for 2 reasons. First, it really is a good design and a neat concept. Secondly, they won't let me leave feedback if I don't give at least one star.

It initially seemed great but after six months the top glass piece shattered while cooking with FOOD IN IT! BEWARE!

use h to today and it had a pin holeii wish i would use it before very hard to notice until you put waterand the return policy expire few days agowho is going to note a pin hole until you use it??

I just got my first induction cooktop range, which requires stainless steel, cast iron or a ceramic coated version of either, to function. I didn't mind the quality, though folding handles on the smaller steamer basket were very flimsy. It doesn't exactly cost a fortune to buy! However this unit is NOT stainless steel. My range just "thumped" and nothing in the pot heated. Dead giveaway! The box and description say it is stainless but they lie. Some of you might not mind if you are just looking for a simple steamer/pasta pan and don't require bells and whistles. But some of you may not have an induction range and just want to avoid aluminum leaching into their food. DON'T BUY THIS PAN if that is your aim!

Well, I am very disappointed that the large strainer is showing rust. The item is the perfect size and otherwise what I expected. I just did not expect it to rust.