I love owning beautiful items direct from France. I love my designer handbags from Paris, porcelain jewelry from Toulouse, and home and beauty products from Provence. French craftsmanship and style is timeless and iconic. But it was my kitchen’s turn to be adorned with pieces of French craftsmanship.

This past Christmas Rodge surprised me with the most beautiful functional cookware from CRISTEL and it has truly been such a joy to use. I am quite addicted to cooking at home. I personally enjoy putting the time, love, and energy into preparing beautiful meals. I view cooking as an artistic expression, a labor of love, an exploratory moment where time stands still- therapy even. I just really love testing new recipes, mixing unexpected ingredients, and playing with food and CRISTEL has just enhanced my creating experience with their cookware. Plus this was the most perfect option for our “smallish” kitchen. Their removable handle concept is incredible and allows us to store all of our pieces in a single drawer!. (You can actually store up to 26 items in a drawer with CRISTEL) The different cookware can not only be stacked within one another to minimize space but also set easily in the dishwasher. And I can easily utilize every single burner on my stove at the same time plus I can get more on the oven rack making things very efficient for me. I can also use these to store food in my refrigerator eliminating the use of toxic plastics. (plus further saving cabinet space not having to fill it with tupperware type containers)

Fast forward to now-I am pinching myself that CRISTEL wanted to work with me to introduce my audience to the CRISTEL cooking concept with their Strate and Casteline collections.

I love the Strate Collection so much because it has a brushed finish so it looks really good in our modern kitchen. It’s very clear-cut and has an elegant streamlined design. Of course it is efficient also making it a perfect choice for cooking with induction. The wide high-sided base, which produces the distinctive straight profile, offers unrivalled heat diffusion.

The detachable handle system allows a perfect stacking of Cristel cookware to save space in drawers, cabinets and in the dishwasher. Thanks to the efficiency of their Cristel thermo-diffuser base, compatible with induction, the Strate Detachable handle system fits all kitchen sizes and will be a valuable ally for all your culinary preparations. Practically, the detachable handle system makes it possible to transform your stainless steel vessel into a serving dish by replacing the long handle with short handles. Strate cookware, is made of stainless steel 18/10, preserves the taste of your food and is easy to clean after cooking.

Hope you enjoy my photos but take a look at this video from CRISTEL. You can really see it in action.

Strate represents the epitome of user ergonomics in a sleek functional industrial design. The flat glass lids convert any vessel into a storage container to simplify use. The Strate collection includes unique items like a counter lid management system for storage of both flat glass lids and splatter screens. A complete collection of saucepans, stockpots, cooking-pots, frying pans and sauté pans with an enveloping heat-diffusing base, specially designed for induction hobs, and various bain-marie, steam cooking and pasta cooking inserts. A chef’s dream, right?!

Let’s have a closer look at the pieces I have, shall we?!

13-PIECE SET- STRATE

Designed by Paul DODANE

This was my exact Christmas present from Rodge. He made a sweet card saying special delivery from Papa Noël that was made in France, at Fesches-le-Châtel. Oh my goodness, you can imagine my face full of sooooo much excitement!

Stainless steel 13 Piece Set Strate, brushed finish, detachable handles from Strate collection. A must have in the kitchen, Strate Stainless steel 13 Piece Set contains:

2 qt Saucepan + lid

3 qt Saucepan + lid

7.5 qt Stockpot + lid

11” frying pan

3.5 qt Sauté pan

2 Long Handles

2 Side Handles

The 11” frying pan gets the most use in my kitchen! It’s ideal for searing meat and this stainless steel frying pan with a detachable handle allows, thanks to the quality of the diffuser base, to cook perfectly without water or oil or fat. Cooking the meat in stainless steel makes it possible to make delicious meat juices after deglazing. Switching the long handles with the side handles, the stainless steel frying pan Strate turns into a serving dish. Strate frying pans are available in 6 sizes: 8”, 8.5”, 9.5”, 10”, 11” and 12”.

We use the Stainless Steel Sauté-pan frequently too! Sauté pans are very versatile, as their shape allows them to hold liquids. This means they can be used for making sauces in addition to braising, poaching, shallow-frying, searing, and pan-frying (if the ingredients don't often need to be flipped). I find the lip of this one very purposeful as with any cooking vessel, is to lock in heat and, more importantly, moisture. When frying, moisture is something you want to remove as quickly as possible as it will prevent caramelisation and a crispy texture. Conversely, when simmering a casserole for half an hour with no lid you run the risk of it drying out. That is where this sauté pan with it’s snugly fitting lid comes in. If cooking something with a sauce, whether it be a curry, chilli or a casserole, you are far less likely to slosh it all over your hob if the pan you are using has straight sides and a bit of depth. A sauté pan may be preferential over say a large saucepan or stock pot because you not only have the depth but also the space to brown meat. Plus this one is amazing at oven cooking! It goes from hob top to oven lots to finish off meat and I love Spanish Tortillas in this!

Just a little fun French info here…

In French, a frying pan with straight sides is called a ““poêle”; one with with sloping sides (the sauté pan) is called a “sauteuse.”

We love the Stainless Steel Saucepans with the flat glass lids, brushed finish, and detachable handles from The Strate collection. Strate saucepans come in 4 sizes: 1 qt, 1.5 qt, 2 qt and 3 qt. The detachable handle system allows a perfect stacking of Cristel cookware to save space in drawers, cabinets and in the dishwasher. A saucepan is perfect for boiling water and the saucepan excels at cooking anything that's mostly liquid. This means it's great for stewing, simmering, making soups and, unsurprisingly, making sauces like pasta sauce! Reliable saucepans may be one of the most important items in any chef’s kitchen and I really love that my set came with two sizes!

My set came with the Stainless Steel 7.5 qt Stockpot and it comes in handy when I am preparing soups, stew, cooking lobster and pasta! CRISTEL makes a pasta basket too that is sold separately to enhance this feature. They just generously sent me one and I am quite pleased with this addition.

The Pasta-Basket has a brushed finish and a detachable handle. Strate stockpots exist in 3 sizes: 5 qt, 7 qt and 10 qt designed to fit the 5.5 qt., 7.5 qt. and 10 qt. stockpots respectively.

- The 5 qt stockpot, to cook up to 1lb of pasta

- The 7 qt stockpot, to cook up to 1.5lb of pasta

- The 10 qt stockpot, to cook up to 2lbs of pasta

Perfectly adapted to Cristel stockpots to cook your pasta according to the rules of the art: in a container higher than wide and with 1qt of water per 0.2lb (100 g) of pasta. Also suitable for cooking asparagus and shellfish.

Also included in the 13 piece STRATE set is the SET OF 1 HANDLE + 2 SIDE HANDLES. Obviously you will want these! The Strate set of handles (made in France) is combined with brushed stainless steel cooking utensils from the Strate Detachable collection, but is also suitable for all pots, pans, … of the various Cristel detachable collections. Made with brushed stainless steel, the detachable Strate handles ensure safety and modularity in your kitchen. The removable long and side handles are guaranteed for ten years against all manufacturing defects. I love that they are dishwasher safe!

I added the Stainless Steel Steamer insert too that CRISTEL sent me and I am thrilled. It has a beautiful brushed finish and of course detachable handle. The stainless steel steamer is available in 2 sizes: 1 qt (5.5” diameter) and 6.5 qt (10” diameter). The Cristel steamers adapt to Cristel vessels (sauté-pans, saucepans, stewpans) of the same diameter.

Pretty, right?! And functional.

And the Lids Holder For Strate is a must. This just makes for easy and smart storage of Strate flat glass lids and splatter screens up to 13” in diameter. Also allows to hang 2 Cristel detachable handles.

So now let me introduce you to CRISTEL CASTELINE COLLECTION also designed by Paul DODANE. (made in France) This collection screams HERITAGE AND DESIGN. It’s a superb combination of Cristel's technical expertise and cutting-edge design, Casteline® brings together all of Cristel's know-how. The multiply base of this collection ensures an excellent distribution of heat. Casteline is the first collection of CRISTEL cookware with riveted removable ears that welcome a stainless steel or wooden handle.

A blend of elegance, functionality and singularity, Cristel’s Casteline collection draws from nearly two centuries of know-how and excellence.

The detachable handle system allows a perfect stacking of Cristel cookware to save space in drawers, cabinets and in the dishwasher. Thanks to the efficiency of their Cristel thermo-diffuser base and the unique construction, compatible with induction, the Casteline Detachable handle system fits all kitchen sizes and will be a valuable ally for all your culinary preparations. Practical, the detachable handle system makes it possible to transform your stainless steel vessel into a serving dish by replacing the long handle with short handles. Casteline cookware, is made of stainless steel 18/10, preserves the taste of your food and is easy to clean after cooking.

Just take a look!

I really wanted to add some non-stick pieces to my collection so for Valentine’s Day I received 3 different sizes of frying pans with Exceliss+ Non-Stick coating from Cristel’s Casteline Collection .

CRISTEL APPLIES EXCELISS® TO SOME OF ITS NON-STICK PRODUCTS.

But WHAT IS IT you might be asking….

Cristel selected Exceliss® for its non-stick and mechanical resistance properties.

Exceliss non-stick coating is applied in France in their factory of Fesches-le-Châtel, this warranty the perfect application of it.

Toughness and non-stick performance

The Exceliss® non-stick coating is applied to Cristel traditional stainless steel products.
The base is blasted with an abrasive to roughen it and white-hot particles of stainless steel are then sprayed onto the roughened surface. The particles cool and harden to form peaks and dips that hold the non-stick coating permanently in place.
The coating is applied in three successive layers, which guarantee both the toughness of the coating and its non-stick performance.Non-stick coatings are part of the PTFE family. Cristel chose a development and application process for the three layers that uses no PFOA – a solvent used by certain manufacturers that is considered to be dangerous to health and the environment.That was hugely important to us! Don’t forget to add The Cristel Protection Pads to your order! These are ideal for protecting the non-stick coating sauté-pans and frying pans when stacking. It prevents from any kind of scratching. You can even hand wash or put in a washer using gentle settings.

CRISTEL just recently gifted me their Casteline Stainless Steel Wok with the domed glass lid. It’s made in stainless steel with a shiny finish in 3-Ply, stainless steel / aluminum / stainless steel, from the Casteline detachable collection. The three layers of stainless steel 18/10, aluminum, stainless steel, Casteline woks, allow an integral diffusion of heat throughout the body of the cooking utensil. Cooking with a wok requires high temperatures to preserve food colors, flavors and nutritional qualities. The Casteline wok perfectly meets the requirements of this fast and healthy cuisine. And I finally got rid of my heavy Calphalon one with the longest handle ever.

They sent over their SET OF 1 WOOD HANDLE + 2 SIDE WOOD HANDLES in walnut too and I just adore being able to switch from stainless steel to wood. You can also pick between beech and olive if the walnut is a but too dark for you.

Choosing your kitchen utensils is not always easy! That's why CRISTEL offers four collections of top-of-the-range kitchen utensils. Read this very helpful article here on how you can best choose your kitchen utensils from their four collections. (all though I am pretty partial to Strate and Casteline…I think I might need some fun colorful handles from their MUTINE collection. )

Stainless steel pots and pans have such a bad wrap and people think that they stick to food when cooking. Therefore, many still prefer to use non-stick cookware. However, in addition to deteriorating over time, some poor-quality non-stick coatings can disintegrate and contaminate food, which is very harmful to our health. CRISTEL does not have this problem with stainless steel. And contrary to what most people think, it is possible to prevent food from sticking to stainless steel. All you need to do is have the right cooking techniques. Archive this amazing article here. I learned so much and even though my non-stick CRISTEL CASTELINE frying pans are amazing -I find myself using them less and less.

But remember that All CRISTEL non-stick items are guaranteed without PFOA or PFOS or toxic agents making them completely healthy and made in France!

Now just to remind you again why you need and want this amazing cookware.

Photo Jul 10, 1 09 20 PM.jpg — REMOVABLE HANDLE CONCEPT
**UNIQUE SPACE SAVING**

Remove the handles and store up to 26 items in a single drawer versus 6 for classic fixed handles.

Photo Jul 10, 1 51 12 PM.jpg — **INNOVATIVE COOKWARE DESIGNED FOR PERFORMANCE AND FUNCTIONALITY.**

Cristel is a French manufacturer and seller of premium stainless steel cookware and the innovator of the detachable handle cookware concept.

Photo Jul 11, 10 41 38 AM.jpg — FROM KITCHEN TO TABLE
**COOK AND SERVE IN THE SAME PAN**

The Long handle can be switched out for two side handles to go elegantly on the table with cold handles for passing dishes around. The defuser base will keep foods warm while serving.

As you can see CRISTEL really elevates the cooking experience and honestly has made me look forward every day to cooking!

The CRISTEL pots and pans are truly the best-in-class performers when it comes to stainless steel cookware. I do realize upgrading your current cookware can be a bit of an investment, but honestly, it’s one that is worth it for your health and getting yourself back in the kitchen cooking up delicious meals. So please enjoy 20% off of your order at https://www.cristelusa.com/ using promo code “GOFRENCHYOURSELF20” .

Promo code is good July 18th-August 31st!

The only requirement for the promo code is you must follow CRISTEL on Instagram.

Cannot wait for you to experience this amazing brand!