Farberware Classic Stainless Stock Pot with Lid & Steamer Insert 6 Qt.

This line has been around for generations, and it truly is a Classic. The sturdy 18/10 stainless steel can take a beating, is dishwasher and steel-wool safe, looks gorgeous and performs like a trusty battleship. The six-quart size is very convenient for a variety of cooking needs, from making chili to soup to steaming veggies in the convenient steamer insert.

You quite simply can't go wrong, and for the prices that Amazon is offering, you should buy two and get one for a neighbor, or your children. They'll be thanking you for decades to come.

Less than a week after receiving the pot, the bottom started to come apart. Little circles of aluminum were visible at the center of discolored splotches where the allegedly stainless coating was inadequate. And this without any abuse (or even going into the dishwasher). Just awful.

The experience got worse trying to take advantage of the "limited lifetime warranty" from Farberware. Their 800 number is just a recording that promises you necessary information and then starts over from the top without providing any actual information. In other words, it's an endless loop promising you details on how to seek service but then looping again. Before it starts over, it suggests you try their website . . . which also has no actual information about warranties or how to get service. A complete, abismal run around.

I'm sending it back to Amazon and letting them deal with this turkey. But in general, a very unhappy experience.

I bought this pot to use for pasta, but soon discovered that it's the perfect size for steaming clams. The pot is deep and the steamer sits on top giving you plenty of room for liquids underneath. Previous steamers I have owned always have the steamer compartment sitting so close to the bottom of the pot you end up boiling the stuff in the bottom of the basket. The pot is nice and thick and cooks evenly. I frequently use it when making sauce and soups. During the summer I would normally use my big outdoor pot for doing clams, but this pot is the perfect size for two dozen or so (littlnecks). In the time it takes to eat the first batch, the second are already done. It's a manageable size for cleaning and stores nicely with my other pots.