New gear: super soup pot

Published 5:06 pm Monday, September 22, 2008

Hot pot: At a certain price point, all high-end stainless steel cookware starts to look alike. And for most home cooks, performance differences will be minimal, too. Which means decisions come down to style and practicality.

A new entry in the U.S. market offers both. The Italian-made Lagostina line, newly offered by Williams-Sonoma, offers beautifully curved cookware with ample, solid handles welded on either side.

But especially nice are the double-loop handles on the pot lids. The loops create a resting spot for spoons and other utensils during cooking, eliminating the need to find a resting spot for messy items.

Testing of the 4-quart soup pot found it to have a satisfying heft without being cumbersome, even heating and a good size for most daily cooking needs. All of the cookware is triple-ply stainless steel with an aluminum core.

The Melodia four-quart soup pot with an olive-wood ladle lists for $139.95.

Associated Press