I’m Not a Happy Camper Today! 😡

[Panhead John]

I just posted a few times recently about a new 5 qt. rondeau pot I bought, made by a company called Chantal. It looked to be a good quality pot and was not cheap. It was $209. but they had a 20% off discount code so it wound up being $167. plus a $14. shipping charge. The company I bought it from was called Riverbend Home. When I got it I was pretty excited and used it just last night for the first time, did some braised short ribs in it. I take good care of my stuff and pots and pans are no exception. I never cook above medium heat except when I’m boiling or frying something. I even read their care instructions before using it, nothing out of the ordinary was listed. When I was browning the ribs and after adding all the ingredients the heat was never above medium and most of the time medium low.

I finished the cook in the oven at 350* for 2 1/2 hours….so far so good! After dinner I let the pot and leftovers cool for an hour or so in the garage before placing the pot and leftovers in the fridge. I don’t put hot dishes in the fridge until they’ve cooled off some. Well just a few minutes ago I packaged up the leftovers and washed the pot by hand. I put it on the stove to check for any warping, I’ve had warped pans in the past so I was just checking it out. When it started wobbling on my flattop stove I couldn’t believe it! 😡 I had put it on the stove also when I first got it and that thing didn’t budge at all! It laid perfectly flat on the stove. Here’s a short video showing the wobble.

Needless to say I’ll be calling them tomorrow if they’re open, and Monday if they’re not. I will be sending this back and hope to get a refund without any problems. I’ll post their response after speaking to customer service. I can’t stand having a wobbly pot on the stove, so now I’ll be looking for another one. I’m open to suggestions from any of you who’ve had good luck with pots that stay flat.

[RonB]

The wobble looks excessive to me John. If the company won't treat you right, call the credit card company.

[MBMorgan]

https://www.all-clad.com/d3-stainless-everyday-3-ply-bonded-cookware-rondeau-8-quart.html

[Panhead John]

Thanks Mike! The 8 quart is too big for me though and I couldn’t find a smaller one that they make. I’d love to find a 5 qt. if possible but I might have to settle for a 6 qt. at the most.

[MBMorgan]

I’ll keep an eye out. Meanwhile, good luck with getting the warped one resolved.

[captainlee]

That's too bad, quality of everything today is terrible. Hopefully they set up.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

yeah at that priced I'd be more than a hair pissed off

[Panhead John]

Yeah! I really liked it too, the 5 qt. with the 2 small handles was exactly what I was looking for. It heated up quickly and evenly, I really thought it was going to be a keeper.

[Carolyn]

I am looking at Misen and Heritage Steel. You might check those out if you can get a refund on this one.

[Panhead John]

Thanks Carolyn, I’ll check them out.

[ecowper]

I know it doesn’t have a glass lid, but the Made In 6 qt rondeau looks perfect :-)

[Panhead John]

Yeah, I might have to lower my expectations some about a glass lid, 2 small handles and a 5 qt. size. The one I bought was the only one I could find with all those features. A glass lid isn’t going to be that critical for me anymore.

[MBMorgan]

Agreed: https://madeincookware.com/products/...ondeau/6-quart

You can probably find a glass lid to fit if you really want one.

[LA Pork Butt]

I hope customer service is excellent, but the massive pan fail makes me leery.

[Michael_in_TX]

That is a crazy level of warping for temps that low!

[ecowper]

yeah, no way that medium direct heat and then 350F indirect in the oven should do this.

[Panhead John]

I just spoke to customer service at Riverbend Home, where I bought it. He was very nice and after I explained my problem, he asked me to send him an email and include the video I made. They will forward the email to Chantal, the mfgr., and then either they or Chantal will get back to me. It’ll probably be early next week I’m assuming. I’ll keep you posted as to their response. In the meantime, enjoy!

[ecowper]

Glad the seller was responsive and helpful

[Michael_in_TX]

Also, that is oddly mesmerizing.....but it still shouldn't do that.

[Panhead John]

😂😂 Before I shot that video, I spun it around a little harder than what you see. That puppy must have spinned non-stop for almost 30 seconds!

[Panhead John]

Well I’ll be! Last Friday night I sent this email to Riverbend Home about the warping problem with my new Chantal pan. Being it was the weekend I didn’t expect a response until this week. Monday morning I received a reply stating that they would be forwarding my refund request in detail to Chantal. I included the 2 videos I made showing the pot wobbling and spinning on my stove. I’d never dealt with Chantal or Riverbend Home so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I made sure to go into detail so they would know it was not warped by user error. 👇👇

Hi, I just received my new Chantal 5 qt. SS Sauteuse pan last Wednesday and used it one time, and it has already warped on the bottom. It wobbles up and down on my flattop stove and also spins very easily. I take good care of my things, including cookware. I know how to take care of them and do not abuse any of them. After just one use it has severely warped on the bottom. When I first received it and before using, it would lay perfectly flat on my stove with no wobble at all. All was good I thought.

For my first and only cook with it, I made some braised short ribs. I browned the ribs with oil on the stove, never going above Medium Heat. When they were ready for the oven, I cooked them for 2 1/2 hours at 350* nothing excessive at all! After the pan and leftovers cooled off, I put them in the fridge overnight. The next day I hand washed the pot and dried it off. After cleaning it I put the pot on the stove and noticed the wobbling. Here are 2 short videos showing the wobbling and spinning. I really wanted to like this pot a lot, it was the perfect size for me…..but I can’t use a wobbly and spinning pot on my stove. Can you please issue me a full refund? I have the original packaging and the box it was sent to me in. I would also like to get a pre-paid shipping label for the return. Thanks for your help with this

This morning I received this reply from Riverbend……👇👇

Hello John

You have been refunded back to your method of payment

you can discard the item. we do not need for you to send it back

you are all set

Thank you and have a great day!

Sincerely,

Riverbend Home Customer Service

855-438-8585

mailto:[email protected]

Thanks Chantal and Riverbend Home, that’s pretty good customer service! I just checked my bank account and the money is already in it. 👏👏

[Panhead John]

Johnny Booth Yeah, it makes me wonder about the rest of their products….and they’re not cheap Walmart stuff either. That thing was priced at $209., before a 20% off coupon they offered. I’m just glad I got a full refund with no hassle.

[Jessterr]

Glad it all got resolved so easily!

[Panhead John]

Thanks guys! I gave the pan to my school teacher neighbor Kristen, who cooks as much as we do. I told her what happened with it and she was thrilled to get it. I mean, it is usable and everything, it can still be used on the stove and of course in the oven. I’m just glad everything worked out so well.

[jayjordan]

What are you going to replace it with?

[Panhead John]

Last Saturday I visited the Le Creuset store in Conroe because I had decided to buy their 4.5 qt. rondeau pan and wanted to see it in person before buying. I picked it up that day. Even though I hadn’t got my refund request handled yet, I decided I wanted one of these one way or the other. I’ve already used it on the stovetop and in the oven, it’s still flat as a board on my stove….no warping at all. Has a lifetime warranty also.

[Oak Smoke]

Hey John try this one. Yes I shop eBay.

[Panhead John]

Thanks Lynn, the Misen was actually going to be my first choice! The 6 qt. was just a little bigger than what I wanted though. The Le Creuset 4.5 qt. is what I wound up getting. Surprisingly I found very few offerings in the 5 qt. size, which is what I really wanted. I’ve already used my 4.5 qt. Le Crueset and it’ll work just fine for me.