Since the kitchen is the heart of the home, it's important to outfit yours with the most luxurious cookware available on the market today. But where do you start? I Googled the term "Luxurious Cookware" and this is what I found:
1) Hestan's NanoBond According to a story in the Robb Report, the world's preeminent chefs, engineers, scientists, and designers have come together to create Hestan's new cookware collection called NonoBond. California-based Hestan, well known for its high-end commercial kitchen equipment and residential outdoor grills, developed "the first true innovation in stainless steel cookware" in more than a century. Working in its Napa Valley Laboratory, the company developed a patented technology that coats each aluminum skillet, wok, pot, and pan in thousands of super-dense layers of titanium alloys bonded to stainless steel. The resulting cookware is light, durable, and incredibly resistant to stains and scratches. Hestan's NanoBond collection is available exclusively at Williams-Sonoma. Individual cookware is priced from $150 to $520; a 10-piece set is priced at $1,500.
2) Tramontina
Tramontina USA is a leading manufacturer of high quality cookware and housewares products supplied to national and international retailers. Founded in 1986 in Texas, the company is one of the largest corporate affiliates of the Tramontina Group in Brazil. After researching more than 50 cookware sets and rigorously testing 12, the folks at Sur La Table concluded that the Tramontina 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Cookware Set was the best. It's one of the only sets they found to include the larger pot and pan sizes pros recommend. The pieces in the Tramontina set provide excellent heat conduction, and they're comfortable to hold and very durable. Check out the company's limited edition collections of exceptional kitchenware items featuring exquisite design, superb quality and precise engineering. All items are manufactured of premium materials and constructed with impeccable craftsmanship, resulting in outstanding products. And they come with a lifetime warranty.
3) All-Clad
Ignite your passion with All-Clad cookware. From the company's handcrafted and made in the USA bonded cookware, to the newly expanded hard anodized cookware, you're sure to find a collection that suits your everyday needs. An excellent choice for a housewarming premium gift or to update to your gourmet kitchen. With durable 18/10 stainless steel nonreactive cooking surfaces and hand-polished, mirror-finish exteriors, this All-Clad set handles the most challenging kitchen tasks with ease. A special three-ply bonded design features a thick aluminum core sandwiched between stainless steel for even, efficient heat distribution and consistently excellent results.
Isn't it time to outfit your kitchen with the most luxurious cookware on the market today? Or maybe it should be "outfitting your luxurious cookware with a great kitchen!" Either way, if you're thinking about bringing your new set of cookware to your new home in Montecito, Hope Ranch or any of Santa Barbara's upscale communities, or are considering selling your home here, I'm here to help. Please call me at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. Maybe you'll receive a set of Hestan's NanoBond as a move-in gift!
“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”
- S.N. Decker Ph.D.
“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”
- Johan and Paula van den Berg
“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”
- John and Lacey Williams
“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”
- Michael & Nancy Lee
“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”
- Richard and Catherine Frinier
“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”
- Laurie Siegel
“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”
- Ken Saffir
“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”
- Michael & Susan Marquart
“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”
