Bayou Classic 8512 Tamale Pot, 12-Quart

This pot came to me with dings in it twice. After the second time it arrived damaged I didn't bother trying to return it again and just decided to keep it with the cosmetic damage towards the lip of the pan and on the cover. I immediately made tamales and it worked great. I cook a lot and used this pot often for reheating tamales, boiling water for pasta etc. I always hand washed it with a soft sponge and dawn and never once let the the pot run dry while cooking. The pot developed many holes in the bottom which I discovered when I heard the sizzling from water hitting the burner. Full on holes where you can see completely through. Not a safe item; I was probably eating small amounts of metal in my food each time I used it. I've never had a pot or pan do this, I've been cooking for decades. I only had this item for about 9 months and used it 2-3 times a week.

This arrived rattling around in a cardboard box, no packing at all, and the pot had a large dent in one side, but there was no damage to the box in that area so It appears to have been dented before it was placed ion the box. The included instructions/warnings point out that this is to be used OUTSIDE only, and with oil I would agree to that, but with water?? I don't think this is worth the money even as low as the price is, better off with a decent quality stainless steel pot/

Works great for tamales and i even use it to steam corn and brocoli makes them taste allot better when you salt the water and cover for 40min.

Using this Tamale pot was my first attempt in making tamales~ They turned out great and I am recommending this to my family and friends~ perfect size for what i was doing and this pot will be used many times~ Thank You

Gave it to our daughter, she loves making tamales with it.

This pot is not industrial grade but it was good for me at about twenty bucks. It did not leak around the handle rivets. The handles are decent and it comes with the steamer tray. The bottom is flat but thin, the same thickness as the rest of the pot. It works for what I need: pasteurizing my home brewed cider. I also plan to use it for canning, but haven't yet. I like the height for my bottles. They lid goes on with them in there, which is a safety issue for my purposes. If you follow the manufacturers directions and don't use it for high salt content stuff, it should be fine. It is aluminum.

I looked a long time to find one this size, works great

This is fantastic! It made a bunch at one time time, I had so much fun making tamales!