All-Clad Stainless

Having owned or used all sorts of cookware over the years, including Wearever (the original heavy aluminum stuff from 50-60 years ago), copper, cast iron (enamelled and not), Cuisinart, KitchenAid,… Revereware, Farberware, Corning & Pyrex (glass), odd pieces from All-Clad's direct competitors, and a host of others, my wife and I can say with complete confidence that All-Clad is the best of the high-quality stainless steel, multi-ply, all-purpose cookware. That's a lot of qualifiers for the All-Clad! ... But the qualifiers are important! We use the All-Clad pots every single day. We also regularly use a non-stick electric skillet and various non-stick frying pans, a lovely copper and ceramic double boiler, a 20 quart stainless restaurant supply brazier (non multi-ply), a Romertopf clay pot, a very large beaten-steel wok, the aforementioned cast iron and glass pots, large single-ply stockpots, a couple of enamelled tinware pots, and various other specialty items. What's been tossed or passed down is the collection of general purpose cookware the All-Clad replaced several years ago. So the complaints in these reviews about the All-Clad pots not filling every need is perfectly true, but also 100% applicable to any other general purpose pot, of any construction, and by any company. They should also not affect the ratings - these are intended to be general use cookware, and fulfill that purpose admirably. Look at them in that light, and know also that All-Clad is consistently rated as THE best cookware in professional reviews, even by reviewers who will then turn around and recommend something entirely different for some specialty purpose! There is no conflict in that whatsoever! Compromises are many. Stainless does not heat as well or as evenly as aluminum or copper. It is relatively expensive, at least for a quality stainless alloy, and All-Clad uses a top-line alloy. It is far more expensive than aluminum, which also performs better. Riveted handles are exceptionally strong, but make the pot a bit harder to clean. Highly polished surfaces are hard to maintain. The benefits are many too, versus other materials. Less cost by far than copper. Easier to clear by far than copper. Far more durable than aluminum. Stainless is the easiest to keep sanitary. It is chemically neutral. Stainless does not corrode. Is is hard to pit (don't leave chlorinated water standing in stainless, however). It can be cleaned of scorches and burned-on material as well as food stains to as-new, if desired, and can be cleaned with substances that would destroy other pots (e.g., caustic, acids). From a brand perspective, the All-Clad pots work as an ensemble, with many lids, inserts, and other set paraphenalia in common from pot to pot. All-Clad stainless is induction-ready. When cooking with induction, performance differences among pots becomes a footnote. Our choice of the all stainless, aluminum core version of the All-Clad pots was based on several things. First and foremost was general purpose need - everyday cookware that is known to work well and doesn't present any unusual issues in cooking or care. We prefer the stainless exterior to the version with the stainless interior and aluminum exterior. Although the aluminum exterior pots perform better, aluminum simply doesn't hold up - it dings, scrapes, deforms, pits, corrodes, and eventually turns into a mess. That may take many years, but our choice was to purchase pots once (and once only). We long ago abandoned maintaining the high polish. It just isn't necessary. While we never use steel wool on our cookware, we don't hesitate to use the milder green scrubbies or Bar Keeper's Friend on the All-Clad pots, which have acquired a brushed appearance over the years. The pot handles stay cool (the lid handles do not, unfortunately). We toss them into the dishwasher all the time, depending on what was cooked in them, and it works great. We don't worry about the odd stain. After a few uses, any stains disappear or can be removed with a chemical cleaner. Ours have been heavily used, occasionally (accidently) abused, scorched and burned here and there, are used on stovetop, in the oven, on grills, and who knows where else. No deformation, no delamination, not even a lid dent. Although we bought the aluminum core pots because of cost, our choice in All-Clad would be the stainless in and out with copper core first for best performance (but pricey), the stainless in and out with aluminum core second, and, frankly, would never buy the aluminum exterior version. Fully deserving of their reputation.

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I bought this exact set six years ago from Amazon as a birthday present to myself (back when Amazon did birthday discounts) just starting out on my own after college. I had a limited income but knew that… this was an investment so I saved and saved and waited for a good deal. I highly recommend it. I cook 80% vegetarian, 20% meat. I do have two Le Creuset French ovens and Lodge cast iron but the All-Clad are my favorite. I have bought and since thrown out several Calphalon nonstick pieces which were great while they lasted but did not last long. This is not peculiar to Calphalon; my roommate bought the 12" All-Clad nonstick frypan and had awful luck with it -- stay away from nonstick in general, I'd say. And, yes, we followed all the usual nonstick rules. I have only cooked on cheap apartment-grade gas and electric cooktops, and I think the quality cookware has made a real difference in my ability and willingness to cook, which over six years has saved me a lot of money. So I don't think All-Clad is only for people with too much disposable income on their hands. I considered it an investment in my health and finances and have never regretted it. I kept the original boxes and have moved this set half a dozen times through four states. It's great cookware to learn on because you really can't screw up too badly. Prior to buying the All-Clad I had a few Cuisinart pieces that I picked up at discount stores. These were great also, but they are not clad up the sides. Side by side, there's no comparison, but Cuisinart is a great starter brand. Mine have been gifted to others. The 6 qt stockpot is the biggest pot in my kitchen right now. I use it for making chicken stock, beans, soups, and pasta. It's the only pot I have that's big enough for steaming corn on the cob. The 3 qt casserole is my least favorite because I would prefer a 4 qt saucepan in its place. Even when the 3 qt casserole is full of liquid, if it had a long handle, I could lift it with one hand, but because of the short handles, you have to use 2 hands every time. The benefit is that it takes up less space in your cupboard and on your cooktop. Great for cooking pasta for one without messing up a big pot, but if it had one long handle, I could drain the pasta into a colander with less fuss. I also cook soups in this, even though I have a 3.5 qt Le Creuset. Sometimes you just want the lighter piece, and the performance is great. So even though it is my least favorite, it is among my most used. The 3 qt saute pan I use for larger stir-frys. I used to think that I had to have the 12" fry pan, but I really don't. The lid for this pan is exactly the same as for the 6 qt stockpot (you get two of the same lid). The 10" fry pan is great for single servings of fried rice or pasta with vegetables. I prefer this to nonstick and have learned to control the heat to avoid sticking (even things like rice, egg, and tofu). Even when things do stick, the cleanup is super easy. Between these and my cast iron skillets, I do not find it necessary to have a single nonstick piece in my kitchen. The 2 qt saucepan is the darling baby of the group. I use it daily for oatmeal, cocoa, reheating soups, small pasta sauces. I had no idea how spoiled I was until I made oatmeal at a friend's house using a thin-walled regular pot. The cleanup was pretty awful even though I didn't burn anything; I couldn't believe that soaking with hot water and soap for hours wasn't enough to loosen that oatmeal. With my All-Clad I have never had to soak longer than a few minutes or scrub hard, no matter what. Bar Keeper's Friend and soap is all you need for even the most stubborn problems. I left oil heating on the fry pan and forgot about it. The blackened mess that ensued was a small nightmare until I discovered BKF. So what's missing, you ask? Well, I did get a 7" fry pan at an intro price, and this is useful for frying one egg and toasting sesame seeds and almonds and whatnot. If you cook for large groups you will definitely want a larger stockpot. I might consider getting a 1 qt saucier at the intro price just to have another small pan in the arsenal for when I have a lot of things going. I am recently the lucky recipient of a large Williams-Sonoma gift card and will probably get the 7 qt Dutch oven, 4 qt braiser, and 17" oval roaster, which are larger pieces that can be used for serving as well. You might consider the 10-piece set at Williams-Sonoma even though it is more expensive because it comes with an 8 qt stockpot, a 4 qt saute pan, and the 4 qt saucepan instead of the 3 qt casserole. This means that for the same footprint in your cabinets, you get a larger stockpot, larger saute pan, and a more functional saucepan. You also get the 12" fry pan (which I would probably never use because of my 12" Lodge skillet). But even in hindsight I'm not sure I would have bit the bullet quite that hard back then. Now, with a slightly better income and still-limited cabinet space, it would be a no-brainer.

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I use this cookware every day. It's my opinion that All-Clad is the best value for your cookware dollar, as you'll only buy cookware once. All-Clad has a lifetime warranty and I'd recommend that… user/reviewer S. Flask have the unsatisfactory piece replaced. Beyond the basics of durability, this cookware heats evenly and quickly on all cooking surfaces (I've used it on gas, electric, and glass tops). I love that I don't have to think about what my pots and pans are doing, I only have to think about what's going into them. The bottoms of my pots (I've had some for 14 years) have always stayed flat; they don't roll around on the cook top. I love that the cookware is made in Pennsylvania (except for the lids) and I love that they are made with American metals. But more than all of that, I love that All-Clad has made my cooking better and easier. Oh, and it even cleans up well. I do recommend using Barkeeper's Friend on it with dish soap. Barkeeper's helps to keep the cookware shiny.

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