All Clad non stick opinions
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GB
Chief Eating Officer
I would guess they would be very high quality as all their other cookware is. Before you drop a large chunk of change on it though, as yourself what you will be using it for and if you really need it. Will a less expensive non stick pan do just as well?
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
I'm of the opinion that all non-stick coatings will scratch or wear off before too long.
I decided some time ago to buy good but inexpensive non-stick skillets and toss them when they lose their non-stick qualities.
I regularly see heavy aluminum skillets with Silverstone coatings in three-packs (8", 10" & 12") for around $20.00 for all three.
When they crap out, I don't feel guilty about tossing them and buying new ones.
All-Clad is great stuff and their skillets will most likely last longer than my $20.00 items. However, for the cost dofference, there's no comparison.
I decided some time ago to buy good but inexpensive non-stick skillets and toss them when they lose their non-stick qualities.
I regularly see heavy aluminum skillets with Silverstone coatings in three-packs (8", 10" & 12") for around $20.00 for all three.
When they crap out, I don't feel guilty about tossing them and buying new ones.
All-Clad is great stuff and their skillets will most likely last longer than my $20.00 items. However, for the cost dofference, there's no comparison.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Andy M. said:
This was definitely true a while ago, but I am not sure how accurate this is now. It seems like now the non stick coatings hold up much better. I agree that they do wear out over time. Not completely, but they do lose a bit of non stickness (yes that is a new word I am trying to get to catch on). What is different now is how they perform after scratched. In the past it seemed that if they scratched then the coating would start to chip off from the scratch. Food would also stick on the scratch. The newer pans do not seem to have this problem as much. I have a Calphalon pan that has a scratch. It has been there for about 2 years. The scratch is deep, but nothing has ever stuck to it and it and nothing has chipped off.
Since all Clad has a lifetime warranty, you could theoretically return the pan once the non stick coating starts to wear as long as it is not scratched or you don't do anything to void the warranty. You pay a lot of money up front instead of $20 every few years as the pans wear out. Once nice thing about the $20 pans is that you don't have to be very careful and you don't have to feel guilty if you use a metal utensil on them.
Ardge
Senior Cook
The lifetime warranty for All Clad is in play ONLY when defects warrant the pot or pan to be returned. Loose rivets, rusted rivets, warped bottom, etc. -- manufacturing flaws in general. The warranty DOES NOT cover scratched nonstick surfaces.
I love my All Clad cookware. I have about 20 pieces of theirs that I can think of off the top of my head. Each and every piece is stainless steel.
My nonstick pans are few. None are All Clad. I subscribe to Andy's theory and never buy expensive nonstick. It is inevitable that they will scratch. There are no kid gloves gentle enough in the kitchen to guarantee a scratch free lifetime.
I stick to the $20 - $40 range for my nonstick pans.
Me
I love my All Clad cookware. I have about 20 pieces of theirs that I can think of off the top of my head. Each and every piece is stainless steel.
My nonstick pans are few. None are All Clad. I subscribe to Andy's theory and never buy expensive nonstick. It is inevitable that they will scratch. There are no kid gloves gentle enough in the kitchen to guarantee a scratch free lifetime.
I stick to the $20 - $40 range for my nonstick pans.
Me
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Ardge said:
Yes this is correct. The warranty DOES cover the pan if the non stick coating is not longer as non stick as it once was though. as long as you do not abuse the pans ( scratch then, put them in the dishwasher, use metal utensils, etc.) they will replace it.
Ardge
Senior Cook
GB, show me an old nonstick pan that needs replacing that DOES NOT have scratches on it.
Nonstick pans get dinged up just hanging next to regular ones. At least in my kitchen they do.
Here's the rest of my 2 cents, then I am gonna shut up in this thread....
If you have the money to buy All Clad cookware, why buy something that eventually will need replacing? Warranty or not, a $120 fry pan should last you forever. Stainless will. Nonstick will not. All Clad, Anolan, Calphalon, or anyone else. Nonstick needs replacing at some point in time. The timer starts the second you first use it. In the event you choose to claim your warranty, there will most likely be a few lines to stand in and a few people making it hard for you in the process.
"Did you use metal on this nonstick surface?"
"No, those scrapes are from my silicone spatulas."
lol
I'm too busy for lines. I get enough frustration elsewhere.
I say buy cheap nonstick pans. Toss them after a year or so. No guilt.
Save the $120 for a purchase that you can pass down to your kid's grandchildren.
RJ
Nonstick pans get dinged up just hanging next to regular ones. At least in my kitchen they do.
Here's the rest of my 2 cents, then I am gonna shut up in this thread....
If you have the money to buy All Clad cookware, why buy something that eventually will need replacing? Warranty or not, a $120 fry pan should last you forever. Stainless will. Nonstick will not. All Clad, Anolan, Calphalon, or anyone else. Nonstick needs replacing at some point in time. The timer starts the second you first use it. In the event you choose to claim your warranty, there will most likely be a few lines to stand in and a few people making it hard for you in the process.
"Did you use metal on this nonstick surface?"
"No, those scrapes are from my silicone spatulas."
lol
I'm too busy for lines. I get enough frustration elsewhere.
I say buy cheap nonstick pans. Toss them after a year or so. No guilt.
Save the $120 for a purchase that you can pass down to your kid's grandchildren.
RJ
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Ardge, next time you are in MA, stop by my place. I will cook you up a nice meal and then show you a few old nonstick pans that do not have scratches. they do have some wear, but no scratches.Ardge said:
Don't get me wrong. If I were to need new non stick pans right now, I would probably get a cheap one as you are advocating. I do have Calphalon non stick pans that we got as a wedding gift that I really love though. They are very heavy and the non stick coating is very durable as long as you treat it somewhat carefully. I love the fact that they are so heavy. I have yet to see a cheap non stick pan with as much weight.
The way I see it, both have their positives and negatives. The positives of the All Clad is that they are heavy, well constructed and warrantied for life. You know you are getting a quality product with them. The negatives are the price and the hassle of invoking the warranty when you need to. The positives of the cheap pans are that they are inexpensive. You do not have to feel guilty if you scratch them or use them hard. the negatives are that they do not weigh as much as the more expensive pans. You also have the hassle of re-buying them every few years (incidently it is the same long line you are standing on to buy your replacement pans Ardge, that you would need to stand on to return a pan for a replacement under the warranty).
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I have lots of All Clad stainless and love it.
I hardly ever have a use for nonstick, but I did buy a jamie oliver TFal nonstick skillet on special at Amazon and it was cheap and works well.
I hardly ever have a use for nonstick, but I did buy a jamie oliver TFal nonstick skillet on special at Amazon and it was cheap and works well.
I copied this from the AC website, they're saying the non stick will last...
How long is the warranty on the All-Clad non-stick surface?
Following the All-Clad Care and Use instructions, the non-stick surface will last the lifetime of the pan.
* All-Clad’s non-stick products feature a state-of-the art system rather than a simple coating. The non-stick on All-Clad is actually a reinforced process. The surface of the substrate is blasted with an abrasive, which prepares the surface for better adherence. White hot particles of stainless steel are then sprayed onto the surface. Once these particles cool and harden, they become part of the surface of the substrate, and form a series of "peaks and valleys". The first coat of non-stick is then applied, settling down into the valleys. A second coat of non-stick is then applied filling in all of the valleys and covering the peaks, forming an even surface for cooking. The coatings are permanently bonded to the surface for extreme durability.
How long is the warranty on the All-Clad non-stick surface?
Following the All-Clad Care and Use instructions, the non-stick surface will last the lifetime of the pan.
* All-Clad’s non-stick products feature a state-of-the art system rather than a simple coating. The non-stick on All-Clad is actually a reinforced process. The surface of the substrate is blasted with an abrasive, which prepares the surface for better adherence. White hot particles of stainless steel are then sprayed onto the surface. Once these particles cool and harden, they become part of the surface of the substrate, and form a series of "peaks and valleys". The first coat of non-stick is then applied, settling down into the valleys. A second coat of non-stick is then applied filling in all of the valleys and covering the peaks, forming an even surface for cooking. The coatings are permanently bonded to the surface for extreme durability.
