Did I get some "bad" All-Clad?

[musicmax]

Just purchased the 10pc AC SS set at Macy's and I'm a bit surprised by a couple of things:

- The bottoms aren't flat. I can put a straight edge across the bottom of the 10" fry and the 3qt saute and see a definite "dome" effect where the center is higher and the pan slopes off to the sides. As I have a ceramic glasstop stove will this cause problems with uneven heating or wasted energy? And shouldn't the pan be flat anyway for coating with oil?

- The finishes are more delicate than I was expecting. I pan-seared a beef filet in the saute pan, and flipping it with a SS turner left a nasty scratch across the bottom. AC's own utensils are SS - why would they sell something that would scratch their own pans?

- Cleaned up with Bar Keeper's Friend and a wet terry cotton rag and there are dull streaks/scratches wherever I applied some elbow grease.

Everywhere I researched I heard AC was the best and US-made and all that, so are the above experiences normal?

Thanks.

 

[Robo410]

Quite surprised to hear this about AllClad

1) yes pans should be FLAT return them

2) all pans scratch but unless you were turning your food with a hatchet what you said happened is not normal.

3) barkeepers should make them shine

return them, write the company, etc

 

[pugger]

All Bad

I'd be off to Macy's to return that set, if it were me. This is dismaying to hear. I only own one piece of All Clad, it was a scratch & dent but it sits perfect.

 

[jennyema]

Quite surprised to hear this about AllClad

1) yes pans should be FLAT return them

2) all pans scratch but unless you were turning your food with a hatchet what you said happened is not normal.

3) barkeepers should make them shine

return them, write the company, etc

I agree. They should be flat and stay flat forever unless you do something very insane to them. This alone is reason to return them, but they should also shine and not scratch that easily.

I am under the impression that All Clad sometimes is commissioned by Macy's and other retailers to make special products or cheaper products and that often these are made in China and are not of expected quality.

I also think Macy's has gone really downhill.

Were these on sale?

If I were you, I would return them immediately and use the refund to shop for replacement All Clad at Cookware and More's website. They sell cosmetic seconds at seriously discounted prices. And non-seconds for cheaper than retial, too.

 

[Wart]

I don't know what is meant by straight edge, to me a straight edge is marked Starrett or Lufkin (ie), to others a 'straight edge' can be had at a grammar school supply (next to the round nosed scissors).

The pan not sitting solidly on the cooktop would be enough reason to return it.


Far as the scratch, well, aluminum is a soft metal, we don't know if the spatch was used as though the pan were steel or iron, or if the flipper has burrs, etc.

And has been mentioned, the pan could have been made to Macys quality and not a real quality, though I wouldn't want to think Wear-Ever would put their name on a known inferior instrument.

 

[Andy M.]

...Far as the scratch, well, aluminum is a soft metal, we don't know if the spatch was used as though the pan were steel or iron, or if the flipper has burrs, etc...

With All-Clad SS there is no aluminum cooking surface, just SS. the alum. is sandwiched between the SS layers.

 

[Jeekinz]

Just purchased the 10pc AC SS set at Macy's and I'm a bit surprised by a couple of things:

- The bottoms aren't flat. I can put a straight edge across the bottom of the 10" fry and the 3qt saute and see a definite "dome" effect where the center is higher and the pan slopes off to the sides. As I have a ceramic glasstop stove will this cause problems with uneven heating or wasted energy? And shouldn't the pan be flat anyway for coating with oil?

- The finishes are more delicate than I was expecting. I pan-seared a beef filet in the saute pan, and flipping it with a SS turner left a nasty scratch across the bottom. AC's own utensils are SS - why would they sell something that would scratch their own pans?

- Cleaned up with Bar Keeper's Friend and a wet terry cotton rag and there are dull streaks/scratches wherever I applied some elbow grease.

Everywhere I researched I heard AC was the best and US-made and all that, so are the above experiences normal?

Thanks.

Don't plan on the super high shine for the rest of the pans life. Everyday use will surely take it's toll on that finish.

just sayin'

 

[jennyema]

Don't plan on the super high shine for the rest of the pans life. Everyday use will surely take it's toll on that finish.

just sayin'

Mine are pretty darn shiny after 10 years. Seriously. They should never look "dull."

 

[Andy M.]

Mine are pretty darn shiny after 10 years. Seriously. They should never look "dull."

Agreed. My SS stuff is still shiny too. Gotta love Barkeeper's Friend.

 

[LadyCook61]

If I were you, I would return them immediately and use the refund to shop for replacement All Clad at Cookware and More's website. They sell cosmetic seconds at seriously discounted prices. And non-seconds for cheaper than retial, too.

That place is in Pa , I will have to go check it out. I'm interested in All Clad too.

 

[musicmax]

Agreed. My SS stuff is still shiny too. Gotta love Barkeeper's Friend.

Do you use BKF on the interior or just the exterior? Where I used it on the interior it looks like I used fine-grit sandpaper

 

[Andy M.]

Perhaps you should use less.

I use it on the entire pan. I just dust the interior of the pan with the BKF then scrub it with a blue scrubber sponge then do the outside and handles with the same sponge.

 

[Wart]

With All-Clad SS there is no aluminum cooking surface, just SS. the alum. is sandwiched between the SS layers.

Have you ever wondered about yourself?

I am.

Excuse me while I inspect my wiring ....

 

[Andy M.]

No worries. You're allowed one mistake as a DC member.

 

[Potato Repairman]

You should see if you can exchange the pan for one that sits flat, Best to test it by placing it on a glass shelf at the store , if you can. We have a flat top cooker so I know what you're going through. We have one AC frying pan that is concave if you look at the bottom, but it doesn't rock or teeter on the cooktop and once it heats up it's fine as far as cooking performance. Sort of like a Farberware pan which is concave but flattens as it heats. We have the large AC braiser which also heats up pretty evenly though not as uniform as I would like,or expect-- but this pan is convex looking from the bottom, and spins on the stove top with the slightest movement. A very BAD thing but, I haven't attempted to exchange it as we bought it at a drastically reduced price during a clearance sale when a store was closing a location, and mostly it's used in the oven. The pans don't need to be perfectly flat to work on a flat top as they heat fairly evenly, but they work better and are more enjoyable to use if they sit still.
I find that if you don't use enough water as a lubricant with Bar Keepers friend it scratches pretty easily. Generally we use Bon Ami, which is a easier on the pans and the skin too.

 

[foodstorm]

...If I were you, I would return them immediately and use the refund to shop for replacement All Clad at Cookware and More's website. They sell cosmetic seconds at seriously discounted prices. And non-seconds for cheaper than retial, too.

I agree. I've purchased several of their cosmetic seconds--the flaws are truly minor and the pans sit flat and perform well. Just rec'd their ad in the mail for their Open Stock sale Feb. 29th thru April 6th.

 

[Blondelle]

I believe All-Clad makes the bottoms that way to allow for natural expansion when the metal is heated. After the pan reaches temperature it should flatten out. You might want to check that with All-Clad before you return anything. BarKeepers Friend is abrasive and really should be mixed into a paste before cleaning the pan with it. It will mar the metal if it's used too dry with too much force.

Stainless isn't as hard as people think it is and will scratch if another metal implement is scraped across it's surface, or with a too abrasive a cleanser. I really don't think your set is defective. I think you have to understand that it's really not as tough as you think, and isn't imperious to wear just because it's very expensive. It's just the nature of the metal, and All-Clad uses the highest grades of stainless. Because All-Clad is magnetic and induction capable, the outside is only 18/0, which means it has no nickel. This might make it not as hard as other alloys, although I was told they use a very expensive alloy to compensate for that.

 

[justplainbill]

I believe All-Clad makes the bottoms that way to allow for natural expansion when the metal is heated. After the pan reaches temperature it should flatten out. You might want to check that with All-Clad before you return anything. BarKeepers Friend is abrasive and really should be mixed into a paste before cleaning the pan with it. It will mar the metal if it's used too dry with too much force.

Stainless isn't as hard as people think it is and will scratch if another metal implement is scraped across it's surface, or with a too abrasive a cleanser. I really don't think your set is defective. I think you have to understand that it's really not as tough as you think, and isn't imperious to wear just because it's very expensive. It's just the nature of the metal, and All-Clad uses the highest grades of stainless. Because All-Clad is magnetic and induction capable, the outside is only 18/0, which means it has no nickel. This might make it not as hard as other alloys, although I was told they use a very expensive alloy to compensate for that.

Nickel is magnetic, chromium is not. 18/10 is a relatively soft stainless. Chrome is pretty hard.