Calphalon? All-Clad? Or what?

[Greg Who Cooks]

For a long time I have intended to treat myself to top end gear when I retired and moved into what I consider my final home (moved in last June). I got the Wolf electric convection oven and gas cooktop, and they are simply amazing! (Should be considering the price. Well worth it. Particularly since I plan to live here the rest of my life.)

But I'm still cooking on the same mish-mash of pots and pans I've collected over the years. Good ones, bad ones, so-so ones, lots of different brands. I like a few of them a lot, others I want to give an express ride to the local Good Will store.

The last few years as I was planning the final move I got the idea that the biggest top end brands were Calphalon and All-Clad. Note that I generally do my cookware shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

I figured it would be simple. When I was ready I went over to BBB ready to pick one or the other. Much to my dismay I discovered that each brand has multiple product lines. It's not just choice A or choice B. And maybe I should be considering another choice C or something. (My mind isn't made up between these two brands. I just want good stuff that will last me my next 20 years.)

Then there's another problem: Buy a set or open stock? Get them in a set and you save money over buying individually. But I noticed most of the sets have a matching stock pot. Stock pot??? I have a couple stainless steel stock pots that have served me well for years. I can't see any reason to get a Calphalon or All-Clad or other premium stock pot. Why would they be any better than my trusty old stainless?

After walking around the cookware department dumbstruck, I decided to regroup and ask my DC friends for advice.

Calphalon? All-Clad? Cuisinart? Another brand? Which product lines? Mix and match?

 

[Andy M.]

I'm an All-Clad fan. If SS clad cookware is what you want, you can't do better. I agree you don't need a set. Buy the individual pieces you need. You can add others as needed. Check out this site Cookware & More - Outlet for All-Clad Irregulars. It is a discount site for All-Clad with cosmetic imperfections. Great prices. If you want unblemished, stick with BBB. Sadly, your 20% discount coupons do not apply.

All that said, Calphalon and Cuisinart both make good cookware too. Chances are you will be happy with any of them. I have pieces of All-Clad, Cuisinart, Kirkland, Tramontina and LeGourmet Chef. All are clad SS and I have no complaints.

 

[dcSaute]

if you've got gas, try a solid copper / ss lined pot or two.
(solid = min. 2.5 mm thick; not the hangonthewall junk)

expensive - but you'll luv' the way they cook.

 

[GotGarlic]

I like All-Clad, too. I bought a 3-quart saute pan with some birthday money one year and I loved it. I had been cooking with a set of Farberware I had received as a wedding present and was truly amazed at the difference in my cooking. Later, DH bought me a set of Calphalon, which I think is just as good, but costs much less.

I agree with Andy that buying pieces you need and will use is best. My Calphalon set came with a 10-quart Dutch oven! We had neither the space to store it nor the need to cook that much, since there are only two of us. We gave it to the fire department down the street

I have no experience with copper pans, so can't comment on that. Maintenance is a pain, though, isn't it?

 

[jennyema]

I'm an All-Clad fan. If SS clad cookware is what you want, you can't do better. I agree you don't need a set. Buy the individual pieces you need. You can add others as needed. Check out this site Cookware & More - Outlet for All-Clad Irregulars. It is a discount site for All-Clad with cosmetic imperfections. Great prices. If you want unblemished, stick with BBB. Sadly, your 20% discount coupons do not apply.

This.

Almost all my cookware is All Clad acquired through Cookware and More. And almost all of it had "blemishes" that you either couldn't see at all or so minor that it didn't matter. Some of my pieces are almost 20 years old and they look great and terrific to cook with.

 

[dcSaute]

>>I have no experience with copper pans, so can't comment on that. Maintenance is a pain, though, isn't it?

if you're going to hang it on the wall / pot rack and use it to touch up your make up or impress your cousins that you can afford it,
yes.

I got/use mine because of how it cooks. I don't polish it everyday. I cook with it. now and then when the spirit moves me I use a (not to be mentioned lest I offend anyone with a perforated can top fetish) cleaner.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Thanks for the replies. I expect there will be more to come...

I cook on natural gas, on my Wolf gas cooktop which I worship! Only other choice would have been Viking although I understand GE has a top end offering that is competitive.

No room in my kitchen to hang pots and pans. If only I had an island but I was lucky to get the beautiful luxury house I ended up in ..... and I can see Russia from my back yard!

One thing I absolutely hate from my current 10"-12" class skillets is that the bow UP in the middle. What the heck??? If anything it would help if there were an imperceptible slant towards the center. I fry an egg and it wants to go all over the pan! That is easily corrected by application of a spatula as the egg firms up, but entirely unnecessary if the pan didn't have a hump in the middle. Whatever were they thinking?

Well one good thing, I'm going to buy from BB&B and they have as liberal a return policy as any store could ever have. I think I'll tackle a 10"-12" skillet first, maybe buy both Calphalon and All-Clad and run my personal A-B test between them, return the loser.

I have a lot of really old BB&B coupons. I'll have to sort trough them, maybe some don't have the fine print about All-Clad.

 

[Sue Lau]

I like All-Clad copper core if you can afford it. The SS is good for a budget, if you can call All-Clad "budget". LOL
Buy the pieces you know you will use.
Calphalon is not in the same class of cookware, imo.

 

[AlisonC]

The main difference you'll find between the different type of All-Clad is how many layers of metal make up the pans. I work in a kitchen that has All-Clad 3-ply and 5-ply, as well as Demeyere 7-ply. I find that there is a noticeable difference between the 3 and 5 ply pans, and detectable but less so between the 5 and 7 ply.

For the money I like the All-Clad D-5 (5-ply) pans. The layers are Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Stainless Steel. They look great and perform beautifully. Very even heat distribution across the bottom and up the sides of the pans.

If price were really no object, I'd seriously consider the Demeyere 7-ply pans, but I like the fact that All-Clad pans are made in the USA.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I like aluminum cookware. I have some SS. Like you, several brands and several types of metals.
I always reach for the Calphalon anodized each time. Maybe because I am more accustomed to them? But I would never consider cooking over easy eggs in an SS pan. I can easily fry an egg in the anodized pan.

All-Clad looks the best and is most likely the best pan. But SS is not as good a conductor of heat as the AL is.
Maybe this is why nothing sticks to the anodized AL pans? Or its the anodized coating. Either way, I prefer the Calphalon over the SS. Allison above seems to know about the construction of the All-Clad SS.

Any pan that sags in the middle can be straightened out with a mallet. There are several members who disagree, but I have flattened out many a fry pan using a rubber mallet.
One good smack in the center with the pan upside down will do the trick.

 

[Andy M.]

We have been discussing SS clad pans. That is, two layers of SS with a layer of aluminum in between. Thus constructed, they are very good conductors.

Your anodized pans are much different from raw aluminum pans in their non-stick qualities. I chose clad SS over anodized alum. because the anodized surface of the pans is subject to damage exposing raw aluminum to foods.

I have cooked over easy eggs in a clad SS pan with not issues.

 

[chiklitmanfan]

Years ago, I bought top-of-the line Calphalon Commercial non-stick for $500 and HATED it. It was a total disappointment. I took a loss and ditched it. I bought a set of Cuisinart SS cookery and LOVE it. For Sauteeing, I have 3 sizes of Orgreenic brand frying pans. I don't know how long they will last but nothing in recent memory cooks and browns up better than these fry pans. My daughter has a set of Emeril SS pans and loves them too. I've cooked on an electric stove my whole life and just two years ago moved into a house with a fabulous GE gas range/stove. What a difference. The Cuisinart pans perform beautifully on the gas stove.

 

[taxlady]

Stirling bought a set of Lagostina stainless steel, aluminium core, cookware in 1989. I love it. It still looks really good. One of the things I like about it is that the handles are not riveted, so no dirt collects around the rivets. They are still on good and tight.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Lots of good info here. Thanks gang!

I have some out of state business that will occupy me for the next 1-2 weeks before I can focus on cookware. I'm thinking of buying All-Clad although I may buy Calphalon too, 1 piece each, and run them against each other, return the loser.

One good thing about dealing with BB&B, bring it back with all the packaging and undamaged and no problem full refund.

One thing I hate about my current skillet, it's convex in the middle. Grease it and bust an egg and the egg scurries to the edge. It will be pleasure to bust an egg in the middle and have it stay in the middle.

 

[bakechef]

The only thing I dislike about Allclad is the handles, they are just not "meaty" enough for me.

I was lucky and years ago Sears had a Kenmore set of fully clad pans on clearance for $99 and I use each and every piece.

 

[Andy M.]

The only thing I dislike about Allclad is the handles, they are just not "meaty" enough for me.

I was lucky and years ago Sears had a Kenmore set of fully clad pans on clearance for $99 and I use each and every piece.

Sometimes you can find a steal of a deal like that.

About 12-15 years ago I saw a 10-piece tri-ply SS set @ Costco for $150. grabbed it and it has been fantastic. The pieces get regular use and are as good as new.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Maybe I should just stand around until I get lucky. It's not like my eggs siding to the side of the skillet will kill me.

 

[Andy M.]

No, just do your homework and buy what you like.

 

[moustaches]

Not a fan of a set as I like to use different brands and buy what I need. Not a fan of All-Clad either. If I had to buy AllClad, I probably just buy the standard 3ply or the new TK line, rather than D5 or copper.

If you're open to other brands, have you considered the fissler original pro collection? Very underrated cookware. I recently read on some website rated that their pots and saucepans are rated as as best on the market.

 

[Caslon]

Last month I bought the popular Calphalon duo skillet non stick pan set for sale everywhere in stores. One large and the other smaller. I have to say I'm pleased with them so far. I keep looking for scratches and the deterioration of the coating (using plastic spatulas) and so far, they are holding up great. I'm not sure what this adds to the conversation.

Only to say...where do the scratches and peeling of the coating come from...eventually...lol? I use only plastic utensils.