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Product: All-Clad 5000-9 Amazon Price: Too low to display Availability: In Stock |
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For a good even heat, excellent quality of workmanship, and a dependable name, I can’t think of anything better than All-Clad. For years, I used cheap cookware store non-stick skillets and hand-me-down pots and pans my mother used when she first got married. What a difference it makes.
Most cookware is way too thin, which leaves you with hotspots. For years, I would make up for this by using a cast iron “defuser” to even out the heat and keep the direct flame off the bottom of the pan. I don’t have to do this any more. With the triple-layering, you get even heating, regardless of whether it’s the middle of the pan or the outer edge.
Personally, I like the stainless. MC2 wasn’t around when I bought mine, and I might have chosen that because of the low-maintanace exterior, but I’m not regretting it either. I don’t have to be worrying about scratching through the coating with it and it cleans up easy enough with a little water and even less elbow grease.
Cooking will always be a chore, even if you enjoy the act in itself, if you never invest in good cookware and good knives. This is the first step on at least one of those. You might also wish to add a double-boiler, the steamer insert and a 1 qt. saucier; and maybe a larger stock pot (12 qt. if you can afford it), but this really lets you hit the ground running.
This is my second set of All Clad. When I installed a Viking gas cooktop a year ago, I discovered why all the pros use All Clad….my thick-bottomed, thin-walled cookware couldn’t take the heat and food burned on the sides rather than the bottom. My darling husband gave me a full set of MC2 and from that point on I was hooked. I have added several pieces via Amazon’s great buys, both MC2 and stainless which I love. Mind you, my previous cookware was all non-stick so this was a challenge but once I figured out the proper way to cook I’ve had no problem with anything sticking and I hardly ever use any fat besides cooking sprays. It’s so simple: preheat the cookware! It only takes a minute on medium heat then you can spray the pan and add your food and nothing sticks. Cleanup is a breeze and the stuff is so gorgeous I bought a stainless rack to display it. If you are serious about cooking, buy this set. It’s a fantastic deal and it will last a lifetime. I’m betting some of you will even go on to buy a pro-type cooktop or stove after you start using All Clad. It’s really true that the right cookware makes all the difference and this is the right stuff!
I bought this set back in January and must admit, it’s gotten a lot of compliments from friends and neighbors. As with anything stainless steel, which is apparently all the rage these days, the look and feel (heavy!) of this cookware is impressive.
The most impressive thing I’ve noticed so far is the even temperature control throughout all of the pieces I purchased and have used so far. Even when boiling water, you can see at the bottom of the pot that the heat is being distributed evenly, which is a major downfall of most other cookware.
The first downside is that they are, in my experience, a PAIN to clean. Following the manufacturers recommendation to NOT put them in the dishwasher, I have washed them by hand after every use. I highly recommend washing them IMMEDIATELY after use to avoid having to spend a lot of time getting them clean.
The other downside is that I think these pots and pans will work much better on gas cooktops than on radiant cooktops. Fortunately, I’ll have gas cooktops again in a few months, but really feel that buyers with radiant cooktops should test out a piece or two before commiting to the whole set.
Other than those two minor downsides, this is a “keep-for-life” set of pots and pans, and well worth the investment. Check out the rest of the All Clad stainless series for other great pieces (highly recommend the omelette pan to complete this set in particular).