cooks, need your advise: All Clad or Calphalon

[RichieZ]

My friend works at williams sonoma (fat discount) so I'm going to pick up one of these sets:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku6461446/?pkey=ccookware-sets|ckwsetall

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku9874496/?pkey=ccookware-sets|ckwsetcal

Non stick or go for the try-ply?

 

[acheron]

need more pole.

I don't like non-stick stuff in general. I use that All-Clad style, and they're great.

 

[FoBoT]

i would buy the try-ply, because of this spec:

"Ideal for use on any cooktop, including induction."

and i like stainless better than aluminium

 

[sygyzy]

You are a lucky guy. 40% off is sweet. The answer is: All-Clad.

It's considered to be the best cookware by most. However, I am sure you are aware you are comparing a stainless cookware set with a non-stick. You'll never get the kind of sear you want on sea scallops with the Calphalon but you will also fail at making pancakes with the All-Clad.

Get the All-Clad set and get two non-stick Calphalon pans. All-Clad also makes non-stick but their non-stick is no better than others, it just costs more because of the name. If you need any more help, just ask.

Remember, at ATOT, consider the audience you survey and their answers.

 

[eber]

I'd get the All-Clad and as already advised, expand the set as needed.

 

[RichieZ]

You are a lucky guy. 40% off is sweet. The answer is: All-Clad.

It's considered to be the best cookware by most. However, I am sure you are aware you are comparing a stainless cookware set with a non-stick. You'll never get the kind of sear you want on sea scallops with the Calphalon but you will also fail at making pancakes with the All-Clad.

Get the All-Clad set and get two non-stick Calphalon pans. All-Clad also makes non-stick but their non-stick is no better than others, it just costs more because of the name. If you need any more help, just ask.

Remember, at ATOT, consider the audience you survey and their answers.

astute observations, i would definitely go all clad but i'm intrigued by the conecept or the sear pans from calphalon. Its supposed to sear decently well and does produce fond but in kind of an odd manner:

"We did quickly learn that cooking with this pan would require a slightly different technique than we were used to. While the fond does start forming, we found that it tends to come up all at once in a big sticky clump when we deglazed instead of melting into a sauce. Instead of waiting until the end of cooking, we started scraping up the fond every few minutes as we cooked. Since the pan is nonstick, the fond releases easily without liquid. And because it hadn't build up too much, we were able to melt it back into whatever we were cooking.

This meant that we could build a lot more flavor in a dish than when using other nonstick pans, but only if we were ok having the flavor stay in the dish itself. If we wanted to build a gravy or pan sauce later to serve alongside a dish, we had some problems. Whisking might help break up the clump of fond, but all of our whisks are metal and can't be used on nonstick surfaces."

 

[bignateyk]

All-clad set
Then all you need is 2 good cast iron skillets (large and small), and you are good to go.

Non-stick pots/sauce pans are completely useless. The only non-stick pan that might have any use is a skillet, but even then, cast iron or all-clad work just as well if you know what you're doing.

edit:

I have an all-clad set, 3 cast iron skillets of different sizes, and one non-stick skillet (14" i think) that I use very rarely.

 

[SunnyD]

The only thing I hate cooking in anything other than non-stick is eggs. Other than that, fuck non-stick.

 

[JeepinEd]

All-clad set
Then all you need is 2 good cast iron skillets (large and small), and you are good to go.

Non-stick pots/sauce pans are completely useless. The only non-stick pan that might have any use is a skillet, but even then, cast iron or all-clad work just as well if you know what you're doing.

edit:

I have an all-clad set, 3 cast iron skillets of different sizes, and one non-stick skillet (14" i think) that I use very rarely.

We currently own the Calphalon set you linked to.
After 4 years of use, it's ready for the trash. Even though we are very careful and only use plastic spatulas, etc., the non stick surface is scarred and falling off.
I just bought my first iron skillet and am loving it, although the whole cleaning part is kind of strange....(no soap?)

I'm done with non stick. Don't know what ingesting that stuff does to you, but it can't be good.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Have people here actually used tri-ply that was NOT All-Clad? I have and compared to All-Clad, you really don't need to spend all that extra money for a name brand tri-ply. If all you're interested in is the excellent cooking characteristics of tri-ply you can do nearly any other manufacturer and it'll be fine and a LOT cheaper. All it is is an aluminum layer stuck between two stainless steel layers with a handle riveted on. All-Clad isn't really that big of a deal - just something to impress people with.

Henckels makes some. Even Costco I believe makes some. Calphalon as well.

 

[geno]

It depends on the kind of cooking you do the most. I find that nonstick is more versatile and caters to more of what I'm doing (lots of breakfast, nothing too complex for dinner) but I find that a nice thick stainless / cast iron pan comes in handy for higher heat applications, that and you can't deglaze in a non-stick pan . I also value the easier cleanup of nonstick since I'm usually in a rush to clean up after cooking a meal

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I try to avoid using pans with non-stick coatings because a lot of stovetop cooking requires a pan to be pre-heated and that can result in this:

http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon

Also, the reason that All-Clad is more expensive is the lifetime warranty, a warranty you won't get with most cheaper cookware. I RMA'd a skillet last year because the bottom had warped a bit and a month later had a brand new one on my doorstep.

 

[Modelworks]

I'm a cast iron user, love the stuff, non stick and just can't be beat when it is used properly.

If I had to pick from the ones in the OP , definitely the stainless.

tip for the new cooks: Hot pan + cold oil = food won't stick.

 

[schmedy]

I had both Calphalon and All Clad stuff, and I gave most of the Calphalon to my exwife in the divorce. 100% do not get anything nonstick. You can cook anything with the All Clad, you just need to adjust your cooking style a little, I make just about everything without an issue, but my gf who is used to nonstick sticks everything to the all clad, there is just a learning curve using it, but after you get used to it you will want to use nothing else. Always good to have a quality cast iron pan or 3 also.

 

[mcveigh]

I've had both. I currently have the calphalon (ex has the all clad)
I think the all clad was a little better quality but I prefer the calphalon because
1) the are slightly lighter in weight. the all clad weighs a fucking ton.
2) clear lids so I can see if I need to add water or what is happening with my food without opening the damn lid.

 

[sygyzy]

Personally, I think the whole thing about non-stick giving off gases is hogwash. I also think that non-stick has its place and although it's possible to cook food in cast iron and stainless with minimal sticking, it still takes some elbow grease to get it clean where as non-stick is actually non-stick. I cook all the time and I am staging at a restaurant.

I think alot of people recommend cast iron and stainless, or rather recommend against NS beacuse the former seems more "manly" and tough. Almost like being anti-technology. Non-stick has it's uses. Get a 10" and 12" NS pan from Calphalon. They are like $35 a piece. Then get a single cast iron (you don't need two) and the All-Clad stainless set.

You will be spending a lot but you'll have products that should last you a lifetime.

Oh yeah, look at Le Creuset or similar enamel cast iron. You cannot beat it for risotto's, soups, etc.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I have the 11 piece set from calphalon, damn it rocks. got it for $100 from amazon on some huge promo they had....I love calphalon stuff, works amazingly well, and cooks very evenly.

I also have a teflon frying pan set that works very well too, and a flat pan for pancakes and whatnot.

 

[Strk]

I'd go with a Calphalon set

Here: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku40154/?pkey=cckwsetcal

But you might want to decide whether you want stainless or nonstick.

 

[IronWing]

Of the two mentioned in the OP, I like All Clad and own exactly one piece. However, for the money, it is hard to beat Farberware's basic aluminum clad pans. Mine have lasted 23 years so far with no wear beyond a few scratches. They are a lot cheaper than All Clad, way cheaper.

 

[hanoverphist]

You are a lucky guy. 40% off is sweet. The answer is: All-Clad.

It's considered to be the best cookware by most. However, I am sure you are aware you are comparing a stainless cookware set with a non-stick. You'll never get the kind of sear you want on sea scallops with the Calphalon but you will also fail at making pancakes with the All-Clad.

true, stainess is the best to cook with. as long as you can keep them clean. however, pancakes arent as tough as people say they are on nonstick pans, you just have to know what youre doing. stainless grills in restaurants that make pancakes arent magical, and they seem to make pancakes pretty well.

that said, i have a set of stainless as well as a set of pampered chef nonstick. the ex did a ton of parties to get them all for "free". i got to keep them when she bolted.

 

[sygyzy]

true, stainess is the best to cook with. as long as you can keep them clean. however, pancakes arent as tough as people say they are on nonstick pans, you just have to know what youre doing. stainless grills in restaurants that make pancakes arent magical, and they seem to make pancakes pretty well.

that said, i have a set of stainless as well as a set of pampered chef nonstick. the ex did a ton of parties to get them all for "free". i got to keep them when she bolted.

You're right, it's certainly possible to make pancakes on steel pans.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I tend to buy individual pans. As a professional, I think sets appeal to folks who don't really cook

 

[IronWing]

I tend to buy individual pans. As a professional, I think sets appeal to folks who don't really cook

:cookie;

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Personally, I think the whole thing about non-stick giving off gases is hogwash. I also think that non-stick has its place and although it's possible to cook food in cast iron and stainless with minimal sticking, it still takes some elbow grease to get it clean where as non-stick is actually non-stick. I cook all the time and I am staging at a restaurant.

It's not really hogwash, it's an established fact. Non-stick is no problem for low- and medium-heat applications but, beyond that, numerous tests have shown that for medium-high and high heat cooking, non-stick coatings release harmful gasses. I don't own any birds so I'm not concerned about that aspect of it but I really don't care to be breathing in outgassing from non-stick coatings when I cook. While I don't work at a restaurant I do cater small/medium size parties (< 150 people) so I cook fairly frequently and prefer to avoid breathing hazardous fumes. ymmv.

 

[spidey07]

There are very few things you want to cook on non-stick stuff. Eggs and pancakes being about it. Just sayin'.