All-Clad Pots & Pans Advice

I started this thread because once upon a time it was impossible to find deals on All-Clad, but in recent years, All-Clad deals have become more common on SD, and every couple of months I see the same questions asked over and over and over again. So let's make this a sticky reference. I will try to keep it updated with your suggested edits (if you like it, please vote up, and reps are always welcome):

Why buy All-Clad when other brands are cheaper?

All-Clad built its reputation on its high-quality, made-in-USA, patented, tri-ply stainless steel pans (2.6mm thick with two layers of stainless steel sandwiched around a 1.7mm aluminum core). The aluminum core helps the pan conduct heat quickly and respond rapidly to heat changes, while the outer stainless steel surface is durable and long-lasting. These pans perform well and should last forever. They are not the most durable stainless steel pans money can buy (there are some more expensive options mentioned below), but used properly, they are nearly indestructible and you'll likely leave them to your kids when you die.

Of course All-Clad's patents on tri-ply construction have run out, prompting many copycats (mostly Chinese imports but also some excellent and more expensive options), but All-Clad pans (particularly their skillets, fry pans, and sauce pans) continue to win performance tests for their design, construction, and balance of value-performance-durability. Things that distinguish All-Clad:

• Full cladding: Some brands have the clad surface only at the bottom of the pan -- not the sides. That's OK for big pots, but bad for skillets, sauciers, saute' pans, woks, etc.
• Large cooking surface areas (All 10" pans are not created equal! Pan diameter is measured at the top, so for example 10" fry pans could have actual cooking surface areas ranging from 6.5 to 9.5 inches).
• Perfectly-sloped sides for access, for pouring, for flipping, etc. (this varies by All-Clad line, see below)
• Thicker and more even cladding than cheaper steel or aluminum pans for better heat retention, fewer hot spots, less scorching and warping.
• Long, stay-cool handles: Not everybody likes the feel of All-Clad's handles which have a deep groove for your thumb, but they stay cool and do not slip in your hand when lifting and pouring, even if you're wearing an oven mitt.
• Helper handles when needed: The largest All-Clad pans have very useful oversized helper handles, but for weight reasons, this is only on the heaviest pieces that really need it (that's a good thing).
• Lightweight tight-fitting oven-proof stainless steel lids with big handles that you can easily lift with an oven mitt on.
• Versatile: Work equally well on gas, electric, and induction cooktops, and oven-proof to the highest temperatures (the most popular D3 and D5 lines are oven safe to 600F)
• Durable: They can take a beating and high temperatures without warping or discoloration (though new induction cooktops may test these limits)
• Balance: You can find expensive stainless clad pans with greater conductivity and heat capacity, but for the marginal benefit, those might be as heavy as cast iron. All-Clad strikes what many believe is an ideal balance between performance, weight, ease-of-use, durability, and price (especially when there's a Slick Deal! -- more below).
• For those who care about such things, All-Clad pans are (mostly) made in America (details below). For some lines, the lids and handles are now made in China, but the pan itself is still assembled in the U.S.

This is not one person's opinion. All-Clad pans have been top-rated by just about everybody including the very thorough testers at Cook's Illustrated (aka America's Test Kitchen) who've rated All-Clad D3 skillets #1 every single time they've tested fry pans for the last 30 years [youtube.com] (this video really is worth watching). They also rate All-Clad sauce pans #1 [youtube.com] for their balance of design, function, weight, durability, warp-resistance, and value. And here's a recent Wirecutter review of All-Clad 12" fry pans [nytimes.com].

What's the difference between D3, D3 Everyday, D3 Compact, D5, Copper Core, Collective, G5, Anodized, Fusiontech, MC2, and Emerilware by All-Clad?
Notice some of these lines are exclusive to a specific retailer. Why? It prevents comparison shopping.

The D3 line is All-Clad's classic stainless steel tri-ply pans with the aluminum core that have won accolades for decades from everybody from Cook's Illustrated to Consumer Reports to Wirecutter. All-Clad D3 has uses a 1.7mm aluminum layer, and this has become the standard to which all other brands of clad cookware are compared. This is enough aluminum to create fast, even heating, but not so much that the pans are overly heavy (Note: All-Clad markets the D3 line as "3-Ply," because it has 3 visible layers, but technically there are 2 more super-thin non-visible layers of a slightly different grade of aluminum that act as a binder between the 3 visible layers. Other brands like Misen that use the same construction call their pans "5-Ply"). In recent years, All-Clad stopped using American steel in the D3 handles and lids, to keep prices down, but still assembles them in the U.S. These pans have classic All-Clad handles, with a deep groove for your thumb. This lets you grab even large pans with oven mitts and tilt/pour without the pan slipping from your hand. Pans and handles have a polished finish. Most other versions of All-Clad stainless (see below) are the result of All-Clad trying to boost profit and/or fend off competition in various niches.

D3 Everyday is a newer version of the D3 line with a much smaller variety of pieces. The shapes are modified slightly from the classic D3 pans, with slightly larger surface areas, a redesigned handle that's wider and not as deeply grooved (for those who find the traditional handle ugly or uncomfortable), and flared sides for the sauce pans (D3 saucepan sides are straight). The flared rims make the diameter of D3 Everyday saucepans a little wider. If you'd like to see D3 and D3 Everyday side-by-side, here's a short video [youtu.be].

D3 Curated is a version of the D3 line created just for Crate & Barrel, usually sold as sets. The finish is brushed rather than polished, but otherwise it appears to be very similar to the D3 Everyday line, with a rounded, curved handle that has less of a thumb groove than D3, and taller, flared sides to the pans.

D3 Compact is a version of the D3 line created just for Williams-Sonoma, sold as sets. Similar to the D3 Everyday line but with really short handles (most pieces have only helper handles instead of long handles). Sets are overpriced.

D5 is five-ply stainless/aluminum instead of 3-ply (with an extra layer of stainless steel sandwiched in the middle of the aluminum, but in the same overall thickness, so D5 actually looks identical but has less aluminum than D3. As you might expect, D5 is heavier than D3, heats more slowly, and retains heat a little better, so it will be more forgiving and perhaps less prone to warping on induction cooktops, more like a cast iron pan. To be clear, both D3 and D5 are pretty indestructible and warping should not be a problem on either, but if you have a newer induction cooktop with rings that get crazy hot, crazy fast, heavier pans may be a safer bet. In terms of performance, long-simmering dishes or high heat searing are where the D5 could have a slight advantage. D5 has two other differences vs D3: The lids have taller, beefier handles, and the saucepans have flared edges, which makes for easier pouring. Because of the higher price and heavier weight, I don't love D5 for most if any pieces, and the testers at Cook's Illustrated agree [youtu.be], but it's popular. It was first made available only in a brushed finish, which was part of the appeal, then All-Clad discontinued it, then brought the line back recently in both brushed and polished finishes. (You'll see D5 brushed finish model numbers as D5 or BD5. You'll see polished listed as SD5.)

D7 was discontinued in 2018. D7 was a (gasp) 7-layer sandwich of alternating stainless steel and aluminum used for heavy 6- and 8-quart pots, plus a few other pieces, presumably to compete against cast iron dutch ovens. The design of this line was different as well, and was not well-reviewed.

Copper Core has traditionally been All-Clad's top-of-the line collection (though G5 Graphite has now taken over that spot). All-Clad Copper Core is similar in design to the D3 line but for a few distinctions: The middle layer is 1mm copper with 2 super-thin protective layers of aluminum instead of 1.7mm of aluminum, so the pans are thinner than D3, but because copper is more dense than aluminum, they are still significantly heavier than D3. Because the middle layer is exposed in a ring that extends around the base of the pan, All-Clad Copper Core has a distinctive, fashionable upscale look. The benefit of the thinner copper layer over aluminum is that it conducts heat more quickly, therefore these pans will heat up a little more quickly and respond more quickly to changes in temperature (in either direction). The difference in performance is marginal but real. Most cooks won't notice much of a difference, but serious chefs who make delicate sauces may find that difference valuable, particularly for their smaller saucepans where they might traditionally have used an all-copper pan. The drawbacks of Copper Core are the price (it's typically a lot more expensive than D3), the weight (which can be meaningful on the bigger pans), the cleaning (that exposed copper strip can collect grime and tarnish, so the pans need to be polished to keep that gorgeous look), and finally, the superior conductivity has it's pros and cons -- it makes the larger Copper Cores slightly more prone to hot spots (which is why Cook's Illustrated still rates the D3 as their top-performing skillet). Based purely on functionality and value, I don't usually recommend Copper Core, except perhaps for one saucepan in your collection. However, there are other reasons to buy pans, and you might find the beauty and prestige and responsiveness of having Copper Core in your kitchen to be worth the price. This guy made a nice video comparing Copper Core to D3 [youtube.com] and a follow-up test [youtube.com] where he found no difference in consistency.

Collective is a line of All-Clad sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma. It features new handles and flared rims (like the D3 Everyday line), and thicker lid pulls, but on a variety of different brushed-finish pans (the skillets are D5, the sauce pans are Copper Core, and the sauté pans and rondeau are D3). The idea is that if you want some pieces D3, some pieces D5, and some pieces Copper Core, you could now get "Collective" versions as Williams-Sonoma that all look like they are part of the same set. This would be an interesting concept except for the fact that they charge a huge premium for these pots, and let's be honest -- if you really wanted to pay a premium to have the perfect pan for each purpose, you wouldn't necessarily be buying D5 and Copper-Core. You've have some cast iron pieces, some nonstick, and maybe a Deymyere skillet and a G5 Graphite saucepan.

G5 Graphite is the newest (2021) innovation from All-Clad. Think 5-ply Copper-Core, but with a lightweight carbon graphite disk replacing the copper layer. By all accounts these pans are very lightweight and highly conductive -- moreso even than copper. All-Clad claims to have eliminated compromises with this line, achieving the once-impossible trifecta: weighing less than aluminum, conducting heat faster than copper, and heating more evenly than cast iron without hot spots. But there's always a compromise, and heat retention is the compromise here. They heat quickly and they cool down quickly, making them not great for high-heat searing tasks (drop the steak in the pan, and the temperature crashes immediately -- it comes back fast, but that's why you still get a better sear in a cast iron pan for a fraction of the price). G5 pans can weigh as much as a pound less than their Copper Core counterparts (and a little less than D3), and appear to outperform them in most every way, though it stands to reason they'd be more prone to hot spots depending on the cooking surface. The design is brushed, with polished handles. All-Clad owns several patents on this new technology so don't expect bargains any time soon, and the variety of pieces is still limited.

MC2, "Master Chef", and LTD2 are discontinued budget lines that look like D3 Stainless but have only a stainless steel interior with two layers of aluminum including a brushed aluminum exterior that helps with even heating but is soft and does not wear well over time. This line was created to offer sets at department store chains at competitive price points. The MC2 exterior scratches easily, does not hold up to harsh cleaning, and does not work on induction cooktops. Avoid unless you want the lightest weight pans possible and are willing to sacrifice durability for price/lightness.

Emerilware by All-Clad is a budget line of tri-ply stainless cookware that is manufactured in China and cuts a lot of corners to meet a competitive price point. The quality is better than a lot of budget cookware, but expect smaller cooking surface areas, steep sides, and generally inferior ergonomics and performance compared to D3. if you're looking to save money, I'd recommend buying just 1 or 2 quality D3 pieces instead of a bargain set of MC2 or Emerilware.

Is All-Clad Non-stick?

All of the above stainless steel pans are not considered non-stick pans (though if you cook with them properly, they do possess some nonstick properties). For non-stick pans, see below. If you've only cooked with non-stick pans, and don't know how to cook with and care for stainless steel, I recommend checking out YouTube [youtube.com] for some great demos (this video [youtube.com] is a little long but it's quite good). Stainless-clad pans have many advantages, and not just in terms of durability and heat. Chefs know that many dishes are enhanced by a little "stickiness," which creates chemical reactions that enhance flavor and texture. This doesn't mean they are a pain to clean. Again, check out YouTube. But if you see negative reviews for All-Clad stainless where the complaint is that everything sticks, that's just somebody who doesn't know how to use them or clean them [salsify.com].

Are there any negatives to All-Clad Stainless?

You'll see six complaints about All-Clad Stainless:

1. The handles are uncomfortable: All-Clad handles are molded with a big thumb groove along the top. This dissipates heat and stays cool to the touch, makes it easy to stabilize the pan, and makes them very "grippy" for lifting and pouring. They won't slip out of your hand, even when handling an oven-hot pan with an oven mitt. But some people find them uncomfortable. For those people, D3 Everyday offers a nice compromise.
2. Rivets make it hard to keep shiny new-looking: All-Clad handles are riveted onto the pan -- not welded. Rivets are the best way to securely attach a handle to a pan (I've seen videos of welded handles snapping off of expensive Demeyere pans). The rivet inside All-Clad pans are smooth, but they due protrude into the cooking area and it's not realistic to expect that you'll keep that little edge around the rivet shiny and sparkling for the generations you'll own these pans.
3. Straight edges on D3 sauce pans: It's a legit complaint. The edges of most D3 pans are flared, but the sauce pans, where a flared edge might be nice for pouring, have straight sides. The tight-fitting lids are great, but D5 and D3 Everyday saucepans have flared edges and their lids fit just fine.
4. Everything sticks!: See above. Amazon is littered with reviews by people who bought an All-Clad skillet because it's top rated and didn't take a moment to learn that they hadn't purchased nonstick skillet.
5. No sealed edge: All-Clad used to advertise the D3 line as "dishwasher safe," but they don't anymore, after a class action settlement in 2022. Why? Because many dishwasher detergents contain harsh bleach or peroxide that affects the aluminum layer, which is exposed in a thin strip around the edge of the pan (some much more expensive brands like Demeyere have a sealed edge). Over hundreds of washes in a dishwasher, that little strip of aluminum can recede a little, making the edge of your pan less smooth (For what it's worth, the lawsuit had claimed that the edge recedes and becomes sharp and dangerous. This feels a bit overblown. I own nine D3 pans that are between 10-30 years old. When I examined the one that's been washed the most -- probably thousands of times through the dishwasher -- I did in fact realize that the aluminum was a bit receded around the edge compared to the ones that were washed by hand, but I hadn't noticed this and it hadn't affected performance at all. Still, if you're buying these to last forever then hand washing most of the time is the wiser choice). For what it's worth, expensive brands like Demeyere with sealed edges also recommend hand washing.
6. They warped on my induction cooktop: I hesitate to add this to the list, because testers at places like Cook's Illustrated cite warp-resistance as one of the top reasons that they recommend All-Clad D3, but a couple SD-ers have insisted that they had this happen with D3 pans and high-voltage induction cooktops, so I am mentioning it here.
7. Quality control?: SlickDeals has some All-Clad haters who've pointed out that while All-Clad is still made in America, they have started using imported steel and aluminum that can vary in quality, and have some parts (handles, lids) made overseas. The results could be slight variations from batch to batch. Perhaps that's related to #6. You'll find comments about this from the All-Clad detractors in the comments below.

If the rivet or the handle or the lack of a sealed edge are deal breakers for you, or you want the heaviest, most warp-resistant pan for your induction cooktop, then you could consider the excellent Demeyere pans [zwilling.com] made by Zwilling. They are excellent in design, but use a much thicker and heavier core (their Atlantis skillets are double the weight of All-Clad D3). People love them but they are very expensive, especially compared to the All-Clad sales.

All-Clad Non-stick Cookware

True non-stick pans have their purpose, and you'll see a lot of deals posted for All-Clad nonstick cookware. The discussions can be heated because even a good deal on an All-Clad nonstick pan is considered a waste of money by many experienced cooks. This is because the best-performing nonstick pans (including All-Clad nonsticks) are those coated with PFTE [misen.com] (polytetrafluoroethylene) or other plastic coatings. These pans require careful maintenance and do not last forever. Most experienced cooks have a single PFTE-coated nonstick skillet, and treat them as disposable, replacing them every few years before the coating starts to deteriorate and leech toxins into the air. There are frequent deals for high-quality nonstick skillets for $20-$30 (Tramontina and Oxo make great ones), so consider that before spending more than that on an All-Clad brand nonstick skillet, even a discounted one. No matter how good the deal, and no matter how well you care for them, they are not designed to last forever. The only type of nonstick pan that lasts forever is cast iron or carbon steel, and All-Clad doesn't make those.

All-Clad has many non-stick varieties:

D3 Nonstick - This is the great All-Clad stainless line coated with a nonstick PFTE coating, making it much less versatile, durable, or long-lasting compared to the regular D3 pans. Buy these only if they are super slick deals because (see above) they should be treated as disposable.

HA1 Hard Anodized, Essentials Hard Anodized, and B1 are all anodized aluminum pans coated with a nonstick PTFE coating. These lines seem to exist purely to compete with Calphalon and Analon. B1 is sold exclusively at Bed, Bath & Beyond. All have stainless steel handles and glass lids. HA1 and B1 are induction compatible. Essentials is not. HA1 has flared sides. Essentials does not. Buy these only if they are super slick deals because (see above) they have PFTE coatings and should be treated as disposable.

Fusiontec Ceramic is an induction-compatible, dishwasher-safe steel core pan with a ceramic exterior. It's a complete departure from anything they've done before. Ceramic is a compromise. Its nonstick performance is not as great as a PTFE-coated pan, because the non-stick properties start to fade fairly quickly, but it's more durable and requires less care. If you're willing to accept less non-stick performance in exchange for a chemical-free, more durable, still easy-to-clean pan, then this compromise may be for you, but I definitely wouldn't buy a whole set, and honestly wouldn't turn to All-Clad over other ceramic brands.

Should I buy a set or individual pans?

There are often great deals on D3 sets, but look at the pieces carefully and make sure these are the pieces you want and need. A so-called 7-piece set is typically 4 pans with 3 lids, and include smaller (i.e. less costly) sizes. If even one of those four pans is one you won't use much, then it may not be such a value. But if the smallest piece in the set is a 10" fry pan, then that's a good sign it's a high-value set. Most experience cooks prefer to purchase only the pans they want, and slowly build up a collection over time.

Should I buy an entire nonstick set?

Most cooks would strongly advise against this. A single nonstick skillet is fabulous for cooking delicate items like fish or eggs, but a nonstick surface makes other techniques (like searing meat or building a fond) more difficult or even impossible. Nonstick pans aren't dishwasher friendly, and unless they're cast iron (and you wouldn't want a whole set of cast iron), they require special utensils, they can't ever be used at the highest heats or in a hot oven or broiler, and of course, they don't last for very long.

Should I buy from the All-Clad factory seconds sale?

Short answer: Yes. So don't be scared off by the JV-looking website and the no-returns policy.

The All-Clad factory seconds sale used to be an annual event that required a trek to West Virginia. Now it's all online at homeandcooksales.com [homeandcooksales.com], and it comes around periodically every couple of months. Sign up for the mailing list and you'll get notifications, plus the occasional coupon. Yes, it looks oddly sketchy, but it's legit. It just feels as if they've outsourced this seconds sale to a bunch of understaffed amateurs; and yes the site asks for an email address to gain access, but if that really bothers you, just use a fake one.

Most of us have had great experience with their "second quality" (I've purchased probably 10 pieces and even given them as gifts). The so-called manufacturing defects might be a tiny scratch or blemish, or be impossible to find. Just remember that if you're buying All-Clad stainless, you're buying pretty indestructible pans. Other experienced SDers seem to overwhelmingly agree, with lots of reports of getting pots and pans in perfect packaging that are indistinguishable from new retail condition; however I must mention there have been the rare scattered reports of people who were unhappy, such as receiving a dented pan (I tend to think that's probably a shipping issue, but here's a recent discussion). One person reported getting a D3 lid on a D5 pan. More commonly people report finding either a tiny scratch, or not being able to notice any defect, or finding a small "S" stamped under the handle (here's a more typical example). Somebody also reported getting the wrong item and having trouble getting a refund, so they did a chargeback (successfully) with the credit card company.

The site distinguishes between "second quality" and "packaging damage." If you order the "packaging damage" units, they will be more expensive than 2nd quality but with an assurance of zero detectable scratches to the pan itself. But again, that's usually the case with "second quality" as well.

Shipping can be slow, and seconds often arrive in plain boxes -- not in All-Clad retail packaging.

First time buyers please note that there are no returns, and the site closes when the sale is not on; SO somebody here suggested taking a screen shot of your checkout page and saving it just in case there's a problem with your order. You can't easily log in to find previous orders when the sale isn't going on. AGAIN, problems are rare, but if there is a problem, the quickest recourse could be to do a chargeback with the credit card company.

Should I buy big All-Clad pots?

All-Clad pans built their reputation on fry pans (saute pans, skillets) and sauce pans. If you're on a tight budget, buy All-Clad stainless saute and sauce pans (any pan that's got a curved shape), and go cheaper for your spaghetti pot. Get a cheaper one with a heavy, clad bottom, but for that pot you don't need cladding all the way up the sides.

Should I buy All-Clad dutch ovens?

All-Clad stainless Dutch ovens are fine, but enamel-coated cast iron is considered the best material for a dutch oven, especially if you're using it to bake bread or another application that calls for exceptional heat retention rather than heat-responsiveness (Le Creuset brand is the standard-bearer, but they are expensive). If you need/want something lighter than cast iron, All-Clad stainless is a reasonable (but still expensive) choice.

Should I buy All-Clad utensils, bakeware, or appliances?

If you want the consistent look of a matching set, then fine, but if you're trying to save money or buy the best, All-Clad probably doesn't qualify on either front. All-Clad isn't particularly known for its utensils, roasting pans, bakeware, or other kitchen gadgets, and even on sale they are overpriced. Their electric appliances are never top-rated for performance despite being more expensive than other brands. Their bakeware and grilling accessories are nothing special and highly overpriced. Their colanders are expensive and poorly-designed. Their stainless steel measuring cups and spoons are not as functional as other brands (example: their spoon set shows up at the factory sales "discounted" to about $16, but higher-quality, top-rated Cuisipro stainless steel measuring spoons can be found on sale for $12).