Is All-Clad Worth It?
All-Clad is a manufacturer of more high-end cookware and appliances. So is All-Clad cookware and appliances worth the money? In this article, we give you a brief overview of All-Clad products and talk about whether it’s worth it or not.
All about All-Clad
Clad Metals was established during the U.S. steel age in 1967 by John Ulam, a brilliant metallurgist. At first, Clad Metals began as a specialized metallurgical company that formulated various bonded metals for industrial use. John Ulam, who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a metallurgy degree in 1948, discovered that you can get superior results by combining different metals together.
Ulam founded Composite Metal Products in 1958, which focused on composite or bonded metal, but sold the company after a decade. In 1967, he founded Clad Metals, which manufactured composite metal coins for the U.S. Mint. The company also produced bonded metals for the aviation industry. Within this time, Ulam had over 50 U.S. patents for bonded metals under his belt.
Later, in 1971, Ulam established All-Clad Metalcrafters, which in fact was a subsidiary of Ulam’s original company Clad Metals. They began manufacturing professional-grade bonded cookware for chefs and for home kitchens.
The brand flourished and was highly regarded and widely sought after by the world’s top chefs, and passionate home cooks alike because of its extraordinary properties and exceptional cooking performance.
All-Clad Cookware Today
Today, All-Clad cookware is one of the best-known American cookware and the company still makes its handcrafted cookware in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
Uiam served as president until November 1988, when he eventually sold off the privately-held company to local businessman Sam Michaels. Michaels subsequently sold the company to Ireland-based Waterford Wedgwood, which in turn sold the company to French cookware giant Groupe SEB. As of 2015, All-Clad is known as an American subsidiary of Groupe SEB.
That’s enough about the company and its origins. Now, let’s discuss some of the questions many people keep asking. So, here you go:
Is All-Clad Worth The Money?
This is the most commonly asked question when folks hear good things about their stainless cookware and waffle makers. You see, All-Clad is American-made cookware and it’s more expensive than other competing brands.
Some buyers like it that way because they value safety and durability and other reasons. But, there are plenty of people who are hesitant to pay more even after considering that there are a lot of differences between a mediocre pan and a good one.
So Is All-Clad Stainless Steel Worth It?
To this question—we would say, yes, their stainless steel is worth the extra money.
All-Clad cookware is of high-quality and lasts a lifetime. The cost is being spread out over an entire lifetime, not just over a few years.
Spending $30 on a pan that might last you 3 years averages out to $10/year.
Spending $120 on a beautiful pan that will last 40 years averages out to $3/year.
Then there’s the talk about eating healthy. According to a research by Johns Hopkins University, people consume less sugar, fewer carbohydrates, and less fat when they cook their meals at home than others who cook less or don’t cook at all.
So, if you want to eat healthy, lose weight, and want to add a few more years to your life, start cooking at home.
Home cooking is also less expensive and more nutritious than restaurant food or processed food. Most restaurant or processed foods are laden with high amounts of sugar, salt, and fat.
In addition to that, cookware made from stainless steel is the safest type of cookware available.
Because of these reasons, I believe that All-Clad is worth it.
All-Clad D5 Brushed Stainless Steel Cookware
When we talk about “All-Clad,” usually, we are referring to All-Clad Stainless Steel pans. Every All-Clad pan consists of a three-layer sandwich metal. The core is aluminum and the stainless steel surrounds the interior and exterior. The sidewalls are 2.6 mm in thickness for most pieces, but the pans have thinner sidewalls and thicker bottoms.
This 5-piece All-Clad cookware set consists of a 10-inch frying pan, a 3-quart saucepan with the lid, and a 3-quart saute pan with the lid.
All-Clad D5 costs more than most stainless steel cookware sets; most people might think they might distribute heat better than regular stainless. But, that’s not the case. The heat conductivity of the D5 and stainless steel is almost comparable. It’s because the thickness of the metal (which is about .6 mm thick) is same for both the D5 and the Stainless.
Having this thickness and being able to withstand high heat means that your All-Clad stainless cookware will stay a flat cooking surface and won’t warp over time.
Apart from these thermal differences, All-Clad D5 Cookware does have some notable improvements. There is a small thumb rest on the bottom side of the handle and the handles are secured with stainless-steel rivets permanently.
There is a thin layer of steel embedded in the core for additional structural strength and the rims are flared at the top edges of all the pans for drip-free pouring. All D5 pans are dishwasher-safe, oven-and-broiler-safe up, and made in the USA. And one last thing, the D5 has a brushed finish, which is also known as Brushed D5 or BD5.
D5 cookware is a huge improvement over copper cookware or cookware with a copper core. It’s also a huge improvement over cast iron cookware.
Amazon Ranking
The All-Clad BD005705 D5 Brushed 18/10 Stainless Steel has great customer reviews on Amazon with a rating of 4.6/5 stars based on more than 192 customer reviews.
All-Clad Stainless Steel Cookware
This is a 10-piece All-Clad cookware set that comes with a a 10-inch and 8-inch fry pans, 3-quart saute pan with lid, a 3-quart saucepan with lid, an 8-quart stockpot with lid, and a 2-quart saucepan with lid.
All pieces of this 10-piece cookware set comes with a thick aluminum core that conducts heat quickly, while the stainless steel coating that engulfs the aluminum ensures equal heat distribution, even to the rims.
The stainless-steel interior includes a starburst finish offering great stick resistance properties. This construction feature, which is common across all All-Clad fry pans and other products in its lineup, lets cookers know when food is ready to serve.
Plus, it also does not react with foods, so you don’t have to worry about your food smelling like metal. These pans are dishwasher-safe, can withstand temperatures up to 600F, and are made in the USA.
Amazon Ranking
The All-Clad10 Piece Cookware Set has good customer reviews on Amazon with a rating of 3.9/5 stars based on over 150 customer reviews.
All-Clad Classic Round Waffle Maker
The Classic Round Waffle Maker from All-Clad makes perfectly round and golden waffles. This Waffle Maker has aluminum caste grids, is easy to use, and has good performance.
If you really love waffles and want your waffles to have perfect scores on browning, tenderness, baking, and consistency, but don’t want to spend too much, then this is a smart pick for you.
Waffles made in the All-Clad Classic Round Waffle Maker are tender, crisp, and browning is even and consistent.
The controls are easy to follow and the waffle maker ships with clear instructions. The Classic Round Waffle Maker can cook waffles at seven different heat levels and features a light and sound alert when the waffle maker is preheated and when the waffles are done.
This waffle maker can also be locked for safe storage.
On the other hand, we have noticed that while baking the top and the sides of the waffle iron becomes very hot. So, don’t touch it while making waffles!
Also, is this All-Clad worth it? It’s expensive and doesn’t come with a recipe book. Sigh!
Amazon Ranking
The All-Clad Classic Round Waffle Maker has amazing customer reviews on Amazon with a rating of 4.3/5 stars based on a whopping 252 customer reviews. Overall, for a waffle enthusiast, a great waffle maker.
All-Clad Belgian Waffle Maker
If you like your waffles to be perfectly golden brown, crisp, tender, and yes, perfectly square—you will love this Belgian Waffle Maker. This waffle iron received high scores from baking enthusiasts and regards it as the easiest product to use overall.
Want some waffles? Just turn the dial to the setting you prefer, pour the batter into the aluminum grids, and mind your business until you hear the chime. The waffles are done! It’s that simple.
Like other waffle makers from All-Clad, the controls are easy to operate, and also comes with easy instructions. This Belgian Waffle Maker comes with seven browning settings, has a locking mechanism, and a light and sound alerts you when the waffle maker is preheated and when the waffles are done.
However, this waffle maker doesn’t come cheap. In fact, it is one of the priciest waffle makers in the market. Not surprised as All-Clad is usually on the expensive side. We only recommend you to buy this product if you cook waffles very regularly and have some money to spare.
Amazon Ranking
The All-Clad Belgian Waffle Maker has great customer reviews on Amazon with a rating of 4.5/5 stars based on more than 192 reviews.
Final Words
So, where does this lead us? Instead, let’s wrap this discussion up by asking a question plenty of buyers have been asking—can you get All-Clad stainless performance for less?
To answer it in one word, we would say, yes. For example, the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro, which to most looks like a knockoff of All-Clad, has great value for money. You get most of the performance and features of All-Clad in this brand. The caveat it the material is less resistant to corrosion and it’s made in China.
Despite being 2 to 3 times more costly than the Cuisinart MultiClad products and other brands, not everybody is satisfied. For instance, some customers have complained that some All-Clad pans do not sit fully flat on their stoves, and the handles aren’t very comfortable to grip and lift.
Wrapping up – is All-Clad worth it?
You can see All-Clad cookware has its share of challenges, yet it still boasts some of the highest customer satisfaction rates out of all cookware and appliance companies.
Should you buy it? If you’re more concerned with performance than with price, then you should absolutely buy All-Clad cookware and appliances.
