All Clad

[JeffInNYC]

Calling all cooks!!  I know a lot of you watch the food network, so I figured someone could advise me on this.

I want new pots and pans and Im hearing all clad is one of, if not THE, best.  I was thinking of getting the copper core ones since it distributes heat evenly, blah blah blah.

Anyone use or know someone who has all clad stuff?  They any good?

[Miss Philicia]

I have All Clad, but the regular stainless line.  The copper core one's are about 85% more expensive than the already expensive stainless line.  They're probably overkill unless you are Martha Stewart, IMO.

If you want something even more chic and exclusive buy Hackman Dahlstrom (Finnish).  I own a 5 qt. cast iron dutch oven and it's great.

http://www.finnstyle.com/cookware.html

[JeffInNYC]

Philly are you happy with your stainless all clads?

I need the frying pans and a pot to make sauce in and probably the lasagna pan along with a few other goodies!

[Miss Philicia]

I also own the grill pan and it's a MUST -- I use it more than anything else.  You could buy a set at a better price.  Maybe something like the 9-piece set here:  http://www.chefsresource.com/alstain.html

The grill pan usually isn't in a set though I think.

[milker]

I've been very happy with Tefal for the frying pan and Cuisinart for everything else all clad. My main goal is to find something that resists heavy burning And Tefal works really great!

Milker.

[budndallastx]

I have had my All Clad for 10 years now and am very happy with it.  I added the Emeril No stick pan about two years ago but other than my All Clad is the bomb !

The only trick is that it needs to be handwashed or the abrasive in the dishwashing liquid will start to mar the finish.  I also use "Barkeepers Friend" on occasion to put the shine back on the in inside of the pots and pans.  Over time they'll get discolored but that stuff will shine them up without any scratching. 

[JeffInNYC]

The all clads....stainless steel...csan they be put into the oven? You know like when you sear a piece of meat on the stove but want to finish it off in the oven...can that be done?  I would think so.

Also, whats the difference between a sauce pan and a saucier?

And when you cook pasta, do you like that it has the colander INSIDE that you lift out of it?  I would think by the time I got it to the sink it would make a mess all over the place.

[whizzer]

A saucepan is a straight sided pan in various sizes, such as 1, 1-1/2, or 2 quart used for general purpose cooking.

A saucier is a much larger bowl shaped pan with a small flat bottom used for making sauces.  It allows you to gently heat a small surface area on the bottom of the pan and work the sauce easily with a whisk.  It's great for making hollandaise and the like.  I have an All-Clad saucier and it works beautifully.  It is a bit of an extravagance unless you like making sauces.

The All-Clad stainless can go from stovetop to oven, or can be used for baking.  The non-stick versions shouldn't be used in a very hot oven, lest you break down the non-stick surface over time.

I can't tell a big difference in the regular All-Clad and the copper-sandwich All Clad.  Both cook very nicely.

[JeffInNYC]

Thank you whizzer.

1.)  Is there a temperature limit for putting these things in the oven?

2.)  If the only real sauce Ill be making is tomato sauce, then is the regular sauce pan fine vs the saucier?  By the way thanks for the defining the difference between the two pans.

3.)  Have you used the lasagne pan?  I want to get that too!

4.)  Difference between fry pans and saute pans?  Saute pans just bigger in case you want to add pasta or sauces or veggies and stuff to what youre cooking?

Thanks!!

[whizzer]

1)  No, unless you have an oven that will approach the melting point of aluminum.

2)  A saucier is NOT used for tomato sauce.  It is for sauces that you have to stand there and whisk or stir quickly to prepare.  Use any large, deep, straight sided pan

3)  Unless you are anal about having every pan match, I think the lasagna pan is a waste of money.  The value of all-clad pans is that the aluminum disk goes up the sides of the pan in a continuous piece (it is covered in stainless, but this aluminum core is where the cooking value is), this makes it great for stovetop cooking since it distributes heat from the bottom up the sides of the pan, but not really of increased value in baking, where the heat radiates from all sides of the oven.  An All-Clad lasagna pan says "I have more money than cooking knowledge"

4)  A frying pan is shallow, flat and with usually sloping sides.  A saute pan has straight sides for maximal heating area on the burner, and is deeper so the stuff doesn't go flying out.  My saute pan has a second handle that makes it more multi-purpose, because if you fill one up you can't lift the damn thing with one hand.

I own an All-Clad Frying pan, saute pan, and a saucier.   My saucepans are less-expensive, generic pans with thick copper disk bottoms.  I also have generic, relatively inexpensive non-stick frying pans so I can throw them away when the non-stick starts to break down.  I have a couple of cast iron frying pans that I use as well, since some things just cook better in cast iron.  My stock pot is one from France with a copper disc enclosed in stainless steel.  It is terrific and big (it is a 16 quart pot) batches of spaghetti sauce never burn to the bottom, even after hours of cooking. 

[JeffInNYC]

Thank you whizzer...I find it exciting to be talking about this.   

Anyhoo....

1.)  So a frying pan is like for an ommelette or something?  Saute pan is for searing filet mignon or browning chicken and stuff and perhaps adding stuff later to make it a one pan meal?  May I ask what in general you use these 2 pans for?

2.)  Sauce pan...I dont like those long handles....Instead, can I use the stock pots a.)to cook my sauce and b) to make my pasta (I also dont think I like the coloander inside the pot).

3.) For lasagne, Ill just keep using my glass pyrex dish?  Im not anal aboutit but if I make lasagne and have guests over, the stainless steel on the table looks so much nicer.

Let me cook you dinner sometime.

[whizzer]

1)  No, an omelet pan is for an omelet.  It's sides slope outward more gently than a frying pan.  I have a six inch omelet pan that I use all the time.  Saute pan is for sauteeing, but you can use is as a frying pan, and I often do just that. I use it often for one-pan dishes.   If I was going to sear something like a filet I would get a grill pan.  I don't have one - I just use my grill for that. 

2)  Those long handles keep you from burning your hands while you stir.  Get used to them.  They are great for cooking small amounts of vegetables.  I cook spaghetti sauce in my big stock pot, and well as making stew, or soup - then I freeze the leftovers.  I cook the spaghetti itself in a smaller pot and strain into a colander.  I think the colander inside the pot would make a mess.

3)  Pyrex will work fine for lasagna.  I prefer a deep (3 or 4 inch) lasagna pan myself.  There are inexpensive aluminum and/or stainless steel ones out there if you look around.  Mine is a deep stainless steel model, but it sure isn't all clad.  I'd have to refinance the house to buy one of those (though I do think they look REAL nice).

I'm always happy to be fed dinner!

[Miss Philicia]

Do you put your All Clad in the oven?  I'd never do that with mine.  That's what I use a dutch oven for.

Jeff, you really need to go to a good cooking store like the one I PM'd you about.  Otherwise you're just running around in a circle with this subject.

[milker]

3)  Pyrex will work fine for lasagna.

When you get the pyrex out of the oven, don't put it in the sink if there is cold water in it. My lasagna exploded.

Milker.

[whizzer]

Yes, I put my all clad in the oven.  When I have something that gets a quick sear and then needs to finish with radiant heat.  It's a pan for cooking with, not a decoration.  That being said, I do not use it as a baking or casserole dish. 

[Miss Philicia]

Personally I'm WAY into that silicone bakeware that you can find in good cooking stores nowadays.  Love it... so easy to clean.

However if you want to make lasagne is something nice for a dinner party you'll want something nicer then pyrex.  It depends what you're wanting to do with it. 

btw:  I do own a LOT of high quality cook ware but I did NOT buy it all at once.  I've been collecting it piece by piece over about 15 years.  Of course, if you really want to burn the money then by all means splurge.

Of course, if you really don't cook much, which seems to be the case with Jeff since he's asking so many of these questions, I hesitate to recommend buying some of this stuff as will it actually be used or will it just look nice on a shelf?

[whizzer]

I've got the silicone bakeware.  I like it for some things, but not for others.  It sure is easy to get stuff out of it, and to clean. 

I have collected my cookware over the years myself.  Some pans are 25 years old.  My cast iron was my grandmothers, and is very nicely seasoned.  I am way to cheap to buy more than once piece of high quality cookware at a time.  It's worth it for some kind of pans, and for others, not so much.

Kind of like knives, but then, that's a whole 'nother subject.

[Miss Philicia]

Yeah, I agree totally.  And of course it's easy to get carried away with too many gadgets.  I'm pretty well stocked by now though and I don't buy much.  The ONE silicone item I bought this year.  I have an ancient cast iron skillet that was either my grandmother's too!

However, I've been buying a bit of new dish ware lately as I love iittala stuff.

My knives are Henckel but I only have four sizes.

[Strayboy74]

I admire the cooking aptitude of the people on this board.  I've learned a great deal through this post, which unfortunately, lies wasted on me - As I don't cook a great deal, and anymore I eat things that come out of boxes.

I need a home cooked meal.



-joseph

[Miss Philicia]

Gee... I cooked my first 5 course dinner at the age of 15.  My mother gagged!  Plus all the recipes were translated from French and I had to covert all the metric measurements.  How gay was that?

[Strayboy74]

Gee... I cooked my first 5 course dinner at the age of 15.  My mother gagged!  Plus all the recipes were translated from French and I had to covert all the metric measurements.  How gay was that?

I'm gonna decline your offer for a home cooked meal, then.

LOL

-joseph

[David_CA]

We have Caphalon cookware and have been very happy with it for years.  Some of it is about 15 years old.  I bought different pieces over time... hubby got a different piece for Christmas for a few years 'til the set was complete.  Some of it is non-stick, the rest is plain anodized alum, but it all cooks nicely.  The only negative is that it can't be put in the dishwasher.  If I'm not mistaken, doing so is the only thing that voids the warranty (besides intentional damage).

David

[JeffInNYC]

I have cooked a lot in the past...Im a pretty good cook...but lately its so eay to pick up fast food that I have gotten lazy.

I want to get into cooking again, but I want pots and pans that will cook the food well so it tastes great and easy to clean and looks good.  Do different quality pans make a difference how the food is taste?  By the way I also got a new GE convection oven.

I mostly want to cook tomato sauce, clam sauce, etc....Also make chicken francese, parm, etc.  And of course cook pasta.  These meals sometimes jsut for me and other times for guests as well.

So what do I buy? lol

[budndallastx]

All Clad - you can't go wrong ..

You should get a 12" Skillet, a 2 qt Sauce pan and perhaps even 3qt Saucepan. 

That would be a good starter for what you're trying to do.  Philly is correct, get the essentials and then add over time.  It's the best way and allows you to focus the money on the things you need versus want.