All Clad vs. Calphalon

After trashing a series of crappy pots and pans, we are looking into finally investing some real money into a decent set. All Clad is of course the first brand to come to mind - but the $600 price tag for a nine-piece set gives us some pause. Is it really worth that much, or is it just a brand-name surcharge? Calphalon has decently priced sets at around $300, but is the quality on par with All Clad? We are hoping to buy a set that will last long enough to be passed down to the next generation. Thoughts?

There's a lot of thoughtful discussion of this topic in this earlier thread.

I'm sure you'll love whatever you end up with.

All-Clad. Not a contest, especially if you're thinking of passing them on. To help get over the sticker shock, try to think in terms of pieces, rather than sets (though sets are fine, too). What types of pots/skillets do you use the most? Macy's has everyday values on certain All-Clad pieces, for instance, that are very advantageously priced. If you aren't currently subscribing to Bloomingdale's' emails, I would start, because you can often land discounts on All-Clad (recently, I paid a lot less off retail due to their multiple discount system). Like china, I would think of All-Clad as something you accumulate over time, rather than in a one-shot deal.

cookwarenmore.com

don't buy sets, buy the individual pans you need. start with one or two and then add on the ones you need.

It's holiday season. Make sure to check the warehouse stores (Sam's Club, Costco) as well as the TJX stores (Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Homegoods). You may be surprised at their selection, and especially their prices.

Note that TJX stores typically sell seconds, but seconds from companies like All-Clad and Mauviel are still really good products. Yes, I said Mauviel...I've seen them in two different TJ Maxx stores in the past month!

My Calphalon pieces are going strong after 15 years of daily abuse. I think it's safe to say you can't go wrong either way.

However, two thoughts:

1) If you ever see yourself getting an induction cooktop, make sure you get something ferrimagnetic...no regular or anodized aluminum, no 100% stainless steel, no 100% copper. All-Clad stainless steel, however, IS compatible with induction cooktops (because they work a layer of regular magnetic steel into their cookware).

2) Don't waste your money on name-brand nonstick pieces - buy cheap (but excellent) Vollrath nonstick pans from Northwestern Cutlery, and save yourself the heartache of noticing scratches in the teflon of your $125 All-Clad pan

I would agree that you want to think about which pans you use the most. For me, I could easily get by with 2 frying pans, a non-stick and a cast iron. Both are fairly inexpensive and I would definitely never get an all-clad fry pan. I love my all-clad 2 qt and 4 qt pots, but those are both fairly inexpensive. I yearn for an All-clad soup pot, but I use it so rarely that I cannot justify the price.

But look at your cooking patterns and see which ones make sense to spend the money on.

Khaopaat wrote:2) Don't waste your money on name-brand nonstick pieces - buy cheap (but excellent) Vollrath nonstick pans from Northwestern Cutlery, and save yourself the heartache of noticing scratches in the teflon of your $125 All-Clad pan

Those scratches are a bummer, but keep in mind that All Clad has a lifetime guarantee, so you can probably get a replacement pan with a small amount of effort. This fact was recently pointed out in a Cooks Illustrated evaluation of non-stick pans.

i believe strongly that one shouldnt buy a set of anything. think carefully about what you actually use and buy only those pieces. for myself, i buy mostly vintage calphalon on ebay, and have no experience with all clad, though its reputation is excellent. you might consider buying some of each and do check out ebay for both new and used equipment. one thing that i see absolutely no reason to pay a lot of money for is a stock pot. if it will be used only for cooking pasta or making stock a cheap aluminum pot is more than adequate. justjoan

Yes, there are some pieces in both sets that we won't get much use out of. It's tempting to buy the set, though, as pretty much all of our pans are cashed. (Surprisingly, the best pans we have - much longer-lasting than the T-fal or Wear-Ever - are the stainless pots from Ikea. Go figure.) I would most love to have a 11" or 13" high-sided saute pan and a medium-sized pot to make custard in. I can't help but imagine custard-making would be easier with a better-quality pot.

I haven't been happy with any nonstick pot or pan, ever, but I do see their utility. Is it possible to go nonstick-free? How would I fry an egg?

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I haven't been happy with any nonstick pot or pan, ever, but I do see their utility. Is it possible to go nonstick-free? How would I fry an egg?

I don't own any non-stick. I have a cast-iron griddle that I use to fry eggs (in bacon fat, natch). A little butter on the bottom & it won't stick in a stainless pan.

I think both are good. I've been cooking with my Calphalon pieces for over 25 years and they're still excellent. I buy the cheap non-stick skillets from Costco periodically and don't mind replacing them every few years.

I don't own a non-stick. I use Le Creuset skillets. Wouldn't trade them for anything.

Marshall's regularly has All-Clad odds and ends. We got a $225 dutch oven there for $79. You have to be patient and not pull the trigger too soon.

dukesdad wrote:Marshall's regularly has All-Clad odds and ends. We got a $225 dutch oven there for $79. You have to be patient and not pull the trigger too soon.

Excellent suggestion. We have managed to acquire an All Clad copper-bottomed wok, small saute, and a frying pan. The wok was especially nice considering the handle of the old one fell off that very morning.

[quote="Khaopaat"]My Calphalon pieces are going strong after 15 years of daily abuse. I think it's safe to say you can't go wrong either way.

You probably have the old NSF approved "Commercial Line" which was Calphalon's premium range back then. I have several pieces, and they are incredible and going strong. There is little if any difference in quality and performance to the All Clad Ltd that I bought four years ago.

That being said, Calphalon's new premium range (Calphalon One) is a shadow of the former. I cooked with a few of a friend's pieces once and was ready to launch them off the back deck. I'm not even sure if it's still made in Toledo (like the old Commercial line was) or has already been outsourced to a Chinese factory.

OP should spend the extra and get All Clad.