Kitchen Reviews

When I saw the size of this pan, I wondered if it could possibly work well on a conventional-sized gas burner. Or would it just heat the center of the pan with the outer areas relatively cool? The clerk at the store assured me that it would heat evenly because it has an inner core of pure aluminum besides the exterior of brushed aluminum to help it conduct heat all the way up the sides, too. I took a chance and purchased this pan. It is great! I cooked one of my favorite recipes--chicken marsala--in it and it performed flawlessly. The bottom of the pan heats evenly with no hot or cold spots. It is heavy enough that you can use high heat with no fear of the pan warping. You can cook at low temperatures and feel confident that the pure aluminum core will spread that gentle heat evenly all across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. It browns beautifully and the mirror-smooth stainless interior is easy to clean. The lid fits snugly and keeps those precious juices in your food.

For those who have never tried one of All-Clad's fine pans, here are a few tips. To prevent meats from sticking be sure to preheat the pan properly for at least a few minutes and do this on the same heat setting that you intend to use while browning your meat. Add the cooking oil (not a cooking spray) after the pan has heated. Use an oil that has a high smoking point like vegetable oil, peanut oil, or even light olive oil. Extra Virgin olive oil has too low a smoking point to be used for pan searing meats. Don't put cold meat in a hot pan for searing or it will stick. Let the meat sit out at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before you begin to sear it. Pat it dry with paper towels to be sure it is not wet (that causes sticking, too). The pan should be hot enough that you hear a nice, loud sizzle when the meat is placed into the hot oil. Leave some space around individual pieces of meat to allow moisture to evaporate. If you crowd the pan, your meat will stew, not brown, and it will be tough. Don't poke or move the meat around once you have put it into the pan or it will not properly sear. Right after you place the meat in the pan, you may notice that it is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Don't panic! That is how the meat surface becomes properly carmelized (browned). The meat will tell you when it is properly seared because it will "release" from the bottom of the pan and can be easly moved and turned over. Repeat this searing process on the other side.

DEGLAZE! This is an important next step: remove the browned meat from your pan, pour off any excess oil that is left in the bottom. If you see a hardened brown crust on your beautiful pan, no worry. Just deglaze the pan by adding some wine, stock, even plain water, and stirring over medium heat to loosen those crusty patches. This process only takes a couple of minutes. Keep stirring to loosen anything that is stuck on the bottom of the pan, then you can add extra ingredients, return your meat to the pan, cover with the snug-fitting lid and braise or simmer to delightful tenderness.

With its all-metal construction, this pan is oven ready and can go right from stove top into the oven to finish your cooking. They are virtually indestructable, too, with a lifetime guarantee from All-Clad. They may be pricey but you can count on them as a lifetime investment and can even pass them on to your kids. You won't believe what a difference real quality cookware will be until you try it for yourself.

When it's time to wash the pan, hot sudsy water and a little Barkeeper's Friend scouring powder will restore the pan to like-new brilliance.

The only down side to this pan is that its slim handles make it difficult to manipulate. And you will need a pot holder or oven mitt to protect your hands from the "helper handle" (which does get hot) and the handle on the lid. The long, stay-cool handle will be just fine for stove-top use unless you put the pan in the oven.

Though this is a significant investment, these pots will last you a lifetime. I am just so happy with these pots and use them almost daily.

All-Clad pans are always well made, and this pan is no exception. A couple things to keep in mind with this particular pan:

1) Master Chef 2 finish - I love the brushed aluminum finish, which should age well, but for now, not everything is available in this finish, though the selection is pretty good.

2) This is an 8" pan, which I find a nice size for a lot of stuff, but it is "small" (of course, there is a 7", if you like tiny pans :^)

3) This is the stainless steel interior, not non-stick. While All-Clad guarantees their non-stick interiors, I love the stainless, no worries about scratching, you can get in there and scrape away when making sauces. But you will want to use a bit of olive oil or other fat whenever cooking; but then again, why wouldn't you.

When i spend significant amounts of money for something that is supposed to be the top of the line, it is not unreasonable to expect a lot. Yes, they look and feel great, but two main complaints: 1) the lack of attention to certain significant details is something that seems to plague American manufacturing over German or Japanese, for example. The lids do not fit, they both move laterally across the top of the pots, and also rock and rattle back and forth on the verticle axis. The attention to quality and tolerances is not there and is just sloppy. This is not just whining: when cooking rice, I have to wedge aluminum foil between the pot and the lid to keep the steam in. 2) the heating is not all that even, for what you pay for. I get the feeling they skimped on materials and did not put a thick enough bottom on it. Seriously, I had an $80 Turkish made set of cookware with thick aluminum bottoms and glass lids with a long flange that looked like hell, but outperformed these.

It really has everything you need to get started in the kitchen. I have been using this set for about two months (switched from Magnalite) and I absolutely love it. Buy the 6 qt. saute pan and maybe the 4-1/2 qt. pot along with it and you have a very complete set.

I've had my All-Clad Master Chef cookware for over two years and I LOVE it... wouldn't use anything else (made my husband get rid of his pots and pans when we got married). The cookware's design makes for efficient and even heating... liquids come to a simmer or boil quickly without scalding (which is great when trying to heat cream to a simmer for creme brulee). The nonstick fry pan is sturdy, scratch resistant, and just perfect for lowfat frying or sauteing.

PLUS, the cookware looks great... I have them displayed on a hanging pot rack when not using them.

The only downside is that to keep that great polished look, I have to handwash and dry the pots (manufacturer's care suggestion) - the finish doesn't take kindly to dishwashers or waterspots. However, that's a minor inconvenience compared to how effective these pots and pans are for cooking.

I highly recommend the All-Clad Master Chef for anyone who has an interest in cooking.