Kitchen Reviews

For a family with a child who can't get enough pasta (no sauce, just cheese), or for anyone who wants to entertain a small party, this durable 3-quart saucepan is exceptional. All-Clad makes quality cookware with professional materials and thoughtful design. The materials and weight ensure even heat distribution, non-scorching, and a cool handle. All-Clad products, I believe, offer more long-term value than other cookware: They're durable, perform well, and are surprisingly easy to clean.

There's also an All-Clad steamer insert available at a very low price. I don't have it yet, but the helpful reviews here have persuaded me that it would be a useful addition.

I love this pan so much I bought 2! The 3 quart saucepan is a perfect size, I use it at least once a day. It is excellent for boiling potatoes, squash, a pound of penne, sauce, reheating some sauce and meatballs etc. It is my favorite of all my All Clad pans. It is made very well, is easy to clean, heats evenly and is designed to last. All Clad cookware is one of the most expensive lines around and it is worth every penny, it really is lifetime cookware. This saucepan is a definite must have. Very, very highly recommended! A+++!

Also, if you should get something stuck to the stainless steel use a product called "Bar Keepers Friend" to clean it. Most supermarkets have it and Kitchen Etc. and Bed, Bath and Beyond carry it too. The container (like a Comet can) is gold with blue and white writing. All Clad recommends it for cleaning stainless steel and it works like a dream and is very inexpensive.

Heavy cast or rolled aluminum is the optimum material for pots and pans. Based on this fact, Magnalite cast aluminum gourmet cookware was the best you could get from about the 1950's through the '70's. However, there are some problems with aluminum as a cooking surface. Some foods react with it and cause discoloration; it's hard to clean, a fact that became glaringly obvious with the advent of non-stick surfaces. And there have been reported health issues related to cooking food in contact with aluminum (experts currently assess the risks as insignificant).

All-Clad is the heir apparent to the position of "creme de la creme" among cookware. The inner layer of metal is aluminum to evenly conduct heat throughout the pan. The cooking surface is stainless steel, the ideal surface because it is non-reactive, easy cleaning, and more durable than nonstick compounds. All Clad offers a variety of exterior finishes to suit your taste. Finally, this line is WELL BUILT. It will outlast anything else in the kitchen.

This may be the most expensive cookware but it's also the best. For a person who doesn't have the physical strength to handle very heavy cookware, this may not be a good choice. For anyone else who is willing to pay for it, this is what you want to cook with.

Fry pan not deep enough? Ever have little bits of flour hiding in the corners of your saucepan? Wish that your wisking led to a perfect emulsion or roux? Then this is the pan for you. Easy clean up, even heat and nicely curved sides make it a dream come true. Buy it. Now!

If you must have the best, this is it. I have yet to see a set of outdoor cooking tools that can beat the quality of this one. The tools have a solid feel to them, and a nice shape with all rounded edges. The stainless steel is polished to a mirror finish. The one piece solid steel construction makes these sure to last a lifetime. I challenge anyone who can locate a better set of tools to post the link in a review below.

Heavy cast or rolled aluminum is the optimum material for pots and pans. Based on this fact, Magnalite cast aluminum gourmet cookware was the best you could get from about the 1950's through the '70's. However, there are some problems with aluminum as a cooking surface. Some foods react with it and cause discoloration; it's hard to clean, a fact that became glaringly obvious with the advent of non-stick surfaces. And there have been reported health issues related to cooking food in contact with aluminum (experts currently assess the risks as insignificant).

All-Clad is the heir apparent to the position of "creme de la creme" among cookware. The inner layer of metal is aluminum to evenly conduct heat throughout the pan. The cooking surface is stainless steel, the ideal surface because it is non-reactive, easy cleaning, and more durable than nonstick compounds. All Clad offers a variety of exterior finishes to suit your taste. Finally, this line is WELL BUILT. It will outlast anything else in the kitchen.

This may be the most expensive cookware but it's also the best. For a person who doesn't have the physical strength to handle very heavy cookware, this may not be a good choice. For anyone else who is willing to pay for it, this is what you want to cook with.

This 4 quart saucepan is really a must! Perfect for a pound of pasta, boiling veggies, a small batch of sauce, the list is endless. It is also great if you don't feel like pulling out a stock pot or if you are trying to save space on your stove. I love All Clad in general but this one is one of the best. The handle is perfect, the lid is great, it is just an all around great pan and super easy to clean. All Clad quality can't be beat. Once you try one piece you will be hooked too (that is if you are not already :). All Clad offers a lifetime warranty and each piece is superb quality and very well made. There is nothing like top quality stainless steel.

Cleaning Tip: If you should get something stuck to the stainless steel use a product called "Bar Keepers Friend" to clean it. Most supermarkets have it and Kitchen Etc. and Bed, Bath and Beyond carry it too. The container (like a Comet can) is gold with blue and white writing. All Clad recommends it for cleaning stainless steel and it works like a dream and is very inexpensive.

Highly recommended! A+++!

It's good enough for Mom's Christmas Custard. Need I say more? A little expensive, but it cooks Mom's custard in style with the double boiler insert (purchased separately)

This is a must have pot for any cooking enthusiast that is planning on owning All-Clad's stainless line. The size is versatile, large enough to boil pasta, small enough to make sauces or puddings. I just purchased mine and love it. It cooks evenly and washes up nicely and it's beautiful to look at. I don't think this size comes in any of the sets. You must buy it separately. This comes with a lid already and has a nice grip handle that is easy to hold with one hand, while you are stirring or cooking in the pot. I prefer this one to the 4-quart pot with the two handles as this one is easier to manage at times, when stirring, etc. or when you need your other hand, as I find sometimes in a busy kitchen. If you're thinking of buying a few items of All-Clad, (since they are pricey), this is a must.

This pan is the one you want for smother frying and braising things (like frying cubed steak then simmering in gravy, making smother fried pork chops, or making a pot roast.)

The straight sides are more useful for frying things then simmering them in sauces. That way, you don't have meat or veggies riding up on the sloped sides of the pan and not cooking all the way through.

The pan does not brown and fry quite as well as the standard fry pan -- so it is not really a substitute for your frypan for making burgers, and fast cooked type foods like chicken breast, pan fried steaks, and stir fry. (that is why it got the 4 stars) Because of the straight up sides, it really is closer in capacity for frying to the 10" fry pan.

Size wise, this pan holds enough for approximately 4 good sized portions of meat, gravy, and veggies.

To be honest if this pan didn't come in the set I bought I probably would not have it. Thank goodness it did because it turns out that I love it. It is great for sauted spinach, veal or chicken picatta, you will find you more uses for this pan everytime you open the cabinet. It heats evenly and is very easy to clean. As all All Clad is, this pan is excellent quality and very well made. I have just about every All Clad item made and love them all. Well worth the money and designed to last a lifetime. It also comes with a lifetime warranty. How can you go wrong?

Also, if you should get something stuck to the stainless steel use a product called "Bar Keepers Friend" to clean it. Most supermarkets have it and Kitchen Etc. and Bed, Bath and Beyond carry it too. The container (like a Comet can) is gold with blue and white writing. All Clad recommends it for cleaning stainless steel and it works like a dream and is very inexpensive.

A great all around pan. I run a single household and don't need the extra large pans. I have quite a few pieces of All-Clad and like them all very much. Very good size for frying with enough left overs for taking to work. A little Bar Keepser's friend and it cleans up rather nicely.

I have a set of All Clad pots and I tend to use the 1, 2 & 4 qt pots more often than the 3. I suppose that's because of the choices I have. Needless to say, the 3 works best as the bottom of the double boiler or the steamer insert. (The one that fits the 3 or the 4 qt pots.) And that's what I use mine for.

3 qts doesn't hold quite enough water for cooking pasta for 3. It's a little too big for 2 cups of rice, it's too big for a pt of soup. (That's 3 servings) Yet sometimes the 4qt pot is too big and then I reach into the back of the cabinate and pull this pot out.

So my recomendation is if you want to use the ALL CLAD double boiler (A good double boiler insert) or Steamer insert Get this pot. Otherwise fill in the other parts of your collection first. Of course if you are feeding 5, instead of 3 you may find yourself wanting this pot vs the 2qt than I do.

Positives: The pot is really well made. It's hard to burn stuff in it with that thick core, and Stainless steel goes right into my dishwasher. But I don't care if it has some minor scratches as it won't affect its cooking ablity and I don't have time to hand wash anything that fits in the dishwasher.

PS
What loop? The pan title says "with loop" but there is no loop in the photo. I had thought that the loop option only came with the 4qt pot.

Heavy cast or rolled aluminum is the optimum material for pots and pans. Based on this fact, Magnalite cast aluminum gourmet cookware was the best you could get from about the 1950's through the '70's. However, there are some problems with aluminum as a cooking surface. Some foods react with it and cause discoloration; it's hard to clean, a fact that became glaringly obvious with the advent of non-stick surfaces. And there have been reported health issues related to cooking food in contact with aluminum (experts currently assess the risks as insignificant).

All-Clad is the heir apparent to the position of "creme de la creme" among cookware. The inner layer of metal is aluminum to evenly conduct heat throughout the pan. The cooking surface is stainless steel, the ideal surface because it is non-reactive, easy cleaning, and more durable than nonstick compounds. All Clad offers a variety of exterior finishes to suit your taste. Finally, this line is WELL BUILT. It will outlast anything else in the kitchen.

This may be the most expensive cookware but it's also the best. For a person who doesn't have the physical strength to handle very heavy cookware, this may not be a good choice. For anyone else who is willing to pay for it, this is what you want to cook with.

Whether you are simmering a delicate soup, making jam, reheating yesterday's dinner, or you have put beans on the stove, at a boil, and forgotten them - utterly, with a trip to the library and an assortment or errands done, returning hours later to a smoke-filled house and unrecognizable ashen material on your All-Clad Saucepan - this wonderful pot will handle the task. Conscientious cooks will love its weight, even heating, and versatility. Distractable cooks will especially appreciate the fact that it cleans up without a hitch. In addition there is a sensible 'loop' in the handle for hanging from a rack, and another in the lid's handle, so that you can slip the lid handle down the pot's handle, and hang the set neatly from a pot rack. I've had mine for years. The weight is just right, it is good-looking, made in the USA, and a double-boiler insert is available for this size, which is also a good item, and usable as a separate saucepan if need be. Great product, and worth the money, especially if you tend to occasionally depend on your smoke alarm to remind you that something's on the stove.

All clad pans are great, with one caveat. This line doesn't have a rolled lip so that pouring is more difficult than it should be. Of course with a 4qt pan that usually isn't an issue.

If you are strong enough to lift a 4qt pan by the long handle don't get this version, get the one without the lip. Why? Because the loop handle prevents both the steamer and the double boiler inserts from seating firmly. They work, but it isn't as good as the non loop version. Now admitly using a 4qt pan for steaming is overkill, but if the 3qt version is in use, or you didn't buy that one too, you will wish you had the non loop version.

These pans are heavy, (Although not as heavy as pure copper pans)and a gallon of fluid is too, so that if you are small the extra loop would be beneficial for moving the pot from stove to sink, so like everything its a tradeoff.

I've never liked my All-clad 3qt saute because it's too shallow. The 4qt seemed deeper so I bought one however when I got it home it appeared only slightly taller than my 3qt. The 4qt should measure 3 1/4in, according to All-Clad, but the one I bought was 2 7/8. I tried to exchange it but all 5 in stock measured the same so I ended up returning it. By my calculation, this is a 3.5 quart pan. If you have a 3qt, this isn't worth spending your money on.

I own the 3-Quart version of this pan, purchased in a set before I knew better, and have used this 4-Quart. I prefer this one because its taller sides make doing a true sauté (which means "jump" in French) of the ingredients a bit easier. Taller sides like this are what are found in most European sauté pans. The previous review is inaccurate in that both the 3-Quart and 4-Quart All-Clad pans are identical in diameter, which can be verified at All-Clad's web site.

Per All-Clad, the LTD and Master Chef lines use thicker aluminum so if you don't need the ease of maintenence and durability that comes with a stainless-steel exterior, I would suggest you consider these other lines for their more even (i.e. better) heating performance.

Also, there are higher-end cookware lines out there than All-Clad. Don't think that All-Clad is the "best" available. Brands such as Demeyere and Bourgeat have features such as more durable exterior finishes (Demeyere Atlantis, etc.), thicker aluminum cores, more comfortable handles (an All-Clad weakness), and even full copper (more conductive than aluminum). These come at a higher price than All-Clad. On the other hand, there are less-expensive product lines such as Calphalon Commercial (often cheap on Amazon.com!) and brands used in commercial kitchens like Sitram.

Still, this is a nice pan and I don't think you can really go wrong with All-Clad. It's the best commonly available at consumer kitchen shops and easy to order on Amazon.com.

I purchased the 4-quart saute pan a few months ago, and I have used it at least 3 times a week since then. I agree with the other reviewers that the taller sides are a big advantage over the 3-quart pan. This allows you to toss your cooked pasta into the sauce, poach meats and do various other tasks without worrying about the liquid spilling over, which is what concerned me about the 3-quart pan. I found that the 6-quart pan was far too large for my burners. I have cooked pasta sauces, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, meatballs, poached chicken, you name it, in this pan. It is extremely versatile and worth the price and the amount of space it takes up in the cabinet. If you have limited kitchen cabinet space, as I do, I think that this saute pan, a large non-stick skillet (All-Clad has a great one in its stainless collection), the 3- or 4-quart sauce pan and a large Le Creuset french oven is all you need for most stovetop cooking jobs.