I’d like to get a few new pots and pans. We have some Calphalon anodized non-stick stuff now that is about 10 years old and needs to be replaced. My wife frequently puts them in the dishwasher and beats them up with metal utensils (despite my best efforts), so I was hoping something like the All-Clad D3 or D5 stainless options would hold up a bit better. Any other options I should look at?

Do you have a restaurant supply house nearby? Hard to go wrong with commercial grade (and it can be a lot cheaper than your local BB&B).

Mrs.BurtonRW insists on non-stick, but we use pro-HG by Volrath and it’s indestructible - even with occasional use of metal utensils.

-Rob

Restaurant supply is a great idea. Costco has some great kitchen stuff right now. Look at their Lodge enamel coated Dutch oven. The fry pan set of Graniteware has been fantastic (I’ve used mine for over a year). Look up Stargazer cast iron(get the 12 inch skillet).

If you can get your wife to scrub the pans with hot water for a few seconds and then heat them to dry and wipe with an oily rag, cast iron is WAY BETTER than anything else I’ve ever used.

But if you are both committed to nonstick then just get used to replacing them every year or two. Nothing I’ve found prevents the coating from wearing out with regular use (even with careful use of non-metal utensils). I’ve used many of the high-end nonstick brands (not pro-HG) and they all will wear out about the same.

Anodized aluminum is the exception but it’s not a nonstick pan and you have to clean it just like you would stainless.

I am a fan of 5-ply stainless of whatever brand. Three-ply just does not work for me.

My cook-top is induction and requires magnetic pots and pans. For eggs etc., I use non-stick All-clad ... At least in my hands, they last many years.

Sharp knives and other metal items can wreak havoc if aggressively pressed against the non-stick. Just don’t do it!!

Some of my All-clad is over 25 years old and still in great shape... it will likely out-last me.

I have a set of all-clad which are almost 30 yrs old. I’ve been very happy to say the least

That said, everything I’ve purchased in the last almost 10 yrs has been from a local restaurant supply store. Mine has a broad selection from aluminum to high carbon steel and some pretty crazy non stick technologies that obviously work or they’d not carry them

I just bought a 10 piece set of All Clad non stick. They are very well made and the non stick works very well. Eventually I will buy the stainless but the non stick are worth the money. I bout mine at Home Goods and were almost 600.00 retail and I bought them for 249.00 and would buy them again after having used them for a few months.

Just an FYI.
Please don’t buy anything with Teflon or similar attributes. They contain a product ( PFAS) that is about to be declared a hazardous product by our friends at the EPA.

You’re welcome ;-)

I like good pans but in my experience non stick doesn’t hold up long enough to justify buying pricey versions. Tramontina Professional models are about the best bang for the buck in non stick pans from my experience. As far as stainless pans go it’s worth it to spend more and you really can’t beat Demeyere Atlantis. They’ll last forever and clean up is easy if you just soak them for a few minutes after they cool off. You’ll pay, but only once.

All-Clad is top notch. The top-tier 3-star restaurants are using All-Clad, which is insanely expensive for a restaurant. Most restaurants will use heavy aluminum for their cookware, which you can find at most restaurant supply stores.

If you're looking for a set, Cuisinart has a very solid and inexpensive value set. For a bit more, Tramontina has a good assortment. Viking has a top-tier collection that is similar to what All-Clad has. Each of the above brands have a variety of sized sets. You can find deals at Williams-Sonoma outlet stores, there's not to many, the one I went to on the NV/CA border near Vegas, there was soo much All-Clad there you could construct a battleship..and it was all 40% off Before dropping big money though...your wife is gonna have to learn better practices at taking care of the tools of the kitchen...hopefully she's not putting the knives and cutting boards in the dishwasher?

Non-stick should be confined to a 12"pan and maybe a small 6-8'pan. Use for fish, eggs and cheesy dishes only, everything else, when using properly heated oil/butter, is a better option. Non-stick its ok with a cheap, restaurant supply type pans, they'll be replaced every 3-5 years as the coatings will wear out. Never use at high-heat, when the coating has a brownish tinge to it, it's failed and time to replace.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Just an FYI.
Please don’t buy anything with Teflon or similar attributes. They contain a product ( PFAS) that is about to be declared a hazardous product by our friends at the EPA.

You’re welcome ;-)

I don't think any of the cookware manufacturers have used actual Teflon in nonstick coatings in years.

We really like our Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless. Same construction as Allclad.

The standard all-clad are far and away the most trouble free set you need to own.

Think, “you will by a glock....”

I got far away from non stick treatments. In the long run we found non stick to be sorta snake oil. Temporary solve for a non issue.

All clad is the “glock-47” of kitchen ware.
We have absolutely run it hard and put away wet and brought it back with a simple steel pad.
Deals on it are at TJX store 24-7.

Happy hunting.

I have all All-Clad cookware now and it's been amazing. Definitely a case of "buy one, cry once". Most cookware in my pantry is Copper Core but I also have some D5 as well and they work just as good. Like someone mentioned above, it'll likely outlast me.

I'd skip the D3 (one layer of aluminum sandwiched between stainless steel) and go straight for the D5 (two layers of aluminum with stainless steel in between). I find it acts most like cast iron (I also love my Lodge cast irons) in that, although it takes a little longer to heat up to temperature, it also retains heat better than the tri-ply. I can always get a really good sear with the 5-ply.

If you're intent on tri-ply, the TK (Thomas Keller) collection is a very nice option. I have their 8", 10", and 12" non-sticks for eggs and the like.

There's also the brushed D5 which I tend to like more than the shiny finishes.

homeandcooksales.com is having their factory "seconds" sale right now if you want to check them out. I get the vast majority of my cookware from them at huge discounts. I don't like paying full-price for anything. Even though they're "seconds", I can only tell blemishes on a couple of the items I've purchased from them. Those imperfections never affect the performance, and in my mind, they'll get all scratched up after the first use anyway.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

As to non stick coatings, I just went to an early Thanksgiving dinner and I watched the host use a hand mixer with beaters in a Caphalon non stick pan to make the mashed potatoes. My blood pressure shot through the roof watching that blood bath, but I bit my tongue. Destroyed the pan in ten seconds flat.

quote:

Originally posted by P210:
I like good pans but in my experience non stick doesn’t hold up long enough to justify buying pricey versions. Tramontina Professional models are about the best bang for the buck in non stick pans from my experience. As far as stainless pans go it’s worth it to spend more and you really can’t beat Demeyere Atlantis. They’ll last forever and clean up is easy if you just soak them for a few minutes after they cool off. You’ll pay, but only once.

+1 on Tramontina non-stick from Costco. Pretty well made and durable. I've also been using the higher end Calphalon non-stick with good results. Cuisanart multi-clad is pretty good alternative to All-Clad but I stick w/ All-Clad for the main cookware (that being said - haven't replaced or bought new pieces for 25 years).

You do not need to buy a set. They mention that in the cookware set review.

America's Test Kitchen Cookware Sets reviews


ATK: The Best Stainless Steel Skillet, Our Testing Winners and Why All-Clad is Worth It



ATK: Is Fully Clad Cookware Worth the Money?



Hope this helps.

All the restaurant supply stores near me are wholesale only - meaning you need a business license.

My All Clad set is still going strong after 25 years. I use commercial non-stick pans and they are replaced about once a year.

For non-stick I used these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks guys for all of the feedback, lots of good options to check out.