All-Clad D5® Stainless Steel Core 10 Piece Cookware Set- Made in USA- The Upgrade for Supremely Even Heat- Includes Frying Pans, Saucepan, Sautépan, Stockpot -Oven Safe & Induction Compatible

PixieCanada

Learning how to use cookware all over again.

After 3 decades of hefting Le Creusets around it was time to give my arms a rest. They were always great when I used gas but now I worried about dropping a pot on the ceramic surface of my cooktop. I'd used them for so many years I had to relearn a few things when making the change. First off, a concern I had was heat control after years of cooking with gas. That's turned out to be no problem -- at all. These pans heat up in a fraction of the time, at a much lower setting, and are nicely responsive. I find med-low the new favourite setting while the 'high' setting now gets reserved for boiling water -- and even then it gets turned down to hold a nice roll because these pans conduct heat so very well. So there's been important relearning about temperatures and settings. The other thing to overcome was the problem with sticking. I invested in a Fluke no-contact thermometer and had a bit of fun getting the water ball drop test down pat -- and what a huge difference that makes! The only thing I will not do with these pans is fry bacon, for that I'll gladly wrestle with a seasoned cast iron. Over the decades, Le Creuset offered more shape options than are in the D5 range and, while the tall-sided pots in the D5 range are great, I'm kinda short and we're only two in the house, so low and open pots are my go-to preference. I had to go outside the brushed D5 range to the D3 line-up (which are also very well made and beautiful but have a shiny exterior) and added a 6 Qt pot along with the 1 and 2 Qt sauciers. I indulged a bit more by adding in the little 0.5 Qt sets of ramekins, cocottes, oval bakers and gratins which are great for making single serve items, especially desserts. The handles are quite long, compared to what I was used to, and more angular. It didn't take long to feel the benefit of their size, they make these pots perfectly maneuverable. My hands are rather small and not 'strong' but these are designed to be very well balanced and everything that needs to has two handles to work with. I invested in the silicone grippers which made a big difference for my small, wobbly hands, and use these mostly for grip because the handles do not hold heat. Where my LC handles would get as hot as the pot, the D5 stays comfortably cool. I understand how the shape of the long handles feels too angular for comfort, and can feel especially painful for smaller hands, but read how they were intentionally designed with ergonomics for a solid, safe grip from underneath. Once I have the silicone in place to help my small grip, the handle design becomes natural and feels really sturdy. I did get a couple pots/pans from Le Creuset's stainless steel line up before turning to the All-Clad line. I like the feel of the comfort handle on the Le Creuset SS -- they are softer shaped, just as long, and also don't hold the heat. But, if my hand is wet then that comfy rounded handle quickly becomes a hindrance for getting a solid grip which could become a hazzard. The brushed finish is why I chose the D5 line-up over the D3. As beautiful as the Le Creuset SS is, their high gloss chrome-like finish will drive me a little nuts keeping clean. As it turns out I had to get a few D3s, and there are those little add-ons, which all have polished exteriors -- but the All Clad 'polished' is not at all like the mirror-like finish on the Le Creuset, which is a relief. Having both D3 and D5 models I can see the differences in manufacturing, styling and features, and there are benefits of choosing cookware from both ranges depending on specific needs. These are built to last, beautifully. After being invested in Le Creuset for decades (and a huge fan of their quality) it was a bit of a mindset adjustment to change brands when the LC SS line up is out and really nice, and is what I started out making the switch to SS with. But, after a lot of research and looking at all the variables, I feel really happy to make the investment in All Clad going forward.

TMeyerUnited States

Fantastic set, but use microfiber drying towels to avoid micro scratches

We bought this set over a year ago, and am so glad I spent extra on this high-end set. (The last set from Caphalon was about $400 on sale, but they quickly looked shabby. Fortunately they didn't work with the new induction stovetop!) While these pots are probably great on gas, the combination with induction is amazing - the induction heats up SO fast and only heats the area where the pot is sitting, so you can put a small pot on a larger "ring" without feeling extra heat. If you take the pot off the cooktop and forget to turn off the heat, it just turns itself off. And then this set heats up so evenly that it really does make cooking a joy. DRYING: After a few months of drying the pots and lids with regular dish cloths, was getting depressed how quickly the lids were developing micro scratch damage. After getting into auto-detailing last year, I was impressed with how detailers are fanatical about the softness of the cloth they use to dry their shiny showcars. (The automotive section on Amazon have the BEST microfiber towels - much better than those sold for housekeeping!) With that mindset, I bought a set of Meguiar's X2000 Water Magnet Microfiber Drying Towel (http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-X2000-Magnet-Microfiber-Drying/dp/B0009IQZFM/). They not only "suck up" the water immediately, without any rubbing, they do NOT scratch the shiny surface; plus they are large enough even for the large stockpot. Highly recommended. Do not be put off by the fact they are sold for cars! They are just towels, but designed to absorb water and not scratch. I keep one of these towels in a drawer just for drying the pots, so it doesn't get dirty too quickly by using it for everyday drying. The damage to the lids has stopped now; just wish I'd thought of using them sooner. (Regular microfiber towels for cleaning etc. do NOT work as well plus they are always small - they are not designed to absorb water like these large drying towels are.) The only addition I've made is to add on a small All-Clad non-stick frying pan for scrambling eggs, which is also a great buy. And might also buy another medium pot, as two medium pots would be more useful for how we cook rather than a huge stockpot. I've never been very interested in cooking, but am now paying much more attention and am even buying more cookbooks!

Mitch TayseUnited States

Outstanding!!

We moved into a new house, and, lo&behold, it had an induction cook top. So, the old aluminum-bottom Farberware wasn't gonna cut it. I'd been wanting some real cookware anyway--our old set was from our 50-yrs-ago wedding presents, had served us well, but had some issues, chiefly cracking handles. You'd think you could get replacements, but not so. But I digress. These All-clad pans are the bomb. I don't care that much about their looks, but they look great. And they work better than any pots and pans I've ever owned. Just fabulous. Tight lids. Solid handles. Perfect balance. The no-drip edge really doesn't drip. And the heat distribution---wow, it's really outstanding. I'm used to my old cast iron pans, which are pretty great, but still have some hot spots here and there. Not these All-clads, they're about perfect. Yes, they're expensive. But in this case you really do get what you pay for. I'm sure there are good options for less. But I'll remember those terrible Farberware handles, and their ugly warped bottoms, for the rest of my life, and, I already can't remember how much I paid for the All-clads. I couldn't be happier with them. Incidentally, if you're considering induction--quit considering and take the plunge. I've been a gas cooktop guy all my life, and have hated every electric stove I've ever used. But induction is best of both worlds. You get instant heat, but easy clean. I can put a quart of water on one of these induction burners and it's boiling in a couple minutes. My massive cast iron egg pan is ready to go in the time it takes to get the eggs out. I often boil a little water on the stove to wash a dish or two, coz it's faster than waiting for the hot water at the tap. Good thing the smooth glass top is easy to clean, coz it's super easy to have a boilover. The heat comes on so fast and so hot; it takes some getting used to. I'll probably never go back to gas.

TobinUnited States

High quality set worth the splurge!

We cook quite a bit in our house, so we went ahead and splurged on a quality set of pots and pans. We also upgraded to an induction cook top, so some of our mismatched pots and pans were in compatible with the new stove. This set rendered a perfect 10 compatibility with the induction elements. This D5 set has 2 layers of aluminum for quick, even heat distribution for better performance over the D3 series with only a single layer of aluminum. I personally preferred the brushed finish of the D5 set and the flared lips over the high polish outer finish the similar D3 set. We appreciate that these sets are fabricated in PA USA and are built with high quality materials. Since these are stainless steel finish, you can use metal tools without fear of damaging the cooking surface. You are free to use steel wool to clean up particularly stubborn food. While it may show some minor marring of the finish due to oxidation, you can buff it out with a bit of polishing. Stainless steel does allow for the searing of meat, but excessive heat can result in food sticking the bottom. I have found boiling some water in the pot afterwards for a bit quickly releases the charred food. If all else fails, you can always scrape it from the pan or use steel wool. We just add a bit of oil or butter to the pan when cooking for foods that tend to stick. This way we don't have to worry about harmful chemicals being released into the food or periodic replacement of pans as the non-stick finishes start failing. We plan to used these the rest of our life. it is nice to have a matched set that covers most of our cooking needs, and will just augment fill in a few gaps. We may buy a D3 dutch over in the future. Otherwise, I am very happy with my seasoned high carbon steel skillet (lighter than traditional cast iron) for easy food release. We are thoroughly enjoying this purchase so far.