All-Clad Copper Core Stainless Steel Sauté Pan 5 Quart

Copper Core Saute Pan lives up to my expectations. The heating is quick and even, and rebuilding the heat is also fast. The quality is unsurpassed. It may be at the expensive end, but is all the money worth.

I retired several years ago and took over the cooking from my wife and, although I have no formal training, I just love to cook. I “inherited” a set of anodized Calphalon pans and other odd pans in use for several years. The inside surfaces of these pans were fairly well scratched and I was concerned about their continued use.

I did research and decided on the All-Clad Stainless Steel Copper Core 5-Ply Bonded 10” fry pan, the 2 and 4 qt sauce pans and the 5 qt saute pan as replacements. I already owned a 12” SS steel fry pan and 10” SS saute pan by other manufacturers so I was familiar with SS use and cleanup however in the back of my mind I still had concerns about cleanup of All Clad.

The pans are beautiful to behold (not that it matters), are of extremely good quality and are moderate in weight, not heavy. The handles seemed a little odd to hold at first but now I do not even notice it. In fact there is a small protrusion on the underside of the handle that fits very nicely for the forefinger, giving tactile feed on hand position on the handle and stopping it from slipping to close to the heat. I have used the new All Clad pans daily since their arrival on a gas stove. They do heat faster and more evenly then the old set. Once cooking, transmission of heat changes are almost instantaneous.

As far as cleanup, what concerns I may have had were unfounded. Cleanup has been a snap, even my wife mentioned how easy they are to clean. The 2 qt sauce pan I use to cook chai every morning has less scorched milk residue and cleans up easier than the previous anodized pan I was using. I was also a little concerned about cooking rice in the 4 qt but again, the rice comes out great and no cleanup problem.

I think the biggest issue one may have with the Copper Core level is the price as there is a premium. I took the long view. I will have these probably for the balance of my cooking days. After that, they will probably by handed down to my children. Yes, they are that good in my mind. So I see many years of service ahead for them and I couldn’t see cutting corners on price and maybe not be as happy as I am with these.

One plus was the ability to place all pans in the oven to 500+ degrees, not something I could do with the older pans. Another factor that swayed me to All Clad versus other manufacturers is that they are made in the US. I would definitely buy these again.

I have more than a few pieces of the Copper Core from All-Clad. Usually, I purchase from the All-Clad website, but this 3qt saute never goes on sale. Amazon offered it for $100 off.
The Copper Core is a wonderful line. I find they heat/cools faster than my 3 and 5 ply clad cookware from various manufacturers. But, I’d be lying if I wrote anything other than it was the looks that draws me to the cookware. It simply has a beautiful refined look. It performs wonderfully. With a blue Scotch Bright pad and Barkeepers friend — they’ve looked beautiful for 3+ years with no build-up around the rivets.
I have “clad” cookware for almost 40 years. In spite of being burnt [more than a few times], they still look new. They will last a lifetime and beyond. Expensive? That can only be determined by the purchaser.

It’s the best!

First, it is a beautiful pan. It cooks nicely. But it did develop an oil seasoning film when I cooked chicken cutlets on medium. The weight is significant so be prepared to use both hands and mitts to pick it up when hot and full of food. The lid is metal so no way to see how any food is cooking without picking up the lid. I have several All-Clads and mostly they are excellent and have lasted many years. I’m sure my kids would like to inherit this from me when I’m gone.

These are built to last a lifetime. Truly great stainless steel pan. You can cook anything in it. Took me a while to figure out how to do eggs. But, anything is doable with this pan. Thick and retains heat. Works amazingly on induction. Easy to clean. Even hard stuck on stuff, a quick boil and it will come off. Lid fits perfectly. Still looks practically new after nearly 4 years. I can’t recommend it enough. Even picked up some more all clad stuff. It’s worth the price, and made in America.