Cookware Reviews

I got my first Le Creuset cookware in 1978. It was my college graduation week, & I was relaxing on the lawn reading the Sunday Boston Globe. I saw an ad for a Le Creuet starter set (French oven + 2 covered saucepans + skillet) for $..., so I decided to go for it since I was about to be out of the dorm living on my own. That purchase turned out to be one of my best investments ever, as I still use all the pieces today. I now have 3 French ovens, 5 covered saucepans, 3 skillets, 1 oval au gratin, 1 multi 2-in-1 pan with nonstick omelette cover, & 1 cheese fondue set, all in flame. These cast iron utensils are virtually indestructible, except for a few minor dings in the outer enamel. They cook very evenly, given the cast iron, making me a possibly better than average cook (they're one of my unfair advantages). My only problem with the cookware is the heavy weight, but that comes with the territory with cast iron utensils. I guess I'll have to get someone else to lift the pots when I'm old & decrepit. I know they'll outlive me!

The 4-1/2 qt French oven is the workhorse of my kitchen, so much so that I have two. I boil pasta in it & make big soups, gumbos, stews, casseroles, & you name it in it. I use it on top of the stove & in the oven. And then it goes to the table for serving, given its attractiveness.

Don't be put off by the high price of Le Creuset pots & pans. In the long run, they're a bargain because of their long life. I intend to pass mine down to my sons. Bon appetit!

I admit it: I get a little carried away sometimes, but I truly love this pot! The 4 1/2 quart size is amazingly versatile. I use this size every day, so I actually own two of them. It's great for browning meat, making chili, stews, roasts, you name it. It's not quite big enough for a whole chicken, but then Le Creuset makes the large oval "French Ovens" for that. I always christen each new Le Creuset purchase with an authentic French recipe (hey, I told you I get carried away!)--this size is great for Boeuf Bourguignon. These pots cook foods perfectly every time, and are very energy-efficient in the process. Add in the 101-year Le Creuset warranty, and the seemingly high prices are fully justified. Clean-up is a snap as well, thanks to the super-hard and smooth porcelain enamel coating. It cleans almost as easily as Teflon, but is extremely durable (which Teflon isn't). And, on top of all that, the colors are breathtaking! I store all my Le Creuset on open shelves in the kitchen--they are too beautiful to be hidden in a cupboard.

If you only buy one Le Creuset piece, start with this one. Use it a few times, and I'm sure you'll want more! Happy cooking!

I've read the other reviews and agree that this is a most useful tool to have in my kitchen. It washes up beautifully and the cream colored inside is easier to check for spots than the dark non stick ovens. I like the fact that the oven holds its heat for a good long time after the food is cooked enabling me to use the attractive utensil to serve from at the table and to leave for guests to take seconds from without reheating. I've had no trouble with cracking or chipping, but then I take care not to abuse it. My son is getting one for Christmas from me, what else can I say?

This is the piece I was dying to try and I'm not one bit sorry I got it. Being cast, it cooked a great paprikas evenly although it extends beyond the burner quite a bit. There was no real 'hotspot', which there won't be if you follow use instructions for heat. I love the way it goes into the oven right from the stovetop. I'd read some questions in a forum about a sticking problem and the recommendation was to heat the piece thoroughly before putting in the food, then to keep the flame lower and let the natural characteristics of the pot do the work. It worked like a charm! Easy cleaning, even with a long cook time. No burned garlic and onions in the saute, either. This is a wonderful piece.

We use this one at work. It's a wonderfull, verstatile piece for medium size jobs such as braising, stewing, sweating, roasting, etc. This piece does it all!
Le Creuset quality craftsmanship is the standard in cast iron cookware.
I want one at home...in granite...please?

We be givin' dis biggie 5 mojo*z!!!

The good side:
This is the absolute perfect pot for soups, stews, and braising. They are very heavy and do a marvelous job of distributing heat. They look nice. You can put them in the oven. They last forever. All true.

BUT

The enamel will scorch. You *really* have to be sure that you don't let the heat get over medium or you're going to get discoloration. Creuset recommends soaking a discolored pot in a solution of water with a little bleach, and this does work well--up to a point. But not being able to use a pot at a heat over medium means that you have to be thoughtful in how and when you use it. You're not going to make pasta in this pot, or sear a pot roast before braising it. (btw, the top shouldn't go in the oven at high temperatures either.)

So my bottom line is that this is a great pot if you're a pretty darn serious cook and don't mind spending a good bit of money for a tool that is perfect for some jobs, but isn't all that flexible.

This pan is excellent! 10 stars would be more like it! This sturdy, substantial, top quality pan is perfect for evenly cooking all your breakfast foods, grilled sandwiches, saute, etc. It has a low profile and the bottom is flat so you can cook using less energy and achieve superior results. The usable cooking surface is far greater than most larger but lower quality pans, and it takes up little storage space. It is constructed of top quality stainless steel inside and out with a double-riveted stainless steel handle. The third ply is aluminum, bonded between the layers of stainless which provides awesome heat conduction and even heat distribution, but the aluminum is completely sealed inside and never touches your food. It is oven safe up to 500 degrees so you can start cooking on the stove and finish it or keep it warm in the oven. It is a beautiful pan that is dishwasher safe and it should last a lifetime. For half a century I have used inferior pans with inferior results. With All-Clad stainless I am learning to enjoy cooking again with beautiful results! For the overall value this is an excellent buy and I recommend it without reservation!

Holding an ALL-Clad pan makes you feel like a chef! The flambe pan is a trophy of quality USA craftsmanship. A recent CIA graduate now working in San Fran recommended All-Clad and told me it is the choice of professional chefs and it is the best. I'm new to professional cookware but I wanted to start a collection of lifetime cookware. The theory was buy the best once. The weight of the pan is substantial and echoes the All-Clad reputation. You know immediately you holding a special instrument that will produce delicious results. The heat is so evenly distributed throughout the flambe pan, less heat is required. I love this pan; it is the swan of my collection! It's beautiful. It's a fun piece to use and when finishing an entree there's a little voice inside me that says taa-daaah!

Great pan - I was amazed at how evenly it cooks your food. Of course, it's stainless so the clean-up isn't nearly as easy as with a non-stick pan...

This is a lid. It fits All-Clad's six inch pots perfectly. It's shiny. It holds things inside the pot. The handle can get hot after a while, so be careful. The handle is nicely shaped and is easily held with two fingers. It's shiny. It's just a lid. Though if you didn't have a lid your sauce or whatnot might splatter across your stovetop, and wouldn't that be messy? Yay lids!

How exciting can a lid be? When it's All-Clad, it's always exciting.

Having cooked for almost 40 years, I can assure you that there is no better cookware than All-Clad. Beautiful, durable and efficient. Anyone thinking that food will stick to a stainless pan has either not tried All-Clad or is using faulty technique. Preheat the pan, lightly oil and it is better than any other product. The best.

After finishing the best turkey I have ever made for Thanksgiving, I cannot highly recommend this pan! An investment for sure, I was lucky enough to receive it as a gift. At first I was hesitent about cooking on stainless steel. My Mom has a set of some cheepy brand of stainless steel that she got in 1971 as a wedding gift (still has them) and they are a pain to cook on, everything sticks. Not in these pans! The majority of the time they wash right up. Sometimes you might have to use a little Barkeepers Friend on them to keep them sparkling, but it takes two seconds to clean with that. When we got married I had started with Calphalon. I am definately switching to All Clad!!! Much more simpler.

This is a great roasting pan and is heavy and solid in the way all All Clad pans are. But it is huge. If you frequently roast 20 lb turkeys or half an ox, this pan is for you. A regular roasting chicken looks pretty small and forlorn. It is a terrifically well-made roaster, but I find I also need one just a bit smaller.

I have this pan and the box says solid Stainless Steel. So, be aware that you aren't getting a aluminium. I think dealers don't realize that not all All-Clad products are aluminium. It's a nice pan anyways.

I had 3 of these for almost 2 years. What a great value. Easy to clean, thick anodized alum allows even cooking. Exterior surface can scratch easily but non-stick interior surface is excellent and long lasting if you follow the manufacturer directions for taking care of it.

i just recieved my pan today it is everything i'd hoped for i can't wait to use it and i'm looking forward to having this pan for many years

This pot is an exceptionally good investment, and an unbeatable value. I have used it to cook spaghetti sauce, braised beef with onion gravy, stew, chili, meatballs in sauce...you name it! The results have been excellent. Keep it on low simmer, and it requires just about no watching. It's a snap to clean. I have also bought one of these wonderful Analon pots for my son, who enjoys cooking for himself and his family.

To sum it all up: I LOVE THIS POT!

send me the money and I'll throw it away for you. I received my Grandmother's when she passed away and have more that pleased with it. I can't add anything the other reviews other that mine is over 30 year old it is in perfect shape. I've been told that my Grandmother sent 1000's of cans through this in her day and I intend to do the same. The company's web site is very good if you need replacement parts but I doubt you'll ever need them. I had my local Ag extension agent test my gauge (the original) and it is still accurate enough for canning. This is the only part that should ever really need replacing since it does not have a seal. I am fortunate enough to have the old school Instruction and Recipes book (list price ¢60) that has canning recipes that I have not been able to find anywhere else. Buy this and pass it on to your grandchildren!!!

I do lots of cooking and canning - sometimes just for family, sometimes for large gatherings - and this cooker has made that chore much easier. Even when cooking for family, I'll make 2 chickens at a time, that way I won't have to cook another night. While the chickens are cooking, I'll also have stock to make rice or soup with. Forgot about cooking dinner? This baby can take 2 frozen rabbits from the freezer to the dinner table in less than an hour. Its large size makes canning large batches quick work. The only drawback I have is washing it - it is heavy, and if you don't have a big enough sink or a hose to rinse it out, then your in for a workout. I have a double sink and it fits in nicely - a must for anyone with a large family !

I have just used my cooker for the first time and everything worked as the instructions described. Yes it is large and it is heavy but that is part of the game. It is very well made and has been said it will probably last for ever. I enjoy making stock and can't wait to get started canning fruit this coming season.

The Skinny:
I bought this piece for my wife, who'd been wanting a nice set of "formal" cookware. I have to say, the set is beautiful.

The Good:
Each piece has a solid, good weight and from what I can tell, the cooking is pretty even. They're almost like art pieces - we were scared to use them at first, cause we wanted to keep them in their "new"-ish glory for a while...

The Okay:
To be completely honest, you're probably gonna do just as well with imitation stainless pieces like emeril-ware or something from cuisinart, etc. However, it's the difference between name brand and imitation.

Clean up, of course, is a little trickier than with the traditional non-stick. If you get this set assuming it'll be an easy clean up job, you're diluding yourself - no matter what everyone else says.

The Ugly:
The only downside to this set, aside from lacking one extra lid, is that the fry pan is pretty useless. It's really too small to be of any use besides maybe cooking an omelette for one. I knew, going in, it was smallest piece in the set, but it's a lot smaller than I expected. That's why I gave this set a 4/5 instead of it's full 5.

I used to blame my lack of cooking in part on the fact that I had a terrible apartment kitchen with no counter space.

Well, that much is partially true, but after I received this set for my birthday one year, I realized it was also the pots I was using. And that with the right equipment, cooking is truly a joy.

I had an old set of hand-me-down Revereware. Competent enough, but their age was showing... and when it took me two hours to boil potatoes in the big pot (and they still didn't get completely done!) I was ready to throw them all out the window. Enter All Clad.

All Clad is not nonstick, and you do have to take care of it (although I do put mine in the dishwasher) but the shine is enough that you won't have much trouble if you clean up (or at least soak) immediately. Don't let it sit -- I'm still scrubbing the remains of some soy sausages from my skillet! (Although perhaps I shouldn't have cooked those in the first place.)

They have a solid aluminum core, which definitely makes them heat evenly. They also heat fast! As as example, when I first got my set, I whipped out the saute pan (by far my favorite piece of cookware) and added a little olive oil. I turned the stove on medium. I walked out of the room for about three minutes. When I came back in, I was going to add my chicken. The chicken sizzled... enough that I turned the heat down to medium low, even low. You don't need to cook above medium heat in these pans, because they retain heat so incredibly well. I literally had to relearn how to cook, because of how I'd gotten used to cooking in my old pans! As another example, when using one of my mom's All Clad pots while poaching fruit for a Christmas dessert, it retained heat so well that I kept accidentally turning her gas stove off, trying to get the heat low enough to keep it at a very bare simmer. I ended up settling for a rather bubbly simmer instead.

I can't say enough good things about these pots. They're wonderful. In fact, I only have two complaints. One, the lids, which are also stainless steel, get very hot and since they're not steel, they're not see through, either, which I rather miss. And two, the fry pan, as others have mentioned, is so small as to be almost useless, but it is very good for cooking very small things, like a fried egg, or a few sausages for one.

That said though, this is an excellent starter kit and gives you some real basics. If you're looking to just start out with a few good pieces, get it. You'll use the small 2-quart saucepan and 3-quart saute pan all the time!

And then you'll add to it, as I plan to. Enjoying cooking again is definitely worth it.

This set is a great way to get a few basic cookware pieces, however, once you start cooking with this truly outstanding cookware, you'll want to buy more. Over the years, I have spent hundreds of dollars on another well-known commercial cookware brand, but All-Clad is far superior. The stainless looks great and is a breeze to care for. The handles stay comfortable and the pots are really well-balanced, making them very easy to handle. They heat evenly and cook uniformly, even over low and medium heat. I am very pleased with All-Clad's performance on my radiant cooktop. I would recommend this line of cookware to anyone interested in quality and performance. Well worth every penny!

The pans seem of great quality (haven't actually used them yet), but I wanted to advise of the packaging. I ordered two sets, and planned to give one as a gift. I was less than thrilled to see the large lettering on the box: Our gift to you - free when you purchase $150 of Anolon cookware. Thus, be aware that if you want to give these pans as a gift, the giftee will think they were freebie! No one else has mentioned this-- maybe they are not all packaged the same.

I bought these on sell and I'm glad I did this cookware heats evenly and clean up is easy with the nonstick surface. Would buy again.

I just received the Analon 4 piece set for 19.99 a few days ago. The pans cook everything so evenly and tasty. I highly recommend this product. Great value for the money.