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All-Clad vs. All-Clad copper core vs Falk Copper?

post #1 of 9
3/9/05 at 1:38am
Thread Starter 
I'm fairly new here and a relative amateur at cooking. I'm getting tired of buying Wal-Mart quality pans and throwing them out frequently. I decided it's time to get some very good quality pots and pans. I'll look at it as an investment, and I'm not afraid to spend some $$$ on them. I've been reading what I can for reviews, but I'd like input from you all.

All-Clad seems to be very good according to most people. How about the copper core All-Clad? Instead of just an aluminumm core, it has copper in addition to the aluminum. The regular stainless All-Clad is 3 layers consisting of stainless-aluminum-stainless. The copper core All-Clad is 5 layers consisting of stainless-aluminum-copper-aluminum-stainless. Copper is supposed to transfer heat quicker than aluminum. But, with those surrounding layers, is the benefit of the copper core negated? Have any of you tried both kinds and compared? Is the copper core worth it?

Of course, the best for transferring heat is pure copper pans, like Mauviel, etc. The thin layer of stainless (or tin) on the inside keeps them from reacting with food. I think I would go with the stainless lining for durability (tin seems fragile and would need re-tiniiing). The only disadvantage of copper pans seems to be aesthetics. They tarnish easily. I'm not too keen on polishing them all the time. But, on an internetr search, I came across copper pans with a "brushed" exterior that can be cleaned with a Scotch-Brite pad, instead of using polish. These seem like good pans (at least they look good on the website -- www.FalkCulinair.com). Has anyone tried these? How do they perform? Do they clean up well?. Is the performance as good as Mauviel? What do you all think? *** Note: I've noticed that there is a guy on this site that hawks them (coffee4you2). With all due respect to you Mr. coffee4you2, I'd rather have opinions from others, as you have an obvious selling interest. I'd like some 3rd party reviews from the rest of you.

Thanks all.

Glenn
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post #2 of 9
3/25/05 at 10:15am

agree with you

i completely agree with you, i also got sick and tired of using walmart cookware and dumping them every 4-6months , till i finally decided to invest in a decent cookware. I've seen my mom using all clad ever since i can remember, and she seems pretty ok with it.
my friend introduced me to 'icook' cookwear, which i found to be very different that the others available in the market. this one has a Multi-ply construction with a carbon-steel core for even heat distribution and inner and outer layers of 18/10 surgical-grade stainless steel. My food has started to taste better and i've really started to enjoy cooking myself.
if you can find something with similar technology it might help. the one i have is little expensive, but has a life time warranty so i thought might as well spend once but spend right... hope this helps
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post #3 of 9
4/15/05 at 8:59pm
Personally go with Falk it's brushed copper very nice and the best quality on the market. They actually invented the bonding process for bonding ss to copper. I have Mauviel cupronix and All clad etc. The Mauviel is fine, but harder to keep clean (shiny)
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post #4 of 9
4/18/05 at 9:29am
ITA. If you can afford it go with one of these.
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post #5 of 9
5/2/05 at 7:41am

Do you have a smooth-top range?

Glenn, I posted this in your other thread too. If you're still deciding...

I recently researched smooth-top electric ranges, very briefly. One of the eight or so reasons I quickly ruled out owning one is that I found several reports on the web indicating that copper pots had melted / burned (!!!) and left residue on the glass surface which was impossible to remove.

We don't have any copper pots but do have All-Clad and some of them are no longer perfectly flat-bottomed. That too is apparently a serious problem with smooth-tops - pots must sit perfectly flat on the glass or they don't heat well and/or stress the burner to premature failure.

So, if you have a smooth-top cooking surface then both pot lines you're considering may be less than ideal. We have some 25-year-old Lagostina stainless pots with aluminum bases that have held up very well and remain perfectly flat-bottomed, but they don't cook like All-Clad.

Hope this is useful!
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post #6 of 9
2/2/11 at 1:24pm

My husband and I love to cook. We love good food and we enjoy all the things that make cooking a pleasure.  For years we used Le Creuset cookware, but secretly I didn't like the hot spots that made scorching an everyday occurance, no matter the heat setting.  We did a lot of reading about various kinds of cookware, and when I read about copper's ability to conduct heat better than any other metal except silver, we decided to look into copper cookware. Mauviel really attracted me, but I didn't want to have to use copper cleaner to keep the shiny finish looking good.  I'm not lazy, but I want my kitchen to look great without time intensive labour.  Anyway, we decided to buy the "try me" piece from the Falk Uk site because it was such a good discount.  I loved it immediately and after a bit of arm twisting my husband agreed we should try out another piece.  We signed up for the piece of the month club and got another piece on special offer.  What I love best is that it is so easy to wash even when foods stick, like roasts.  I'm more than happy with our new cookware and we have just bought a set which is also discounted.  At this rate, I'm going to have the whole collection.  My husband loves to eat what I cook, so he's happy with the cookware too. I know every body is different and we all have different ideas about what works in the kitchen just like the rest of life. I love this cookware and feel it's one of the best investment I've made in a long time.

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post #7 of 9
3/21/11 at 2:43pm

Hello this Biker73 or Gadget Girl

 

I was reading on chef talk last night under recent reviews, about all clad pans, well one of the chefs mentioned

DeBuyer this is a French Carbon Steel pan, they aren't fancy or attractive pans, but they can sear, I ran out

this morning to Williams and Sonoma and bot a 12 inch pan for $79.00 they are the pan of all pans to have,

I sear up some Italitan Sausages, It also really carmelized my onions perfectly, I can't wait to sear steaks.

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post #8 of 9
5/1/11 at 4:21pm

Hi berryf,

 

I am looking at buying copper cookware, and thanks to your post I signed up on the Falk UK website.  Before buying the "try me" piece, I was wondering if copper cookware works okay on an electric stove?  I have never cooked on a gas stove before, but I have heard they are better for moderating temperature. I am looking at eventually switching to gas, but that is going to take alot of time and work.  Currently I use the Rachel Ray non-stick set, but am trying to get away from using cephalon as I've heard that pieces can come off into your food. Any advice/comments would greatly help.  Thanks,

 

Carlie

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post #9 of 9
5/17/11 at 12:48am

Hey guys,

 

I have recently made a fairly large purchase of Falk cookware.

 

  • Saucier 1.5qt (the "try me" piece)
  • Sauce Pan 1.5qt
  • Sauce Pan 2.5qt
  • Sauce Pan 3.5qt
  • Saute Pan 9.5"
  • Casserole 5.5qt
  • Fry Pan 11"

 

Pros:

Having used some pretty crappy cookware all my life, these pieces are AMAZING.  The heat control is simply sick, I've never experienced anything like it.

They heat up and cool down so fast it's simply amazing.  The fond builds up evenly so you don't get burnt bits.

The matte finish on the outside is gorgeous even when "dirty".  The oil stains and the rainbow colored burnt copper just look awesome.

After using these pieces for a while, I've noticed that the pouring lip is a must.  It just saves you from so much gunk running down the side of the sauce pans.

 

Cons:

For those who are looking to potentially make the purchase, I'd just like to warn you, these pieces are HEAVY.  No joke, I'm pretty wimpy, but my brother who isn't still can't toss the veg in the pan.  It's a little weird not having the strength to toss with my 11" pan.

Just like all the other high end brands, Falk seems to to keep the heritage feel despite there being better options in terms of material, finish and design. 

The handles are acceptable, but not super comfortable. The cast iron takes a while to heat up, but once it does, it's very hot forcing you to use a kitchen rag to touch it.

The cast iron also attracts rust in the nooks and crannies. 

There is a matte finish and both the outside and inside.  At first, I thought this was a very novel idea seeing how evenly fond developed.  However, the matte stainless steel easily turns a gross color when interacting with oil at high temps.  Whenever I fry stuff, the oil line gets a nasty thick buildup that no amount of scrubbing can remove.  Even with barkeeper's friend, it is stubborn and hard to remove.  When browning in the pan, it leave a horrid brown stain.

 

 

If anybody has a suggestion that won't have me doing weekly Barkeeper's friend + scrubbing, I'm all ears.  I'm not digging deep gouges into my cookware, but I can't see this preserving the cookware very well.  I am using more than 10x the effort to try and clean the stainless surface.

 

DSC_9127.JPG

 

 

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