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

agree with you

Do you have a smooth-top range?

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.

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.

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

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.

Have you tried cooking wine?  Pour cooking wine in while the pot is still hot and gently scrape it, just like deglazing but pour more wine and let it sit a bit longer for though grease.  It works well for me on my brushed stainless interior pot.  Don't know if it would work on your matte finish though.  Good luck!

In my opinion, All Clad is junk and they do not stand behind what they sell I have heard this from many people

Dear Glenn et. al., I'm sure I'm super late to this blog party, but I own and LOVE my All-Clad Copper Core cookware. I can't recommend it enough. For those not familiar with the different All-Clad lines, the Copper Core is their top of the line model, and has five layers of metal, the copper "core' being in the middle. Here are some of the reasons I adore it:

1)It is nice and heavy, and works on a variety of stoves, from wimpy to mighty (I know, because I've dragged my poor pans everywhere!).

2) Because they're nice and heavy, I don't get tons of stuff burned onto the bottom. If you don't have a bizillion BTUs, this helps out a bit. It cleans like a dream. If I have stuck-on food, it can be soaked off, steel-wooled off (for really stubborn stuff), or even oven cleaner (I've only had to do this when wokking). My pans still look like new when I'm done.

3) they cook beautifully and quickly, with superb results.

4) They are so attractive that I can serve out of some of them straight from oven to table (Obviously, I'm not going to serve something out of a pot onto the table, but some of the pieces without the long handles look amazing.)

5) Their warranty is excellent-it's a lifetime warranty, and if you purchase through someplace like Sur La Table, regardless of warranty, they will make it right.

6)The cooking surface is non-reactive, so my dishes don't come out with an odd taste.

7)They look gorgeous and fit well in my hands.

8) Unlike some of their lines, the Copper-Core has a curved lip on most of the pans, which prevents spilling.

9)They have excellent promotions, and you can by irregulars online for a very competative(sp?) price. Friends that have bought these say they can't spot the difference, and it definitely saves you money.

For those of you complaining about price poinbt, consider that this is a but once item-the cost over time is just not that much, and indeed, even at full retail, we're not talking millions of dollars, particularly in light of the fact that they will be used most every day.

     One of the weirder pans I purchased (because it was part of a clearance bundle at a store that was going out of business was the wok-ish looking one called a chef's pan. I bought it 'cause it was cheap, never dreaming just how much I would use it! This baby can do it all!! And no, I don't work for All-Clad, nor Sur La Table, nor anybody else.

I honestly love my pans beyond all telling, and I think you will too. Worst case-send 'em back! Cheers! Laura