MetaChat - Anyone subscribe to Cook's Illustrated?

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19 January 2010

Anyone subscribe to Cook's Illustrated? I would love to know what they said about the various skillets. I read somewhere else that the All-Clad won, but I don't want to spend $100 on a pan. So I'm especially curious about the Cuisinart and Miu which are a lot cheaper. If you have a 12" skillet you like I, feel free to chat about it here.

post by: grouse at: 15:34 | 21 comments

All-Clad is one of those few, super expensive things that really are worth it. I have two all-clad pans, an 8' saute and a saucepan, and they are just great.

So are you looking for a stainless steel or cast iron skillet?

posted by Miko 19 January | 15:44

Stainless.

posted by grouse 19 January | 15:58

I have an All-Clad 10-inch that I got at an outlet store somewhere. I don't remember how much it cost, but I know it was under $30.

It's my favorite skillet, for sure.

A very close second-favorite doesn't have nearly the cachet, but it's a GREAT pan. Last year at Thanksgiving, the GF's parents were staying at a place with a kitchenette. They bought a set of pans to use for the week, and then gave them to the GF for use in her new studio. They got the lowest-priced set at Macy's that looked to have decent quality. They were *drum roll* Emeril Lagasse's line. And you know what? They're every bit as good as the All-Clad and Calphalon pans I have. They're very solid and have well-designed handles. I don't hesitate to recommend them.

posted by mudpuppie 19 January | 16:04

I've heard that about the Emeril pans too. Aren't they actually made by All-Clad?

posted by Miko 19 January | 16:07

Maybe they are. In any case, they're very similar.

posted by mudpuppie 19 January | 16:10

They are.

posted by grouse 19 January | 16:27

The Emeril pans used to be All-Clad but aren't anymore. All-Clad is a local company, the pans are all made in one little factory just south of Pittsburgh. Although I just looked it up and Wikipedia tells me that they're actually owned by the same french company that owns T-Fal, Moulinex, and Krups.

They have a big discount tent sale every year near the factory; people apparently fly in from all over to go to it.

Oh, and we do have a Cooks, Illustrated subscription (which is pretty funny), I'll see if I can dig up the issue tonight.

posted by octothorpe 19 January | 16:38

I would also like to understand why that is funny :)

posted by grouse 19 January | 16:51

I don't have a CI subscription, but I got the big TV show cookbook for Christmas, which has a very very abbreviated rundown of all of their winners.

For traditional skillet, the All-Clad stainless 12-inch frypan won.

For nonstick, the Calphalon Simply Calphalon 12" omelette pan won (I'll add that I have a 12 of the new Slide line, and it's the best nonstick pan I've ever used).

For cast iron, Lodge Logic. Kind of surprised Le Creuset didn't win.

For eco-friendly (PFOA-free) nonstick, the Scanpan Professional Fry Pan.

For saute pan, the All-Clad Stainless 3-quart saute pan wins.

Unfortunately runners up are not listed. Some hardware has a "best buy" winner, but none of those pan categories have one listed.

posted by middleclasstool 19 January | 17:12

Oh, just because we almost never cook anything more complicated than Mrs T's Pirogies or a box of Zatarain's rice and beans with some cooked chicken thrown in. And our kitchen was assembled for <$1000 from Craig's List and the local Sears scratch and dent warehouse since our house didn't come with one when we bought it.

We do have a big set of All-Clad pots that we got for our wedding. I feel a little guilty using them to boil Pirogies.

posted by octothorpe 19 January | 17:12

I feel a little guilty using them to boil Pirogies.

You ought to! Pierogies ought to be sauteed. Preferably in butter. With onions.

posted by mudpuppie 19 January | 17:30

But only after they've been boiled first.

posted by Wolfdog 19 January | 17:48

I can't seem to find that article in any of the copies that we have.

posted by octothorpe 19 January | 22:09

I really hate, btw, that someone with a print subscription can't read the locked content on the site. I suppose that has something to do with the fact that the web subscription is more expensive, but it really sucks.

posted by middleclasstool 19 January | 22:31

I've met a lot of professional chefs in New Orleans, and I usually ask what kind of cookware they use at home, and it's rarely anything other than All-Clad. I use all All-Clad at home. I've never found anything that matches it's durability, heat transfer, and overall design.

I was lucky enough to pick up a full set of All-Clad from the doomed Emeril line. When he and All-Clad went separate ways, I was able to pick up a crapload of it for a steal. Best investment I've ever made--even though it sometimes threatens the stability of my marriage. All-Clad should NEVER go in the dishwasher.

posted by ColdChef 19 January | 22:57

Yeah, my plan is to surreptitiously replace my cookware with All-Clad one pan at a time. This will be a trick, as their cookware is a bit spendy. But I feel laying the sexy moves on my lady will provide sufficient distraction.

posted by middleclasstool 19 January | 23:19

If I boil pierogies before sauteing them, I find they get too fragile. Same with Chinese dumplings. They cook up well in a hot pan with a little oil.

ColdChef, I think it's OK to put them in the dishwasher. The manufacturer says:

Is All-Clad dishwasher-safe?
The Stainless collection is completely dishwasher-safe. LTD, MC2 and Cop-R-Chef must be hand-washed. Copper-Core can be put in the dishwasher but it may result in some tarnishing of the copper band around the exterior.
Prevent this by either hand-washing or drying the copper band immediately after the wash cycle of the dishwasher has completed.

posted by Miko 20 January | 10:00

ColdChef, I think it's OK to put them in the dishwasher.

SHHHHHHHhhhhhh! Please don't tell her. It's so much better for the pans to hand wash them. Non-stick and dishwasher are a terrible combo.

posted by ColdChef 20 January | 22:42

Your All-Clads are nonstick? I didn't know they made them nonstick! I thought they were all stainless steel.

posted by Miko 20 January | 23:29

Update: I went to the library and someone had stolen the issue in question.

posted by grouse 09 February | 20:01

Miu: not recommended because of small size--too small to cook 2 steaks--and poor durability: the pan warped and the handle tore away.
Cuisinart: "flighty"--heat built up in core and transmitted through cooking surface, making temperature jump. Steaks browned well on one side, burned on the other. Onions scorched and smoked. Also, poor durability: the disk bottom fell off in durability testing.

Their best buy was the Gourmet Standard at $65: browned foods perfectly well, but balance was slightly off, and the body dented when whacked. (It appears they are out of business, though).

From Cook's Illustrated, Jan./Feb. 2009

posted by fogovonslack 10 February | 17:02

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