In a word, WOW!!If you've been looking all over for pans to replace those old beat up ones you got as a wedding present, look no further.In this price range, there's nothing that will touch these pans.If you're like me, you've been searching for a set of high quality pots and pans to replace your aging Revere Ware that you received as a wedding present so many years back.Your skills as a cook have probably surpassed the old set's quality and ability to aid you in churning out the masterpieces you so eagerly crave.So, on to my journey...
The more I cooked, the more I realized my current pans weren't cutting it.At first, I thought it was me.Things were sticking to fry pans in some places and not others, rice cooked in a sauce pan would stick to the bottom, but would be undercooked on top and water for spaghetti took forever to boil.After doing alot of research, I found it wasn't really me (well, most of the time it wasn't me), but the pans.As an omlette guy at a brunch buffet once said to me, "The right tools make all the difference in the world."
So, I started searching for the right tools.I first looked at Calphalon's Contemporary non-stick pans, but was turned off by the amount of care non-stick surfaces require.I also learnedany cook worth their salt won't use non-stick surfaces for many things as it doesn't brown as well as more traditional surfaces (more on that later).I then looked at Calphalone One which claimed to have many of the properties of non-stick and traditional surfaces combined, but the care and cleaning of the pans turned me off (demo sets in stores exhibited scratches and dents in the exterior anondized surface).I decided to make the jump to stainless.Stainless steel is more difficult to cook with (read: requires more skill), but it is, IMHO, the best choice if you can stay with your food and don't have to chase a 3 year old who has your third quarter sales results in his mouth.That is, stainless requires some skill and patience to cook with.
Stainless it is.I checked out Calphalone's Contemporary Stainless and was intrigued by the glass covers, but while I was in the store, I saw the Henckels Classic Clad Stainless.Comparing the two, I noticed the Henckels pans were thicker than the Calphalone ones.They were also half the price (this is not a totally apples to apples comparison as the Calphalon set includes an 8" fry pan and an 8 quart stock pot while the Henckels set has a 6 quart stock pot and doesn't include an 8" fry pan - useless to me, anyway).Nonetheless, $400 for a set I wasn't crazy about would undoubtedly give me buyer's remorse.
I then seriously considered a beautiful 7pc All-Clad set.Frankly, if I wasn't so frugal, this is the set I would own.All-Clad is built like a tank and is the first choice of many chefs and experienced home cooks.However, at twice the price of the Henckels it's a tough bite to swollow.Henckels it was.
First and foremost, these pans have all the same qualities as the stainless ones mentioned above: 18/10 stainless steel, riveted handles and an aluminum inner layer extending up the sides of the pots and pans.18/10 stainless refers to the percentage of chromium and nickel in the stainless (the "18" refers to the chromium content, which gives flatware its rust-resistant properties, and the "8" or "10" refers to the nickel content, which gives flatware a deeper lustre, or shine).Aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, but is soft and fragile; sandwiching it between 2 layers of stainless gives you all the properties you need for a quality pan.
Now, onto cooking with these pots and pans.As I mentioned above, stainless is less forgiving and requires more patience.That translates to hanging around the stove.You will need to be very judicious in your heat control; RARELY do you need to go above medium (I have a gas range).These pans heat up fast with low heat and stay really hot with low-medium to medium heat.With aluminum extending up the sides, the heat is coming at the food from everywhere.Remember my rice example from above?No problem with these pans.I was seriously contemplating a rice cooker, but found these pans will cook all of the rice evenly, bottom to top.
The handles on these babies are very comfortable and don't heat up at all (my arthritic mother-in-law really liked the feel of them).The stockpot handles DO heat up, though.On the contrary, I found All-Clad and Calphalon handles to be very uncomfortable.Cleanup is very simple.I soak the pots and pans in soapy water for a few minutes and everything wipes right off.I haven't yet put them in the dishwasher (the manufacturer doesn't recommend it), but everything I've read about stainless says it's dishwasher-safe.
These pans prove you don't need to "make an investment" in a cookware set to get a quality set.Note that these pans are part of Henckels "International" line which means they're not made in the company's home country of Germany; in this case, they're made in China.Don't let that turn you off.When it comes to this set, I feel like that's a choice the company made to keep the cost of a high quality product down rather than cheap out.
Product DescriptionHenckels International Clad Cookware is tri-ply cookware composed of 18/10 stainless, aluminum and magnetic stainless.The middle aluminum layer extends from the base up the sides of the pan so the heat is conducted evenly throughout the pan.This increases the cooking performance of the pan and eliminates hot spots, which can burn foods because of uneven heating when cooking. The stainless steel material on the interior cooking surface and outside of the pan is high strength, resistant to rusting and does not react when in contact with food.
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J.A. Henckels International Classic Clad 7-Piece Cookware Set
I'm not a big fan of non stick pans due to bad experiences in the past but finally broke down and got this one because of the lifetime warranty and the need for something that can handle certain frying tasks without instigating a horrific cleanup.I have to say the pictures don't do it justice: this thing is BIG and made very well.The handle is hollow but sealed and the pan is very 'meaty' and heavy but not overly so.After using it a few times already I had discovered that this thing is a real jewel and heats evenly without the need for excessive temperatures.Overall? HIGHLY recommended.
