All Clad Saute Pan

The saute pan that other saute pans wish they could be

All Clad is the leader in high-performance gourmet cookware. With the use of advanced metallurgy and bonding techniques All Clad has developed a composite pan design that brings together the advantages of different types of cookware into one design.

Why a composite?

For centuries, chefs have known that certain metals have advantages over others. Over the years, Aluminum and Copper have been used for their heat conductivity. This means that a pan won't have hotspots and will cook evenly. Unfortunately, these metals are also relatively soft, since cooking can be a rigorous activity copper and aluminum pans can often get damaged. The softer metals fall prey to deep scraping and heat damage.

Another problem with aluminum and copper is that they can react with the chemicals in certain foods. Vinegar, as well as other acidic foods, will often have a chemical reaction with these metals that can discolor foods and effect taste. Colors as alien to comestibles as purple and neon green can often be the result of these reactions. Flavor is also affected when these reactions happen and may leave foods like tomato sauce with a disturbing metallic taste.

Stainless is not reactive, is very tough and is safe within the temperature range generated by stovetops or ovens. This sounds ideal no? It would be other than that stainless has heat conductivity issues. Too often when cooking with cheap stainless steel saute pans hotspots develop which are indeed problematic considering the heat demands of sauteing. All Clad sandwiches aluminum and copper between an outer and inner skin of stainless that offers the best of all three materials in one pan.

Do other saute pans do this?

Other companies try to mimic the performance of an All Clad saute pans with varying degrees of success. The Wolfgang Puck Sauté Pan offered on the Home Shopping Network offers a stainless steel design with an added aluminum bottom which attempts to replicate All Clad's even heating. While the Emerilware Nonstick 2-quart saute pan uses a copper and aluminum bottom disc to do the same. The effects are ok, these pans are vastly superior to stainless saucepans alone.

The difference is that the All Clad saute pan is aluminum clad stainless from the bottom all the way up the sides. Then either stainless, copper or another tougher layer of hard anodized aluminum is used to add a third layer to the outside. This creates a very durable pan and of superior conductivity. The All Clad pans will last much longer than either the Puck or the Emeril pan but you do pay a premium for the durability.

More information on saute pans