I have the classic stainless steel all clad, not copper and not d4. Have had it about 15 years and it has held up great. Received most of it as wedding gifts. I also have the Kirkland (Costco) stainless set which is 95% as nice for a small fraction of the price.

I use barkeepers friend to keep them clean. My most commonly used pieces are large pot, large sauté, large saucepan with lids. The small frying pan is a waste.

I’ve got a bunch of D3 and love all of it. 10” and 12” skillets probably get the most use, followed by 1.5qt saucepan. The sets, especially larger ones, tend to go on sale this time of year. Create a throwaway email and sign up at a few sites.

Barkeeper’s Friend FTW.

The classic all clad is the way to go. I think I have 6-7 pieces and each one is perfect after 6 years.

I have the D3 12 inch. It's an amazing pan for cooking and searing.

I have mostly copper core and some D3, I prefer the copper core for responsiveness. I mostly use the 1, 1.5, and 4 quart sauce pots, the wok (10 or 12 inches), and a 10 inch frying pan, and a 5 quart 12 inch braiser.

I might polish them once a year with bar keepers friend, but they go through the dishwasher daily. I've had them almost 15 years and they still look new.

All retail sells the same grade unless marked as a Second.

Avoid the non stick fry pans at all costs. Great they have a lifetime warranty but after the 3rd failure in 5 years, I just threw it away. Currently giving a couple pieces from Hestan a try that are in the same price point. So far so good.

If that doesn’t pan out, I’ve had good experience with the Zwilling Madura line.

All non stick pans are, in my opinion, disposable. Best ones I have used are the commercial pans sold by sams club or restaurant supply houses. Cheap, too.

Macys has sales frequently. Set currently available at Costco. Good deals can be had through the all-clad factory direct second sales that happen a several times a year (https://homeandcooksales.com). You can buy a set if you want to treat yourself. Otherwise, a sauce pan (or two), sauté pan, and maybe a steamer/double boiler in your fancy stuff and a good ceramic coated cast iron fry pan and Dutch oven (staub or le creuset). Silly to spend good money on non stick pans and stock pots unless you are after the looks (nothing wrong with that). Lines are classic/D3, D5, and copper. Exposed copper band will discolor and need maintenance. Sur la table, Williams Sonoma, crate and barrel, and other high end retailers will sometimes have special sets or variants not available elsewhere (usual patterns in brushed or polished not available elsewhere, depending on the fad at the moment). Mauviel is also a great pan that is on the same level as all clad and is a subtle flex for kitchen people in the know.

shoot! all-clad is indestructible! I got a huge used set from my neighbor when they moved and upgraded to an induction cooktop. It was over 10 years old when we got it (I forget the name of this line, was it master chef? the type with a dull gray outside), anyway, we've used it for 15 more years, still going strong as are the individual pieces in all stainless that we already had (also now over 20 years old). We will probably hand it down to our kids in a few years and switch to an induction cooktop as well but then I expect that our future grandkids will get and use that set eventually.

Just don't buy anything at an outlet mall! Get the good stuff.

You are shouting into the wind. All Clad is not the best of the best, that's step zero. If you want the best of the best, do you have the budget to support that? A single Amoretti Brothers pan can run $400...to some this is nothing, to others its insane. What other people use bears no role on what you will use and will likely lead you astray.

If you want the best of the best, you must know there is no single answer. The best pan for searing a steak is likely the worst option for frying an egg both in size and material construction and the maker. I think you should ask for specific cookware that you use the most and budgeted for the people you are going to ask. Asking Aunt Edna for a 5 ply copper core All Clad set for ~$2000 is a big ask when all you do is make Ramen and need a small/medium sauce pan. I have a stainless skillet, a Teflon skillet and a cast iron skillet....all by three different makers at three different price points and used for different types of cooking to suit their strong points and/or whichever one is not dirty!

I get your question, but you need to simplify and focus. Use the search engine. Find a great stainless skillet brand (and All Clad is a good one), cast iron brand, non-stick brand, and/or carbon steel skillet. Then research sauce pans and sizes. Then unique things like grill pans, roasters, woks or other things that you will use. Unless you are going for Instagram likes with a perfectly spaced and arranged single brand/type/style of cookware, you will be best served by having a Motley Crue collection of pots and pans.

I understand your perspective. Maybe I should be more specific in my ask. I’m assuming All Clad is the best of the best for BIFL given that it’s one of the few (non cast iron…I’m set with my cast iron pieces) that people rant and rave about.

Believe me, if I could find the original break down post I wouldn’t be asking at all. I’ll add some context to my question and maybe that will help narrow down some pieces.

I’m eyeing these babies do you know how I may determine if they’re marked “second”?

I’m looking at these they’re currently on sale and I’m trying to determine if they’re actually a good deal

Similar 12 piece set selling at Costco.com for 699

Check your local goodwill a few times before buying a set. We have 4 all-clad pans of varying sizes and 3 of them came from goodwill

Seconds are generally sold direct from the factory or at discount stores like HomeGoods. They will be marked. If they aren't marked second, they aren't seconds.

I have some classic and some D5. If you can afford it, the D5 is incredible. Better if you have a glass cooktop and are forgetful (I’ve warped a pan or two, nothing fun about cooking with a pan that doesn’t sit flat)

Also, their nonstick is terrible. Don’t bother. It’s not BIFL anyways.

Small pan is great for an egg for 1.

The D5 are less prone to warping? Is that what you mean? I am very forgetful, not usually for hours but I could easily start warming up a pan, go chop veggies and forget it’s on for 5-10 mins.

Yep that’s what I mean. I don’t think you could warp a D5 or D7 if you tried. I found a D7 on clearance a few years back and this thing is so heavy and indestructible I’ll probably give to to my children lol

in my own head re: desirability it goes copper core, d5, d3.

I know 99% of the time people advise against sets, but there is one exception. The tramontina stainless steel set from Costco is exceptional. It may be more than you need right now, especially if you are single, but if you can store the larger pieces for a later date you can absolutely use them for the rest of your life. Especially as a gift, families love to buy gift sets and pointing them to a specific set at Costco would be a great way to go.

All Clad is great, but the handles make me hate them.

Seconds will end up at tjmaxx/HomeGoods/Marshalls, or from their factory sale, and they are generally punched stamped with a "S" on the underside of the handle.

They also sell first quality at the factory sales that have wonky boxes, which is a great value if you aren't giving them as a gift.

And they are currently having a factory sale, so great opportunity to get some coppercore or they have that set you're looking at for $599

https://homeandcooksales.com

I'm 48 years old and using my grandparents' All Clad.

I don’t remember the subreddit but some one posted one that had a hole in it from wear and they said it was after 35 years being used daily in a restaraunt setting.

And yes all clad sent them a new one.

Meaning it will outlive me here at home.

I am a couple days late to this discussion but I used to work at a cookware store that stocked a wide selection of high end brands.

Anything that is fully clad and at least 3 ply is good. Anything more than that is major diminishing returns. For all clad I recommend the basic D3. The copper core is beautiful but I have cooked on it and don't find it makes a huge difference. Maybe in a highly controlled test you could see that it heats a bit more evenly but under real world conditions it's not something you would notice. I wouldn't recommend upgrading to D4 unless you have an induction stove, that line has more induction material in it, although tbh I never even tested that claim myself so it's entirely possible that's just marketing wank from all clad as well.

For what it's worth, I think all clad are totally decent but overhyped. Tramontina or Kirkland tri-ply pans are less than half the price and will cook and last just as well. Or if you're willing to shell out, I think I prefer Demeyere. Demeyere pans are rivetless which makes cleaning very easy and the handles are a whole lot more comfy than all clad

America's Test Kitchen agrees they're disposable and rated the OXO ~$40 pan best overall