Gonna get an All-Clad Tattoo!

Way back in 1997 or 1998 (I forget when, exactly) I discovered the Food Network. Even more important, I fell in love with a little show called Emeril Live. Oh, how I loved that Emeril Lagasse! I had always thought that cooking shows were boring and for old people. This show was different. The host was fun, and he made food that I would actually want to eat. I was so hooked.

Emeril was my cooking hero and I wanted to be just like him. I paid attention to every detail of his program. I noticed what kinds of ingredients he used. I mixed up batches of "Essence" to use at home. I coveted his tools.

Specifically, I wanted his knives (Henckles) and his cookware (All-Clad).

When I received some gift certificates from my then-roommate (his brother had gotten them for something or another and was sharing the wealth) I knew EXACTLY for that they would be used. I hauled my butt over to Macy's and got a great deal on a set of five pots and pans with lids. I remember my roommate was so pissed that I wouldn't let him take them out of the boxes and use them, but I knew if I did that, he'd end up with them.

These were my babies!

So, long story short, I bought several hundred dollars worth of pots and pans because a certain celebrity chef on television used them.

Here we are, eleven years later, and I'm still using those same pots and pans. I loooove those pots and pans. They're sturdy, they're pretty, they heat evenly, and they're of such good quality that I don't have to worry about stuff sticking even though they're not Teflon coating. In fact, the only pan that I've had to replace was the Teflon coated frying pan, and that's just because it got all scratched up when my husband was first learning to cook. (He'd forget which utensils were okay to use.) They're very heavy which helps with the even distribution of heat, which is important when you're using a crappy electric apartment stove. They're so heavy, in fact, that once I accidentally dropped all three pots on my foot once and it was bruised for a month!

I purchased the Master Chef set, because it had the brushed exterior, and I figured it would hide scratches better. I really USE these pans here!

See?

I've added to the collection over the years - a small saucier, a colander, utensils, oven mitts, and the lovely, lovely multi-pot which I used last weekend to make 8 dozen tamales. Last month, I got a special surprise. I am such a nerd that I actually follow All-Clad on Twitter. Someone from there sent me a direct message asking me if I wanted to participate in a "secret."

Um, hell yes?

They sent me this:

It's a 2 quart saute pan, but it's not just any old saute pan. All-Clad is actually releasing a brand new line of pots and pans the day after Christmas made with something called D5 technology. This means that instead of having three plies of clad metal it's made with five plies. That is supposed to lead to better and more even heating using lower heat.

Let's just say that it does what it's supposed to do!

This pan is so nice! It's a bit heavier than my other ones of comparable size. They've tweaked the handle a bit to make it more comfortable to hold, and they've redesigned the lids. They're also making them in the USA now, where before the lids (not the pans though) were made in China.

The lids also have new handles that are not only easier to grip, but heatproof as well. This was one of my favorite things about it, because I tend to forget, just grab lids, and then burn myself.

If I had to go out, and buy all new pots and pans all over again, I wouldn't even hesitate about which ones to buy. It would be these, hands down. I've been recommending All-Clad and scoffing when other people recommend other brands as being "the best" for years. The only bad things I can possibly say about this pan is that it only comes in the shiny, stainless finish (and therefore doesn't match the rest of them) and that this 2 qt size is kind of small to use on a regular basis, so I haven't gotten a whole lot of use out of it.

Seriously, if you need to get new pots and pans, head on out to Williams Sonoma the day after Christmas (that's when this line will be released) and invest in the set that will last you the next twenty years, if not longer. It's not just me (see page 3) who's loving them either!

Now for the fun stuff:

• I was not paid to do this review. I have not accepted money to review this product and invested my own time to review and test this product. I did receive the 2-qt saute pan from All-Clad in exchange for my feedback during a web conference, but I did the review on my blog of my own free will. I blog about everything else!
• I am not really getting an All-Clad tattoo.