Customer Reviews

All-Clad Square Cake Pan

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an incredible pan to say the least and is extremely versitle. I have made cakes, baked casseroles, pasta dishes, etc. and whatever type ingredients you may use, it simply will not harm this pan. One of my first dishes was baked raviolli with lots of gooey mozerrella cheese, tomatoes, marina sauce - the works. I stored the leftovers in the pan, reheated it in the pan and cleaned the pan without a scouring pad - to my amazement I only used a soapy sponge and literally in two minutes it was spotless and the pan had not discolored. If it were any other pan, it would have been a nightmare to clean. Cake slid right out, brownies had a brown bottom, not black, casseroles won't stick. Yes, it's a little pricey, but it's worth every single cent!

The price of this pan threw me, but I decided to give it a try since the cookware is so good. The pan is the best I've ever used. It doesn't stick, it cleans up quickly, and it's true, you CAN use metal utensils in it. I've had the pan for almost a year, and it looks, and bakes, as if it's brand new, even though it is used constantly.

I logged on to Amazon to encourage others to share in my delight with this great All-Clad baking pan. I just read the review from the baker in Texas whose cake was burned & soggy. Bummer! It looks like she's followed good scientific method in identifying the pan as the problem, with one exception; she used the same recipe each time. Based on her experience I can't say I blame her for just wanting to return the darned thing. But, I wonder if the time and temperature for this recipe might need adjusting with this presumably thicker, heavier pan. Just a thought...

That said; I'm thrilled with my All-Clad square baking pan. I've always used whatever the department stores had to offer for pots and pans. I'd gotten used to replacing bake ware every few years as pieces rusted, discolored or ill flavored the food. I stumbled upon my first piece of All-Clad, the 1 quart sauce pan, on sale. I bought it as test. I was very impressed in how well my cream sauces blended. (It used to take a lot more effort to keep a sauce from breaking.) Until I'd used these products I'd never realized what a difference good cook-ware could make on how well a dish turned out. Even heating is key! I became an All-Clad convert. I now have a full set of All-Clad stove-top cook-ware. But, I still had that rusty bake-ware.

So I started looking at cake pans. I admit to a bit of sticker shock when I checked out All-Clad's offerings on Amazon - $79.00 for one round cake pan? How often does one make a single layer round cake? But, I did some research on Amazon and some cooking magazines and sites, like America's test Kitchen. I discovered that only All-Clad's bake ware had all the features I wanted. It's dense, made of bonded stainless steel, there's no Teflon coating so I can cut right in the pan, and its dishwasher safe. (No rust, hurrah!) All-Clad is also very well respected. It was tops in the comparison test I found, loosing marks only for it's price.

I decided to find a relatively inexpensive and versatile pan as my bake ware test piece. I chose the 8" square cake pan, and I'm very glad I did. I've had the pan for a couple of months now and use it as often as possible. I've done a lot of holiday baking and turned out brownies, quick breads and cakes that have better texture and are more evenly done than anything my department store pans have ever managed. It even releases baked goods better than the "non-stick" pans I've used. I'm sold on All-clad. I've had nothing but good results so far with all of the products I've tried. All-Clad IS VERY expensive. But, I've gotten what I've paid for, and plan on continuing to build a bake ware set. I see it as an investment. I suppose I'll save in the long run, by not needing to replace pieces every other year. I'll certainly enjoy the better baked goods. I'd like my next purchase to be the small cookie sheet; but frankly, its gonna be whichever piece next comes up on sale. I'd advise anybody thinking about a first-time All-Clad purchase to do the same - find a piece on sale, experiment with several recipes and see how you like it. Good Luck!

From uncongealed custards to how not to cry when chopping onions I've learned many lessons in the kitchen. The latest is "Price does not equal quality."

I broke into the cooky jar and paid the whopping price for this All-Clad cake pan, thinking it was a lifetime investment and would serve us well. Should have rethought that.

Every cook probably has a recipe for this chocolate cake. I've heard it called "Mississippi Mud Cake" or "Rocky Road Cake.: It's simply a very rich, delicious chocolate cake frosted with a thick pecan studded chocolate frosting. Most importantly, it's a no fail cake.

With weekend guests arriving I decided to inaugurate my new cake pan. Horror of horrors - a disaster! Surely the oven was on the blink. What else could have caused the bottom of the cake to be burned and the center soggy?

I hurriedly mixed another batch, refilled the cake pan and ran next door to use my friend and neighbor's oven. You guessed it - the same. She assured me that her oven was working perfectly.

Frustrated, quite out of sorts, and almost out of flour, I mixed another batch, poured the batter into my old $2.99 cake tin, and in 35 minutes had a perfect cake.

Attempts to return my pricey All-Clad were met with cold stares. All-Clad? All bad.

When All-Clad first introduced their line of bakeware, I wondered who would be reckless enough to spend $79 on ONE 9" cake pan or a similarly outrageous amount for an 8"square pan, rectangular pan, etc.

I finally broke the piggy bank and purchased them because:
1. I hate the feel and finish of aluminum, especially as it ages.
2. Cakes should be baked in shiny pans to prevent overbrowining.
3. Stainless steel pans, as a group, are not even heat conductors; however, with aluminum sandwiched in between layers of steel (where I didn't have to see or feel it) makes for excellent and even heat conduction.
4. The pans are thick enough to prevent their being dented or distorted by clanking around against other pans in the cabinet.

The one baking item that I did not purchase from All-Clad was the bread pan. Just as cakes benefit from a reflective surface to prevent overbrowning, breads (and tarts and pies) benefit from a dark pan to enhance browning, and therefore I felt that a shiny bread pan was not a good choice.

The pans are smooth and seem to have a non-stick finish on them. It is claimed that the surface can handle the use of metal utensils, but I use plastic - it is just as effective, and doesn't risk damaging the non-stick surface.

All are designed with sturdy and generous handles. The 9" round cake plan, normally $79 is now being bundled at many e-tailers as a 2 piece set for $99, which is a better buy.