Customer Reviews

All-Clad Master Chef 2 7-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

These pans are awesome. That's my opinion but my opinion doesn't mean much because I've never owned anything else. So, let me tell you what my concerns were before buying and why it ended up so great.

Concern 1: Stick & Burn

I cook a lot but I'm always in a hurry. Young, single guy on a budget. I need to cook quickly. For this reason, I had almost gone with non-stick. Most likely hard-anodized. That would have been a mistake. Stick is non-existent with these pans. First thing I did was to take out the 8" frying pan and fry and egg, the ultimate test of stick. I listened to the reviews. Let the pan heat up first, add the butter, then the egg. I nervously went for the flip expecting the egg to be stuck, but it was so slick it almost hit the ceiling when I flipped it. The egg came out perfect and the pan was clean as new with some hot water and dish soap. I never thought I'd have such a stupid grin from flipping an egg. I've heard quality has a huge affect on the stickiness of stainless and this is obviously quality.

Concern 2: Use & Cleanup

Before this set, I cooked mostly with cast iron (and some horribly old teflon, but we won't talk about that). Cast iron was great, but the cleanup was terrible, the pans were so heavy and don't even get me started on the seasoning. Not to mention you can't use acids in cast iron. With my new stuff, all of that is thrown out the window. They are light enough to work with easily, transfering from stove-top to oven. And cleanup is a breeze. I haven't cooked anything yet that hasn't come up with hot water and dish soap. There are odd-colored stains here and there from use, but those are removed easily with Bar Keepers friend. Other than that, they are idiot proof, which is great for me making bacon and eggs drunk at 4 am. Which came out perfect, by the way.

Concern 3: Price

This was a big one. If you'd asked me 2 weeks ago if I was going to drop $350 on cookware, I'd have called you crazy. That's what I earn in a week. But one night, I'm cooking and my teflon pan is flaking. Gross. I grab the cast iron, nearly breaking my wrist and I'm fed up. The search begins and this is wear I really shine. I did days of research to find the best I could afford. That was about half this much. A nice set of Rachel Ray Hard Anodized. At the end of the day, though, it was the reviews that led me to the right choice. People explained to me the difference between an aluminum wrap and just a bottom coating. How much even heat distribution will affect stick and even cooking. How no matter how good, non-stick will lose it's non-stick coating, but stainless will last forever. Up the ladder I went until I found this set. At the price, it's a steal for this quality but it comes to whether you need this particular set. Many people say the pieces are too small. As a singe guy, I find them perfect. I think for a family of 2-3 they would be excellent as well.

Conclusion: The cooking world is now my oyster and I plan on tackling it head on. I've got a list of recipes prepared and these bad boys and I are going to knock 'em out together. If you're looking to give yourself a way to cook and I mean really cook, invest in yourself and invest in some excellent stainless.

Theis set gives a good start for premium cookware. The brushed exterior is great if you don't like to polish your pots and pans all the time. I've found MC2 to the be the best in terms of balancing maintenance and quality of cooking. I have a few other pans that are coper or cast iron, but the majority of my cooking is now done in the these (and a few supplement pieces) of the MC2 line.

This set is my 2nd set of cookware, the first being Calphalon One. I have no problems with Calphalon One and thought it was the best until I came across and bought this All Clad MasterChef 2 10 pc set. Provided you know how to cook in them, you'll absolutely adore them, always preheat and set your fire low to medium, never high! For a person like me who loves to cook, this is no doubt the best cookware I have had. I am also looking to purchase the All Clad LTD 10 pc set in the near future. I am so excited already!

I have 30+ pieces of All Clad (an assortment of Stainless, MC2 and LTD) and have absolutely NO regrets. Several pieces are almost 20 years old and were not only for home use, but were also used in my restaurant for 4-1/2 years. And they all still look new.

Are they expensive? Absolutely. But as one reviewer said, "You get what you pay for" and this is one set that will last a lifetime (or two!) It is well worth the money. And, it's made in the USA.

Be aware that there are several different grades of all-clad cookware. The 'Master Chef 2' series has a stainless steel interior and handles, but a brushed aluminum exterior. More expensive all-clad pots and pans have a stainless steel exterior. These pots cannot be washed in the dishwasher, if you do the aluminum exterior oxidizes and is rather unattractive. My mistake for not reading the description thoroughly, the information is there. Why All Clad makes pans with aluminum exteriors, is beyond me. Spend the extra money and get the stainless interior and exterior.

We received this set as a wedding present in 2004. This was our first set of cookwear that wasn't a "hand me down". The quality is amazing. The metal heats very evenly and I love the fact that it can go from the stovetop to the oven. We'll continue adding to our All-Clad collection.

The set includes all the best basic necessary cookware to get you really immersed in the kitchen. MC2 is amazing because it is stripped to the essentials, only to function the best. I love the brushed aluminum exterior and i love the wear and scratches because it shows me how much i am using these pieces.

I immediately noticed how good the heat transfer is, how well the high temp dishes come out and how easily they clean up.

These are a huge step ahead of my Calphalon pots & pans.

Highly recommended.

I never thought i'd spend the money to buy professional type cookware, I just love it! I love to cook and I don't know why I waited so long. The only setback is the brushed finished,I got the Master Chief II. I've already scuffed it. I might think another finish when adding pieces, but not other brand name.

I bought this set at the end of June as a slightly late graduation present for myself (finished undergrad recently), and it has thus far performed totally beyond my expectations: the stainless steel is easy to clean by hand (no dishwasher for the stuff in this set), and there are no hots-pots that I've been able to find so far (used my shiny new IR non-contact thermometer to determine that). I love the clad steel-aluminum-steel construction, as it spreads heat evenly and offers excellent heat retention. I also love how it can go from the cook-top into the oven without even blinking; try that with your favorite nonstick pan!

I wish Amazon let reviewers award half-stars, as this set would get a great performance review but the steep price would knock it down to 4.5 stars; I do wish it was cheaper, but you definitely get what you pay for. It *does* have a lifetime warranty, which is great...check back in 35 years or so and I'll let you know my thoughts! I'd highly recommend this set...if you've the money to spend on it.

This is by far the highest quality cookware I have used in 50 years of cooking--BUT-- the handles need improvement,especilly on the very large pan. Also ,it(the large fry pan) is a bit heavy, hard to lift when it has food in it.