Customer Reviews

KitchenAid Five-Ply Stainless-Steel Clad 9-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

GREAT COOKWARE - nobody who's used it would argue, and I also have some All-Clad pieces - the Kitchenaid actually cooks more evenly! Reviewers have commented about care: my set is over a year old, and still looks great. Why? a) NEVER use steel wool - if it's burned on, soak it. b) I DO dishwash them (they come out fine). c) to remove discolorations (I do this after dishwashing) get a can of Cameo Aluminum and Stainless Steel Cleaner (in the same section as Bon Ami) - sprinkle some directly onto the pan, and wipe it around with a damp sponge. d) NEVER scrub (even with a sponge or plastic scraper) in a back-and-forth manner - go in circles. These pans have a slightly matt finish in the inside to help hide scratches, but it's a swirled finish, not side-to-side (those back-and-forth scratches never come out) To get extra pieces Amazon.comdoesn't carry, check out potsandpans.com. Amazon.com's prices are the best but they only stock about 20% of what Meyer (Kitchenaid's manufacturer) makes for this line!

I agree with the other reviewers about this set's quality. Every piece is extremely well-built and a pleasure to cook with. I'd like to add two comments about caring for these pans.

The first concerns cleaning. A plastic brush and dish detergent do not get these pans completely clean, espcially after months of cooking with oil. I used Brillo pads to scrub my first Kitchenaid Stainless pan (a small skillet). They got the pan sparkling, but left the tiniest (almost invisible) scratches which made food stick to the pan. So I have switched to using Bon Ami on this set, a no-scratch powder cleanser. This has worked beautifully, but does require some extra elbow grease. You realy have to be willing to spend a little extra time and effort to keep these looking like new.

The second concerns some unfortunate chemical reactions. Stainless steel is non-reactive, that's true, but that only applies to acids. I discovered that when boiling water for pasta in a stainless steel pot, you should add salt only after the water has come to a full boil. Adding salt before the water boils causes the stainless steel to pit, leading to small white "scars" on the inside of the pot. I think they can be polished out if they're not too deep, but the damage is already done. I learned this from using my older (and fortunately cheaper) stainless pots, and have taken great care to make sure it doens't happen with this set.

In all, this is a fantastic set of cookware that's worth every penny if you're a cooking afficionado. But it really is an investment that you have to be willing to care for (this can probably be said of all top-of-the-line stainless steel cookware).

I wanted to upgrade from the first cheap cookware set I bought in college to the set I wanted for the rest of my life. I was torn between All-Clad Copper Core (5 ply Stainless-Al-Cu-Al-Stainless) and this set of 5 ply with all three inner layers of Al. I felt that since I'm not professionally trained I would not be able to take advantage of the small difference that a single layer of copper would provide, especially not at twice the price. After searing two large tuna steaks in the 10" pan with parts of them going up the sides instead of lying flat, they all cooked through completely evenly; even on my old, unpredictable electric range. You may want to use a slightly lower cooking temperature than is recommended in your recipes because these things really transfer the heat!

Before I bought them, I went to see the All-Clad pans at a local store. The jaunty angled handles made maneuvering the pans difficult and feel extra heavy. The celery shaped handles (designed that way to help keep the handles cool) made holding them very uncomfortable, even when not full of heavy food. The Kitchenaid line has ergonomically angled handles that are comfortable to hold, though after cooking over high heat for a long time, the heat will start to creep up them. Metal is conductive after all...

One of the benefits that made me want the All-Clad copper core over the regular All-Clad lines is the curved lip to allow for easy pouring from the pans without stuff getting stuck. This Kitchenaid set has that as well, which I didn't know until I bought them and am very pleased about.

The pans feel well balanced in your hand, but that is due to having heavy handles. This is a slight problem for me because my old electric range has slightly uneven coils, so unless I am cooking something with weight in the 10" fry pan, it tilts towards the handle. This isn't a problem for any of the other pieces in the line, however. Amazingly, though, even though the pan doesn't sit flat, I still get almost even heating because the core conducts so well.

After using these pans just a few times, I really feel like I will be able to do so much more than I was before. Cooking tasks that seemed daunting before actually seem reasonable, now that I know what real cookware is. They feel solid, look beautiful, and most of all, are incredibly functional.

I thought I would weigh into the debate between purchasing Kitchenaid and All-Clad...

Based on the reviews here, my wife and I purchased the 9-piece set of Kitchenaid Clad from Australia before moving to the U.S., i.e. sight unseen. Since arriving, we have also collected a growing number of pieces of All-Clad. As it happens, both brands of cookware have, in my opinion, positives and negatives.

All-Clad, in my opinion make a better designed piece of cookware. While some people, myself included, picked up an All-Clad saucepan in a cookware store and have commented on the uncomfortable handles, what they (and I) didn't realise is that when cooking in a hot kitchen where steam abounds, sweaty hands can make it difficult to pick up a saucepan and tip out it's contents. The All-Clad pans make this job easy as while they are in some ways uncomfortable, they are extremely functional and allow for a good grip and ease of turn. Furthermore, the angle of the handles means that less effort is needed to tip the saucepan. The opposite can be said of the Kitcheaid handles. Kitchenaid's handles, while more comfortable in the hand, make the saucepan very difficult to tip when full. My wife cannot turn them at all and I find it difficult without using a teatowel or pot holder. This is accented by the flatter handle which means you have to twist your wrist further to tip out the saucepans contents.

It has been said that the pouring lip of All-Clad is not great. I have not found this to be the case, however the flared lip of the Kitcheaid pots certainly makes for easier pouring.

The lids on the Kitchenaid saucepans are good and bad. Being slightly more domed than the All-Clad lids they are better at keeping the condensation in. The All-Clad lids are not... condensation drips off them like no tomorrow. However I found that the Kitchenaid lids do not fit the pans all that well in some cases, especially the 3-quart saucepan... it doesn't affect their cooking ability however it is a bit of a pain.

I bought the steamer (KitchenAid 2-1/2-Quart Stainless Steel Clad Steamer Insert) for the 3-quart Kitchenaid saucepan. It does not fit well and tips when there is no food in it. I believe this is due to the lip of the pan. I rang Kitchenaid customer service (and I only have nice things to say about them) and they sent me a new 3-quart. The same problem exists. Hence, it is the design of the lip that is flawed with regard to use with the steamer. Of course, while there is food in it, it steams perfectly well.

When cooking with both I find that the All-Clad gives a slightly more even heat although not so much that it makes too big a difference. And I need to correct a misnomer stated by a number of reviewers here... Kitchenaid DOES NOT have more layers of aluminum than All-Clad. All-Clad have three separate layers of aluminum between the layers of stainless steel. If you read through the detailed descriptions on the All-Clad product pages you will find this fact (All-Clad Stainless 9-Piece Cookware Set). Thus, from a materials perspective they are very similar.

Ultimately, I think the price of Kitchenaid warrants it's purchase. For the money it is great value. Hence I gave it 4 stars. However, I am in the process of replacing my Kitchenaid pieces with All-Clad... but that's mostly because I have to have the best (and a bit because they are easier for my wife to use). If you want great cookware, buy Kitchenaid, if you want the best, buy All-Clad. I can't be fairer than that...

You have to get your head examined to pay [$] for All-Clad. This stuff is much, much nicer and (I think) it cooks just a little better. Amazon had this [cheaper]

I have a couple select All-Clad pieces and here are my observances.

Worksmanship - Kithcenaid wins. I like the All-Clad handles better, but the rims pour better on kitchenaid and the Kitchenaid lids blow all-Clads out of the water.

Beauty - Kitchenaid - Hands down.

Performance - I think the Kitchenaid stuff heats just a tad more evenly. <...Buy this before it is all gone.

The set of nonstick aluminum (Al) cookware I have lost the nonstick coating after 2 years of daily use. I don't want to use the set without the coating since Al is reactive to foodstuff and some researchers linked people suffering from senile dementia to high Al content in the brain . So I decided to get a stainless steel (SS) set with good heat distribution properties. Ease of care is also high on the list of my criteria for the set, so I narrowed my choice down to all-clad sandwich SS sets. The sets fit the bill are by All-Clad and KitchenAid. Both sets are heavy (reads "good") with SS rivetted handles. The All-Clad set uses single ply Al while the KitchenAid set uses 3-ply Al for an even heat distribution; also the KitchenAid set has 3 rivets per handle vs. All-Clad's 2 per handle. I bought the 9-piece KitchenAid set, and am very happy with the choice. I just made some scrambled eggs with the skillet, and it heats up evenly without any hot spot. The SS surface is between the nonstick coated and noncoated surface in terms of residue foodstuff sticking onto the surface, but the residue is easily cleaned with soap. A big bonus is that I will always have a shiny set of pots and pans at show quality. I recommend this set to all kitchen enthusiasts.

I had searched and researched for months debating between All Clad and Kitchen Aid. When I saw the price I couldn't refuse the amazon Kitchen Aid. I love it, it looks good and is a treat to cook with. The handles are comfortable, stay cool and the cookware is not too heavy. I think this is a nice basic set to start with that is not too expensive and will last a life time. Depending on what types of dishes you like to cook mixing up the cookware is also a good idea, a few non-stick pieces, braisers and dutch or french ovens and casseroles may also be a nice addition. Kitchen Aid has limited pieces but what they do not have All Clad does and it too will last forever. Happy cooking!

This Kitchenaid stainless, 5 ply cookware is the best on the market in my opinion. It is superior to ALL-Clad in appearance and performance. I've noticed you rarely find this particular Kitchenaid cookware (again, the 5 ply set) side by side with All- clad in a store. I suspect the All-Clad vendor would not want people to see a close-up direct comparison of the two. Though a tidy sum, this Kitchenaid set is significantly less that the equivalent All-Clad. The heat is very well distributed, and the mirror finish is gorgeous. These pans have substantial weight also. I really can't recommend them enough!

As other reviewers have stated there are no hot spots, and unlike the pricier All-Clad, these pieces are 3-ply aluminum instead of single-ply and use three rivets instead of two. They also look MUCH nicer. So why are the All-Clad so much more expensive? The only reason I can see is that the KitchenAid set is made in Thailand and the All-Clad set is made in the USA. All things being equal I would buy made in the USA, but in this case the KitchenAid product is clearly a better product at a lower price. The only All-Clad set priced similarly to the KitchenAid line is Emerilware, which not coincidentally, is their only non-US made product (Korea).

I would compliment this set with a few nonstick pieces as the cleanup with the saute and frypan can be messy. If you keep around a can of "Barkeepers Friend" or "Bon Ami" though, you can quickly restore the brand new luster with minimal elbow grease.

You can take the cooking quality for granted. They heat fast and evenly. We purchased these over a year ago at this discounted price after we got a new stove. We needed the new flat bottom cookware to go with the ceramic stovetop. They are still beautiful. The inside bottom of the pans will turn slightly multicolored if your teenager cooks on high. I always put a little non-stick spray around the rivets just in case some food got that high - I really don't want to spend my time cleaning them. We do not put ours in the dishwasher because the gleam and we want to keep them that way as much as possible. They are somewhat heavy due to the 5 ply but not too heavy as my wife enjoys them. You'll feel like you have quality in your hands every time you cook with them.