All-Clad versus Kitchenaid

When it comes down to it, I believe that there are two brands worth considering if you are going to purchase stainless steel cookware: All-Clad (on left of picture) and Kitchenaid (Clad). All-Clad is the flagship of stainless steel which is reflected in their price. Kitchenaid, certainly a respectable brand, doesn't seem to sell this particular product in stores but it is easily available on Amazon. It is also significantly cheaper than All-Clad if bought in sets. The price of individual pieces is equivalent however.

Based on the reviews on Amazon, and while still in Australia, my wife and I purchased the KitchenAid Five-Ply Stainless Steel Clad 9-Piece Cookware Set before moving to the U.S., i.e. sight unseen (while a number of Kitchenaid products are sold in Australia, these don't seem to be). Since arriving, I have also bought a number of All-Clad pieces (2-quart, 3-quart, steamer, 2-quart saucier, 4-quart casserole, Everyday Pan, Oval Roaster; and no, I did not pay those prices!) It seems silly to have two sets however the benefits of All-Clad outweighed the redundancy of having both (and the Kitchenaid will either be sold or given as a gift when we return to Australia). As it happens, both brands of cookware have, in my opinion, positives and negatives.

Simply put, All-Clad 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 Kitchenaid handles. Kitchenaid 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. In fact, if you look at the picture of the two handles, you'll see that the Kitchenaid handle appears 'flaccid' incomparison to All-Clad's proud and 'erect' handle (ahhh... the innuendo).

It has been said that the pouring lip of All-Clad is not great. In comparison to the Kitchenaid I would have to agree. As the photo on the right attempts to show, the Kitchenaid has a flared lip in comparison to All-Clad's straight sides. I love the look of the All-Clad, however it does make for more difficult pouring for liquids, for example, pouring scalded milk and cream when attempting to temper eggs for ice cream. However, at the same time not having a flared lip allows for better connection of a thermometer to the side of the pot; an advantage when making ice cream!

The lids on the two brands of pans are quite different and the design of the Kitchenaid lid is slightly superior (pictured on left front). Being more domed than the All-Clad lid, the Kitchenaid lid is better at keeping the condensation in when you remove it off cooking food. The All-Clad lid is not... condensation drips off it like no tomorrow. However I found that the Kitchenaid lid does not fit the pans all that well in some cases, especially the 3-quart saucepan... it does not affect their cooking ability however it is a bit of a pain. The All-Clad lids fit the pans perfectly.

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 on Amazon... 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. What I've been most impressed with has been the almost non-stick quality of both the pans. This is superior stainless steel! Often it is recommended that one should own a non-stick saucepan if making stickier foods, i.e. porridge. My wife and I have porridge nearly every day and I cannot speak more highly about how easy it is to clean these pans; seriously baked on porridge is easily removed with just a little soaking. Fantastic!

Ultimately, I think the price of Kitchenaid warrants it's purchase. For the money it is great value. However, I have basically replaced 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...