Al-Clad Cookware

[spatulina]

I have purchased three pieces of al-clad cookware with the non-stick finish. Buyer Beware. On all three items, the non-stick surface is peeling off. I followed the manufacturers instructions for care and use yet, the peeling started at the rim of the pans and drops off bit by bit. These items were not purchased at an outlet but Williams Sonoma. When I contacted WS, they said they could not do anything and to contact al-clad. Al-Clad said there was nothing they would do. I am so disappointed with Al-Clad. Investing in expensive cookware was something I thought would save me from re-purchasing over and over again. Al-Clad washed their hands of my problem; so I am washing my hand of them.

[Leper]

I have both a Kitchen Aid and J.A. Henkels non-stick skillets (both of which are more than 5 years old) and they show no signs of wear. (I NEVER put them in the dishwasher.) I am surprised that Al-Clad has such poor quality and customer service.

[RudysEquipment_Supplies]

I have had customers claim that they sent back Allclad NS skillets to the Millville,nj warehouse and they sent him replacments more that once. But never understood how he pulled that one off. I always recommend Vollrath/Wearever Ceramiguard for a tough NS frypan.

[blondelle]

All-Clad has a lifetime warranty on their cookware. They can't just blow you off. Keep going higher there until you reach someone in the company that will help. Insist they replace it with their stainless or other lines .Post on their Facebook page. They want to keep good customer relations and don't want bad experiences posted there with no resolution. I've seen them offer to contact people there who have had problems with their cookware and no help from the company before,

WS has changed. At one time once you bought something there they would take care of you for the life of the product and stand behind it. That policy is no more unfortunately as too many people abused it.

Contact your credit card company. If you send them a copy of the lifetime warranty and email from All-Clad saying they won't make good on the warranty they should reimburse you your cost for replacing it.

[pabboy]

From All-Clad website:

10. My nonstick pan is peeling, chipping, etc. What can I do?
Peeling nonstick is sometimes from placing cookware with the nonstick in the dishwasher. The chipping of the nonstick interior may occur because of cutting and use of a metal utensil on the surface. Any of these procedures will void the warranty.

[splatgirl]

I have one piece of non stick All clad--a skillet--only because I got it cheap. I've had it about 10 years and because it was still 2x the cost of a cheapie nonstick skillet, I treated it slightly better and did NONE of the above to it, ever (not that I ever do any of those things with my cookware anyway). It's also always been carefully stored, either hung or with a cork disk as buffer when nested with other pieces. The coating still wore out-- because all nonstick wears out, even if it's a "high end" brand. I've always thought it ridiculous for All-Clad to sell nonstick anything--what is the point of putting a coating with a well established limited life span on a high end product that would otherwise last a lifetime?
On that note, I've never understood why people feel nonstick is desirable for anything besides a skillet.

[Chemicalkinetics]

"On that note, I've never understood why people feel nonstick is desirable for anything besides a skillet."

Actually the argument can go both way. You can argue that nonstick surface is only useful for pan frying or sauting where the foods can stick to the pans, and therefore not too useful for a pot or saucepan. On the other hand, you can argue that nonstick surface last much longer on a pot and a saucepan where the liquid prevent the nonstick surface to overheat and degrade.

I don't have nonstick cookware with me, but I remember my nonstick saucepan last for a long time, while the nonstick saute pan did not.

[splatgirl]

Yes but if you don't need it and it serves no purpose, why would you want it when it's: a. fragile, and b. going to wear out long before the rest of the pan. Or do people not realize that? Not to mention the whole toxin exposure thing...

[Chemicalkinetics]

I don't have nonstick cookware anymore, so I am not the best defender for it. However, I can think of at least one argument for nonstick pots (as opposed nonstick frying pan). Nonstick pots and saucepans are easier to clean. Much easier to clean. This means time-saving. :)

[twyst]

Non stick cookware of any brand does not last, thats why the general rule of thumb is to buy less expensive pans when you need nonstick. I onw a lot of allclad, but dont go anywhere near their nonstick for that reason.

[Chemicalkinetics]

+1

[C. Hamster]

+2

I just buy cheap nonstick pans and replace when they wear out.

Nonstick has such limited use that I only have one or two skillets.

That said, they are made by AllClad -- Emerilware that the WS outlet was practically giving away. They cost about $10.

[Steve OBrien]

Moneta has a highly advanced stamping machine that presses the pans and their eco-friendly, nanotech cookware at 1M lbs per square inch. The interior and exterior have that coating and the slickness is truly unique. You are right on target in that many in the non-PTFE lines are really not non-stick. Paderno is terrific as is Chantal. We simply prefer Moneta - and not simply because they have been in business since 1875. It is fun to compare, as you likely know

[kaleokahu]

Hi, Again, Steve:

I visited Moneta's site, www.moneta.it and they make no claims whatsoever that their "nanotechological" coating is non-stick. In fact, Moneta *does* offer non-stick, but it is all PTFE (Teflon Classic, Teflon Platinum, and Artech Plus).

Have you actually tested the Ceramica_01 coating against PTFE for non-stick properties? I would be interested in seeing your data.

Aloha,
Kaleo

[Steve OBrien]

Our interest was not primarily focused on non-stick. That just happened to be a happy result with the Moneta line we tested. They have an induction line which is evidently quite grand as well. We test similar dishes in skillets and pans, but have no formal data. Will be on the road for two weeks but happy to share our experience. (I have no financial stake in any of my recommendations/findings, fyi). Happy Thanksgiving season!

[Steve OBrien]

Unlike many others, Moneta's non-stick aspects are simply a happy result of their construction. They are not designed solely as non-stick, but they happen to have those properties. Extensive use will reveal how long that quality remains. However, the overall quality and construction make them worthy for long-term enjoyment, non-stick or not.

[kaleokahu]

Hi, spatulina:

How long have you owned your A-C, and when did the flaking start? If you did follow the manufacturer's instructions, IMO you should have gotten, at a minimum, a year's good use. If it is shorter than this time, I would personally take them straight back to W-S and demand your money back. If they give you grief, take it up the chain until they do the right thing. Someone *will*, ultimately, because W-S' and A-C's continued snookery depends on them making it LOOK like they give good customer service. Don't take "no" for an answer.

Aloha,
Kaleo

[Chemicalkinetics]

That is the problem with any Teflon nonstick cookware. All Teflon cookware are largely limited by the Teflon surface. It is, the cookware's weakest link, if you will. It is interesting that your peeling starts from the rim and not the bottom. This is concerning.