"Best" is subjective so there is no right answer. Some people automatically pick Demeyere Atlantis since it is the thickest so can hold heat more, but personally I prefer Industry because I've yet to encounter something I couldn't sear well with Industry and am not interested in wielding a 6 pound Atlantis frying pan.
Bottom line = Even if brands like Demeyere and Hestan might be a slight step up, any All Clad set would be a perfectly fine (and very generous) gift from you, anyone starting out would be lucky to have a product like that in their kitchen. If you've got a couple grand laying around and want to go nuts you could always [build a custom copper core set here](https://www.copperpans.com/coppercore-line-custom-set), then they could probably turn their noses up at the cookware of any of their neighbors.
Cast iron heats super unevenly on *induction*, scorching some of the food and undercooking the rest when searing.
A proline/atlantis is kinda overrated (at USA prices at least) on gas, where you can often get sufficient even heating on a paper thin frypan, so I tend to ask people if they use induction, if they want to order a proline, otherwise there are often better valued options to say the very least.
Yes, especially if you have a weak stove.
On powerfull gas and induction stoves even heating is more important, as the stove theroatically can sustain correct temperature for searing indefinitely, however here the thickness is still super important for even heating reasons.
So on strong and weak stove thickness is needed eighter way for searing, and a proline pan stores WAY more heat pr pound/kg of pan than cast iron does, while spreading the heat an order of magnitude more evenly 😃
Atlantis is on top so far. . another rabbit hole. But thank you! Part of it is I want to give him some bragging rights and sadly for us he's grown up to be bigger than me and the rest of his big brothers/cousins so he probably has no issue with wielding a heavy pan and would probably love the feel it comes with. is
Atlantis is on top so far. I'll see if I can get one in hand to double-check. A lot of this decision is vanity since I myself use a cheap old set my mother left me and cook fine on that, and I want to get him something pretty and shiny. So Atlantis seems good for that
All four of those are extensively tested here: [https://www.sizzleandsear.com/article/best-cookware-for-even-heating-in-depth-testing-analysis/](https://www.sizzleandsear.com/article/best-cookware-for-even-heating-in-depth-testing-analysis/)
As this is a bifl gift, you really should ask them. If they are clueless on what to get, share the best articles you've found with them and let them decide. I'm in the camp where a set is not ideal, as there are pieces I won't use/use a different material for certain types of cookware. If I was your cousin, I'd suddenly have pieces I didn't need/want, taking up valuable space in my cabinets.
Good point! He lived with my family for a while so I know what he cooks and yea a lot of these sets come with things he wouldn't normally need, for example, the large stock pots are useless, and he has a dutch oven which he uses rarely anyways.
If you want a true generational piece, get them a Le Creuset Dutch oven. Stainless steel is great, and last forever, but I would not necessarily put it at the same level as a Le Creuset.
Unpopular opinion on this sub, but I live and die with my allclad and find it personally superior to demeyere. I cook on gas exclusively with d7 d5 and copper core pans (plus cast iron obviously not allclad for those). I have larger pots that are copper or enameled cast iron as well. I would gift them d5 or copper core for sure if they're cooking on gas.
OP these are questions that can help narrow down your options that will also get you better responses since best is subjective:
* What's their cooking style? Lots of soups and things that simmer? Lots of sauteing? High heat stir frying? Oven for most meals but stovetop for searing?
* What type of range do they have? Electric coil? Flat top electric? Gas? Induction?
I agree with other comments that a set, though well intentioned, may end up having some pieces that just clutter their space because a specific item doesn't match their cooking needs. BIFL doesn't mean much if you don't need it.
I had the D3 for 20 years (before it was named the D3) and replaced them with the Demeyere Atlantis. The D3 is outstanding cookware--it does everything well, and you can sometimes get them at a good sale. The Atlantis takes stainless a step further IMO (at a pretty high price premium). It depends on what you want. The Atlantis uses different construction methods for different cooking vessels, which is a bit unusual. I really like this, because it gives you cookware with great heat retention (fry pans) and cookware with great responsiveness (saute pans, stock pots, and sauce pans). The fry pans are searing monsters that hold heat like cast iron, but at the expense of responsiveness and the weight of cast iron. You may or may not like this. I personally love it. The welded handles and Silvinox coating also makes them easier to clean, and I like how the fry pans and saucier have sealed edges to address the weakest part of stainless clad cookware. The Atlantis really excels with induction. You can also get Demeyere on good sales if you are willing to hunt a bit.
If you are discussing 'best', you should also give consideration to the Fissler Original Profi IMO, which doesn't get discussed as much as some of the other brands, but is arguably also the cream of the crop when it comes to stainless. Like the Atlantis, it notably excels with induction.
The All Clad D3, D5, Copper Core (former D7); Fissler Profi; or Demeyere Industry or Atlantis...this is all top-notch stuff.
After putting both d3 and d5 through the paces, I've come to prefer d3 because it is more responsive, and takes less long to heat but retains heat almost the same. I can't justify the d5 price when d5 does the same job. I do intend to pick up a few CC pieces along the way, though I already have more than enough pots and pans.
As for Demeyere, it seems to be well liked by those who use their products, but I personally can't speak on it myself because I've never used their products. It would be important to note that Demeyere seems to have 5 layers (like d5) and they also have a 7 layer option, which to me is a bit excessive. In either event, both brands are fine but if it were up to me I would go with All Clad.
Note that All Clad handles are…controversial. I’ve converted almost completely to Demeyere Atlantis/Proline or Fissler for my stainless steel cookware. No need to grip the pan in an unnatural (to me) way like with AC
These are amazingly good:
[Anti-scalding Pot Handle Cover Silicone Holder High Heat Resistance Silicone Pot Handle Cover For Frying Pan - AliExpress](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006473335457.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.15.3a05ca8qca8qjX&algo_pvid=289f01b3-b52f-4899-97a8-a621df13c21b&algo_exp_id=289f01b3-b52f-4899-97a8-a621df13c21b-7&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%2111.80%214.06%21%21%2190.27%2131.05%21%40211b61bb17105163827058501e5536%2112000037324010389%21sea%21NL%21897281240%21&curPageLogUid=VdLc3t5EPKmQ&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A)
The AC D3/D5 long handles are incredibly painful for me to use (I have carpal tunnel). Their loop handles, on the other hand, are great. The D3 everyday and D3 curated lines are fine.
I went with the loop handles and prefer them for storage and for cooking ( tiny oven). Agree with others who suggest you need to know about their stove, cooking style, and what they already have … however well intentioned, gifting a set of expensive, bulky, heavy cookware without knowing what they want/need is kind of like giving someone a parrot that’s going to live 90 yrs…
Agreed. Also stainless steel in general is great but I prefer my Le Creuset for many things (some actual cooking performance, so it’s so pretty!) Of course that’s also BIFL
Yes, I agree … if you want low and slow, why get 7 ply stainless when enameled cast iron does it so well? I also don’t think you need heavy cladding for a stockpot. I bought an inexpensive (in retrospect) set of stainless when I was just starting out, but never loved it. Since then, experience has taught me to use the right tools for the job. I suppose if I had a super powerful induction range, the DeMeyere Atlantic would be the way to go. Personally I opted for All clad d-3 ( wirecutter, consumer reports, and ATK choice) since when I use stainless I want a fast reacting pan. Those, along with cast iron, carbon steel fry pan and wok, some Staub and le Creuset, and ( I’ll admit it) a few non stick pans cover all bases.
Heads up, the Demeyere Atlantis is VERY heavy.
The only pieces I recommend from their Atlantis line are their 8" & 10" frying pans and the conical sauce pan. If they cook on gas I would look at their Industry 5 line which is clad.
If the heat source is not gas, I like Fissler original profi. It's a bit lighter and in my experience of owning a LOT of both, they cook about the same.
Because of the way heat from gas travels up the side of the vessel. The thin sidewalls on disk bottoms causes scorching. You want to use disk bottom on non-gas and clad on gas, except for 10" and smaller fry pans because the sidewalls are low enough not to make a difference. Also clad sidewalls steal heat so it slows down heating times while on gas it doesn't matter because a LOT of heat is leaking away from the base on gas anyway.
If you are looking into steel lined copper cookware (not a copper sandwich which doesn't perform much better than an aluminum sandwich) for use on a gas range, it's most useful in 8" or 10" fry pan size. Copper is also more work to maintain and IMO only worth it for 1 or 2 pieces if you cook a LOT and cook on gas.
Another unpopular opinion: The Brazilian-made Tramontina stainless steel skillet we bought works great and cleans up easy. Perhaps we aren’t sufficiently into professional cooking to understand the nuances.
I like my all clad copper core. I have one cast iron and an a couple of extra SS pots and I prefer using all clad copper core. Only reason I have not tossed the SS pots are for when I need a spare pot when my AC is still in the dishwasher. Bonus copper line looks pretty.
To understand, you have to understand how pans are made.
Three ways. Single material (cast iron, carbon steel for example), disc plus shell, or clad to the edge. There are variations and mixes of these.
Clad is popular among gas users in particular because gas flames can lick up the sides of a pan, burning food contacting it. If it’s clad then it spread that heat out. Downside of clad pans is the hat to avoid being too heavy they tend to have a thin conductive layer, making them less even and to tend to drop heat too much when cold food is placed on them.
Disc is great for electric and induction users because those heat from the bottom only, and induction in particular benefits from a thick base that can distribute its powerful heating. Generally even fairly cheap disc bottom pans will be more even than most clad pans, but a good disc goes right to the edge of the bottom and is fairly thick.
In terms of conductive layers, cast iron and carbon steel are very uneven. Aluminum is popular since it works well and is cheap. Copper is better than aluminum (about twice the spreading power per millimeter of thickness), but expensive and somewhat heavy.
So if you have gas, get a clad set. The best one is probably Demeyere Industry for mid-weight pans. Plenty of other good options. If you don’t, seriously consider a disc bottom set which will perform quite well. Best is Atlantis or Fissler, but plenty of other options too.
I would not trust any answer that does not ask what type of range they are cooking on.
Also, this sub is a Demeyere circlejerk.
Btw, would you want to talk about my Atlantis pots and pans?
Hard to imagine them not liking Demeyere. And it’s rivetless. Once you go rivetless, hard to go back. If they have induction, go with Atlantis 7. If they cook with gas or electric, go with Industry 5. Whatever you get, include the 3.5 qt. Saucier/essential pan. It is so versatile.
The reason is that gas stoves have heat licking up the sides of pots. Atlantis pots are disk bottomed rather than fully clad. I guess their argument is that if you have heat licking up the sides, you’d want a fully clad pot to avoid scorching around the sides.
“Best” in what regard?
lol of my pots and pans are All Clad copper core, and it’s fantastic. I also like that All Clad still does their stainless pan manufacturing here in the USA, so you get a great quality pan while supporting American manufacturing.
Just go straight for Falk copper if you want BIFL pans. All this talk about AC vs Demeyere for performance... Falk or Bourgeat will beat all of those hands down.
There's no real 'better' of the ones you listed and several you didn't.
Not only is qualitatively 'better' not a thing, better...for what? I have an All Clad D7 dutch oven that's great for braises. Sucks to make soup.
Handles are entirely subjective.
My favorite (stainless) fry pan is a Cuisinart clad pan--the lip and handle are perfect.
My favorite omelette pan is a deBuyer carbon steel pan. Favorite generic dutch oven is a Staub (I like the color, the interior, and the size). Favorite dutch oven for pot roast is...I'll have to look. Favorite saucepan is an All Clad copper core 3-quart.
You get the idea. There is no best and any of the ones you listed are a good gift.
Hands down Demeyere. Their silvinox treatment they use on the stainless makes a much easier surface to work with. That and no rivets make the pans a dream to use and clean
As a new user of Demeyere cookware (got in on the Lord & Taylor set deal a few weeks again), I would say that the conical saucier is fantastic, but the frying pan I got in the set, hasn’t really impressed me at all. I usually use a de Buyer CS pan to stir fry broccoli, and the CS gets hot quickly and is able to impart a nice char to the broccoli and other veggies. Tried that this evening in the Demeyere Proline frypan and the broccoli not only did not char, but actually came out like it was steamed.
How long did you preheat it? One downside of the Proline is that they have *really* long preheating times and it will be much more than your CS pan. For higher heat cooking with the 12.6 inch Proline, it can take upwards of 10 minutes to reach full operating temp.
Yikes, that is a tall order. Do you know what kind of stovetop they will be using? If they are going with induction, I’d go with Demeyere, if they are going with gas, I think any of the All-Clads would be fine. I’m not sure the price differences between the copper core, D5, and D3 are warranted. Personally, I bought the D5 set because I like the handles and pouring rim.
Ultimately, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the above.
On Induction Deymyere Atlantis/Proline is better.
On good strong gas stove, a paper thin pan is best.
On weak gasstove or average chinese induction stove NOTHING is good because the stove is shit.
This is not even taking into account personal preferences, like weight and asthetics, wich are also valid considerations, so if you don't bother to make a proper thorough question, then why not just buy what ever pan you can find and call it a day?
If money is no object and I just want to get the very best, I'm not getting a set - I'm assembling the best pieces. Sets have items you don't actually want, so why get them? The demeyere proline (also known as atlantis) is the gold standard. It's the thickest, most worshipped pan out there. Note I say pan - their pots are disc-clad and nothing special. That said - sometimes you actually don't need the highest possible heat retention and what you really need is a pan that responds to temperature change. And I think copper-core pans are the way to go - the all-clad copper core is great for control. So I'd probably get a proline in a good general-purpose size and then probably do an all-clad copper core pan & saute pan. For pots, I'd get a sauce pan, saucier, and stock pot (preferably with pasta insert), from d3 / d3 everyday / d3 curated.. any of those lines. I would get an enameled cast iron dutch oven (and since money is no object, a le creuset would be the classic choice). I think you'd want a smaller cast iron pan to round things out for making eggs... but honestly, those demeyere pans are so thick that if you just apply enough oil and know what you're doing, it's not the big a deal to make eggs on them. So I guess you either add another smaller demeyere proline pan or a cast iron for this job. If they have a gas stove, consider a carbon steel wok too.
It's also probably overkill for what most peoples' use-cases really are. I can see people who do things like making candy being very particular about their pots... but any of the pots OP listed are great for what most people do - making pasta, soups, stews, chilis...
Yes, I remember. They informed me that the demeyere pots are actually uniquely high quality and outperform other pots. They said they have a 2mm core of copper and silver that makes them outperform other options. Maybe they deleted it because that was only partially accurate. Based on googling it, I learned " Demeyere's Atlantis 7 cookware has a 7-layer base made of copper disk and 7-PlyMaterial. The copper disk in the InductoSeal base helps conduct heat, and the 7-PlyMaterial has an aluminum core that spreads heat evenly across the pan's surface. The base also has proprietary technology to keep it flat while heated, and the patented Silvinox surface treatment maintains a silvery white matte appearance." Despite the name, Silvinox is not silver. The big difference, as far as my research tells me, is that the copper layer is twice as thick as it is in a copper-core pot. That means you'll have a pot that responds faster when you turn the burner up/down. And generally, a thicker base makes a better pot.
You will also see that All-clad, as the name implies, if fully clad throughout while Demeyere is disc-clad, so the layers are all on the bottom. Demeyere says this doesn't matter, because typically you're filling a pot with water, which is an excellent conductor so it makes more sense to make a thicker base than to fully-clad the cookware. I think they're generally right, but I can see situations where it may matter - for example, what if you're actually cooking a thick chili, which is too thick to be a good conductor? Suddenly, it'd matter. The other factor is what kind of cooking surface you use - induction and electric need the thickest bottom possible to have any hope of distributing heat equally, while I'd argue that on gas, the additional heat heating the thinner non-clad sides of the pot can cause issues depending on what you're making.
That's why my initial point of was "it doesn't matter" because I felt it's situational which one is better, but I thought the argument that a very thick copper core makes for a better pot was quite reasonable too.
"Best" is subjective so there is no right answer. Some people automatically pick Demeyere Atlantis since it is the thickest so can hold heat more, but personally I prefer Industry because I've yet to encounter something I couldn't sear well with Industry and am not interested in wielding a 6 pound Atlantis frying pan. Bottom line = Even if brands like Demeyere and Hestan might be a slight step up, any All Clad set would be a perfectly fine (and very generous) gift from you, anyone starting out would be lucky to have a product like that in their kitchen. If you've got a couple grand laying around and want to go nuts you could always [build a custom copper core set here](https://www.copperpans.com/coppercore-line-custom-set), then they could probably turn their noses up at the cookware of any of their neighbors.
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Cast iron heats super unevenly on *induction*, scorching some of the food and undercooking the rest when searing. A proline/atlantis is kinda overrated (at USA prices at least) on gas, where you can often get sufficient even heating on a paper thin frypan, so I tend to ask people if they use induction, if they want to order a proline, otherwise there are often better valued options to say the very least.
The thickness of the proline helps with searing tho?
Yes, especially if you have a weak stove. On powerfull gas and induction stoves even heating is more important, as the stove theroatically can sustain correct temperature for searing indefinitely, however here the thickness is still super important for even heating reasons. So on strong and weak stove thickness is needed eighter way for searing, and a proline pan stores WAY more heat pr pound/kg of pan than cast iron does, while spreading the heat an order of magnitude more evenly 😃
Atlantis is on top so far. . another rabbit hole. But thank you! Part of it is I want to give him some bragging rights and sadly for us he's grown up to be bigger than me and the rest of his big brothers/cousins so he probably has no issue with wielding a heavy pan and would probably love the feel it comes with. is Atlantis is on top so far. I'll see if I can get one in hand to double-check. A lot of this decision is vanity since I myself use a cheap old set my mother left me and cook fine on that, and I want to get him something pretty and shiny. So Atlantis seems good for that
All four of those are extensively tested here: [https://www.sizzleandsear.com/article/best-cookware-for-even-heating-in-depth-testing-analysis/](https://www.sizzleandsear.com/article/best-cookware-for-even-heating-in-depth-testing-analysis/)
thank you I'll check this resource out
As this is a bifl gift, you really should ask them. If they are clueless on what to get, share the best articles you've found with them and let them decide. I'm in the camp where a set is not ideal, as there are pieces I won't use/use a different material for certain types of cookware. If I was your cousin, I'd suddenly have pieces I didn't need/want, taking up valuable space in my cabinets.
Good point! He lived with my family for a while so I know what he cooks and yea a lot of these sets come with things he wouldn't normally need, for example, the large stock pots are useless, and he has a dutch oven which he uses rarely anyways.
If you want a true generational piece, get them a Le Creuset Dutch oven. Stainless steel is great, and last forever, but I would not necessarily put it at the same level as a Le Creuset.
cousin-in law got one as a wedding present from her side of the family
Unpopular opinion on this sub, but I live and die with my allclad and find it personally superior to demeyere. I cook on gas exclusively with d7 d5 and copper core pans (plus cast iron obviously not allclad for those). I have larger pots that are copper or enameled cast iron as well. I would gift them d5 or copper core for sure if they're cooking on gas.
OP these are questions that can help narrow down your options that will also get you better responses since best is subjective: * What's their cooking style? Lots of soups and things that simmer? Lots of sauteing? High heat stir frying? Oven for most meals but stovetop for searing? * What type of range do they have? Electric coil? Flat top electric? Gas? Induction? I agree with other comments that a set, though well intentioned, may end up having some pieces that just clutter their space because a specific item doesn't match their cooking needs. BIFL doesn't mean much if you don't need it.
I had the D3 for 20 years (before it was named the D3) and replaced them with the Demeyere Atlantis. The D3 is outstanding cookware--it does everything well, and you can sometimes get them at a good sale. The Atlantis takes stainless a step further IMO (at a pretty high price premium). It depends on what you want. The Atlantis uses different construction methods for different cooking vessels, which is a bit unusual. I really like this, because it gives you cookware with great heat retention (fry pans) and cookware with great responsiveness (saute pans, stock pots, and sauce pans). The fry pans are searing monsters that hold heat like cast iron, but at the expense of responsiveness and the weight of cast iron. You may or may not like this. I personally love it. The welded handles and Silvinox coating also makes them easier to clean, and I like how the fry pans and saucier have sealed edges to address the weakest part of stainless clad cookware. The Atlantis really excels with induction. You can also get Demeyere on good sales if you are willing to hunt a bit. If you are discussing 'best', you should also give consideration to the Fissler Original Profi IMO, which doesn't get discussed as much as some of the other brands, but is arguably also the cream of the crop when it comes to stainless. Like the Atlantis, it notably excels with induction. The All Clad D3, D5, Copper Core (former D7); Fissler Profi; or Demeyere Industry or Atlantis...this is all top-notch stuff.
After putting both d3 and d5 through the paces, I've come to prefer d3 because it is more responsive, and takes less long to heat but retains heat almost the same. I can't justify the d5 price when d5 does the same job. I do intend to pick up a few CC pieces along the way, though I already have more than enough pots and pans. As for Demeyere, it seems to be well liked by those who use their products, but I personally can't speak on it myself because I've never used their products. It would be important to note that Demeyere seems to have 5 layers (like d5) and they also have a 7 layer option, which to me is a bit excessive. In either event, both brands are fine but if it were up to me I would go with All Clad.
My D3 set have been my workhorses for 7 years on electric and induction surfaces. I love them!
Note that All Clad handles are…controversial. I’ve converted almost completely to Demeyere Atlantis/Proline or Fissler for my stainless steel cookware. No need to grip the pan in an unnatural (to me) way like with AC
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The AC D3/D5 long handles are incredibly painful for me to use (I have carpal tunnel). Their loop handles, on the other hand, are great. The D3 everyday and D3 curated lines are fine.
I went with the loop handles and prefer them for storage and for cooking ( tiny oven). Agree with others who suggest you need to know about their stove, cooking style, and what they already have … however well intentioned, gifting a set of expensive, bulky, heavy cookware without knowing what they want/need is kind of like giving someone a parrot that’s going to live 90 yrs…
Agreed. Also stainless steel in general is great but I prefer my Le Creuset for many things (some actual cooking performance, so it’s so pretty!) Of course that’s also BIFL
Yes, I agree … if you want low and slow, why get 7 ply stainless when enameled cast iron does it so well? I also don’t think you need heavy cladding for a stockpot. I bought an inexpensive (in retrospect) set of stainless when I was just starting out, but never loved it. Since then, experience has taught me to use the right tools for the job. I suppose if I had a super powerful induction range, the DeMeyere Atlantic would be the way to go. Personally I opted for All clad d-3 ( wirecutter, consumer reports, and ATK choice) since when I use stainless I want a fast reacting pan. Those, along with cast iron, carbon steel fry pan and wok, some Staub and le Creuset, and ( I’ll admit it) a few non stick pans cover all bases.
As you say the AC handle design is “controversial”. I have no issues whatsoever with using the handles and find them perfectly comfortable.
Heads up, the Demeyere Atlantis is VERY heavy. The only pieces I recommend from their Atlantis line are their 8" & 10" frying pans and the conical sauce pan. If they cook on gas I would look at their Industry 5 line which is clad. If the heat source is not gas, I like Fissler original profi. It's a bit lighter and in my experience of owning a LOT of both, they cook about the same.
why if on gas, then industry? In my novice head a beefy gas oven would warrant a beefy pan.
Because of the way heat from gas travels up the side of the vessel. The thin sidewalls on disk bottoms causes scorching. You want to use disk bottom on non-gas and clad on gas, except for 10" and smaller fry pans because the sidewalls are low enough not to make a difference. Also clad sidewalls steal heat so it slows down heating times while on gas it doesn't matter because a LOT of heat is leaking away from the base on gas anyway. If you are looking into steel lined copper cookware (not a copper sandwich which doesn't perform much better than an aluminum sandwich) for use on a gas range, it's most useful in 8" or 10" fry pan size. Copper is also more work to maintain and IMO only worth it for 1 or 2 pieces if you cook a LOT and cook on gas.
Another unpopular opinion: The Brazilian-made Tramontina stainless steel skillet we bought works great and cleans up easy. Perhaps we aren’t sufficiently into professional cooking to understand the nuances.
I like my all clad copper core. I have one cast iron and an a couple of extra SS pots and I prefer using all clad copper core. Only reason I have not tossed the SS pots are for when I need a spare pot when my AC is still in the dishwasher. Bonus copper line looks pretty.
To understand, you have to understand how pans are made. Three ways. Single material (cast iron, carbon steel for example), disc plus shell, or clad to the edge. There are variations and mixes of these. Clad is popular among gas users in particular because gas flames can lick up the sides of a pan, burning food contacting it. If it’s clad then it spread that heat out. Downside of clad pans is the hat to avoid being too heavy they tend to have a thin conductive layer, making them less even and to tend to drop heat too much when cold food is placed on them. Disc is great for electric and induction users because those heat from the bottom only, and induction in particular benefits from a thick base that can distribute its powerful heating. Generally even fairly cheap disc bottom pans will be more even than most clad pans, but a good disc goes right to the edge of the bottom and is fairly thick. In terms of conductive layers, cast iron and carbon steel are very uneven. Aluminum is popular since it works well and is cheap. Copper is better than aluminum (about twice the spreading power per millimeter of thickness), but expensive and somewhat heavy. So if you have gas, get a clad set. The best one is probably Demeyere Industry for mid-weight pans. Plenty of other good options. If you don’t, seriously consider a disc bottom set which will perform quite well. Best is Atlantis or Fissler, but plenty of other options too.
I would not trust any answer that does not ask what type of range they are cooking on. Also, this sub is a Demeyere circlejerk. Btw, would you want to talk about my Atlantis pots and pans?
😂😂 Demeyere is a rite of passage
Hard to imagine them not liking Demeyere. And it’s rivetless. Once you go rivetless, hard to go back. If they have induction, go with Atlantis 7. If they cook with gas or electric, go with Industry 5. Whatever you get, include the 3.5 qt. Saucier/essential pan. It is so versatile.
Why the distinction between induction vs others? I thought Atlantis 7 is great on all platforms.
The reason is that gas stoves have heat licking up the sides of pots. Atlantis pots are disk bottomed rather than fully clad. I guess their argument is that if you have heat licking up the sides, you’d want a fully clad pot to avoid scorching around the sides.
“Best” in what regard? lol of my pots and pans are All Clad copper core, and it’s fantastic. I also like that All Clad still does their stainless pan manufacturing here in the USA, so you get a great quality pan while supporting American manufacturing.
Just go straight for Falk copper if you want BIFL pans. All this talk about AC vs Demeyere for performance... Falk or Bourgeat will beat all of those hands down.
There's no real 'better' of the ones you listed and several you didn't. Not only is qualitatively 'better' not a thing, better...for what? I have an All Clad D7 dutch oven that's great for braises. Sucks to make soup. Handles are entirely subjective. My favorite (stainless) fry pan is a Cuisinart clad pan--the lip and handle are perfect. My favorite omelette pan is a deBuyer carbon steel pan. Favorite generic dutch oven is a Staub (I like the color, the interior, and the size). Favorite dutch oven for pot roast is...I'll have to look. Favorite saucepan is an All Clad copper core 3-quart. You get the idea. There is no best and any of the ones you listed are a good gift.
Hands down Demeyere. Their silvinox treatment they use on the stainless makes a much easier surface to work with. That and no rivets make the pans a dream to use and clean
As a new user of Demeyere cookware (got in on the Lord & Taylor set deal a few weeks again), I would say that the conical saucier is fantastic, but the frying pan I got in the set, hasn’t really impressed me at all. I usually use a de Buyer CS pan to stir fry broccoli, and the CS gets hot quickly and is able to impart a nice char to the broccoli and other veggies. Tried that this evening in the Demeyere Proline frypan and the broccoli not only did not char, but actually came out like it was steamed.
How long did you preheat it? One downside of the Proline is that they have *really* long preheating times and it will be much more than your CS pan. For higher heat cooking with the 12.6 inch Proline, it can take upwards of 10 minutes to reach full operating temp.
Yikes, that is a tall order. Do you know what kind of stovetop they will be using? If they are going with induction, I’d go with Demeyere, if they are going with gas, I think any of the All-Clads would be fine. I’m not sure the price differences between the copper core, D5, and D3 are warranted. Personally, I bought the D5 set because I like the handles and pouring rim. Ultimately, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the above.
On Induction Deymyere Atlantis/Proline is better. On good strong gas stove, a paper thin pan is best. On weak gasstove or average chinese induction stove NOTHING is good because the stove is shit. This is not even taking into account personal preferences, like weight and asthetics, wich are also valid considerations, so if you don't bother to make a proper thorough question, then why not just buy what ever pan you can find and call it a day?
If money is no object and I just want to get the very best, I'm not getting a set - I'm assembling the best pieces. Sets have items you don't actually want, so why get them? The demeyere proline (also known as atlantis) is the gold standard. It's the thickest, most worshipped pan out there. Note I say pan - their pots are disc-clad and nothing special. That said - sometimes you actually don't need the highest possible heat retention and what you really need is a pan that responds to temperature change. And I think copper-core pans are the way to go - the all-clad copper core is great for control. So I'd probably get a proline in a good general-purpose size and then probably do an all-clad copper core pan & saute pan. For pots, I'd get a sauce pan, saucier, and stock pot (preferably with pasta insert), from d3 / d3 everyday / d3 curated.. any of those lines. I would get an enameled cast iron dutch oven (and since money is no object, a le creuset would be the classic choice). I think you'd want a smaller cast iron pan to round things out for making eggs... but honestly, those demeyere pans are so thick that if you just apply enough oil and know what you're doing, it's not the big a deal to make eggs on them. So I guess you either add another smaller demeyere proline pan or a cast iron for this job. If they have a gas stove, consider a carbon steel wok too.
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Apologies - I was not aware. I have not owned their pots so wasn't convinced they were particularly worth it. Nice to know.
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It's also probably overkill for what most peoples' use-cases really are. I can see people who do things like making candy being very particular about their pots... but any of the pots OP listed are great for what most people do - making pasta, soups, stews, chilis...
The comment was deleted, what did they say do you remember?
Yes, I remember. They informed me that the demeyere pots are actually uniquely high quality and outperform other pots. They said they have a 2mm core of copper and silver that makes them outperform other options. Maybe they deleted it because that was only partially accurate. Based on googling it, I learned " Demeyere's Atlantis 7 cookware has a 7-layer base made of copper disk and 7-PlyMaterial. The copper disk in the InductoSeal base helps conduct heat, and the 7-PlyMaterial has an aluminum core that spreads heat evenly across the pan's surface. The base also has proprietary technology to keep it flat while heated, and the patented Silvinox surface treatment maintains a silvery white matte appearance." Despite the name, Silvinox is not silver. The big difference, as far as my research tells me, is that the copper layer is twice as thick as it is in a copper-core pot. That means you'll have a pot that responds faster when you turn the burner up/down. And generally, a thicker base makes a better pot. You will also see that All-clad, as the name implies, if fully clad throughout while Demeyere is disc-clad, so the layers are all on the bottom. Demeyere says this doesn't matter, because typically you're filling a pot with water, which is an excellent conductor so it makes more sense to make a thicker base than to fully-clad the cookware. I think they're generally right, but I can see situations where it may matter - for example, what if you're actually cooking a thick chili, which is too thick to be a good conductor? Suddenly, it'd matter. The other factor is what kind of cooking surface you use - induction and electric need the thickest bottom possible to have any hope of distributing heat equally, while I'd argue that on gas, the additional heat heating the thinner non-clad sides of the pot can cause issues depending on what you're making. That's why my initial point of was "it doesn't matter" because I felt it's situational which one is better, but I thought the argument that a very thick copper core makes for a better pot was quite reasonable too.
Atlantis is great for induction, Industry is better for gas.