Same here!

I've been cooking for 45 years and have learned a lot from ATK. Two pieces of kitchen equipment that made a big difference in my cooking was the ATK recommended ThermoWorks MK4 Instant read thermometer and the OXO kitchen timer. (Look for the equipment review videos.)Those two have gotten dishes, especially fish, cooked to perfection, and multiple dishes from being forgotten about.

After the divorce, my wife had to learn to but equipment and use it! LOL!

You sound like you were being held hostage in your marriage and someone took the blindfold off.

I used to just run and buy the expensive stuff. Some of it was great. Some of it collects dust in the attic. ATK is who I trust to help me differentiate between the worst, and the worth it.

If All-Clad makes 2 qt pots & 8” skillets, go for it!

and how many people are in that particular situation vs literally any other situation?

Scratch the live in NYC from the comment and you will find many singles out there. So, a valid comment.@@beau9956

I have had Tramontina Clad cookware for decades and it was less than half the price of the All Clad and for me works as well as any other. However I would recommend a single person watch the offerings at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Home goods - and do not forget flea markets. I picked up a 12" Calphalon Tri=ply skillet once - although pretty dirty- for $5 - a steal and after a good washing it shines like new@@reginakrystyn

Say what you want, but a nice big T-Fal skillet takes a lot of abuse! It gets the job done and you don't have to feel bad if it gets beat up. Just go buy another one.

MrTBoneMalone Oh I’m not hating, my T-Fal stuff rocks! Gets used daily. We love the way they cook and the ease of clean up.

They don't tell you things like you probably don't need clad for a sauce pan, stock pot, etc. I've got 3 clad pans and they're all frying pans. They also seemed to miss that stock pots are supposed to be narrow (less evaporation), and who the hell still uses them when a cheap stove top pressure cooker will pay for itself making stock and other things? -Also another thing you don't need in clad (disk bottom Presto is great and cheap). So the Tramontina frying pan can be found for ~$40 last I knew. -The only piece I'd recommend.

@@madthumbs1564 ys u right. i ve plain old s.steel Un Clad stock pots, sauce pots & they work fine.

Jason Burns One piece a time Jason, All Clad lasts a lifetime! Unless you lend it to your Sister - in - Law! 😉

Thanks for the tip!

I was going to buy a set for my daughter. They stopped making them last year. 😥

@@plainjane1812 Oh no!! I did go looking and ended up on a "deals" kinda forum. One of the members emailed them and they said no plans to bring it back anytime soon. I'm going to have to take real good care of the set I have. I know Tramontina has good cookware for a good price but haven't tried their stainless line......and thanks for the heads-up on Kirkland.

@@floief Actually you have tried Tramontina - because they made the kirkland cookware you have. I too bought a Kirkland set years ago and the whole set cost less than a All Clad Saute pan and looks brand new. Hint - if you ever get it bad on the bottom - try Oven cleaning spray overnight. The Steel can handle it nicely.

What price range was your deal? Was it black friday timing?

Another issue is the fact that lots of recipes are designed for pans of a standard size (12 inch skillets, 5 litre Dutch ovens, etc). So when you start including pans of weird sizes and shapes, that's when things go wrong. I bought a bundt pan once that claimed to be: "standard sized". I don't know what standard they were going by, because it was 8.5 inches in diameter, when most bundt cake recipes call for a 10 inch pan. My math skills weren't good enough to work out how to trim the recipe down accordingly, so I either ended up with wasted batter or a strange-shaped cake. It was crap. My point is, it's better to have pans that are bigger than what you need, vs pans that are smaller than average, as that means you won't have to trim recipes down into weird quantities to accommodate your cookware. Your cookware should work for you, not the other way around!

I've seen the skillet used by a family of 10. It covers all 4 burners.

I agree. I don't ever cook a whole pound of pasta at once, why waste all that fuel to heat up a jumbo pan. Small meals, small pans. Works for me.

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbenmNaQ056taHU.html

Yeah, Marshalls, Ross and TJ Maxx can usually give you good deals at random. But you have to be careful. Sometimes big name brands license their label on the sly to pass off overpriced trash to those who don't know any better. You can find All Clad and even Le Creuset in these places at great deals.

I’ve seen some All-Clad on sale at TJ Max and Home Goods. Most of it is the hard anodized pieces and non-stick.

Yes I have. I got some all clad cookware for a real good price at tj Maxx.

I just picked up an 8 qt nonstick AllClad for $60 and a 10" saute and 3 qt sauce pan (stainless) from All Clad for $55/ea at Home Goods. I watch Home Goods like a hawk because they're really consistent at having high dollar pans for super reasonable!

If you go to All Clad website, you can sign up for notices when they have sales. I buy their "seconds", which I find are nearly flawless, at a substantial discount.

I would have just gave up at that point and starved. It looked so hard.

LOL

Absolutely right, I wonder if any of them has ever cooked a meal for one?

🤣🤣🤣

Pan sets are like knife sets; you're either going to get some duds that suck or over pay for stuff. When it comes to d3 / tri-ply clad stuff; the main thing I'd recommend is a frying pan or two. I don't need that even heating for stock (or better a pressure cooker), and sauce pans. Also; disk bottom isn't bad if you're not pan flipping (and it's an otherwise good pan).

Damn right! Other good thrift store finds are old borosilicate Pyrex baking dishes. Pyrex switched to inferior soda glass about 10 years ago and borosilicate glass bakeware is no longer readily available in retail stores. I also get all my stainless prep and mixing bowls from thrift stores. In fact, all my dishes and silverware is from Goodwill too! Nothing matches. I just buy cream-color stoneware and colorful dinner plates in vibrant colors and patterns. It's perfect for a clumsy guy like me. If I break or chip a dish, it's no big deal. Plus, it's ecologically-friendly!

Only if you get lucky. Pretty much every thrift store at this point has a small number of 'Regulars' who come in early and get all the good stuff, and re-sell it.

@@rwdplz1 As long as you take your time you'll eventually end up with all the pieces you'd want. eBay is also a good option. I've been working on getting an All Clad set and it only took a couple months to get all the essential bits, for hundreds less than buying new

@@TheRepublicOfJohn how can you verify if the Pyrex found in a thrift store is the original borosilicate version?

My mom passed I gave away a 8in Revere Ware frying pan. Purchaseed 1951 and I should have grabbed it up. Have the 8 in saucepan for the last several years I see it for sale on Amazon 8-inch saucepan new Legacy $295. Why did Revere Ware quit Manufacturing??.

Here it is - the link was buried. The author is the same woman in the video: www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/1760-the-best-pans-add-ons-and-extras-to-build-your-own-cookware-set

Wondering the same thing

congratulations! well deserved

All Clad has some amazing sales a couple times a year. Also a seconds sale. You can save a bundle. A bought a sauce pan for about half off. I’ve had most of mine for over 25 years and don’t expect needing to buy them again during my lifetime. That’s a good feeling.

Do they stack well? By that I mean can you turn the lid over inside the pot and stack other pots on top of it? I love when pots have that feature. You can fit so much in a little space

These Videos turned me off of non stick as well

ALWAYS sear with cast iron, if you can.

NOTHING GOOD ABOUT NON STICK POTS. ITS PAINFUL THAT A POT CAN'T LAST MORE THAN ONE YEAR NO MATTER HOW CAREFUL YOU ARE.

Waltkat , look at estate sales in your area, and other online marketplaces where individuals sell things they don’t need or want anymore. If you look around for awhile, you’ll see whether these items ever come up and what seems to be the fairest going price. I purchased a high-end modular bookcase set this way, adding pieces over the years at 25-30% of retail. But I shopped constantly and jumped on good deals immediately.

+1 Tramontina are a great value. They don’t seem to have as big a marketing machine as other new comers, so I take every opportunity I can to sing their praises. I wish there were more high quality reviews of them.

I noticed them once, they were a distraction, but they are real employees. They should have filmed this segment without them there.

100%

Click the link that follows "Read the full review of cookware sets" above. Within this article, scan for the highlighted and linked text "guide to building your own cookware set." Hope this helps.

Chad LaFarge www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/2045-cookware-sets?sqn=tBMkPcrwhUE5P5s2dWGGEWMzSG2yGWA/1bKoHir7Ixc%3D%0A&extcode=NSCIK14YT&

How to Build Your Own Cookware Set: www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/1760-the-best-pans-add-ons-and-extras-to-build-your-own-cookware-set

Find the triangle below the right lower corner of the screen. Links are there

Thanks!

Many reviewers have noted this. I’m sort of surprised atk doesn’t dislike this “feature”. Having used AC, Made In, Tramontina, and Misen, I find AC to be my least favorite handle design. At this point in time, given that ACs patented design has expired, and the number of great alternatives, I’m not sure why anyone would pay the higher price for AC. It just isn’t that much better, if at all

where do u buy them discounted usually

@@whostheleadernina6473 I usually buy around the holidays and I'm not tied to any particular store as I look for "special" prices on individual pieces, which are heavily reduced then I wait for a store sale with a fixed percentage off of the entire category of goods (kitchenwares) and I use a coupon as well if I can find one. I've gotten pieces at Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond (don't forget the coupon), Bloomingdales and even at a small, local kitchenwares store. Another strategy is to choose pan size based upon their biggest bang for the buck. For instance, I have 2 sauce pans that are both the same size rather than one being smaller which is typical. The smaller one was $90 more and I've been glad to have 2 larger ones more times than I can say. The last thing I bought was a Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel pan. The next size up was vastly more expensive and the ones below were either only slightly less or a little more. This one was the best deal because it's the most popular and the perfect size.

Agree. Would love to find link to recommended a la carte pieces

Check the Marshalls store and site occasionally. I recently bought a Calphalon 12 " skillet for $50.

best and cheapest is cast iron. Lodge, made in USA, or antique shop rummaging for Wagner or Griswold. A few startups making smooth cast iron again, but prices are as if they think they invented the stuff.

HickoryDickory86 I thought they mentioned an a l carte link where is it?

@@RyanBeltran-Official No, they have links to all their cookware reviews and affiliate links to the products so that _you_ can buy and assemble your own à la carte set (that's what she meant), but they do not offer one already put together by them. If you use their Amazon affiliate links, they get a bit of money for that, but that's about it. I just think it would great if they could assemble two different sets with their own branding (one being _America's Test Kitchen's Winners Cookware Set_ and the other _America's Test Kitchen's Best Cookware Buys,_ or something like that).

Why copper? I teach and don’t understand the d5 , D3, copper?

@@steveisaak4320 its ultra high end to cook with copper. Because copper transmits heat the best. I'm not a high level chef, but I doubt most people who own it understand or feel the difference. It's mostly a statement thing. All Clad makes perfect cookware. Stainless steel D3 and D5 is all you need.

@@richardnemeth5911 i went with the D3 as i am no expert

Get a six inch non-stick from any restaurant supply shop for very little money. It will last for ages, and it's so cheap that if it does wear out, you aren't heartbroken.

Here it is - the link was buried. The author is the same woman in the video: www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/1760-the-best-pans-add-ons-and-extras-to-build-your-own-cookware-set

@@calisongbird I'll check it out

They work in a commercial kitchen. Their needs are not the same as ours. I completely agree with you.

Agreed. The sautee is a must for making risotto or tomato sauce. I purposely bought my cookware set because it included the sautee.

A Y My first “grown up” cookware purchase was a calphalon chefs pan and lid. Even though I now have all clad as well, that chefs pan is one of most used items I have.

@@srkh8966 I bought the 7 piece all clad set with the 8 in skillet, the 10 in skillet, and like the weird little saucepans, the chefs pan, and the giant pot. I basically just use the pot and the chefs pan but I got a deal at Costco so it was cheaper to get the whole thing and I gave the rest out for xmas! My favorite pan is still a three or 4 quart wide bottomed pot my great grandma gave my grandma who gave to my mom who gave it to me. It's a copper bottomed one and it heats up faster than my all clad (however it is v unhappy with the induction cooktop I put in so I just use it when I visit family who have gas)

A Y that “weird little sauce pan” is perfect for making simple syrups for cocktails.

How common is it to buy sets at the higher end? My guess is most by piece by piece

@@thomasr1051 this is true! I’m slowly putting together my set. I was lucky to find a Le Creuset outlet and bought my 1 of the 2 dream Dutch ovens for less. It was expensive but honestly I love it! Next is my sauté pan (found the 10in at TJMaxx but it was in bad shape so I didn’t buy it).

Did you win the vacation?

Get the stainless steel Presto pressure cooker. My parents used it for years to cook stews, potato’s and vegetables. I’m thinking of getting one. They run anywhere from 80 to 100 dollars.

At one time All-Clad sold a compact, stackable set. I’ve been dealing with a very small kitchen for a few years. Painting 4 panels of IKEA peg board and putting them on a small wall in my kitchen was a game changer.

those were made in USA, now a days its a China product. Sad.

The reviews actually suck for the budget they have. Stock pots are supposed to be narrow to inhibit evaporation, not all pans benefit from cladding like frying pans do, 7" is great for eggs in a 'starter' set, stove top pressure cookers > stock pots, and there is no reason to own non-stick.

mad thumbs what is a equipment review channel that you would recommend? I like equipment reviews.

Walmart or Sam's Club maybe wait for a Black Friday sale.

If you follow over to the full article, the Made In starter set was one of the ones reviewed, and didn't rate as highly as the All Clad or the Tramontina.

Doug Hendrickson Thank you.

Kathlyn Terry All-Clad is Made in USA

try Metro-Kitchen

Unsurprisingly this is another ATK advertisement for All Clad. They could have included a set from a competitor but opted for the "compact set" from a "familiar brand " 6:52, despite saying earlier that undersized pots are a poor choice. Poor effort.

@@sleazybukkake ATK : All Clad : : Scotty Kilmer : Toyota

@@sleazybukkake LOL no. I feel like you're always accusing them of dumb shit just because they didn't do reviews YOUR way. Like, they said right at the beginning (2:14) that ALL the sets have undersized cookware, but the All Clad is the best of the bunch if you're intent on getting a set.

Let me save you big money homie. Sign up for the cooksandhome sale online. They sell you seconds of all clad pans for a decent discount. Also if you put in your email they give you an extra 20% off 1 item on the last day normally.

What size? I'll take it.