I'm a tough audience when it comes to cookware. I went through all the usual suspects before I finally landed on the All-Clad Copper Core collection, so at this point, there isn't anything I haven't seen and put through the wringer. This is a really nice set of cookware. They look fantastic, function very well, and are impeccably crafted. The lids fit very well and have securely riveted handles on top. The hand loops are extra tall, which makes them easier to grab without touching the hot lid, though I'd still recommend a potholder. The handles feel great in the hand, and split off into two strong, riveted connection points at the pan to keep them cooler than the pan itself. They are hollow, which is good because if they were solid the pan would tip over when empty. These do not. The inside is brushed stainless, which looks nice and hides scratches (to a point). The outside is polished copper that has been "hammered." It looks great, and the hammering pattern will likely help hide blemishes that will make their way into the soft copper. Copper is soft and subject to heat marks from a gas flame. It will tarnish over time, and the only way to stop this is to polish it on a regular basis. The cheap decorative pans you see at clothing stores don't tarnish because they are painted with an inedible clear coat of paint. They look nice, but you can't cook with them unless you remove the coating. I like that they change over time, and will likely polish them all up from time to time. If you are the type that needs them to stay looking brand new at all times, you might want to get a stainless exterior instead, as that means you have a lot of polishing in front of you. I thought it odd that there was no fry pan included in the set. You'll definitely need one of those, so budget for that if you don't already have a good one. I use my 12" the most, but if you mostly cook for two people, 10" might work. 8" is too small. The two pots are the same diameter, just different heights. This means the same lid will fit both - a plus. They give you two lids anyway, but the fewer lids I need to keep track of, the better. The very small saucepan doesn't include a lid. If you need one for it, I recommend a silicone one likeGIR: Get It Right Premium Silicone Round Lid, 10 Inches, Red The copper conducts heat better than any metal other than solid gold. The aluminum core conducts heat very well, but not as well as copper (or gold!). And the inner stainless steel is non-reactive, easy to clean, and won't leach anything into your food. All good! The only major downside is that they are non-magnetic, which means they will not work on an induction cooktop. Note: induction cooktop does not mean a glass cooktop with traditional resistance coils underneath it. Induction cooktops are very rare, cost a bunch of money, and do not have burners that heat up. Instead, they heat up the pan on top of them by using a very strong magnetic field. These are tri-ply cookware, which means they have an outer layer of copper, a middle layer of aluminum, and an inner layer of non-reactive stainless steel - none of which are magnetic. This is a great set. You'll need to buy a frying pan separately, and they won't work if you have (or ever get) an induction cooktop. If you know that going in, you'll be very happy when you unwrap and use these. Sean Logue, 2017
