All-Clad – a metallurgical company specialized in manufacturing bonded metals. For many years, they rendered their services for various industries. And then just how every good thing gets discovered or invented by accident! The founder of All-Clad, John Ulam, accidentally stepped into cookware manufacturing when he made a stainless steel pan for his home kitchen. He utilized his expertise and knowledge in creating the bonded cookware that is now considered a premium utensils range in the U.S.
Clad Technique
It’s a technique of stacking two different metals together under very high pressure to bond them into a single slab or layer.
For making stainless steel cookware, John Ulam cladded stainless steel and aluminum by bonding them under pressure to create multi-clad cookware.
Stainless steel is not a good conductor of heat, so the Aluminum or copper layer gave the benefit of better heat conductivity.
The exterior finish is usually stainless steel, brushed stainless steel or hard anodized, but the inner core is composed of aluminum alloy or copper for heat retention and heat distribution.
However, the cookware is not limited to stainless steel only. All-Clad has ventured into the non-stick cookware arena with its non-stick range that has also gained popularity due to quality construction and healthy non-stick (PFOA-free) coating.
Due to PFOA-free healthy non-stick coating, it has managed to get into our list of best non-stick pan without Teflon. We suggest you to check our top recommendations for best cookware for gas stove.
All-Clad HA-1 Nonstick Skillet Set Review
Although All-Clad cookware is not a dime a dozen, their HA1 range is more affordable than others. We tested its 10, and 12 inch non-stick pan and here’s our honest review.
| Product Name | Nonstick HA1 10-Inch and 12-Inch Fry Pan Set |
| Product Brand | All-Clad |
| Product Dimensions | 23.48 x 13.43 x 6.02 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime |
| Oven Safe | Yes |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Induction Safe | Yes |
Construction: Tri-Ply Hard Anodized
The skillet set HA1 is constructed with hard-anodized technology in which the cookware is subjected to a chemical process for hardening it to make it more resilient. The inner core is Aluminum, and the triple non-stick layer is PFOA-free. The base is bonded with a stainless steel plate.
The stainless steel plate makes it an induction compatible cookware, and the difference in All-Clad’s “Essential Non-Stick Collection” is the induction compatibility.
The stainless steel bonded plate also contributes to making it a non-warping cookware that can also tackle sudden temperature fluctuation.
Design: Deep and Sturdy
The skillet set does not feel flimsy, rather they are high-gauged and have a heavy-duty feel to it due to its solid construction. The skillet set has a deep and sturdy design. The steep side walls and straight edges are great for tossing food, making sauces and curry and cooking heaps of vegetables.
Its steep walls keep all the ingredients in the pan, and stirring from the spatula doesn’t cause ingredients to fly around. But the trade-off is that sliding the spatula under the food for flipping them is difficult.
The pan’s depth is not suitable for reducing curry as evaporation of excess water content in the food is time taking in such pans. The sides have a no-rolled rim that can make pouring content a messy affair.
The pan’s base is flat and easy to slide on a glass stovetop. So, if you are on the lookout for non-stick cookware for glass stovetop, you can give All-Clad pans a try.
Handle: Signature Stainless Steel
The All-Clad non-stick range is well-known for its handle’s design. They have a signature stainless steel handle which has an awkward design that is too uncomfortable to hold. While handling, it cut through our hands, and we were forced to use mittens to avoid the uncomfortable feeling. All-Clad has given a helper handle on the other side of the 12-inches pan. This thoughtful additive handle really helped in lifting the pan filled with ingredients.
On a positive note, due to the stainless steel handle, the non-stick pans can withstand higher oven temperatures up to 500° F. Almost all best non-stick pans for high heat can go up to 500° F.
Another positive aspect of the pan is the proper balance of the pan’s weight. The handle is neither too long nor too short, so the pan doesn’t wobble to one side and doesn’t get unbalanced.
Pan’s Non-Stick Performance: Top-Rated According To Consumer Reports
We tested the pan for its non-stick quality, heat distribution and retention and for scratching. So, our test started the moment when we first lit up our stove and placed a pan on it. (We seasoned the pan before cooking as per the manufacturer’s instructions, you can check how to season a nonstick pan).
The pan heated up quickly. We tried multiple foods, including the most delicate and the stickiest protein sources: eggs and fish. Both these ingredients released the non-stick surface without the external help of spatulas. Due to steep walls, we also noticed less oil splattering around the stovetop.
The meat also browned equally with no burnt edges or spots. That speaks of the pan’s even heat distribution quality. Even when we added cold ingredients into the pan, the food didn’t burn or stick to the surface. Without a doubt, All-Clad’s non-stick quality is a notch above than cheaper non-stick pans.
In our tests, we used only high-grade silicone spatulas as recommended by the manufacturer, and even after using the pans daily, we didn’t notice any scratches.
All-Clad Non Stick Pan Unboxing
All-Clad Vs Calphalon Vs Cuisinart – Which is Better?
Is All-Clad Non-Stick Pan Dishwasher Safe?
All-Clad Non-Stick pans are dishwasher safe, but we didn’t wash them in the dishwasher. Since the food doesn’t stick to the pan, we didn’t find any need to put the pans through harsh detergents and high water temperature of the dishwasher that can ruin the non-stick coating in the long run. However, due to non-coated riveted screws, the grease can accumulate near rivets, which is hard to clean.
For cleaning front and bottom of pots and pans you can check following guides:
- Non-stick performance is better
- Oven safe up to 500°F
- Sturdily built with a non-warping base
- Induction Compatible
- Pan’s handle design
- Flipping the food is hard due to steep walls.
Wrapping Up!
The American Brand has proved that it’s not just a recognized and sought-after brand for stainless steel pots and pans; they are also producing top-quality non-stick ranges too. All-Clad HA1 Non-stick pans are the best buy for your kitchen treasure. With solid construction, non-stick coating and design, the skillet set showed the best performance in all aspects.
