Skillet

>>9029053
All-Clad is overrated since their Tri-Ply patents ran out. For similar performance for drastically less money, get either Tramotina Tri-Ply or Cuisinart MultiClad Pro series pans. There are also better performing pots and pans than All-Clad for the same premium.
https://www.centurylife.org/is-all-clad-worth-it-is-it-still-made-in-america-why-does-it-cost-so-much-what-are-some-alternatives/

>>9029053
yeah it's less about the brand and understanding the type of clad you're buying and how it's built. most people don't even realize the benefits or differences and just put All-Clad on their wedding registry cuz it's $600

a true tri-clad is a layer of stainless steel, a layer of aluminum, and another layer of stainless steel

this is ideal because the aluminum core heats up quickly, and the stainless steel layers resist damage and are less reactive to the foods you're cooking

a lot of cheaper "clad" will only have the aluminum in the base of the pot or pan. real clad should have that middle layer all the way up the sidewalls. this makes the pot/pan heat up more evenly and quickly because the heat will transfer up the sides

you can find some cheaper sets on amazon and even walmart that are real tri-clad. you can also look up reviews for like best budget clad set

Decent alternatives?

Thick aluminium non stick lined skillet from a proper restaurant supply store. Lighter and easier to work with.

>>9029053
Buy online. No one pays full price for all-clad except retards from /ck/ who don't have bank accounts or credit cards, apparently. MUH CAST IRON FOR EVERYTHING! MUH IKEA PAN!
>>9029942
That isn't an alternative, it's a completely different kind of pan

>>9029053
more like ALL-CHAD [meme]

>>9029954

A good non stick skillet is far better for a home cook, there's no need to buy a pan than can get up to 500c temp and be scrubbed with wire wool.

Good thick non stick pans will easily sear meat and are oven safe.

After a few years when the non stick starts to wear down buy another for $30.

>Muh stainless / cast iron will last a LIFETIME though

They might, but i'd rather spend a bit of cash every year and use a pan that requires no effort to maintain or use.

De Buyer pans are bretty good albeit with some brand name tax too.

>>9030379
>They might, but i'd rather spend a bit of cash every year and use a pan that requires no effort to maintain or use.

Fuck you, throwawayfag.

>>9030379
>A good non stick skillet is far better for a home cook
i'd argue the opposite, most people will beat on the lining with a forks, spoons, metal spatula, etc.

MOST normies would probably be better off with cast iron or stainless if they took the 5 minutes to understand what they're cooking on.

>>9030379
>A good non stick skillet is far better for a home cook

The idea that one is "better" than the other is silly. They're different tools for different jobs.

Nonstick is great when you're cooking foods that are likely to stick, but it's inferior if you want to generate fond for making a pan sauce, and it can't withstand the heat needed for a really good sear, or for stir-frying.

After working in kitchens for the last 17 years the vast majority of pans we use are either plain ali or non stick for eggs, fish and caramel etcc We also have a few carbon steel pans that are used pretty much exclusively for steaks. Its a french brand im sure but not de buyer. They're okay i guess.

I use a brand called vogue at home, since thats also what we use at works and they're cheap with a good metal handle.

Sometimes you do want a bit of sticking however, like if you want to serve whatever your cooking with a pan sauce, or if your making a curry where the fond on the bottom adds a smokey flavour if cooked right.

Cast iron pans are far too heavy to bother with, they take too long to heat up and they rust easily. They can also split in two if dropped.
They make good casserole dishes however,

>>9030379
I'm not sure what you're trying to say here
I'm a home cook so have to use one pan for everything?
Should I eat off paper plates too? Actual dishes are for tryhards?

>>9030406

>I CAN COOK ON WHATEVER I WANT

Privilege card player checked

>>9030406

HEAR ME ROARR

>>9030417
>privilege card
I am also not white. Stop it with the micro-aggresions.

>>9030468

Mexicuck detected

>>9030470
Nope. One down, hundreds to go.

>>9030474

Some type of lesser non-white mudform detected.

>>9029053
IMO the things you should be worried about are:
1. Quality stainless steel that won't pit/rust easily.
2. A well secured and comfortable handle
3. At least one decent layer of aluminum or copper in the base.

For $150, you should be able to get an entire set of cookware. My cookware is already 8 years old, was $125 (on sale) for a full set, cooks great and is in perfect working condition. It has a single layer of relatively thick aluminum on the bottom.

The practical difference between aluminum or copper when cooking is negligible, especially since it is coated with steel anyway, and adding multiple layers of stuff is just a meme (3 layers! 6 layers! 9 layers!). What is important is having a sufficient layer to conduct heat well so that the base of the pan heats evenly. More expensive cookware typically also has alu/copper going up the sides of the pan so that the sides also heat evenly, but honestly who gives a fuck? You cook from the bottom of the pan where the heat source is, not from the sides.

The things to stay away from are the extremely cheap cookware that is either only thin steel (no alu or copper at all), or that has only a meaninglessly thin amount of alu/copper. Basically this is dollar-store cookware that will have severe hotspots, making it difficult to cook with for everything other than simmering broth.