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Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,845
Registered: ‎10-03-2011

If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5

I will be purchasing a good size set as a gift.  I know the tri-ply is the original, which many people have loved for years.  Is there that much difference/better cooking results in the D5 to warrant the additional cost?

Also, about the D5 finish - which is nicer, the polished or the brushed?  I almost think I'm going to have to ask the gift recipient for her preference.  It's a big investment and I don't want to get the wrong one.  

 

Thanks

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,486
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5

[ Edited ]

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

I will be purchasing a good size set as a gift.  I know the tri-ply is the original, which many people have loved for years.  Is there that much difference/better cooking results in the D5 to warrant the additional cost?

Also, about the D5 finish - which is nicer, the polished or the brushed?  I almost think I'm going to have to ask the gift recipient for her preference.  It's a big investment and I don't want to get the wrong one.  

 

Thanks


The ONLY mistake you can make in gift giving is to NOT ask someone what they want.  No surprise moment is worth getting someone something they don't want or getting ALMOST what they want. . . LOL!!!

 

I don't like the brushed finish at all and have had every finish they make since 25 years ago.  But it's an individual thing.  I am fine with the tri-ply but have pieces in D5 and several of the copper core too.  They are all good.  Probably if you cook skillet foods a lot, maybe the D5 is a tad better, but it's no big deal I think.

 

I had to edit because my fingers weren't doing the walking very well today!

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,106
Registered: ‎03-28-2010

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5

I own the D5 in the polished.  I did not go out and buy the set, I purchase individual pieces.  I've never bought one that wasn't on sale.  All Clad goes on 20% off sale often at Williams Sonoma.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,080
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5


@scraphappy wrote:

I own the D5 in the polished.  I did not go out and buy the set, I purchase individual pieces.  I've never bought one that wasn't on sale.  All Clad goes on 20% off sale often at Williams Sonoma.


Agree with everything you say.

 

WS is best place to buy AllClad.  Sometimes they have 20% off sales and the deals are hard to beat.  That's when I make my purchases.  I have about 20 pieces most are D5 polished but also have a few tri-ply.  Not too much difference between the two but I do prefer the D5.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,105
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5

Either choice would make a fantastic gift that would likely last a lifetime.

 

Just a quick note about cookware in general. If you've ever been in a professional, five star kitchen, you'd be kind of shocked at the quality of the cookware they use. Very often it's not anything close to the very high end stuff used by many home cooks. The pans is frequent use are often thin, lightweight, somewhat beaten up and look like they've survived a war or two. Good cooks can churn out good food on pretty much any cookware.

 

Cookware is much like the tools used in any other sort of hobby/sport. Good tools can improve your results, but they won't necessarily make you a pro. Amateur golfers are notorious for upgrading their golf clubs frequently, convinced that this new set of even more expensive clubs will improve their game. The sad reality is it's generally not the tool that's the problem but the person using it. You could put a set of very old, very used golf clubs in the hands of a Jordan Spieth (a current top pro golfer for those who don't know) and he'd still make incredible shots. Give Wolfgang Puck a tin foil pan and he'd find a way to use it to churn out a delicious meal. 

 

Sometimes people get too caught up in getting the absolute best tool (cookware in this case) only to find that the old tools weren't the problem. There's nothing wrong with buying the best cookware you can afford, but cookware by itself guarantees nothing. You can still turn out amazing meals using much less impressively pedigreed cookware.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,038
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5

[ Edited ]

Just an FYI, Costco makes an EXCELLENT professional grade stainless steel "set" of cookware.  From my inspection I would say All-Clad quality, for a fraction of the price.  If you are into name brands you might not be interested, but if you are into quality at a good price, you should check it out.  (It's tri-ply and sold under the Kirkland name.)

 

I put "set" in quotes because I'm not a set person.  I prefer to buy just the pieces I want.  (Which generally isn't very cost effective since sets offer the best price per piece.)

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Posts: 21,845
Registered: ‎10-03-2011

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5


@faeriemoon wrote:

Just an FYI, Costco makes an EXCELLENT professional grade stainless steel "set" of cookware.  From my inspection I would say All-Clad quality, for a fraction of the price.  If you are into name brands you might not be interested, but if you are into quality at a good price, you should check it out.  (It's tri-ply and sold under the Kirkland name.)

 

I put "set" in quotes because I'm not a set person.  I prefer to buy just the pieces I want.  (Which generally isn't very cost effective since sets offer the best price per piece.)


@faeriemoon  I happened to be at Costco today and saw the Kirkland set.  Honestly, I wasn't too impressed, it was just so-so.  The outside of the sample piece I held was all scratched up and the rivets didn't seem as good.  Plus, it's made in Thailand.  The genuine All-Clad is Made in American, which I prefer.  Knowing it's an investment in something that will last them essentially forever, I don't mind paying more for the genuine article. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,143
Registered: ‎04-18-2012

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5


@scraphappy wrote:

I own the D5 in the polished.  I did not go out and buy the set, I purchase individual pieces.  I've never bought one that wasn't on sale.  All Clad goes on 20% off sale often at Williams Sonoma.


Same with me. But I admit I mostly chose the d5 because I liked the lids and handles better than the tri-ply. I don't think the d5 is really more responsive than the tri-ply. 

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval
Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,143
Registered: ‎04-18-2012

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5


@faeriemoon wrote:

Just an FYI, Costco makes an EXCELLENT professional grade stainless steel "set" of cookware.  From my inspection I would say All-Clad quality, for a fraction of the price.  If you are into name brands you might not be interested, but if you are into quality at a good price, you should check it out.  (It's tri-ply and sold under the Kirkland name.)

 

I put "set" in quotes because I'm not a set person.  I prefer to buy just the pieces I want.  (Which generally isn't very cost effective since sets offer the best price per piece.)


I think the Kirkland clad stainless set is disc bottom, not fully clad. But they might have changed it? 

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval
Valued Contributor
Posts: 765
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: If You Own All-Clad ~ Pros/Cons Comparing Tri-ply and D5

Maybe I am not supposed to be saying this here, but here goes. If you can get to Canonsburg, PA, All Clad has a twice a year factory sale at the fairgrounds. I have purchased all of my All Clad there, and I have quite a collection. Great prices. I have noticed that prices have gone up in the last 2 years- the buys were better 2 years ago. But it is still worth going to. I am lucky- I am only an hour and a half from there.  So far it has always been the first friday and saturday in June, and the first friday and saturday in December. Google it.