Sur La Table brand cookware

[annachan]

I've been looking to get some reasonable priced skillets. Happened to see these @ Sur La Table. Price seems to be really good ($49.99) for 9" and 11" skillets.

I'm looking at getting something nonstick for eggs and such. Also want something that can go into the oven.

I will probably be looking for a few other pieces (stockpot, saucepans) as well and like to know if the quality is worth the price. Thanks!

[mgaretz]

My cookware is mostly All-Clad, but I also have a Sur La Table 3-ply roasting pan. It cooks just fine, but it is very definitely harder to clean than the All-Clad. I'm not sure why. I had originally bought pretty much the same pan in All-Clad, but took it back because the "chicken roaster" arm didn't cook any better than a vertical roaster and was way harder to use. The SLT pan was half the price, so I guess I'll put up with it being harder to clean, especially since it's not an everyday pan.

Look at the All-Clad "promo" pieces - all the major stores have them - they all have slightly different selection. Williams-Sonoma has some great All-clad non-stick pans as a promo and their 4 qt saute/simmer pan is my favorite!

[annachan]

Thanks mgaretz. I've been looking at All-clad prices and haven't found anything close to the SLT prices. I am looking looking for the best right now, just something that's pretty good quality at very good prices.

[JAZ]

Anna, although I haven't used SLT's hard anodized line, I was working for Sur La Table when they came out with their first line -- the 3-ply stainless cookware. We used it quite a bit in the kitchen there, and it performed very well. If the anodized line is the same quality, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

[Fat Guy]

We can be sure SLT doesn't manufacture the stuff. Someone else does it as a private-label job. I wouldn't be surprised if it's made by Meyer, which is a very respectable company that I know has done private label for SLT in the past (they also do KitchenAid, Anolon and a few others).

[annachan]

I'm sure that someone else makes SLT cookware. The question is, which one? I did take a look at the skillets at the store and they look to be quite sturdy, very comparable to All Clad skillets. I am leaning toward getting these unless I see some All Clad and the like at similar prices....

[qrn]

this place has allclad "seconds" Thats all I have bought for years and years with no problems...

And they have a sale a couple times a year for an additional 20% off.

My link

Bud

[annachan]

Bud - thanks for the link. The prices on the irregular All-Clad are still quite high though, even with additional 20%. I'm not saying they are not worth the price, just more than what I can afford to spend right now. I don't think I will be able to get All-Clad now unless the prices are deeply discounted.

[OliverB]

They look well made to me, I'm sure they're fine. I don't like the All Clad handles and would not buy an other pan from them. I have the non stick, in hindsight that was not a good buy. I did some research later and what I found recommended most is to buy cheap and replace often, as the non stick will eventually come off in all pans. That's what I'll do when the All Clad is loosing it's surface, mine has a small scratch already, despite that I never used metal in it. I guess something fell in or the lid scratched it, not sure. It's tiny and does not seem to grow (yet).

What I did not like on some of the larger Sur La Table pans is the extra handle on the opposite side, those handles tend to get entangled in my other pots and pans and also stick into the are of my other burners and are of no use to me.

[faith]

This is a little bit criss-cross to your question, but all of my tri-ply stainless pans are SLT (6 qt. dutch oven, three skillets, a couple of sauce pans), and I like them enough that I've given them as gifts. I very much like the second handle on my 12" skillet (which I got significantly enough on sale a couple of weeks ago that I'm going to time any additional purchases for those sales). The 12" skillet was my first cookware addition in five years or so, and it seems to be of at least the same quality as my earlier purchases. I don't have any non-stick pans, so can't comment on those.

I have not spent enough time cooking on All Clad to know how anything I've said above compares and have not used any SLT anodized (my other cookware is early 90s Calphalon). I have found my stainless harder to clean than I expected based on what I'd read (then again, I'm not the world's most perfect dish washer), but agree that it's only an inconvenience that doesn't at all tempt me to upgrade to All Clad. And cleaning has been significantly less of an issue since I started keeping Bar Keeper's Friend on hand. That all having been said, in your shoes, I'd be perfectly happy trying out the SLT anodized.

Edited November 1, 2010 by faith (log)

[Sheryl D]

We have the SLT saucier and sauce pans. We like them well enough. Our All clads are skillets except for our little sauce pan, and so it is hard to compare. However, we got the SLT at the 40% off sale and couldn't beat the value.