16 hours ago, JeanneCake said:All-Clad is sending multiple emails about an Infamous pan, aka Mother of all Pans. The hype is, they only make it available once a year (I don't pay much attention to the sales so this could be just another sales pitch for all I know) It is a "limited edition D3 stainless every day pan" that's along the lines of a 6 qt skillet/saute pan; it includes the lid.
I'm half-heartedly considering it for the kid, who would benefit from nicer pans to cook with as he is getting a little more adventurous with his cooking skills. This seems like the kind of thing he could saute in then put in the oven to finish. Is this a waste of $150 or worth taking the plunge? If he damages it, I won't mind because it's not 'my" pan
he's not allowed to use my good stuff LOL
But i wonder if this All-Clad factory sale thing is just a gimmick to sell off cheaper versions or if it really is factory seconds that are first rate and just have packaging flaws?
That particular All-Clad pan is big and heavy so it’s challenging to toss or flip stuff around. If the kid is beefy and regularly cooks for a crowd, it might be a good pan for him. IMHO, the mother of all pans would be either a wok or a cast iron skillet. Both are inexpensive and would teach the kid about how to season a pan and how to cook in a way that respects that seasoning. You could get him both of those and a copy of Kenji's The Wok for a lot less than that pan.
I've ordered quite a few items from that factory sale website and haven’t been disappointed. It’s great if you happen to spot something you’d like but not so much when you have something specific in mind. My only miss was a pan that turned out to be both bigger and heavier than I needed. Nothing wrong, just a bad choice on my part.
