The Absolute Best Cookware Brand For A Lifetime Of Use, According To Reddit

When it comes to kitchen items that people are likely to splurge on, pots and pans are usually top of list for people who know they'll make good use of their cookware for years to come. Product longevity and durability are essential to be recommended on Reddit's popular Buy It For Life subreddit, and mentions of the cookware brand All-Clad are frequent. One user purchased an entire second-hand set from an estate sale that had apparently already seen decades of use but still looked brand new.

Another happy Redditor says they received their All-Clad stainless pans "as wedding gifts and both the cookware and marriage have been going strong for over 21 years." And someone who purchased their set in 1998 has never needed to replace anything, and even added to their All-Clad collection, citing the pans being easy to both clean and polish. Another r/BuyItForLife contributor says, "I've had mine for 15 years and it looks new. If anyone I know ever asks for cookware for a gift, I would only give Allclad [sic]." 

Similar to a cast iron skillet, a quality piece of stainless steel cookware has the potential to outlive its owner if properly used and cared for. Not all stainless steel pans are created equal however. Fully clad cookware contains a separate metal, usually aluminum or sometime copper, sandwiched and bonded between two layers of stainless steel that extend over the entire pot or pan, not just the bottom disk that touches the stove. Fully clad cookware usually comes in three or five layers, but the most common three layers are known as "tri-ply." One of the best well-known (and most expensive) examples of these pans is All-Clad. 

If you're not keen on spending multiple hundreds of dollars on pots and pans, All-Clad usually has factory seconds events more than once a year, where you can get steep discounts on cookware that isn't deemed 100% perfect for full-priced sales. These are still a great investment as the damage or imperfections are sometimes as minimal as the packaging being slightly damaged, with one factory seconds recipient on Reddit saying they "really can't find even the tiniest of blemishes, except for one pan, which is [sic] the smallest of smallest marks."

Not only does the Reddit community love All-Clad, but celebrity chefs do, too. Marcus Samuelsson endorses the cookware as a chef-partner with the brand. All-Clad also produces the stainless steel pan David Chang can't get enough of, and esteemed chef Thomas Keller approves of the pans although he's not a fan of more fiddly kitchen gadgets.

While All-Clad does offer a few coated, nonstick collections, those coatings can wear down over time when compared to the uncoated stainless steel options. However, you can turn a stainless steel pan into a nonstick pan if preheated properly. As with most kitchen equipment, proper care and handling are essential to extending the life of your cookware, so be sure to hand wash with mild soap rather than placing the pans in the dishwasher.