All-Clad G5 graphite core

“You suggested you have knowledge of a specific All-Clad’ product’s development status and its future. You obviously don’t. Neither, apparently, does mysterious Dr. H.”

No I didn’t Kaleo,

Large scale product development by multinational companies is a topic for an upper level business marketing class. I just hinted at how such a model worked, and suggested how removed such a serious discussion was from your interests and speculations.

All you really need to do is to Google if you sincerely wish to explore that topic.

This post exhibits the type of confrontational personalization that I find very uncomfortable.

Sure you did, Ray. You wrote: “At this stage of development, All Clad is really not ready to more than test market”

Sorry if the truth makes you uncomfortable.

2 Likes

I got an email back from All-Clad. “We have an 8.5in and a 10.5in Graphite pan. The 8.5 inch is 2.99 pounds , and the 10.5in is 4.3 pounds.”

So a few things here. They ignored 3/5 of what I asked them, and left out the weights of the other half of the line, and the specs on the thickness of the layers.

If you take these numbers at face value this lightweight line has an 8.5" pan that somehow weighs more than a 12" d3, and the 10" weighs more than a 12" copper core. When I was a retail zombie our product sheets frequently had clerical errors on the weights and measurements, so it’s not a stretch to ask if these numbers are accurate.

Meekah if you’re interested maybe you could weigh your frying pan to verify the weight for us.

1 Like

I’m sending it to Kaleo. He can saw it in half if he wants. BTW all-Clad is notorious for not providing the answers you want re: pan composition.

1 Like

Sadly, many companies are. I was once ready to place a large order with Sitram for a client, and the deal fell apart because they would not share layer thicknesses. I explained that I’d take care of it if only they’d send one exemplar pan, and I’d measure and assess myself. No dice.

The thickness of All-Clad’s cladding has already been widely reported: 0.41mm. If you do the arithmetic and sawcut the pan, there’s no mystery, and no need for secrecy. Are these makers foolish enough to think the competition isn’t already doing this?

Go figure.

2 Likes

Customer service did a great job of brushing the whole thing off. They even set up the email so I couldn’t respond directly.

I was looking for thin Mauviel copper tonight and noticed this “new” All-Clad line on Williams Sonoma, All-Clad Collective. Looks like rebranded TK line. Probably had their brand deal run out with him.

“A Williams Sonoma exclusive, the All-Clad Collective combines pans from the company’s premium bonded-metal combinations – d5, D3 and Copper Core – in one unified collection. Each piece is designed for a specific task, so you can take a more specialized approach to cooking and get excellent results every time. This stainless-steel rondeau has an aluminum core for rapid, even heat transfer – ideal for braising, roasting, deep frying, blanching and boiling. The pan’s streamlined design includes contoured handles, a flared rim and a dishwasher-safe brushed finish.”

This is how you sell stale inventory–offer sets. The wrinkle here is selling single units of different constructions under a common name, hoping the consumer will want more with the Collective name.

Nevermind that, cosmetics aside, all the pieces are drawn from long-available open-stock lines.

A-C perhaps decided they don’t need the likes of Tom Keller to “curate” the pieces.

2 Likes

Well, he’s gone on to evidently greener endorsement pastures. Which I will avoid. If someone puts their name on something I’m going to use or wear, they should pay me for being a human billboard …

He really does love those lollipop lids.

Yeah, I’m sure he’s consumed with cooking 80 hours/wk and leaves writing and cookware promotion to others. Like a ghostwriter would know about Fenand Point and how often his worn copper got retinned (every two weeks).

Heston refers to him as a “Brand Ambassador.”

I just have a personal aversion to buying initials. I’m not challenging Keller’s knowledge.

1 Like

Meyer’s HQ is only a few miles from French Laundry, so it’s a natural fit for Keller to follow Stanley Cheng’s money. I think the new FL kitchen got kitted out pretty well on the largesse.

1 Like

Sounds reasonable.

This will likely be the last update on my end. All-Clad rubbed me the wrong way with their email a few days ago, and I never really liked the lack of a 12" frying pan in the G5 line. I knew I wanted something at least as good as All-Clad Copper Core, and finally remembered Mauviel M’150s. Copper Core is .9mm of copper with a total thickness of 1.7mm, and M’150 is 1.5mm of copper with a total thickness of 1.66mm.

The weight is roughly the same and it feels really nice in person. 16$ more for an additional .6mm copper seems worth the tradeoff. I don’t think this line has ever been well liked around these parts, but it should fit my specific circumstances really well. I’m going to take another look at it later this week. I’m still really interested in seeing what Kaleo thinks about G5 when he does his test.

What happened to the All Clad email about G5?

They ignored more than half of the questions I asked without addressing why they ignored them. My message was 3 sentences so it doesn’t seem likely they just forgot to answer. They set up the email where I couldn’t directly respond and suggested I call them for more questions.

The idea of waiting through an hour of customer service calls to be told “we won’t answer that question” just left me uninterested. Mauviel answered me the morning after I sent my question and at least verified their pan was a full 1.5mm of copper before counting in the stainless layer.

Yeah, and that risk is real. Too bad All Clad cannot answer your questions. In my mind, I doubt the G5 is any more even heating (in practice), but if it is half the weight… Man, that will be great.

My source at All-Clad told me the small G5 skillet is “about 1.4 pounds”. I weighed it, and I got just under 1.5 pounds.

Much of that weight is in the solid cast SS handle, which is bulkier that the widely reviled d3 handle. The pan body is SO light, the pan will not sit flat empty on my coil or gas hobs. When I deconstruct the pan, I’ll weigh it separately.

The graphite layer appears to be a perforated sheet with surprisingly large, round holes–it’s basically a grid, not a continuous sheet. And it is only on the pan floor; the walls appear to be very thin SS-Al–SS triply.

Which raises the question of what makes up the fifth layer. I suspect it is aluminum, with “pegs” that fit into the carbon grid’s holes. We’ll see.

2 Likes

Yikes, customer service tried to tell me the 8.5" was 2.99lbs which is more than a 12" d3 weighs. They put zero effort in to that e-mail. I thought the layers were stainless-aluminum-graphite-aluminum-stainless. I have been wondering if the walls are thinner due to the graphite disc only being in the floor. As far as I’ve read the 2 aluminum layers do bond through those holes.

Thanks very much. What is the weight for the classic All Clad d3 or the newer d5 skillet? Too bad that the handle is that much heavy compared to the pan itself. I agree… there are probably some pegs.