I came across a good deal on an All-Clad D5 6 qt sauté, but why do I need one?
And is D5 worth buying over standard 3-layer clad?
I have an A-C 3 qt sauté (D3) that I don’t use very often, and the only thing I can think of for the 6 qt is… searing large cuts of beef?
What else can I use it for?
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First - if you don’t use your 3qt saute pan, you aren’t likely to use a 6qt saute. So I’d say, no you probably don’t need it. Unless . . . you don’t use your 3qt because it is too small for what you typically cook (or for how many people you cook for). But that doesn’t sound like the case from your post.
I have a few large saute pans that I use when I’m cooking for crowds. I could probably do these same dishes in a fry pan, so if you have fry pans you use then maybe you’re covered from that angle as well.
But I use my saute pans (most commonly) for anything that I “sear-deglaze-simmer” and for things that I braise uncovered, where I still want surface browning. I also use my saute pan when I’m doing risottos because I find that I’m less likely to accidentally swish things out of the pan when stirring.
As far as AC types . . . I’m no expert but I have a mix-match array of AC pots and pans that I have accumulated over the years. For my cooking, I find very little difference among the various permutations - so for me the choice is purely aesthetic at this point. I don’t think a copper core (for example) cooks any differently than the standard 3-ply . . . .
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Thanks, at this point I pretty much agree with everything you’ve said. No, I don’t specifically need a 6qt for anything at the moment. It was a good markdown deal, so I was seriously tempted to get it ‘just because’. 
But I think the urge has passed (y’know how strong those purchase emotions can be!), and I’ll let someone else take advantage of the deal.
Eiron. Probably a bit late. We used to discuss about All Clad D5 vs All Clad Triply on the old Chowhound site. All Clad official statement is that D5 produces a more even heating surface than Triply. I do not believe there is a big difference of heat evenness. On a side note, they phase out the classic Triply with the newer D3. I think the main difference is that handles have gotten more gentle now.
My guess is that you don’t need a D5 6 qt saute pan, but it also does not hurt if you want a 6 qt saute pan. So it is up to you.
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Hey Chem! Thanks for the heating info. I haven’t gone back to the store, but I probably should just to see if it’s been marked down further (if it’s still there). I usually only cook for one or two, not 4 to 8 people, so even at the markdown price ($130) I don’t really need a 6qt saute. The pan’s larger floor would be nice on the rare occasion that I’d need it, but other than that there’s no great reason to get it.
Late to the party, but, yes, the 6 Qt saute pan is a workhorse in my kitchen. My “reach for” when making ragu, tomato sauce, small batches of. jam, any time I make a braise for 4-6 people, i.e., dinner party. No, it is.not used daily, but is indispensable for those bigger than normal cook-ups.
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I went back to the store, y’know, just to see if either someone else had bought it or if it had been marked down even further. Just my luck, it was still there and marked down a 2nd time (to $89.00). 
So I bought it. 
It’s the “deep” version of A-C’s 6qt sauté, with a smaller diameter floor (10-1/2" instead of 13") and taller sides (3-3/4" instead of 2-1/2"). The diameter matches my 3qt sauté and 8qt stock pot, and the wall height fits right in-between those two. I will say that there have been a couple of times where I wished my 3qt’s walls were taller while my 8qt’s walls have been too tall (for convenience).
For anyone interested (Chem?), the D5’s pour lip measures 0.020" thicker than my pre-D3 A-C tri-ply 3qt sauté, and that appears to be the middle SS layer’s addition (that is, there’s no more or no less aluminum compared to the older pan).
Here’s a link to the pan at W-S:
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-d5-brushed-stainless-steel-6-quart-deep-saute-pan/
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Congrat. $89 is a nice price.
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Thanks Chem, that’s what I thought, too. I don’t have an immediate need for it, but I think I paid $80 for the 3qt sauté so this 6qt seemed reasonable compared to that price. It would be nice to have a larger diameter pan at some point, but I need to replace my sink first. The sink I have now has two equally sized basins and pans larger than 9" won’t sit flat for soaking.
First-world problems, eh? 
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If you add the cost of a new sink in, then the pan is not that big a bargain. 
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I’m not going to burst your bubble @Eiron - I think you got a steal & Im fairly envious actually! While it may not be an everyday workhorse, when you do need to put it into action, you will be thankful you bought it. As to new sinks, we completely gutted, knocked down walls & ultimately changed the entire footprint of our kitchen 4 years ago. One of the best decisions we made was to get a large single basin sink - it’s really great to be able to wash cookie sheets, and other large pieces of cookware. Enjoy your new pan!
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I have never understood the two-small sink fashion. Some 30 years ago I told our contractor that I wanted a huge shallow sink. He finally found one he could special order at a farm supply store. Fabulous. About 20 x 30 x 6.
However, when I need to soak a pan, I usually free up the sink, pour a few tablespoons of dishwasher detergent in the pan, add hot to boiling water and leave it overnight on the stovetop. It, usually All-Clad, rinses out freely in the morning.
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Me either @pilgrim; when we were making choices, H said he wanted a twin basin; I asked what possible advantage it would have, and he came to see things my way…I too soak problem pans overnight. I’ve got an assortment, but mainly All Clad. Some of the earlier Farberware SS ended up with DD1, but I still have a few I use.
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I have a twin-basin sink, one basin’s large and the other I call the celery sink because it’s perfect for washing a bunch of celery in.
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Well, that’s good too! Whatever works for someone, as they say, one size doesn’t fit all @ewsflash.
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LOL, true! I already know that I want to replace the sink, so that expense is independent of any cookware. 
Thanks @Lambchop! Are you thinking something that might burst my bubble? 
Do tell!
I know this purchase is more impulse-driven than anything else, and I’m certainly open to considering alternative views of its usefulness and/or necessity. Lining up the items side-by-side, I now have three 10-1/2" pieces: the 3qt sauté, the 6qt sauté, and the 8qt stock pot. Only the wall heights are different: 2", 3-3/4", and 5". I have no problem jettisoning either the 3qt or the 6qt pan at this point! 
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Yes, that’s another problem with this sink! The basins are 9" deep, so the pans are forced into them at a steeper angle because the handles can’t extend beyond the edges. 
It’s also made of “engineered stone,” so the surface isn’t smooth and it scratches the exteriors of everything if you move them around while hand washing.
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Yes, this is similar to what I had at my last house and I felt it was the single best kitchen upgrade I’d made! It was the Rohl Allia fireclay sink with a large & deep basin on one side and a narrow & “regular” depth basin on the other. I’ll go for a similar style when I replace this sink.
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@Eiron - that was plain speak, with the phrasing to mean I see no downsides to your recent pan purchase. Great product, excellent bargain, and as an Artisan knife crafter, I’m sure you appreciate both utility and good design in your kitchenware. You’ve got both in that pan!
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