Recs for a not-so-heavy stainless steel fry pan?

Cooking Discussions Cookware
1

I am a cookware minimalist. Whenever it comes to everyday cookware, I have one cast iron deep skillet, a soup pot, and one saucier. I have a couple of other pieces that I almost never use- a CI skillet that’s way too small, and a SS wok.

That cast iron skillet is a workhorse. But I’d add another piece that I can use alongside with the CI deep skilllet, to speed up cooking.

I am not a big fan of spending time scrubbing and maintaining my pots and pans, so copper is out. As I already have CI and its weight, CI is out. Since CI and carbon steel is somewhat similar, its out. I don’t do teflon. My gas stove has low BTU, so SS seems suitable. I’ve done some initial research and I am leaning towards a seemingly not-so-heavy Demeyere- the Industry 12.5" Stainless Steel Fry Pan (I need to go to the store to see how it handles).

https://www.amazon.com/Demeyere-Industry-5-Ply-Stainless-Steel/dp/B00GCD9IPM/

The pros I see so far:

  • Pretty non-stick as far as SS goes- and I like that non-stick aspect of my CI.
  • Their Silvinox surface treatment means potentially less scrubbing.
  • Its lighter than let’s say, the Demeyere Atlantis.

Are there aspects about the Demeyere that I should be concerned about?

I have thought about the All Clad. I don’t like the weight of the D5. So a close alternative would be the SS 12"

https://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Stainless-Tri-Ply-Dishwasher-Cookware/dp/B00FUF5K8W/

Any other similar pans I should consider?

Thanks!

2

Hi sck,

Here’s an Ebay link to the Williams-Sonoma Hestan Thermo clad:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Williams-Sonoma-Signature-Thermo-Clad-Stainless-Steel-12-Fry-Pan-With-Lid-249/263122541913?hash=item3d43535d59:g:7rQAAOSwJS5ZhAPw

I have three Thermo Clad pans, but not this one. They are great pans. The EBAY link also has some other alternatives. Here’s more information:

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/ws-signature-thermo-clad-ss-nonstick-covered-fry-pan/?pkey=ccookware-williams-sonoma|ws-thermo-clad-stainless-steel&isx=0.0.995.2000122070312

Ray

3

The Demeyere also does not have rivets, which is nice when you go to clean it. Especially a skillet.
Mauviel’s M’Cook is also fairly lightweight, it’s possibly a few grams lighter than All-Clad. Also. If weight is really an issue, consider a pan that only has the inner skin of stainless, leaving the rest aluminum or anodized aluminum. Still, I would buy the Demeyere.

4

I think your two choices are similar enough that I think you can go with either.

“one cast iron deep skillet, a soup pot, and one saucier”

What are the other two cookware made of?

Many high-end multi-clad cookware like All Clad and Demeyere get pretty heavy as they get pretty thick. As you have pointed out, Demeyere Atlantis is pretty heavy and it is their top line. “I have thought about the All Clad. I don’t like the weight of the D5. So a close alternative would be the SS 12.” Are you sure the triple (D3) is much lighter than the D5?

A downside of stainless steel surface cookware is that meats readily stick to stainless steel, and cleaning can be frustrating. Aside from that, stainless steel cladded cookware are pretty good: chemically resistance, rust resistance, dishwasher safe, able to handle high heat, physically sturdy, even heating surface. However, the sticky part really bother a lot of people which is why til today, nonstick cookware are extremely popular.

Carbon steel cookware are similar to cast iron cookware. However, if your onlybeef with cast iron cookware is their weight, then carbon steel cookware are usually lighter because they are usually made thinner.

If you don’t mind washing your pans with hand, which I suspect that you don’t since you have a cast iron cookware, then you can consider something like the All Clad LTD or All Clad MC2. They basically have aluminum exterior and stainless steel interior. This means these cookware will have better heat conduction for similar dimension and a lighter weight too:

image

By the way, there is nothing bad about your two choices, I just want to throw a few things at you for you think ponder.

https://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Professional-Stainless-Cookware-12-Inch/dp/B00005AL47/

5

Thanks. Weight is not a physical issue but more of a preference since the CI pan I have is already heavy. Good point about the Mauviel M’Cook as I didn’t thought of it. Set weight aside, how’s M’Cook’s performance versus All Clad D3 and Demeyere Industry 5?

6

They are both SS.

Actually I don’t know for a fact. I just remember handling a D5 at a store and distinctly remember it to be heavier than expected. And in a separate occasion holding a ‘regular’ All Clad pan and it seems to feel fine. But hasn’t done side by side.

Which I think is fine for me as I plan to use both the CI and the SS side by side. So for sticky stuff like meat and eggs, I’d just use the CI and SS for the others.

I do remember that browning onions and garlics, etc makes the SS surface somewhat hard to clean (relative to my CI). Does the Silvinox actually make the surface less sticky as Demeyere claims to be?

We don’t have a dishwasher so everything is handwashed. Good point about MC2/LTD. Set the exterior aside, how’s MC2’s performance versus regular Allclad triply?

7

From the ebay description, they seem to equate the WS Thermalclad with the AC d5 nonstick. Is that equivalent?

8

Hi sck,

On Ebay, I think they accidentally put an All Clad d5 description where the Thermo clad should have gone, but . . .

they are similar. If you are interested, you could compare them side by side at Williams-Sonoma. I can only tell you that I’ve had a good experience with Thermo clad.

Ray

9

Cladded then, right?

I believe they are very similar in weight. In fact, most people think d5 cookware feel lighter because the handles are better designed. At Williams Sononma website, the triply 12" fry pan is listed to be 4 pounds, and the d5 12" fry pan is 3 lb. 4 oz. Since you have commented on the weight as an issue, you should look into if in fact there is a weight difference.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-d5-stainless-steel-fry-pan/?pkey=cfry-pans-skillets&isx=0.0.3565

I will repeat. MC2 or LTD will heat up more evenly because of the better heat conduction and it will be lighter because of the aluminum. A 12" LTD fry pan is listed as 3 lbs – lighter than classic triply and d5.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-ltd-fry-pan/?pkey=call-clad-ltd&cm_src=Quicklook

Any information you are particularly interested beside the heat evenness and the weight? The thicker aluminum has its drawback. Afterall, the most popular line is the triply line for a reason. The exterior aluminum of MC2 will make it impossible to use the dishwasher. In addition, the cookware will look older overtime because aluminum will dull its color faster than stainless steel and you cannot just shine it. It does not change the actual performance. LTD is a little better because the exterior is anodized aluminum instead of brush aluminum, so it has this black look:

image

10

I have All-Clad and I am not happy with them. I find the handles hard for me to grip and the pan hard to balance when pouring food out of the pan. In addition, the rivets make them very hard to clean.

11

I saw in @Chowdom 's link, the Demeyere Industry pan you are considering. But it is the same price as in Amazon.

Is it comfortable the handle? A bit fine for a big medium weight pan, me think.

12

Some thoughts after a visit to the cookware store today:

@Chemicalkinetics you are right, d3 and d5 All Clad don’t weigh that differently. The Demeyere Industry 5 11" fry is the heaviest compared to the AC 12" d3 and d5.

@naf The Demeyere 11" is not the most comfortable as it started to get heavy to hold with one hand since it doesn’t have a second handle. Its a good size for me, however. The 12" should be more comfortable to hold with the secondary handle though they don’t have a sample unit in the store.

The AC handle is the most comfy I must admit.

@alexander, I looked at a couple of the Demeyere pans- the area where they weld the handles to the of pans, not sure if its because its a floor sample that has been mishandled/ dropped. But there is a gap where food can go in. In one of the pans, the gap is on the bottom half. In the other pans, the gap is actually all over, making it even a nightmare to clean since stuff can get in between. I hope its only a flaw with the floor sample.

Its hard to see in the photo but here is the gap:

279E5D9F-E2C8-4555-8C49-ECB6690D1C24
279E5D9F-E2C8-4555-8C49-ECB6690D1C242448×3264 1.87 MB

The M’Cook sure is heavy. But not as much as the Silver7. That one is a beast.

40FC5213-159F-486F-9A31-D9347E752E3C
40FC5213-159F-486F-9A31-D9347E752E3C3264×2448 2.19 MB

With all that said, I think I may need to look into the choice between fry pan and saute pan more. With the depth of the latter somewhat appealing and versatile for the kind of cooking done at the house.

13

I saw it on sale today (in France), so I tried to read some reviews, a few buyer commented that the pan at large size 30cm when heated would bend at the bottom after a few months of use. Not possible if you are cooking on a glass top. But I am also wondering if this mean it is of mediocre quality or a default in fabrication. Also commented meat stuck badly without heating fat or oil (vs what they advertised about the non stick aspect).

14

Looks like the bending of M’Cook is a damage due to overheating especially with the induction. It is advised using 2/3 of heat maximum.

15

Have you considered carbon steel pan? Many users of higher end stainless stain pans like De Buyer Mineral B pan.

16

Curiously absent from this discussion is any mention of bare aluminum. Light weight, even the heaviest commercial stuff, even heating, very quick on underpowered hobs, inexpensive.

Is this anathema to you?

Aloha,
Kaleo

2 Likes
17

No. I didn’t consider it because I didn’t think of restaurant supply store when I originally started thinking about the pan.
I am going to investigate a bit more this week, but in my mind there are probably three choices that I like the most now:

  • stainless. (maybe a Demeyere)
  • copper+ stainless (maybe a Falk)
  • aluminum (restaurant supply store Al pans)

One may say its like I am considering buying a Ferrari while also considering a Kia. It is indeed true at the moment.

1 Like
18

Like the Ferrari the aluminum pan will get you where you need to go the fastest but it’s as sexy as the Kia

1 Like
19

There are lots of alternatives within SS. If you’re concerned about the weight, heft before you buy.

20

Hey, if weight is a concern for you, then aluminum is a great choice. Light and yet a great heat conductor. Restaurants use aluminum pans all the time and they are fairly inexpensive. You can easily get an aluminum fry pan for $10-15. Swing by a restaurant supply store and take a look.

This is one of the higher end aluminum fry pans from Vollrath

https://www.amazon.com/Vollrath-67110-Wear-Ever-Aluminum-Fry/dp/B001TA7788/