I have several Zwilling Aurora sauce pans/steamer/etc - 5 ply, super handles, all metal. based on my satisfaction level and use (~~3 years now…) of the Aurora design… made in Belgium - I’ve been very impressed with the quality/performance.
tripped across and jumped on a cuteryandmore.com deal - item 66088-299
8" + 9.5" fry pan “set” - $80, free shipping.
Thanks Tom. Looks like a good deal and it’s always nice to hear a long-use recommendation. I have one daughter yet for whom we haven’t bought a “full set” type of pans, so this could be a nice gift.
Thanks again - and note for follow-up readers, here’s a direct link to the set.
Edit - this $80 deal seems to be pretty fair. A similar (but 2-ply) set on Amazon is currently $10 more, and the same 5-ply 9.5 sold alone is $60, and the 8-inch alone at $50. These are stated by Amazon to be “lowest price in 30 days”, previously both together would have been $130.
Nice.
At high level, what do you think make them stand out compare to say All Clad or Demeyere? Or Zwilling Aurora cookware are more affordable?
there’s this "thing " about 3-4-5-6-7-1000 “plies” making cookware “more better”
I have no All Clad.
I have no Demeyere.
I don’t know if retail ‘affordability’ is more or less.
I have cast iron.
I have a suite of old stuff 3.0mm Bourgeat copper.
I have a big-axx Darto “black iron” pan.
they do the stuff within their wheelhouse exceedingly well.
what I can say is, the Aurora line in pots and steamers performs in spectacular fashion. if the Aurora 5-ply fry pans do as well as their cousins, I will be a very happy camper.
the point of the original post - it’s a really dang good deal . . .
It’s basically the same as Demeyere Industry 5, but with rivets. (Zwilling owns Demeyere). This is a great price. I have several pieces of Industry 5 I got on sale with prices like this; it’s great cookware. This is an excellent purchase, IMO.
Nice price. Fine looking cookware, too. Henckels doesn’t make junk.
I asked my daughter and she says she’s fine cooking with SS skillets, so I’m going to buy one set for her.
Whereas I’ve always been intimidated the few times I’ve tried to fry stuff in SS - always sticks. Bad.
But I’m still thinking I should buy a second set for myself and give it a go.
What is the secret to cooking (esp. frying) in SS skillets?
In my experience, heating the pan to the Leidenfrost point, adding oil/cooking fat and letting it shimmer, adding food, and finally reducing the heat by a certain amount – usually 20-40% or so, depending on the quantity and temperature of the food added. On certain cooktops (such as radiant electric) it’s important to reduce the heat earlier in the process because of the lag time.
Thanks! Appreciate the help, because I don’t think that would have occurred to me.
I’m betting there’s a thread hereabouts with similar advice but when I searched, the first 10 hits were just one-off mentions of stainless steel skillets, so I gave up.
I have two “tricks” for non-stick SS cooking:
one - is as mentioned, pre-heat
two - pat the protein dry as possible and use a thin rub/coating of oil immediately before putting it in the hot pan.
I suppose one could add
three - flip not until it’s ready to release on its own…
dry is essential. water + protein = glue
. . . . just like you used to do in pre-school with flour + water . . .
Hot pan, cold oil. 
yup. way whole lotsa’ people poo-poo that adage, but I’ve found it to be essentially true.
Works for me every time.
And the muse whispered in his ear… “just one more ply, and it’ll be perfect”
Mille-Feuille … now, with metal !
It’s easy to assume the same as you would with CI, but SS is a different beast. I use CI all the time and have to flip my script when I go SS as the kind folks on here have pointed out. Pan hot first, then oil. Also, oiling meat. If the meat isn’t ready to release, wait a few seconds. Good advice. My 10" SS pan is a BGH, but I love the thing.
Have you picked out a set for your daughter? I’d like to hear your search thoughts.
Hi Tom,
If your Zwilling Aurora is made in Belgium, it’s probably at The Demeyere facility, so, in effect, you’ve got a slightly simplified version of the Demeyere D5, as Meekah suggested.
When Zwilling took over demeyere, they renamed the demeyere D5 the Zwilling Sensation–which didn’t go so well when you’re known as a knife company. They did a Sensation closeout that lasted several years, as they also sold down demeyere D5 stock at very good prices. This is their replacement for the Sensation–trying to establish a demeyere level reputation for a Zwilling name.
Looks like they’re succeeding with you.
I was all for this until I managed to warp the Mauviel M’Cook 28 cm frying pan I gave to my father using his rather averagely performing Bosch induction cooktop.
I never start a pan on medium let alone high. Always start at 3/10 on my fathers induction and at my home on the smallest possible gas flame, then gradually raising the heat level.
I’ve since then stopped preheating PLY/Clad pans to Leidenfrost empty and since then managed to avoid warping pans. I now always add a bit of oil and accept I can’t tell when Leidenfrost is achieved and that I’ll create a bit of smoke in the kitchen I cook in.
I now only preheat my thick bottom carbon steel pans empty and I do it slow & low, meaning at low temperature for a longer period.
I’m sure most of you guys can preheat your PLY/Clad pans empty to Leidenfrost temperature without any issues at all, I’m just telling you my personal experience and why I avoid the preheating to Leidenfrost from now on (actually stopped the Leidenfrost technique 2-3 years ago when I warped the Mauviel M’Cook pan)
Regarding cooking in SS/PLY pans, I simply just use it like any other pan. I don’t overthink it.
At the same time I avoid reheating delicate things, that’ll tend to stick to a SS lined pan like already cooked chicken and already cooked delicate fish.
Should things stick to the bottom of a SS lined pan, you can always play with the temperature level to get it right (higher heat is not always the solution here, in my view) and also trying to adjust the amount of fat/butter/oil used and also look at the type of oil you use.
I’m all for Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), but especially the expensive first batch first day harvest EVOO tend to be more fibre rich and that can actually lead to sticking of certain delicate things when using a SS lined pan.
So I now use the very expensive EVOO on bread, salads and in pestos while I use a cheaper EVOO for cooking pasta dishes and such and use a refined cheap grape seed oil for high heat cooking.
I didn’t know induction could warp a pan. Interesting.
Oh yes.
I’ve also warped a Matfer Bourgeat carbon steel pan on the very same induction cooktop.
My father’s neighbour managed to warp a Demeyere Apollo PLY frying pan on his induction cooktop (it’s the same brand Bosch induction cooktop in all the condos where my father lives)
Ever heard of ‘Uncle Scott’s Kitchen’ ?
Try to watch this video. The carbon steel pan warps in front of his eyes.
Link
