Comparison: All Clad to JC Penney Cooks brand.

17 years ago

I know you are thinking - what comparison, there is no comparison. Well I have been checking out new pots for awhile now and really like All Clad (except for the price and the handles).

I was ordering something else on JC Penney online and saw the big sale on their brand of SS cookware Cooks.

"The aluminum core extends up the sides of the pans for quick temperature change response and even heating. Sleek tempered "view-through" glass lids offer cooking convenience and are protected by a stainless steel band. 18/10 stainless steel surrounds a layer of aluminum which responds quickly to temperature changes. Professional cast stainless steel handles are riveted for durability."

10 pc. Was $399.99 Now $149.99

13 pc. Was $499.99 Now $199.99

Well it just arrived, very fast shipment since I just ordered it Saturday afternoon. I took them out and measured them and weighed them then looked up All Clad on Amazon to get size and weight. The first thing I noticed is they don't weigh much more then my 30 year old Revere ones.

All Clad are twice the weight so the Cooks must have very thin layers. The Cooks are shallow but wider then the Revere and All Clad fall somewhere in between. I don't know which is better, shallow and wide or tall and narrow? And would the ones with the clad bottom weigh more?

I can't believe they were asking such a high price to begin with. I must admit I am not that impressed. The fun part is going to be packing it all up again.

I did all this work so thought someone else might as well get some good out of it. Just FYI.

Clare

COOKS

1.5 QT.

1.75LB. 7"W X 3.25"H

2.5QT

2.25LB 8" X 3.75"

4QT

3.25LB 9.5" X 4.25"

8QT

4.5LB 12" X 5.25"

4QT SAUTE

3.25LB 10" X 3"

10" FRY

2.25LB 10" X 2"

ALL CLAD

1.5 QT.

3LB 6"W X 3.25"H

2.5QT

4LB 6" X 3"

4QT

5LB 8" X 4.6"

8QT

7LB 12.8" X 11.9" X 6.5"

4QT SAUTE

6LB 10.5" X 3.25"

10" FRY

4LB 10" X 2"

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Comments (8)

caflowerluver
Original Author
17 years ago
Actually I should have been comparing it to Calphalon Tri Ply Stainless Steel 13-Piece set at BB&B. It almost looks just like it. I wish I could get the All Clad, but not at $1000.
Clare
mccall
17 years ago
What pans did you end up with? I am looking at the JCPenny Copper tri ply COOKS line as opposed to the All Clad copper obviously a huge price difference, but, The Cooks line is as you say lighter, but that is a plus for me as I have severe arthritis, I wish I knew how they actually cook especially with high heat. They do have a Lifetime guarantee like All Clad, and thier guarantee is by JCpenny, so you bring the pan to the store and get a new one or a refund, which means of course you have to keep your reciepts. So at this point I am really torn on the question they are on sale currently as well.
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Well it depends. I can't say anything about the Costco line, but I am aware of a few things about the other two. As far as All-Clad vs Cuisinart, it depends on the All-Clad line. The "Emerilware" All-Clad is made in China, and the core does not go up the sides as it does in the American made All-Clad. In this respect, the Emerilware and the Cuisinart SS are IMHO of very similar quality. As to "does it really matter," again that depends. I think it depends on what type of stove you cook, what you cook, and your budget. If you don't have the budget, don't worry. It is my feeling that the tools might make the job easier, but itÂs the cook that makes the meal! Buy the best you can afford, and spend the rest on top quality ingredients. If you cook on a gas stove especially a high BTU output one, and you really use it for cooking and not for show; then you most likely will be better served by spending the $'s on pieces from one of the higher end cookware lines. If on the other hand, you cook on a glass top electric stove; having stainless steel cookware that fits the burner and sits perfectly flat is more important than having a core that goes up the sides. You still want a clad core on the bottom because, while stainless is less likely to mar a glass top, it is not a good conductor of heat. In this case, the Cuisinart, Emerilware, or similar line will do fine. You may not have the ultimate temperature control that one has with the others, but then again you really don't get that kind of control with an electric range. If you have, or think you might eventually have, an induction cook top; then you must make certain that the cookware you choose is induction capable. I know Cuisinart can not be used on an induction cook top, and frequently this is also true in many of the other lower priced brands.
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mccall, i'm not sure which jc penney pans you looked at, but Gourmet Standard used to make some pans for them. They're the ones whose pots are sold by KA Flour on their website, and these are made in China, so not AC, as far as i know.
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I own the AC line and commercial heavy weight pans. I love the AC. I wish they were cheaper but the main place I notice the great quality is with Jelly roll or cookie sheets that don't warp when you take them out of the oven. No flexing at all. The commercial pans are heavy but they flex and warp after time. The jelly roll pan would be the one thing if I were trying to save money that I would buy the AC of. I also love how easily they clean up. Dawn power dissolver has made cleaning the commercial pans better but the AC does not need anything at all, just soap and water. I am coveting some Loaf pans because the corners of all my commercial ones start to rust. Rusting is another reason I love the AC line. They have not seams therefore there is no where for water to just lay and rust the pans over time. Good luck with your choice!
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Don't worry about the brand name... use what works best! Whether you buy All-Clad piece by piece, or over time, it's easy to end up spending $800-$1500 on what amount to, let's be honest, FRYING PANS! They are just one small step in the making of your finished recipe. Both the All-Clad and Kirkland stuff are more than capable of handling serious daily use. (Obviously you're going to need to use nylon utensils with nonstick cookware if you want it to last more than a month! I actually use a rubber "spatula" instead of a nylon spatula; it works great in a nonstick pan.) I've used, on a daily basis, All-Clad Stainless, All-Clad LTD, and currently, the Kirkland nonstick cookware (Costco #783634) for sauteing, frying, roasting, etc. I consider all three to be excellent cookware, and I've noticed no difference in performance between them. Obviously the nonstick makes life MUCH easier. I prefer the Kirkland pans' handles. They are hollow stainless, and are easier to grab. The All-Clad ones are thin and V-shaped, and aren't as easy to work with. Which is a pain when you're doing 2 crepes simultaneously, each in their own pan, and Time Is Of The Essence. :-) I've got the Kirkland pans set up on a wall rack in my home kitchen, and it looks very sharp, so don't let the low price fool you... it's very high quality manufacturing, and if you're going for that "cool kitchen" look it's just as slick as the All-Clad stuff, in my opinion. I believe that good cookware (and a hot fire) can turn cooking from a chore into a fun, memorable experience. If you've got a junkyard of pots and pans, struggle to turn out consistently cooked food, and find it generally miserable, I recommend giving the Costco stuff a try. You get an entire set for the price of 1 to 1.5 All-Clad pans, you take it all home that day, and can immediately use it all. To sum up: buy the Kirkland stuff, and use the $1000 you saved on not buying an expensive frying pan... to buy higher-quality ingredients... French wine... organic produce... which will REALLY make for good cooking!
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katje
16 years ago
Mcall.

I was looking at JC Penny Copper tri-ply Cooks line also. Did you end up buying it and if so, how did it perform?
I was also considering the Gourmet Standard Copper set which is supposed to be comparable to All Clad. Does anyone have any experience with this line of cookware?
mccall
16 years ago
It is really funny you posted this today. I have not been on this forum in months and tonight I saw some clearance All clad copper chef pans at a local store. So I came on to look the same ones up online. Anyway to answer your question yes I did get two of the Pans a one quart sauce pan and a 3 qt. saucier. they both work very very well and in fact JCP.com has them on sale right now. Fortunately the writing on the bottom of the pans polishes off in a short time. I didn't want writing on my pans.
They are a good value and on sale a great value, the copper layer is not as thick as the all clad but both are so thin I am not sure how much that matters. anyway I have been pleased with the Penny's ones.
food_nut79
16 years ago
In response to the Gourmet standard question, I too almost purchased a couple of pieces. What made me ultimately decide against it is the fact that it is just a thin outer layer of copper with an aluminum core. This is perfectly fine, but then I thought why would I would I want to have to hassle with trying to keep it looking good when it wasn't even "solid" copper cookware. Plus, like some the JCP, it seemed kind of thin. Ultimately, I chose CIA Masters Collection, which is WAY better than all-clad or even viking. Originally, I dismissed the Masters Collection because it was so expensive, $1000 for a ten piece set. If you find a place that stocks this stuff and can hold it, you'll see that its worth every penny. I just didn't have that many pennies. I found a steal of a deal online though. The ten-piece set for $499. I didn't buy the set, because my wife would KILL me if I brought that many more new pans home. I did buy the 12 in saute that was recently rated as tops in fine cooking mag. Its a $200 pan that I picked up for $115. Plus the masters collection has a copper core, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: CIA Masters Collection
squeezle
14 years ago
I just bought the jc pennys cooks brand 13pc set(tri ply stainless not copper) a month ago and I couldnt be happier.I coudlnt afford the all clad and this is my first experience cooking with stainless.I read good reviews on the cooks and luckily it was on sale at pennys for 149.00. After reading reviews about stainelss sticking and hard clean up I was a bit apprehensive but let me tell you the cooks cookware cleans up like a dream, seriously. I dont cook on high heat, usually setting 7 is as high as Ive cooked with it but clean up is a breeze.I use bar keepers friend and they come out like brand new.I am amazed at frying my eggs, a light spray of cooking oil and I can flip the eggs in the pan, then slide them off on a plate..no mess whatsoever...bacon wasnt a problem either.I like the weight of the pieces,not too heavy but not too thin either.The "new" revereware I think is thinner than the old revereware but this cooks is still heavier than the old revereware. They feel well made and the stainless interior is smooth not rough turned like a philippe richard fryer pan I bought which is rough and turned dull inside after I used bar keepers friend on it.This set of cooks is a big step up for me since I cant afford much, but Im very pleased and happy with my purchase.If the copper set is as nice as the stainless you will be happy.
cookwaresnob1
14 years ago
This is like trying to decide between buying the new Porsche 911 turbo and a Chevy Aveo. Both of them will get you to work, but......
art_vex_net
13 years ago
We got a new induction cooktop and HAD to buy magnetic stainless cookware. All Clad was just too heavy for my wife with an injured right shoulder, JCP Cooks set was only $199 and we have been very happy with the even and speedy cooking and how easily it cleans up, with Bar Keepers Friend every couple weeks to keep them new and shiny. No hesitation to recommend Cooks for former Reverewere users for any kind of cooktop.

Comparison: All Clad to JC Penney Cooks brand.

Comments (8)

caflowerluver
Original Author

mccall

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katje

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food_nut79

squeezle

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Comparison: All Clad to JC Penney Cooks brand.

Comments (8)

caflowerluverOriginal Author

mccall

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katje

mccall

food_nut79

squeezle

cookwaresnob1

art_vex_net

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caflowerluver
Original Author