As camping season approaches, I thought this outdoor cookware set would be perfect. The MSR Flex 4 System Cookset provides enough cookware for four people, and the dishes nest nicely within each other so that they don’t use up valuable space.

Another nice feature is that two of the plates are smaller and made to fit inside the smaller pot if you just want to go double (or solo). This way you don’t have to take all the pans for smaller outings. The plates also protect the interior of the pots from scratching as the smaller pot has a non-stick surface.

The set also has strainers built into the pot lids, which is handy, and includes one 5.3 liter anodized aluminum pot along with a smaller 3.2 liter non-stick aluminum pot. For eating and drinking, there are four deep dish plates/bowls and four insulated mugs with removable cozies. The set also comes with removable Talon handles for the pots that will clamp nicely to the lid to secure the dishes when all packed up.

You can buy the MSR Flex 4 Cooking System at Amazon for $128 (free shipping). And if four settings is too much for you there is also a smaller MSR Flex 3 System for $104 and an MSR Quick 2 System for $100, built for three and two persons respectively. These sets also have smaller cooking pots by the way.

All in all, I think these are well-designed sets for the outdoors. They are very functional and flexible — and look great too.

So how come there are so many brands of stainless steel multi-clad cookware on the market now, whereas ten years ago there were so few? Well, for the longest time All-Clad Metalcrafters had the patent on the bonding process to make multi-clad cookware. Basically, by bonding different metals together a pan could achieve the benefits of various metals and offer superior cooking performance, and All-Clad owned that process. Just look at the edge of a quarter. That same boding process that layers the metal in a coin is what All-Clad developed for the U.S. Mint and also made into a great line of cookware.  

All-Clad founder John Ulam has had patents on variations of this bonding process extending from 1967 until 1982, but in the early 2000s All-Clad’s patent expired. Soon after that, Cuisinart produced its Multiclad Pro line along with Calphalon and its Tri-Ply series. Viking has its multi-ply, and now Le Creuset and J.A. Henckels have multi-clad cookware. And if you want an inexpensive multi-clad option, you can buy Tramontina sets at Walmart for around $150. By the way, Tramontina was also recommended by Cook’s Illustrated in May 2009 along with All-Clad and Calphalon. And All-Clad has also teamed up with Emerilware to produce its Pro-Clad line of cookware, and Sur La Table has its own branded tri-ply. There are so many options these days, and though there will be differences in design and metal thickness, most of these brands are good performers. 

What this means is that All-Clad as a brand is no longer the top dog in the home cookware arena, and when I recently visited a kitchen store, the salesperson informed me that All-Clad is having to resort to sales for the first time. They have also been adding ‘extras’ into sets such as utensils, aprons, panini pans etc — though many of these items are made in China and not the US. And they currently have a sale on a 12-inch skillet with lid for under $100. A bargain by All-Clad standards.

As for performance, the average cook probably won’t notice much difference between All-Clad and the other brands, but the price will be a big difference. But it is also important to consider features such as how the pans feel in your hand, the covers (glass or metal), and the look you want. The good thing is that all these pans have collectively raised cookware quality in kitchens all over, and we have All-Clad to thank for that. But the next time you are on the market for cookware, there will be many reasonably priced options for purchase.

My only advice is to choose your pans or pan set wisely. Look for sets that have a 12 and 10-inch skillet versus an 8 and 10-inch. A lot of the sets out there have a strange combination of pans and will include some sizes that will rarely be used. You may also want to look at the handles. Some sauce pans will have a ‘gripper’ handle, which is nice. Also some sets will have a 6-quart versus and 8-quart stock pot. This is one area where All-Clad does a better job than the other cookware brands as you will have many different options for sets. My favorite sets are currently sold from Williams-Sonoma and the All-Clad Stainless Steel 10 Piece Set sold from MetroKitchen.

If you have All-Clad pans already and are interested in adding a piece or two, Cookware & More is offering 20% off when you buy an irregular All-Clad item. There are some restrictions such as it cannot already be on ’special’ and cannot be a set. A lot of people who own All-Clad wait for this sale and report that visual flaws are almost unnoticeable, plus the pan still comes with the factory warranty.

I have been wanting to add a non-stick pan to my All-Clad set. The current (Emeril) 10-inch non-stick fry pan isn’t big enough for pancakes and larger egg breakfast options, so I will be picking up the 12-inch skillet above.

So just for comparison, here is the price breakdown. At Cookware & More I will pay $72.51 total with shipping. At Amazon.com it will cost $135. Of course, one can still go for cheaper non-stick skillet versions that Cook’s Illustrated recommended for instance. The Cuisinart Chef’s Classic non-stick 12-inch skillet gets very high marks on Amazon, and that pan costs about $47. The irregular sale, however, brings down the All-Clad prices close enough to compete with many other brands.

The Sarpaneva 3-Quart Cast Iron Cassrole is a classic of ’60s Finnish design and is being reissued by Iittala. It was once even featured on a Finnish stamp and has won various design awards, to include the silver medal at the 1960 Milan Triennial as well as the International Design Award in the United States.

If you browse eBay these vintage cast-iron casseroles fetch a good price, and you can find used ones in other enamel colors too. The demand for this classic is probably one reason the item has been brought back into production. 

Production aside, this piece of cookware is just stunning design. The interior is white enamel and the use of the handle is ingenious for maneuvering the pot lid (see image). And because the handle is removable, it is oven safe too. I am sure you could find a dutch oven for a cheaper price and probably even a bit more functional and larger, but to have a pot this beautiful is worth it. Surprisingly, Amazon sells them but at time of writing only one was left in stock with more on the way. Click the link to see if they are available. The cost is $212 for the Iittala Sarpaneva Cassrole.

My only concern about the pot is that it is only three quarts in volume, but other popular cookware makers have products this size too. I love using my All-Clad 8 quart stock pot to do stews in, so with less than half of that size I might need to resort to half recipes. Regardless, the design is so elegant it would be a great addition to a gourmet kitchen.

Recently I purchased my first set of All-Clad cookware and I did a lot of reading up and comparison shopping, so I thought I would pass on some of what I learned during that shopping experience.

The set I decided to buy was the stainless steel All-Clad MC2 Master Chef 10 Cookware Piece Set with the brushed aluminum exterior. Cook’s Illustrated in May 2009 gave the all-stainless-steel version their top honor for recommended cookware sets.

My set wasn’t the exact same set recommended by Cook’s Illustrated but close enough and it meets my needs. I didn’t care for the shiny stainless steel, and even though Cook’s Illustrated didn’t like the inclusion of the saute and saucier pan in the set, I didn’t mind it as I tend to use a saute pan quite a bit. Cook’s Illustrated also wanted a set with a 12-inch fry pan instead of an 8-inch, and that would have been nice.

Regardless, the set meets my needs well, and I love cooking with the pans, but here are some considerations you may want to take into account if you have decided on All-Clad over another brand.

First question: Which set to buy? 

Pan sets can be a really good deal, but you will often get pans that you won’t use, so don’t always go for the biggest set. Manufacturers will throw in specialty pans as an inducement for people to buy, but in the end you probably won’t use them much. Look for pan sets that have what you need, and try looking at the different retailers as they may have different cookware packages. Big home and kitchen stores such as Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel will have slightly different pan and handle options for their respective sets. But just keep in mind that no cookware set will likely have the exact pans you want, but buying them individually will usually cost a lot more too.

Both MetroKitchen.com and Williams-Sonoma offer similar sets that Cook’s Illustrated rated best — though Metro Kitchen has a 2 qt. saucier pan instead of the basic pot. I actually like the saucier better, and the Metro Kitchen package pictured above (click for details) is a bit cheaper. Also, with the purchase of most All-Clad sets on any site, the retailer will often throw in some freebies, but frankly they are usually not that useful. (Though I do actually use the apron I got with my order.)

‘Concerns’ with All-Clad

Though All-Clad pans rate highly with cooks and foodies, there are some common complaints.

First of all, people complain about the price or — better yet — the value of the set. It is true they are more expensive, but I can also attest to the fact I like using these pans more than cheaper sets I have used. If you are concerned about value then you may want to look into cheaper (but also very good) cookware options. I will have another post on alternatives to All-Clad in the coming week.

Also, the long handles on sauce and fry pans aren’t that comfortable. The design just isn’t that great, especially considering the need to carry full pots full of water, sauce or food. And I have had handles that do a lot better job than All-Clad at not getting so hot. 

All-Clad pans are beautiful, so if you want to show them in your kitchen they are good for that, but take care with the cleaning. The shiny stainless steel pans can scratch easily and need to be dried quickly to avoid spots. I wanted the brushed aluminum because I didn’t want to worry about maintaining a shine.

Cleaning is also a common complaint. Stainless steel is usually going to be harder to clean than non-stick coated pans. With frequent use, though, and proper cooking methods, stainless steel doesn’t have to be so difficult. I personally don’t mind the cleanup, but I still go for a non-stick pan when I prepare a quick egg. By the way, there is an set that substitutes a non-stick pan. All-Clad Stainless 9 Piece Cookware Set 10 inch NS Fry Pan