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It is almost time for Mr. E and I to partake in one of the most beloved and age-old (well, maybe not) wedding traditions… registering! Hallelujah! Since I love to cook, I am *so* excited at the chance to finally upgrade all my icky IKEA cookware. Now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have gotten through the past 7 or 8 years without IKEA, but I’ve had to toss many of their pots cuz the plastic handles started melting and gave off this gaseous stench. *blech.*
We have decided to register at Crate and Barrel, Macy’s and Amazon.com. This coming weekend Mr. E and I are going to Crate and Barrel’s Sunday Morning Engagament event, and so I’ve diligently started doing my research. However, this is what stumps me:
Calphalon versus All Clad?
For example, here we have Calphalon Contemporary Non-Stick Cookware with Bonus Everyday Pan and Bonus Casserole 10 piece set for $399.95.
Versus All Clad Stainless Cookware with Bonus Grill Pan and Cookbook 9 piece set for $569.95. 
Eeks!
That’s a hefty chunka change. Being slightly lazy, I find the non-stick option to be very attractive, but I’ve heard that the coating can sometimes leave a funky taste when preparing sauces? The All Clad set looks sooo pretty, shiny and new, but how hard is it to keep them looking that way? And it seems that All Clad is higher end than Calphalon? Yes/No? Is it worth the extra cost?
So I am asking you, my lovely helpful readers, what opinions do you have regarding Calphalon versus All Clad?
We registered for all-clad non stick at macys
it’s worth it to get the better pots (all-clad is the best brand overall) and we found that they were only about $10-20 more, per pot, than calphalon. buying all clad will mean you won’t have to buy another set for 20+ years if you take care of them correctly
i don’t know about sauces tasting funny, but i figured i would use them even less if i had to spend a long time cleaning the pots.
We went with the all-clad (similar to the picture). I too love to cook, and most cooks or foodies would recommend going with the all-clad. We registered for the pots and pans at Macy’s, because you can put the individual pieces on the registry, and that enables guests to just purchase one for you, rather than having a group go in on the entire set for you. I did also register for a non-stick skillet that I figured would be for quick, easy cleaning.
I own a smaller set of all-clad and will never go back! I love them. I would recommend to register for a few non-stick skillets (for eggs or omletts) as the stainless all-clad isn’t too easy to do eggs. 
I heard that all-clad has some non-stick now as well that I will look into registering for.
I cook a ton and when i decided to go low fat i purchased new calpahlon fry pans and sautee pans as when you are preparing delicate items in a lower fat manner they stick to all-clad and end up looking like hell! i prefer all clad pots i think they heat through better. and if you take care of them they will last for years.
How far in advance do you register before the wedding? HOw do you let people know where you are registered without appearing rude? You don’t put it on the Invite, I don’t have a wedding website (NEVER), and it is not going on the STDates either. Just wondering.
instead of registering for a set, i registered for a hodge podge of all clad, calphalon, analon, and le creuset pots and pans. that way i have the best of all worlds.
i got the all clad non stick version - much more expensive than regular stainless steel. however, i find it to be completely worth it because i rarely use any oil/butter/fat now. much healthier!
we registered for all clad at williamsonoma. we fell in love with it. we consider ourselves foodies and love love love to cook. we wanted what the great chefs use. we did get a non-stick omlette pan. Another great buy is the creuset pot. I heard it lasts forever, and you can hand it down to your grandchildren!
We went for calphalon and i LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Cooks very evenly and heats up quickly. I have no complaints!
I actually just got the All Clad 10 piece set from Macy’s yesterday from my parents. They cook with All Clad so I have used them before. All in all they are WONDERFUL. They heat up really quick and are a dream to clean. My parents are about 3 years old and they still look new. I will only use non-stick to cook things like eggs. I actually purchase my non-sticks from a restaurant supply store.
We received a Calphalon stainless set for our wedding. We cook alot and I’ve cooked with All Clad before. The Calphalon stainless works just as well. It’s wonderful! It is a little more work to keep stainless cookware in its original condition. But, with regular TLC and by using Barkeeper’s Friend to clean the cookware, it’s really not a big issue.
The other thing to consider–by registering at Bed, Bath and Beyond you give your guests the chance to use those 15% or 20% off coupons they always send out. That makes registering for a large cookware set (or other big ticket items) a little easier on your guest’s wallets.
You can hand Le Creuset down to your grandchildren–my mom has a very nice frying pan that belonged to my great-grandmother, and I keep trying to get it from her because she hardly uses it! (It’s heavy.)
We only registered for one large roaster/lasagna pan. I’ve got nice pots and pans already that have served me well for ten years. I’d rather people buy us the flatware, the knives, the Kitchenaid mixer, or the lovely, lovely Jasper Conran for Wedgewood china we registered for. I actually don’t think we’re going to get that much from the registry, we’re having a small wedding and my fiance says that his family gives cash. Which we’ll use to buy the flatware, etc., that we don’t get! 
like phillym, we got the stainless steel set from calphalon. i love it, and it performs beautifully.
I was just talking to a sales associate about this exact thing the other day! He recommended all-clad–anything that is five-ply because they will loast a lifetime. Granted they are more expensive (the two sets we were looking at were $799 and $899 Canadian dollars), but I think it is totally worth it–especially if you like to cook like we do. I actually have been reading about health risks associated with non-stick cooking surfaces as well. I would definitely opt out of a whole non-stick set but maybe buy one or two non-stich frying/sautee pans because making eggs on all clad is impossible!!!
all-clad! all-clad! all-clad!
i have never heard of sauces tasting funny due to nonstick, but you can’t make a great sauce with a non-stick pan anyway (does not develop good fond).
non-stick does not mean no oil! you just use less oil, make sure the pan is properly heated and eggs do release.
the all-clad in the picture is stainless steel with aluminum core; all the nice heating properties of alumnium with the easy cleanup and durability of steel.
it’s not hard to keep shiny. if something does get stuck, make a little paste of baking soda, bon ami or barkeepers friend and scrub!
calphalon is all aluminum, hard anodized. it’s actually stronger than stainless steel. but i don’t like because its dark surface sometimes makes it hard to see how the crust is developing.
quick PSA: aluminum = alzheimer’s is a myth. check snopes, which has a great article from scientific american.
also — calphalon and all-clad do not use teflon in their non-stick.
My FH and I did a lot of cookware shopping for our registry because we LOVE to cook. We registered for the Calphalon tri-ply stainless steel (not the non-stick set). We were advised by a very knowledgeable sales rep/manager at BBB that while All-Clad is generally considered top-of-the-line, the Calphalon stainless steel lines last as long as the All-Clad, are of equivalent quality, and unless you are planning to do professional cooking, the added expense isn’t worth it.
Also, you should consider the weight of each pan. I am a relatively small woman and I found that the Calphalon stainless steel pans had more ergonomic handles and were slightly lighter (which is important when you are trying to lift a pan full of food by yourself with one hand).
If you are concerned about food sticking or healthy cooking, purchase one good-quality non-stick pan for eggs and whatnot, and/or buy a Misto (sold at various stores such as BBB and W-S) for use on your stainless steel pans.
FYI, we also compared prices between Macy’s and BBB, and we found that for any given item that both stores carry, the prices are about 10-20% cheaper at Bed Bath and Beyond than it is at Macy’s. And as PhillyM has pointed out, your guests can save even more by using those coupons that BBB sends out regularly. You’d be surprised at just what range of items BBB offers - almost as broad a range as Macy’s, and with better prices to boot. They also have a completion discount.
About those BBB coupons: They specifically exclude All-Clad! But you can use them for the Calphalon. So for us, it was a no-brainer. Calphalon it is!
I have the Calphalon ones. I LOVE them! they are so great to cook with, so easy to clean, I couldn’t be happier with them.
i love calphalon
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Mrs. Emerald, Chicago Age and Occupation: 26, Wedding Planner Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Paralegal Engagement Date: October 8, 2006 Wedding Date: September 2007 Blogging Since: November 29, 2006 Venue: Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook IL About Me: I have been dreaming about my wedding forever, and flipping through bridal magazines since high school, so I am in my element! I am calling our theme "Vintage Inspired French/Asian Fusion." Mr. Emerald is very involved in the planning process, but of course he generally defers to me cuz I have a strong opinion of how I want everything to be :-).
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