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List Price: $299.99
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is a very nice set of lightweight stainless steel cookware. If you are shopping around and trying to compare the differences, I will try to help you distinguish the features from a couple of other brands that I currently own. In addition to this set, I have the Rachael Ray stainless and also the Kitchen Aid stainless.
First of all, the Emeril pots and pans are by far the lightest weight. The Rachael Ray comes in the middle with very thick bottoms and thinner sides, and the Kitchen Aid is by bar the thickest and heaviest. I think what you want here is going to come down to personal preference. The RR and the Emeril brands have clear glass lids, while the KA is all stainless. All of the Emeril pieces are standard sizes, whereas you get really deep pieces in the RR collection. The KA pieces are just substantial.
The handles on the RR and KA have protective grips, whereas the Emeril handles are all stainless. I think this is going to personal preference as well. Do you want a sleek all stainless appearance or is having protective grip handles more important?
The Emeril set has some nice features that you don't find in the others. The pots all have measurement lines engraved inside the pots so you can fill to your specific needs without having to grab a measuring cup. The saucepan has pour spouts on each side with a lid you can twist to keep it sealed while cooking then open for pouring from the pan. Also included in this set is a vegetable steamer/strainer basket to fit in your large pot (I love this!). You also get the small wok shape pan.
Overall, this is a great set of cookware with nice features. When compared with the others for cooking performance, I don't notice much difference. When I begin cooking more soups and veggies for the winter I may notice and I will post then any marked differences such as will it hold heat as well since it is a thinner stainless. It's dishwasher safe and I will post any reliability notes in the future. This set looks sleek and is easy to maneuver if you prefer lightweight pots and pans. The extra features are a nice plus. I'm glad I've added it to my cooking arsenal. I'm posting a pic so you can see actual set in kitchen.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Stainless steel cookware is great to look at and cook with, we can all agree on that. Depending on your style preferences, one brand may suit your needs better than others. This Emeril set follows the same path great cookware, but...it's not as good as others.
Most of my cooking is currently done with Cooks Standard Multi-Ply Clad Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set. It's beautiful, tough, heats evenly, and...overall, better than this Emeril set, though Emeril does win out in a couple of features.
First off, both sets look awesome. Both are made in China, so it's a level playing field. This Emeril set has glass lids, whereas the Cooks Standard has mirror-shiny stainless lids. I prefer the steel lids because the glass looks cheaper, and when I'm cooking, looking "through" the glass usually does nothing at all: I see steam.
Next, both sets heat quickly and evenly. Preheat and apply some olive oil, and you have yourself a stick-free pan, either way. But again, this Emeril set lags behind a bit: The Cooks Standard set has handles that DO NOT heat up. Emeril...they get warmer and warmer; cook long enough, and they're going to be hot. Also, the surface area of the smallest skillets is different, with the Emeril one having quite a small surface that actually comes into contact with the heating element. It's deeper than the Cooks Standard, but I don't use a frying pan to cook top-down; more heating area is better for how and what I cook.
Unpacking this set for the first time, I felt the Emeril pots and pans felt a bit lightweight to what I was used to. Then I had to put my theory to the test. The Cooks Standard set has more metal: maybe not much, but in one case, the Emeril 1.5qt saucepan weighed in at 1.484 pounds, while the Cooks Standard was 1.746 pounds. Whether it affects the cooking or not, I can't really tell and don't notice a difference, but after simply handling them, the Cooks just feels more solid.
But all is not lost with this Emeril set: the smallest saucepan has fluted sides to make it much easier to pour liquids. Also, the lid comes with a straining side built-in (so you can turn the lid and pour out liquid, without food coming out too.) I thought those were pretty nice, and wish my other set had them. In addition, the Emeril set has measuring marks inside the saucepans, which, I suppose, might come in handy. (Then again, they're printed not etched, and since these are fairly new, it's difficult to tell if they'll rub off with a month of cooking.) Another thing that bothered me just a tiny bit: of all the stainless cookware sets I've owned, ALL of them have had 18/10 printed or etched somewhere on them. I couldn't find such designation anywhere on this Emeril set.
Overall, this is a good set, but if you want a better set AND to save some money (though you do get 2 fewer pieces), go with the Cooks Standard. Both have a lifetime warranty. I gave this set the same 4 stars that I gave the Cooks Standard because they both perform well, but if I had to cook with only one set (or buy only one set), it wouldn't be this one...
Best Deals for Emeril by All-Clad E884SC74 Chef's Stainless Steel 12-Piece
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is an acceptable set of cookware, which will serve you just fine if you are a college student cooking a few meals a week, or you are buying a set for infrequent use at a vacation home, etc. It is made of bright stainless steel, which we prefer over nonstick for many reasons, google "nonstick" to see why. This set cleans up nicely, and the lids fit well.
However, I recommend against purchasing this set for heavy, every-day use. Reasons:
1. The metal is quite thin. This makes the pots lighter than others with thicker walls, but they do not transfer the heat as well. Definitely not for gourmet dishes when heat control is critical!
2. The handles are metal, no insulation. This is not much of a problem on the long handles, but three pots have short handles. This is especially inconvenient for the large "everyday" wok-like pot, which you will likely want to tip as you cook.
I wanted to give this set three and a half stars. As I thought about whether to round up or down, I noticed that this set is billed as a "Restaurant Chef's" set. A set like this wouldn't last six months in a restaurant, where they cook dozens of dishes per night in each pan. Emeril wouldn't be caught dead using them. These little deceptions were enough cause for me to round down to 3 stars. You can do better with other sets.
Honest reviews on Emeril by All-Clad E884SC74 Chef's Stainless Steel 12-Piece
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program For $200 you get: an 8-inch saute pan fry pan; a 10-inch saute pan/fry pan with glass lid; a 1.5-quart sauce pan with pouring spout and glass lid; 3-quart sauce pan and glass lid; a 3-quart steamer insert; an 11-inch everyday pan and glass lid; and a 6-quart stockpot and glass lid. It comes with this warranty:
"EMERILWARE STAINLESS Lifetime Warranty
From the date of purchase, All-Clad guarantees to repair or replace any item found defective in material, construction or workmanship under normal use and following care instructions. This excludes damage from misuse or abuse. Minor imperfections and slight color variations are normal."
That has to be a deal! The question is how does Emerilware compare to the prestigious "All-Clad?" I own both, so here's what I know.
PRICE: An All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set sells at Williams Sonoma for $799.95 (list price is $1,225.00). The similar set of Emerilware sells on Amazon for $200!
CONSTRUCTION: Both Emerilware and All-Clad have the patented tri-ply construction with an aluminum core to deliver even heat distribution and are made from 18/10 stainless steel. The handles are similar, attached with two heavy rivets. All-Clad has metal lids, while Emerilware has glass lids. Both are oven-safe up to 500 degrees, but the glass lids are only oven-safe to 350 degrees.
The Emerilware design has one difference from the All-Clad. The sides are thinner and the pan is welded to a "heat diffuser disc" on the bottom to promote even cooking. The All-Clad pan is one-piece construction (except for the handle) and even thickness overall.
When I first held the Emerilware 10-inch saute pan, I thought that it had to be lighter than the similar All-Clad version. Upon weighing both, to my amazement I found only three grams difference! The extra weight in the Emerilware must be from the welded bottom, since the sides are noticeably thinner that those of the All-Clad pan.
ORIGIN: All-Clad Metalcrafters in Canonsburg, PA manufactures both the "All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Cookware" and "Emeril Pro-Clad Cookware." However, All-Clad is made in Pennsylvania and Emerilware is made in China. The price reflects this difference.
PERFORMANCE: How does Emerilware differ in performance? In theory, the All-Clad with the thicker sides should distribute and hold heat better than the Emerilware. Actually, I don't see enough difference to justify the enormous price disparity. Both can get stains and burned on food, but both come clean in minutes using Bar Keepers Friend® Cleanser & Polish: 12 OZ.
The bottom line is that Emerilware Pro-Clad is not All-Clad, but you're not paying for All-Clad. Emerilware looks like a bargain, to me.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Emeril by All-Clad E884SC74 Chef's Stainless Steel 12-Piece
I am a Vine guy, but I bought this set of pans with my own money. I like the Emeril name and I already had an Emeril 'chef's pan' that I bought at Bed, Bath and Beyond a few years ago; I've always enjoyed using that pan, which is vaguely wok-like, and I thought I'd see if I liked this set as much. I love to cook and have been doing so regularly for 20 years; I've used cast iron, QVC stainless steel, 80's style Corning Visions glass cookware, 60's style Club brand pure thick aluminum pots, crummy aluminum lightweight backcountry camping cookware, Le Creuset and Staub enamelware, cheap Teflon nonstick, middle-of-the-road nonstick, and the very best Anolon Advanced nonstick. I've fondled a lot of All-Clad never cooked with any and I've even used pure bright-copper pots and skillets, though goodness knows a set costs more than a car these days.
I like to write a long review and I've been using these pans exclusively for about 2 months as I thought about what folks might want to know about this set. I like this set pretty well for what it's good at; I feel the same way about a lot of different kinds of cookware and so I will talk about appearance, quality, ease of use/ergonomics, cooking performance, cleanup, and how different parts of the set stack up to other things I like to use.
First off: appearance. The first week out of the box I had every piece out on my rangetop and counter. It's gorgeous. This is good chrome steel with a nice mirror finish on the outside and a nice satin finish on the inside. I expect it to develop a nice patina indeed some of the pans are already headed that way and if you like a nice looking set of cookware you won't go wrong here. The lids are glass I like to see through my lids, that's just me and the long handles are shiny and nicely bulbous, no edges. (The small handles that are made of bent bar stock are dull-finished and have edges, which makes them not very nice to hold while they are hot, one of many ways this set falls short of the All-Clad name it bears.) Handles are riveted in with small rivets but the joints are solid enough that they conduct heat readily.
The stockpot is smaller than I thought it'd be from the Amazon photo. It's 10 quarts. Works great eating chicken soup from it today but not big enough to, say, brew the wort for a 5 gallon batch of beer. I complained to my mother about this, which was a mistake, maybe, because she went into her garage and got me a 14 quart Anolon clad steel stockpot she has had stored away for 20 years, still in the original box. Mom's awesome. She was once a professional chef and probably has enough cookware in the garage to stock 10 homes; most of the stuff I've cooked on was hers.
Quality: No aluminum is visible. The sides of these pots, skillets and pans are very thin walled, maybe 2 mm, where an All-clad pot is closer to 6mm. The bases of these pots are thicker, maybe 4 mm. The two pieces of steel make a 'sandwich' where the inside third layer is aluminum at least I assume so. They certainly spread and conduct heat lightning quick, much faster than steel usually would. These are the lightest-weight (apart the camping gear) and quickest and most evenly heating pans I've ever used, more on that later. I feel like they're light enough that I might dent them with a hammer, or if I ran my kitchen like one of Emeril's rowdy restaurant kitchens, but I can't see that happening in my quiet little house.
The volume gradations on the inside of the pots is a neat idea and actually was a motivator for me to get these pots. I am sorry to report they are printed on, the same way Henckels and Global knives print on their knife blades; I expect they'll last a year, no longer. I was hoping kind of thought they would be stamped in and actually permanent. Nope.
Ease of use: there is this new techology that's available, lots of reviewers haven't heard of it yet. It's called potholders. You're going to need a few to use these pots no option because there has been no effort made to stop any handle from getting hot. The handles get very hot. They will burn you badly if you do not use a potholder. You must have a potholder. Some of the handles get as hot as the cooking surface, which I regard as questionable design. I love that the pots are light, which makes them much less likely to slip out of my glove / potholder; I can swish or flip food with a flick of my wrist, like you see big thick-armed Mario Batali types do on Iron Chef. I can't do that with cast iron, though I'm pretty sure Mario has no problem with it. (I've been to 3 of Emeril's restaurants, one with an open kitchen; looks to me like all his chefs use cast iron pans and steel pots, not these.) I like the way the long handles fit my hand, which is 7.5 size; I do not like the lid handles or the stockpot handles, they feel sharp-edged not knife-sharp, but unpleasant to bear weight on the fingers and I feel like my fingers are a little too fat for the narrow space those handles leave for them. Since I'm usually using a potholder it's not a real problem.
Cooking performance: For simmering and medium temperature saucing and soupmaking, these are ideal. Heat transfer is swift, immediate, and super efficient these pots probably save natural gas, all the heat goes to the food; and they're light enough to easily move around the kitchen with no fear of droppy/burny accidents. (Cork mats, friend put one everywhere a pot might want to be.) However, these are the easiest tasks and most pots perform well at them. These pots clean up OK afterwards, much better than copper or cast iron, nowhere near as easily as nonstick (although I hate simmering things in plastic, it just doesn't sit well with me.)
Now let's talk about higher heat. Say, like sauteing, or stir fry, or even a sear. These pans *transfer* heat super evenly and super efficiently. But they are light and have no way to *retain* heat. They are a poor *reservoir* of heat energy. What that means is they heat up lightning quick often way, way hotter than you wanted them to; and then when you put the food in, or your deglaze, they suddenly drop 300-500 degrees and suddenly now you're not sauteing or deglazing, even though just 3 seconds ago your pot was hot enough to melt Tina Turner's vinyl miniskirt. Sitting there trying to re-warm a pot full of soggy pork bits and boozy cognac is a sorry excuse for a deglaze and it never really tasted quite right yet; I don't think i'm going to be able to get it right. The other problem, though, is that when you do get the pan that hot especially if you're trying to, say, sear a hangar steak or something your steel's not stainless any more. The first time I used a sauteed-kale recipe that I'd been doing in a thicker clad stainless pan for years lightly brown diced garlic in olive oil; add chopped kale and a touch of salt and red pepper; saute lightly 2 minutes, then wilt, covered, for 5 minutes more the pan discolored as soon as the kale hit it; and then the kale wouldn't saute; I had to heat it up another minute to get it warm again. Then when I covered it it heated up to insane temperatures on the lowest heat my range would do. It ended up soggier than usual and the pan surface was permanently stained even after an SOS pad. (I don't like using Barkeeper's Friend or SOS, but you'll need something like them if you don't want the skillet pans getting downright ugly inside.)
What about very low heat, like omelet? Forget about it; you simply cannot get precise enough due to the high temp fluctuations of these pans. Your omelet will be scorched and runny. (The best omelet pans I've found are nonstick, the only thing I like using nonstick for; the thicker the base, and the lower the heat, the better.) You could maybe scramble an egg tough without burning it in these pans, but forget about over easy. (The whole world already has forgotten over easy, the most challenging egg; I haven't gotten real over easy in a diner for more than a decade. So I *have* to be able to make it myself.)
Cleanup: These are totally OK in the dishwasher, although if you let the mirror surface rub, it'll scratch and develop patina. I use the dishwasher and I am hoping eventually to acquire a good old 18/10 style sweet glowy patina, but the inside of these pans is starting to show permanent black and brown stains, like the crappy 18/0 Oneida flatware I bought last year thinking it was the same as my old 18/8 flatware. (It wasn't; it looks worse now than the 15 year old stuff it was supposed to replace.)
This set is better to clean than cast iron by a long shot, better than anodized much tougher; simply, however, not in the same league as even cheap nonstick. Food will stick and stains may need abrasive scrub and some stains won't scrub out. It used to be that use of metal utensils distinguished steel as superior to nonstick in cooking or cleaning; nowadays the best nonstick can take a fork poke without scratching, so steel lost that advantage.
Summary: I honestly think this set is designed to look like All-clad, but it costs less than a single piece of All-Clad cookware would. The pots are fine; it might make sense to buy this set just for them and then get one decent All-Clad skillet for higher-temperature work. Another option, which I didn't realize until after I bought, is that the Emeril chef pan I liked, the one with a 5mm thick chunk of copper clad into the base, is a Bed, Bath and Beyond exclusive. That pan *does* retain heat in its base and doesn't cause the problem I talked about above. But you can't buy those pans anywhere but BBBY believe me, I looked; I'd forgotten that I got that pan at BBBY many years ago. Lately I learned they still carry that Emeril line; and that line's set, while I think with one fewer pot and one fewer lid, is price-competitive with this set. I might have bought that set instead if I'd realized that it was still being made. However for value, looks, and light weight I don't think this set can be beat!
