what happened to my All Clad nonstick?

[Anonymous]

Just had same frustrating experience with All clad non stick sauté pan. Surface is pitted, chucks of non stick coating is gone. They said it was because of high heat and salt. I explained that I have several other less expensive non stick pans, I use them all the same way (not high heat, just cooking food), no metal utensils, and that their expensive pan is the only one that failed. Failed badly. They just kept repeating that it’s not a manufacture defect. Very rude. Like talking to a recording. I got nowhere. Now just trying to spread the word that all clad warranty is not honored. Buy another brand.

[Anonymous]

You also have to be careful with cooking sprays as the propellants can build up and deteriorate the pan. Also, using oils with a lower smoke point (ie olive oil) are more likely to burn/build up in the pan. That said, even trying to follow these rules, I still have the non-stick deteriorate over time. I've found hard anodized coatings to be better than the traditional non-stick, but they all have a limited useful life.

[Anonymous]

I had my all-clad pans for many years and the non-stick started peeling from the upper edges of the pan. I contacted all-clad by email; they asked for photos, they reviewed and replaced the pans, immediately shipped me new pans. It was clear that the bottom of the pan was in good condition (and was still good to cook on). -- Jon Sheldon

[Anonymous]

get the tfal nonsticks - they are cheap and awesome

[Anonymous]

I didn’t think you were supposed to use nonstick for so long. I thought it wore down after a couple of years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you replace, get a scan pan. I have abused that non stick like crazy, only put it in the dishwasher and gasp! Use high heat...still non stick

+1 for a scan pan. All my regular pans are All Clad but my non-stick is a Scan Pan which I like better than the All Clad non-sticks.

[Anonymous]

I just picked up a couple of caphalon non stick pans for eggs at Ross for $10-$12. I would never spend a ton on non-stick because they don’t last.

[Anonymous]

You can't use too high of heat on non-stick. Also, no metal utensils.

non-stick freaks me out. the chemical coating does not break down in your body and is pretty much lodged inside of you permanently if you ingest it. who knows what kind of effects that has on reproductive health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually mailed my 8-year old All-Clads back to the company when the nonstick coating stopped working. They refused to replace them, stating that the discoloration on the bottom of the indicated that I must have used the pan on high heat (and not on medium-low, as recommended) and thus they would not honor the warranty. I was frustrated because the shipping of those heavy pans was expensive!

Ugh that is annoying. I’m really unhappy with All-Clad and Williams Sonoma in terms of customer service. I bought a number of All-Clad pieces during a promotion and both All-Clad and Williams Sonoma refused to honor it... I bought like $600 worth of cookware and they refused to send me dinky $40 lasagna pan or something like that. I’ve since moved on to Sur La Table house brand, American cast iron and French Carbon steel. With the exception of the stockpot which is quite nice, the $600 All-Clad set is just taking up space in my cupboards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you replace, get a scan pan. I have abused that non stick like crazy, only put it in the dishwasher and gasp! Use high heat...still non stick

+1 for a scan pan. All my regular pans are All Clad but my non-stick is a Scan Pan which I like better than the All Clad non-sticks.

We've switched to Scan Pan from All Clad for non stick too.

We also learned the hard way NEVER to use oil spray on non stick pans. Whatever is in the spray sticks like glue to the pan, ruins the non stick feature of the plan, and is pretty much impossible to get off.

[Anonymous]

I also just sent my 2 All Clad pans back at my cost for shipping and got the same refusal. I sent the following letter in response to their standard letter of refusal that someone else posted here (I suspect they reject all claims automatically but that's just an assumption). They replied back that they still wouldn't budge. The idea that you can't heat a pan up too much is ludicrous - then stop making pains that you claim have a lifetime warranty. Yet their new pans can tolerate broiling up to 500 degrees? Spread the word that one should never purchase a non-stick pan from All Clad. They don't stand behind their sub-par product.

To Whom It May Concern:
I’m writing to express my dissatisfaction with your non-stick frying pans as well as your lack of response by your warranty department. Please reference # (our warranty submission).
I have been a fan of All-Clad products since I got married 17 years ago – a set of All-Clad pans made it onto our wedding registry before anything else. I am an experienced home chef and cooking is my passion.
One of our pans initially was a non-stick pan. It rather quickly became non-non-stick after normal use and got to the point of being virtually useless. We retired it to our camper for wilderness cooking and bought a new one. We were vigilant about ensuring that we took excellent care of the pan – hand washing, using non-scratch utensils at all times, not shocking the pan with sudden temperature change, etc. However, this large pan and our smaller pan that is only used for eggs rather quickly went the same direction – they quickly became pitted and the antithesis of non-stick.
We were told that All-Clad has a lifetime warranty so went this route with a warranty submission. My father taught me that, “you get what you pay for,” so I’m not afraid of spending good money on good products. However, I demand that if I do spend this kind of money, that I hold a company accountable for the quality of their products. I have enough money to simply go and buy a new pan, however it was worth my time to seek out the warranty, package the product, go to the post office, etc. to allow All-Clad the opportunity to win back my business.
In determining that our product was not under warranty, you claim the following: “Most instances when the non-stick coating has lost its’ non-stick properties, it is due to overheating of the pan.” Then you follow with, “Due to the superior quality of All-Clad cookware the cookware will heat up quicker and retain the heat.” How one doesn’t see the irony and dichotomy in this letter boggles the mind. You state that one must not heat up the pan too much or it will break down, then immediately follow with the idea that your product is of such superior quality that it heats up quickly and stays hot. It appears that your consumer is in a lose-lose situation under the guise of superior quality.
In short, I believe that your product is flawed. I freely admit that I wasn’t aware that you can’t heat the pan up too much or else it loses its’ non-stick properties. However, I mentioned that I have 2 non-stick pans. One pan was only used for eggs and omelets. Any cook with half an ounce of experience knows that you wouldn’t use high heat in this situation. I used this small pan only for eggs, low temperature, hand washed, with a rubber spatula. And it’s still lost its non-stick properties in short order. I suggest that if you can’t make a product that you can stand by, then you should stick to non-non-stick pans.
This is your chance for service recovery. Provide me the opportunity to give your non-stick pan one more chance. If not, you’ll lose a customer and will have to deal with the ramifications of the simple math involved: as I’m sure you’re aware, it takes 12 positive reviews to negate one negative unresolved complaint.
I have taken the liberty of perusing your new product line of non-stick pans. Under “Details you’ll appreciate,” it first notes that the product is, “Oven and broiler-safe up to 500 degrees F.” Could you perhaps have realized that your previous product was flawed and have now developed the appropriate technology? If so, perhaps you can empathize with the fact that I have spent hundreds of dollars on All-Clad products that are no longer functioning and do the right thing.
Please consider sending me at a minimum an 8-inch non-stick pan to replace my current product. Let’s see if you will stand by your product.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, 10 years is a long time for a non-stick pan. You must have treated it well.

I only buy cheap nonstick pans now, and on higher-priced cookware I get stainless or enamel.

I just replace it. The non stick doesn’t last unless maybe you never used the pan.

[Anonymous]

I have also switched to cheap non stick skillets and replace as needed. I have bought expensive ones but they do not seem to offer benefit.

[Anonymous]

I replace mine every four years or so. I have a bunch of them sitting here, because it seems so wasteful to put them in the landfill -- does anyone know where they could be recycled in some way?

[Anonymous]

I never heard of scanpan. I have all clad stainless but I use a lot of oil when I make eggs so they don't stick. Now I'm tempted to get an 8in scanpan for my eggs