In this All Clad vs Anolon cookware review, we’ll discuss two of the best stainless steel and aluminum cookware brands in the United States. First, you’ll get the full background story of each brand and what they offer, followed by an in-depth comparison of their respective cookware performances.
We’ll wrap up the review with a FAQ segment addressing some of the Internet’s most commonly-asked questions about All-Clad and Anolon cookware.
What is All Clad?
All-Clad is a high-end stainless steel cookware established in the 1970s in the USA. Initially, the brand produced steel and aluminum cookware by combining the two materials to achieve great durability and heat transferability through its thermally conductive aluminum core.
Most notoriously, however, All-Clad was responsible for inventing the first multi-clad cookware made of stainless steel.
All-Clad cookware sources its materials from the best steel manufacturers in America. They are known for its highly durable cookware sets made of premium 18/10 stainless steel. In addition, they are one of the only brands to offer 2-ply, 3-ply, 4-ply, and 5-ply stainless steel cookware while giving customers a choice between a brushed or polished stainless steel exterior.
All-Clad also offers nonstick cookware, copper core collections, and induction-compatible pots and pans.
Related: All-Clad Cookware Review
What is Anolon?
Anolon was also established in the United States and prides itself as the largest cookware manufacturer in America. Founded in the 1980s, the company is known for building the first hard anodized aluminum cookware, offering superior heat conductivity and highly durable cookware.
What makes Anolon cookware special is its nonstick coating. This is made of reinforced sapphire, amplifying its strength and sturdiness significantly. The brand is also known for its ergonomic handles made using SureGrip silicone. This provides a firm and secure grip that also stays cool during cooking.
Furthermore, the brand sources its materials not just from the USA, but also China, Thailand, and Italy. This makes them a relatively affordable cookware brand compared to All Clad.
Related: Anolon Cookware Reviews: Are These Pots and Pans Good?
How are they different?
The key difference between Anolon vs All-Clad cookware is in the materials and construction of their products. On a high-level view, we can see that Anolon chooses to focus its efforts on aluminum cookware while All Clad emphasizes fully clad stainless steel cookware.
Anolon emphasizes non-stick cooking surfaces and ergonomics, while All-Clad primarily focuses on long-lasting durability.
Another important aspect is that All-Clad sources its materials solely from the USA’s best steel manufacturers. Instead, Anolon diversifies its suppliers across the USA, China, Thailand, and Italy (1). As a result, Anolon can offer lower prices than All Clad, making it more appealing to budget buyers and bargain seekers.
In terms of oven safety properties, All-Clad is oven safe for up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. However, Anolon can only withstand up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes All-Clad more tolerant to high temperatures and less likely to be damaged from excessive use.
For this reason, All-Clad tends to be the preferred cookware brand for professional chefs and Michelin-star restaurants.
Related: The Best Cookware Set For Your Kitchen
How are they similar?
While these two brands focus on different areas in design and construction, they offer similar products in their respective lines. For instance, Anolon offers an advanced tri-ply stainless steel cookware collection similar to All-Clad’s. Similarly, All-Clad offers hard anodized aluminum cookware with non-stick coating through its All-Clad HA1 collection.
In addition to offering aluminum and hard anodized aluminum cores, both All-Clad and Anolon also offer copper-core cookware sets. The All Clad Copper Core collection and the Anolon Nouvelle Copper Stainless collection feature a stainless steel exterior with a copper ring core.
They both make their cookware dishwasher-safe and induction compatible, featuring a magnetic stainless steel base.
All-Clad and Anolon are also similar in that they offer stainless steel and tempered glass lids for their pans and pots. Both brands also offer straight handles on their frying pan products connected to the base by flat steel rivets. Each brand features excellent materials in its construction and delivers exceptional cooking performance and durability.
Related: 10+ Best Cookware Brands For Every Kind of Cook
What’s better about All Clad?
All-Clad focuses on stainless cookware made of premium 18/10 steel. This steel boasts a higher nickel content, increasing strength, durability, and corrosion resistance. In addition, all-Clad cookware collections come in 2-ply, 3-ply, 4-ply, and 5-ply steel, allowing customers more freedom to choose their durability to heat conductivity ratio.
In addition, their stainless steel pans and pots are oven safe for up to 600 degrees F, a feat surpassing Anolon’s 400-degree F oven safety limit.
As one of the leading brands in the cookware industry, All-Clad only sources its materials from the top distributors in America. Thus, while you may be paying top dollar for All Clad cookware sets, there will be no compromise on materials for quality and performance.
The brand also backs its customers with a limited lifetime warranty for factory defects or lack of material quality. This allows you to have your products replaced or repaired at little to no cost.
No matter how comparable an Anolon cookware set is to All-Clad, you’ll always have the status and prestige if you go with the latter. Despite its high price tag, All-Clad ensures you will never need a replacement so long as you don’t abuse the items.
With fully clad construction and optimal heat distribution, you’re guaranteed a top-quality cookware set when you go with All-Clad cookware.
What’s better about Anolon?
The clear advantage that Anolon has over All-Clad is its hard-anodized aluminum cookware. This corresponds to the better nonstick cooking surface of the two brands. In addition, Anolon’s “Infinity Slide” nonstick coating uses unique materials to increase its nonstick properties. It is also triple-coated to deliver lasting results while preventing scratches from metal utensils.
Unlike All-Clad pans, Anolon pans use a non-stick coating on the interior as well as the exterior of the cookware. This makes it not only easy to cook with but also easy to clean. In addition, Anolon has a greater selection of handle designs on its pots and pans, offering “SureGrip” silicone handles that provide a higher degree of ergonomics.
Unlike the straight design of All-Clad handles, Anolon’s hard anodized cookware provides control and maneuverability of the entire pan. This secures your grip while reducing the strain on your hand.
Anolon cookware is sourced from various countries, including the USA, Thailand, China, and Italy. This gives it a more diverse selection of affordable cookware materials. For that reason, Anolon’s pots and pans are pretty affordable. Compared to All-Clad, they are at least several price tiers lower.
Not only is Anolon more affordable and ergonomic than All-Clad, but it also has a greater selection of color designs, including black, red, blue, and bronze (2). At the same time, All-Clad only offers the default stainless steel silver.
Who should get All Clad and why?
If you’re after a one-time cookware purchase likely to last you a lifetime of use, then All-Clad is the way to go. Of course, it would help if you are a fan of stainless steel cookware, as this is easily the brand’s specialty and selling point. However, they do offer a range of anodized aluminum cookware that can be just as worthy an investment for the right person.
Keep in mind that All-Clad is not as big on ergonomics or customizable color schemes as other brands. So, make sure you’re fine with the default stainless steel look before buying. Also, All-Clad uses stainless steel lids for most of their products, so you should probably avoid them if you prefer transparent see-through glass lids.
Finally, All-Clad cookware is a great choice for those who prefer a durable cookware set that lasts the distance. This is opposed to one that heats up fast but is more fragile.
Who should get Anolon and why?
Anolon cookware is best suited to homeowners on a budget because their pots and pans are priced much lower than All-Clad cookware. But, money talks aside, Anolon would also suit you if your priorities lie in ergonomics and user experience because the brand’s SureGrip handles are “sure” to secure your “grip.”
Moving on from the terrible jokes, Anolon also suits those seeking an easier cleanup job with their cookware. The triple-layered nonstick coating covers the exterior and interior for quick food and dirt release.
Unlike All-Clad, which focuses on durability and strength, Anolon focuses on a fast, effective, seamless cooking experience. The hard anodized aluminum core provides an ultra-fast heat-up time, and the nonstick layers prevent food from burning or getting stuck to the pan.
If you’re after stainless steel pans and pots, you can try the Anolon tri-ply clad stainless steel cookware set for a “budget All-Clad” alternative.
Features
Durability
Unsurprisingly, All-Clad is the more durable brand of the two. Even Analon’s tri-ply cookware cannot compete with All Clad’s 5-ply stainless steel set built with premium 18/10 steel plate materials. Furthermore, All-Clad can withstand the high heat of up to 600 degrees F, making it superior to Anolon, which is safe for up to 400 degrees F.
Winner: All-Clad
Performance
In terms of performance, the Anolon vs All-Clad debate takes a different turn. Unlike the strong and sturdy All-Clad pots and pans, Anolon is built for faster heat distribution and seamless cooking, two fronts they deliver exceptionally well on.
With a greater level of conductivity than cast iron and a triple-layered non-stick coating, cooking with an Anolon sauté pan is easy. In addition, you don’t have to apply seasoning up to the quickest cleanup of your life!
Winner: Anolon
Ergonomics
All-Clad lids and lid handle come with a trapezoid-shaped steel handle which, while somewhat stylish, lacks ergonomics and safety. On that note, All-Clad lids are not oven safe either, making it a setback for some customers.
On the other hand, Anolon lids and lid handles come in various shapes and sizes, typically featuring its iconic SureGrip silicone wrapper for added safety and control.
Winner: Anolon
All Clad vs. Anolon FAQ
Is Anolon nonstick good?
Anolon nonstick cookware is one of the most unique and high-performing coating formulas available on the cookware market today. Using a triple layer of sapphire coating, Anolon’s non-stick is said to be up to 80% stronger and 16 times more sturdy than ceramic nonstick cookware brands.
Do professional kitchens use All-Clad?
All-Clad, along with big names such as Zwilling and Wusthof, is among the few cookware brands used by professional kitchens in the industry. Loved for its immense durability and fully clad construction, All-Clad delivers a stainless steel interior and exterior that retains heat exceptionally well to allow chefs and home cooks to save on energy output from the stove.
Is Calphalon the same as Anolon?
While both Calphalon and Anolon are American-based cookware brands with similar sounding names, they are different and more competitive than they are allied. Regarding product offerings, both brands manufacture aluminum and stainless steel cookware with non-stick surfaces.
