Pros: Even heating; durability; style
Cons: Awkward size; not dishwasher-safe
Rating: 4 out of 5
First published 10/11/2005
I like the “Master Chef 2” line of All-Clad products. They have an attractive brushed aluminum exterior with stainless steel interior and lid. They have a solid aluminum core that not only fills the bottom but also extends up the sides, so your food heats evenly. The lids fit well, you can use metal utensils on the cookware without damaging it, and the smooth interior cleans fairly easily. The cookware is durable and will last for years without incident. If you drop it, you’re far more likely to hurt your foot or the floor than the pot! The handles are riveted on, and we’ve never had a handle show signs of giving way or pulling loose. We’ve had our All-Clad items for years and they’re in fantastic shape.
Technically you could put your MC2 cookware in the dishwasher, but it isn’t recommended. Not only would the 5-quart casserole not really fit very well (it’s a bit tall) but this can eventually ruin the nice finish, causing discoloration. This is one of the real down-sides to All-Clad cookware in an age when most new cookware is dishwasher safe.
I also find that the 5-quart casserole (I actually think of it as a stockpot because it seems closer to that in shape) isn’t the most useful size. It seems like most of the things we make need to be in a smaller or larger pot; there are few things that fit perfectly in a 5-quart pot. The one thing this pot does have going for it, however, is that aforementioned shape. The tall, comparatively narrow shape of it means that if you’re cooking something that you want in a large pot due to spattering worries, but that you want in a narrow pot because you aren’t cooking much of it and don’t want to burn the bottom of it, this is one pot that’ll do the job well.
We end up using our Cook’s Essentials 8-quart stock pot more than we do this one, but sometimes the All-Clad is just right for the job. And I don’t think I’ve so far used another kind of cookware that has equaled All-Clad in terms of durability and lasting style.
With all the pros you mentioned (especially durability), the fact that it’s not dishwasher safe isn’t too much of a deterrent. Sure, it’s a little inconvenient, but there are plenty of dishes you have to wash by hand anyway, so why not add this one to the mix?