The Cookware Brand You Should Snag If You See It At The Thrift Store

Although it's just pots and pans, cookware is pretty important in our lives. From the gadgets that help us whip up a fancy meal for our friends to the casserole dish that came from our grandparents, the items in our kitchen cupboards can tell a story and define our home. There is nothing like having long-lasting pieces that we can rely on time and time again, but it is sometimes hard to find them. So, if your home is full of non-stick pans that always stick, and pots covered in scratches, you may be on the lookout for kitchen essentials at your local thrift store that are not only affordable but built to last. 

The next time you head to a thrift store to look for cookware, one company should be on your mind. The brand? All-Clad. All-Clad was founded by John Ulam in 1971 and, since then, has been the go-to maker of cookware for both professional chefs and home cooks alike. But what makes them so good, and why should you always grab one if you see it in your local thrift store?

To know why you should snag them if you see these pots and pans at the thrift store, it is helpful to understand the brand's history and how they are designed and made. Before John Ulam started All-Clad, he worked with metal in a range of transformative and revolutionary ways, from coin minting to airplane crafting. When he decided to turn to cookware, he used the knowledge he developed over the years to create something special. Interestingly, the first All-Clad piece happened without much planning. Ulam, a passionate cook alongside being a metalcrafter, decided to make himself a pan using leftover clad metal. He was impressed by the result and so created more and started the company.

The innovation is what makes All-Clad great cookware. The pans and pots have a specific cladding construction, which refers to the technique of sandwiching aluminum between stainless steel. This makes the food cook evenly, and the heat is retained well in the pan. Although some of their products are made elsewhere, their main lines (stainless steel D3, stainless steel 5D, and copper) are created in the U.S. by skilled craftspeople and built to last. They are also safe to use on your induction stovetop. 

However, with cookware starting at around $140, you may be hesitant to buy one new, and this means that discovering one in a thrift store is a great money-saving find. 

If you spot beautiful stainless steel cookware in your thrift store, there are a few things to look for so you can identify whether or not it is genuine All-Clad. Firstly, there will usually be the All-Clad logo on the handle and more information on the bottom of the cookware. The bottom of the cookware will normally state the type of material it is made from (for example, D3 or D5) and be etched with "Made in the USA" or "Bonded, Engineered, & Assembled in the USA."

When inspecting the rim of an All-Clad pan that has either a 3D or 5D construction, you will often see the bonded layers. If you take a look at the rim, you should be able to see that distinctive construction. 

Unfortunately, a lawsuit in 2020 revealed that other companies were selling products under the All-Clad name, which is something to keep in mind when shopping for cookware in thrift stores. The products may say that they are All-Clad, but if they feel low-quality and look damaged, they may be an inferior knockoff. It may be helpful to try to match the product you have in front of you with those on the All-Clad website to ensure that it is real.