Comments: These are the pans against which we measure other pans. They heat evenly, they cook beautifully, they are beautiful, they never let us burn the roux – something we were confident we could do in any pan.
The 7-piece set includes:
- 1.75-quart saucepan with cover
- 3-quart saucepan with cover
- 3.5-quart saucier with cover
- 9.5" skillet (no cover, but the saucier cover also fits this pan)
The pans are made of five layers – T304 stainless steel (top-quality, with more chromium than lesser grades), aluminum, aluminum alloy, more aluminum, and more 18/10 stainless steel. A quarter-inch aluminum disk is impact-bonded to the base under hundreds of thousands of pounds of pressure, and covered in more stainless steel. Little holes in the stainless steel covering the base, which Dacor calls "Hot Dots," partially expose the aluminum disk to direct contact with the flame or burner. Heat is conducted through the dots to the pan more quickly (15% faster than the best other pans on the market, according to Dacor), and more evenly. The lids are made of stainless steel.
Our criticisms are modest. They are heavy. Good pans are supposed to be heavy, but these may be a little heavier. The handles (which do stay cool) are a little narrow, and some of our cooks have had a hard time turning a full pan to pour out its contents, because it wants to stay level and they have not been able to grasp the handle firmly enough. They have had to use a towel or a rubber jar opener to get the leverage needed to tilt the pan. Wider handles would help.
Like any pans in this category, they cost a fortune, but you will never spend a cent to replace them, either. Really, these pans are as good as they come.
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