All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Chef's Pan

I bought this pan four years ago and planed to use it as an everyday wok, mainly to make stir-fry dishes.After years of use, I finally have to admit that it is not a good replacement for a traditional Chinese wok.However, I still like it overall.It has even heat distribution, versatile, sturdy, easy to clean, well-made, and looks nice.

If you are looking for a stir-fry wok, don¡¦t get this pan and choose a traditional carbon steel wok instead.One major disadvantage of this Chef¡¦s Pan is that it cannot reach the high temperature required to make tasty Chinese stir-fry dishes.If you preheat it for 3-5 minutes, add some cooking oil and then food, the pan quickly cools down.You end up boiling the food instead of stir-frying it.The essence of Chinese stir-fry is to cook food at very high temperature in order to seal the juice in the food.Boiling removes the juice along with the flavor from the food.A traditional wok, made of either carbon steel or cast iron, can reach the high temperature required for stir-fry dishes.

A traditional carbon steel wok is very cheap and can last a life time if cared properly.The downside is that it can rust easily if not cared properly.(I prefer the type without the nonstick coating because the Teflon nonstick coating won¡¦t last long under high heat, and it will eventually disintegrate and get into the food.) You MUST season a traditional wok before using it the first time.Seasoning the wok builds a brown-black patina on the interior that makes it non-stick and also prevents rust.After cooking, wash the wok with hot water only (No detergent !), wipe dry with paper towel, and then heat it on stove to remove any moisture on the wok.Do not soak it in sink after cooking or you will regret.I don¡¦t use my carbon steel wok to boil food and never use it to steam, as they may damage the patina.Scouring the wok or washing it with detergent will also damage the patina.So avoid scouring or you will need to re-season it afterwards.

Overall, I like All-Clad¡¦s Stainless Steel line of cookware.I have several other pieces besides this 12¡¨ Chef¡¦s Pan.All of them are great and I won¡¦t trade them for other cookware.But I have a traditional Chinese wok just to make stir-fry dishes.If you are looking for a stir-fry wok, you can get a 14¡¨ carbon steel wok (no Teflon coating) from Target or Asian food store under $20.

I recently purchased this pan, and I couldn't be happier. It looks great, is easy to clean, and heats beautifully!Food browns well, and so far, doesn't stick.This is the pan I use most, for stir-fries, for braising, for sauteing, whatever.My old pans, a set of Calphalon hard-anodized non-stick pans, are going to be replaced, one by one...

The other great purchase I made was the All-Clad Non-stick grill pan--it is wonderful!

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I recently received the "copper core" version of this pan as a gift and, though I have not used it much yet, I think it is necessary to mention that the Amazon product description is wrong--this pan is not a wok, or "wok-like" in anything more than a superficial sense (it has rounded sides).It is much shallower than a standard wok, and has a much larger flat portion on the bottom than a standard flat-bottom wok (it is more like a deep skillet with a lid than it is wok-like).Yes, one could stir-fry in it, but that means little (one could try to stir-fry in a skillet or sauce pan also).This makes the complaints of "Student" moot; this pan was never meant to replace a traditional wok (if it was, why would All-Clad also make a wok in the same series of pans?).

Stir-frying will certainly be easier and better in an actual wok; I have one made by Calphalon and it is great.As far as this chef's pan goes, I plan to use it primarily for fricassees and braises.

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This pan is not very versatile-by far my least used pan. It doesn't sit well on a stove burner, doesn't have terrific heat distribution and takes up a lot of storage space. It's basically a small wok with a lid. I love the all-clad line, but this pan is a loser. Buy a large frypan instead.

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This beauty can cook up a feast!

It has a large enough capacity for me to make a family-sized dish...all in one pot. While another critique says it does not replace a traditional Asian wok, it is called a "chef's pan"-not "inferior wok" and it does a number of jobs incredibly well! I really like the Chef's pan for searing then sauteeing. It can simmer and is the right shape for reducing...I've made everything from browned sausage ribbolita to apricot chicken in this beauty. And, creating the fond-that essential for so many sauces-is a treat in the All-Clad Chef's Pan. Plus, it's made in America! What's not to like?

As always with All-Clad, it cleans beautifully, simply, and looks amazing. If you want a wok, buy a wok, but if you want a chef's pan, this is the one!

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