EZ wrote:
>, EZ wrote:
>
> >Hello, folks,
>
> >It's been a while since I've posted here, but I have a problem that
> >I'm thinking you can help with. I have an All Clad 10" stainless
> >skillet that has turned into a spinner. As in, the bottom is now
> >convex, and you can spin it on a flat surface.
>
> >I bought this nearly $100 skillet because I thought it was the best
> >you can buy, but now it's worthless on my smoothtop.
>
> >Can I get a replacement, or my money back, or something? Is this best
> >of all pans warranteed in any way, or am I SOL?
>
> >Thanks in advance for your assistance.
>
> Well, it's nice to see that things haven't changed around here much in
> the few years I've been absent! Lots of replies, most of them helpful,
> some not so much.
>
> In any case, All-Clad replied, giving me a return authorization
> number, and instructions about sending the pan back for their
> evaluation. I have no doubt they'll replace the pan.
>
> As to what happened, I can't really point to any single event that
> suddenly caused the pan to warp. It may very well have been warped
> from the beginning. When I bought it, about ten years ago, I was using
> a gas stove, so I wouldn't have noticed if it was ever so slightly
> rounded on the bottom or not. About 2 years ago I moved, and the
> coiltop electric stove had the pan tipping toward the handle unless I
> rotated the pan a bit, then all was fine. I suppose the indent in the
> middle of the coil allowed the pan to rest evenly, but only in one
> position. I just figured the pan was handle-heavy.
>
> I replaced the coil top with the most inexpensive smooth top that I
> could live with last weekend, and it was then that I realized this pan
> now spins. I did manage to cook up some crab cakes in it, and it
> worked tolerably well.
>
> I suppose if I did do the damage, it might have happened when, for a
> time, I was deglazing the pan with perhaps a half-cup or so of liquid
> following browning meat. Perhaps the change in temperature caused it
> to warp - I don't know. I wouldn't have thought that adding
> room-temperature liquid to a medium hot pan would have caused that,
> but I could be wrong. In any case, I have *never* taken any pan
> directly from a cooktop into ice water.
>
> In any case, it's probably more pan than I need, anyway. I'm nearing
> retirement age, and any serious cooking I do is usually done outdoors
> on one of my smokers or grills. The main reason I got the smoothtop
> was to please the wife, since we just had granite countertops put into
> the kitchen, and the old coiltop just stuck out. With regard to
> cooking with gas vs. electric, I won't engage in that debate other
> than to say that after 60 years of cooking about half my life with
> one, and half with the other, I actually prefer electric, and the
> faster response of this new smoothtop compared to the old coiltop
> suits me fine.
>
> In any case, thanks for the replies - especially the helpful ones. If
> I'm still around here after the six or so weeks All-Clad says it'll
> take to decide about my pan, I'll let you all know.

Had you originally given so detailed an explanation, especially about
your regularly using this pan for some 10 years, you would very likely
have gotten much different reponses. Still it's a crap shoot whether
you'll get a new pot, but if your first complaint is after 10 years I
think you will... had you warped the pan the first week I'd say no.

One thing I'll add about flat top stoves, no metal cookware will
remain flat-bottomed when heated, even cast iron expands and thd
bottom will become convex, which is why flat toped stoves typically
say not to use cast iron, not because they can scratch, any metal can
scratch. Quality cookware is purposely made with a concave bottom to
allow for flattening due to expansion when heated but there is no way
for anyone to design a pot to remain flat at all cooking temperatures
so they engineer for average use... probably why All-Clad adds the
tacit disclaimer regarding using *medium* heat. Actually no metal
cookware holds up well to high temperature cooking except for heating
liquids (cast iron may not permanently warp but it will fracture).
Restaurants do a lot of high temperature fying because there time is
money; they typically use the least expensive heavy weight cookware
they can find and cook the heck out of it because it's cheaper to
replace than to take more time cooking, plus restaurants can write off
all capital equipment. Adn I've never heard of any restaurnt using
flat top stoves, in fact it's very rare to find other than gas cook
tops. Anyone who buys All-Clad for home use and then cooks restaurant
style has more dollars than brain cells. Btw, most manufacturers void
their warranty when their products are used commercially... very few
restaurants use way over priced All-Crap, and no restaurants use cast
iron, the job is already plenty physical enough, cooks don't need a
Gold's Gym setting. Most professional cooks prefer carbon steel fry/
saute pans... most large sauce/stock pots will be aluminum to save
weight (anyone who has slung around 30, 40, 50 quart empty pots will
know), and stainless for reactive cooking.

I used to have some cast iron cookware, I never liked it so I gave it
away... I think cast aluminum is much better. The only cast iron
cookware I own is a two piece gingerbread house mold, I've never used
it, I'm waiting for the grand kids to get a little older.