# My cookware search



## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

My girlfriend's mother gives us a much needed Xmas gift each year, and this year we asked for a cookware set. We went off to the Bay and after much consideration we settled on a T-Fal Jamie Oliver set. Long story short, the customer service at the Bay was horrendous (using reward points and such, cross country) but we finally got the set home on Friday. We opened it up for the inspection and found a lit to be dented in quite a few spots, so off we went to exchange it. We get the second set home and it's more dented than the first plus the finish is roughed up in many places so I tell the GF that if we can't get a set in good shape out of the box then it's unlikely it will hold up for years. We take the set back... again... and return it. On the way out I check, and wasn't surprised to discover that they placed the first set we returned back on the shelf to resell. How lovely.

So, we get home and have a little chat. I want an All-Clad set, with the NOT LIMITED lifetime warranty, but a 10 piece set is $1140 at William-Sonoma. I found the same set at the Bay for $990 but that's still more than I could bring myself to spend. My girlfriend is on the fence about the All-Clad because it's so expensive, but every review says you can't go wrong. I don't mind to spend a little extra, to spend less in the long run.

I got on google and I found the same 10pcs, D5 brushed stainless steel for $860, delivered and tax in at http://www.cookworks.ca/. I'm pumped I found a nice cookware set at a decent deal. 

My needs/wants were:
Stainless steel
500 degree oven safe
Induction cooktop safe
Aluminum or copper core
Lifetime warranty (ideally not limited)

I'm just curious, what would you guys do in my position?


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm using the crap out of a set my husband picked up at ikea. really nice and even heat distribution, non stick coating and with some really good weight to it. The $75 skillet sits unused because I prefer to use the IKEA one. 

This was not their el cheapo line. So I'd go check out their pots and pans if you're near an IKEA.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Not totally sure what you're asking. I cook on a combination of Staub, Le Creuset and All-Clad. And some ancient passed-down cast iron skillets.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

Pretty much just asking if you guys think our decision was wise, and what do you use?

From what I can gather, many people consider All-Clad and Le Creuset to be the best and well worth the money. And cast iron is supposed to be very good to have around.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

All-Clads have weird handles, and many find them uncomfortable and awkward to hold.

I bought this set http://www.costco.ca/Paderno-Fusion5-Cookware-Set.product.10323235.html

Really the important thing is that they are clad pans. Nothing else really matters too much. Since you need induction capable that rules out any of the fancy copper bottom or anodized pans anyways. Just get a Fully clad aluminium multi ply set from any reputable brand and you'll be good to go for life. Sure the All-Clads seem nice and are certainly the highest end you can get, but it's almost a certainty they aren't going to make your cooking anymore enjoyable than a $400 clad set. 

The set I bought above also comes with a 25 year warranty.


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## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

Unless you cook for many people you can probably get everything you need for less than $300. I've got a 3 piece WMF set from Amazon for $180. I've wrecked a lot of high end cookware before (oops forgot something on the stove). As long as its high quality stainless steel body and handle (no plastic please) that's all that concerns me.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

I'm married to my my cast iron skillet and a decent set from Canadian Tire. There's really no reason to spend more than $500 unless you're buying into the hype.

I love the cast iron skillet because you can abuse the hell out if for hundreds of years so long as you clean it properly. High heat? Sure! Forget it's sitting in the oven when you start to preheat it? Why not! Drop it on the floor? The skillet is fine! (Toes and flooring probably won't be)

The other set has actually been abused. By my kids. They both loved the sound of smashing posts and pans with wooden spoons when they were infants, pulling them all out of the cupboard they were in. One pot isn't actually round anymore. Thing is, they all still work.

On the other hand, if this is the first, last and only set you ever plan on buying, and you'll be happy till the end of your days with it, I see no harm in spending a ton of cash.

Just remember it's the operator (cook) and not the machine (snazzy cookware) that makes a high quality product (dinner)


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

If this question wasn't in the Frugality section, I would say "go for the set your heart so desire" regardless of cost since it's a gift from your gf's mother. I would do the same on my bf. :wink: On the serious side, I go with CJackcsa's suggestion. :encouragement:


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

jcgd said:


> From what I can gather, many people consider All-Clad and Le Creuset to be the best and well worth the money. And cast iron is supposed to be very good to have around.


Personally I avoid sets because you end up paying for more pots than you need. I'm a pretty serious cook and I do 99% of my cooking with just three pots/skillets: a big Le Creuset for soups and stews, a smaller Cuisinart enamelled cast-iron pot that I picked up for $20 at a yard sale, a large cast-iron skillet. I have a few smaller cheap pots and pans that I use occasionally, but I could get by fine for the rest of my life with these three. 

The thing I don't like about Le Creuset is the bakelite lid handle, which can melt at very high temperatures (I often cook in the oven at 500F, which is too high for bakelite). The Cuisinart pot has an integrated lid handle that can't melt.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Brad: this is why I have Staub; no bakelite. None of my Le Creuset goes in the oven (except the doufeu I got at a garage sale for $15 ages ago; no handle). 

We could do a spin-off of most used pots and pans: 

Mine would be the Le Creuset paella pan, a nameless cast iron skillet that does EVERYTHING, and a Staub cocotte for the oven. I also use a giant All-Clad grill almost every day.


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## Maybe Later (Feb 19, 2011)

I'm very happy with our Lagostina cookware. If you're patient the Bay will put almost all the cookware on for 50% regularly in store. I like the full metal handles and the weight, but to do again I'd prefer a brushed rather than polished set since someone at our house took a scotch brite pad to the outside of one


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

i'm with brad. Those cookware "sets" look nice in ads but are excessive in kitchen imho. Meanwhile they're going to include only one medium pot that every cook actually needs 2 of.

i've just looked at my 3 bottom clad stainless pots that i use every day. Their size isn't marked so i have to guess. Two are identical, about 1.5 litres each, although they're probably officially 2-litres each. Pots comfortably cook less than the maximum they can hold if filled w water to the brim, so the official litre measure is slightly misleading. The 3rd looks to be about 3 litres. I can't imagine my kitchen without these 3 pots. The 2-litres have steel handles that do get somewhat hot, so pot holders are nearly always necessary. I wouldn't dream of putting them into the oven. The handles would scorch & become impossible to clean.

i have a 4th, also bottom-clad steel, that's definitely 4 litres or more. I would think longingly of brad's giant le Creuset cauldron for soups & stews but i'd be stopped by the price, which must be out-of-sight these days.

another inhibiting factor would be that such an iron cauldron, fully loaded, would be impossibly heavy to pick up. I've cooked in community kitchens where we've boiled say, potatoes for 40 in 6-litre pots. When it comes time to pick up said giant pot & take it over to sink so as to drain out water, i have to muster all my strength ... and those are always aluminum pots.

in my kitchen at home, i have a small inherited original Revere copper-clad that seems to be able to cook about a half-litre. Officially it might be a one-litre size. I stress inherited because i'd never buy one so small. Not even for 50 cents at a garage sale. Sets always include one of these, so a consumer is kind of wasting his money.

tiny pots like these scorch easily up their sides, because the heating element is usually bigger than diameter of pot's bottom. They scorch even when heat is kept as low as possible. My tiny Revere spends more time either being scoured or soaking in a small pail than it does over the gas flame.

in the past i've had a hi-quality swedish enamelled cast-iron casserole of a useful size - about 2 litres - but eventually had to use it as a plant container because the enamel first wore down & then started cracking & chipping. It had C-shaped handles so i used it everyday, both stovetop & in the oven. It was only when it died that i bought my current beloved pair of 2-litre stainless steels.

and i have 3 cast-iron frying pans. I use the biggest for roasting, the smaller 2 for almost everything including souffle-omelets & quick oven breads. Every kitchen needs cast iron skillets. They can still be found at garage sales for a dollar or two.

i would not even look at coated stickfree cookwear. I wouldn't look at aluminum. I'm slightly leery of lifetime enamelled pots & casseroles, even hi-quality, because i think the top layer of porcelaine glaze does wear off & then what starts coming off more rapidly, as the enamel continues to deteriorate, are molecules of fairly toxic metals plus probably some polymers. These get into the food, of course.

there are people who say that toxic molecules also escape into the cooking from stainless steel pots.

really the only solution is to embrace raw foods in glass dishes ...


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I also have a logostina set. It's great. If you're not in a hurry, Canada Tire frequently sells cookware for 70% off. The Bay is overpriced--avoid with extreme prejudice. 


You can get a nice Logostina set for $300 on sale.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

jcgd said:


> 1. My girlfriend's mother gives us a much needed Xmas gift each year, and *this year we asked for a cookware set.*
> 2. I want an All-Clad set, with the NOT LIMITED lifetime warranty, but a 10 piece set is $1140 at William-Sonoma.


1. Weren't you the one who just a few days ago told us: *'I just don't like the extravagant gift exchange tradition,'* yet you have no problem asking your gf's mother for a cookware set?! 
2. Lovely, if you can pay for it! Just being critical because of your above mentioned statement.

You don't have to get pre-historic pots & pans, but if you're a good cook & appreciate the good taste of food, then you need quality pots with good heat conduction so that food cooks evenly, so I agree with your and Martha's All-Clad *preference!* [affordability is another matter].

http://www.themarthablog.com/2010/05/see-where-and-how-all-clad-cookware-is-made.html

In Toronto [Scarborough to be precise], William Ashley has a yearly warehouse sale at this time; perhaps they do in your neck of the woods as well, check it out.

Macy's have them on sale for $699.99 [if you don't mind the magic delivery price], and it appears it's the exact set that you mention that The Bay currently has for $900 [I see it for $849].
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/...oryID=7557#fn=sp=1&spc=113&ruleId=52&slotId=2

Given that you had initially picked Jamie Oliver, here is other good info: 

*Prehistoric Pots*
http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/archaeo...ery Project/using-use_of_pots-importance.html


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

andrewf said:


> ... Canada Tire frequently sells cookware for 70% off.


yea my beloved 3-litre is a german-mark stainless steel that i bought on sale at canadian tire for a great low price. I think the brand has unfortunately replaced lids with see-through plastic, but mine is old enough to have the original stainless lid. 15 years old, in use every day, still looks brand-new.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

humble_pie said:


> i I would think longingly of brad's giant le Creuset cauldron for soups & stews but i'd be stopped by the price, which must be out-of-sight these days.


Oh, it's far from giant -- it only holds four litres, but that's enough for most of our cooking. For the really big stuff (big batches of vegetable stock, soups for dinner parties, etc.) I have a large stainless steel soup pot. It doesn't get used very often.

I do have a few other things I use, like gratin dishes and pie plates, but I left those out since we were talking pots and pans. I make paella frequently enough that I sometimes long for a paella pan, but I don't think my paella suffers much for not having it. I also have, believe it or not, a cast-iron wok. It takes forever to heat up, but once it does you could turn off the heat entirely and still do a stir-fry -- it stays hot a long time.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Toronto.gal said:


> 1. Weren't you the one who just a few days ago told us: *'I just don't like the extravagant gift exchange tradition,'* yet you have no problem asking your gf's mother for a cookware set?!
> 2. Lovely, if you can pay for it! Just being critical because of your above mentioned statement.


I'm only jumping in because my rule, is that I never would want someone to but me something that I wouldn't pay for myself, but it's happened. I actually don't like it when people offer to buy me a gift and ask me for the specific one that I want because often the one I really would buy for myself is much more than I would like for them to buy me. But it's nice when people are so generous. Tis the season... 



MoneyGal said:


> We could do a spin-off of most used pots and pans:
> .


I use my 2 frying pans the most, my 8 inch and then 12 inch, then my massive stir fry/wok pan

I love my sauce pot its about 1.5 quarts, and then my 2 quart one, then my little one for tiny sauces.

I have my soup pot, it holdsa bout 20 cups but is a little small, but works for my pastas. Okay, I guess I use most of my pots and pans.

I perfer the non stick, but hate the teflon ones. I have some sort of American professional titanium set I bought from costco. It was about $600, and I so far have really enjoyed it, it has a lifetime gaurentee. I also have a lagastina stainless steel set that I use alot too, but not the pans. If cook alot, then I do recommend nice pans. I have a nanny who is still figuring out cooking, and that's why haven't bought the super expensive set yet.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Wow...I never realized how much this stuff costs......my late wife picked up a set of WMF http://www.wmf.com/en_en/experience-wmf/better-cooking/cooking/how-to-recognize-quality-pans.html in Riyadh 24 years ago.......never thought to see what the price was.....the stuff's _OK_.......but....


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

The wife and I went thru the entire Kitchen crap phase...luckily we actually learned to cook and gave our coated pans,pots,gadgets etc to our grateful kids.

I don't think I need more than my cast iron pan, four liter Canadian Tire special pot and my slow cooker to cook,bake,BBQ,smoke anything I choose to eat.

Otoh those thousand dollar cook sets look very pretty hanging above the Dacor cooktop to decorate the kitchen.

I would ask your mom for a Hawaii vacation instead or a contribution to your RRSP.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

Wow, this thread really took off. Thanks for all the feedback guys. 

I took a look at a lot of the sets to see what's included as a lot of online info pointed out that it can be cheaper to pick and choose what you use often. I use on a regular basis:
-Small and medium frying pans
-Small and big pots for sauce and potatoes, etc.
- Every so often I use a larger pan for stirfry and whatnot so I wanted a large saucepan of sorts.

Turns out that most of the more generic 7-10 piece sets included what I was after, plus a freebie if I were buying everything separate. By the time I was pricing out the five pieces I really wanted, the 10pcs for most brands was a touch cheaper.

Most of the stuff I have now is teflon coated and absolute garbage. I mean... all I want is a fried egg with the yolk still together, haha. I hate scrubbing pots for an hour each night when it should take 10 minutes.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

Toronto.gal said:


> 1. Weren't you the one who just a few days ago told us: *'I just don't like the extravagant gift exchange tradition,'* yet you have no problem asking your gf's mother for a cookware set?!
> 2. Lovely, if you can pay for it! Just being critical because of your above mentioned statement.
> 
> You don't have to get pre-historic pots & pans, but if you're a good cook & appreciate the good taste of food, then you need quality pots with good heat conduction so that food cooks evenly, so I agree with your and Martha's All-Clad *preference!* [affordability is another matter].
> ...


Always a jab with your kiss, eh? :tongue-new:

These in-laws started it, and they usually use airmiles to get something and ship it to our door because they rack the up with their business or something. Then we wrap it and put it under the tree. I think us choosing the gift is the most personal part of it! Don't worry guys, we didn't actually ask them for a $800 or even $400 set. They paid for a very reasonable (to them) amount and I/my gf covered the rest.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

Plugging Along said:


> I'm only jumping in because my rule, is that I never would want someone to but me something that I wouldn't pay for myself, but it's happened. I actually don't like it when people offer to buy me a gift and ask me for the specific one that I want because often the one I really would buy for myself is much more than I would like for them to buy me. But it's nice when people are so generous. Tis the season...


I should have been more clear guys. We are most certainly not expecting anyone to spend a thousand dollars on us. Think of it more as the parents chipping in.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

jcgd said:


> Always a jab with your kiss, eh? :tongue-new:


Alright, I promise not to quote you anymore for the balance of the year. :biggrin: 

I say it like I read it, however, I had been in full agreement with said quote!


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

Aha, we need it T.gal. It keeps us honest.


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

Ikea pots, cast iron frying pan, and a wok (gift, not sure brand)

I bought the IKEA pot (365 series) for camping and cooking on a fire, I wanted the full steel construction. It was actually quite good and I started using it at home. As the bakealite on my sears pot set wasn't really compatible with the gas stove, I simply switched to mostly IKEA, they're really nice pots, and quite cheap.

The cast iron was a gift eons ago, and if you want to pan fry or sear, you can't beat it. It lives on my stove.

The wok was another gift, i'm not sure where it came from, but you won't often get a wok to match the rest of your pot set anyway.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

jcgd said:


> I got on google and I found the same 10pcs, D5 brushed stainless steel for $860, delivered and tax in at http://www.cookworks.ca/. *I'm pumped I found a nice cookware set at a decent deal.*


Not sure if you bought your pot-deal yet, but in case you didn't and haven't seen the latest Canadian Tire flyer, they are having various names on sale from Nov.30th to Dec.13th. For example, an 11 pc. clad cookware set = $239.99 [reg. $799.99]. Most sets are between 70% and 75% off.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Just throwing this out there. Does anyone ever feel guilty for spending so much on consumer items, when there are human beings out there starving or stricken with treatable disease for lack of what you just spent?


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

andrewf said:


> Just throwing this out there. Does anyone ever feel guilty for spending so much on consumer items, when there are human beings out there starving or stricken with treatable disease for lack of what you just spent?


_"If there was less sympathy in the world, there would be less trouble in the world."_

Oscar Wilde


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

andrewf said:


> Just throwing this out there. Does anyone ever feel guilty for spending so much on consumer items, when there are human beings out there starving or stricken with treatable disease for lack of what you just spent?


POTS last many years [I have some for over 10 years], so why don't you ask such a question under another thread, like AAPL for example? You might have already. :biggrin:


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Nemo2 said:


> "If there was less sympathy in the world, there would be less trouble in the world."


For those that might not fully understand such quote, you should have explained the difference between sympathy and compassion.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Toronto.gal said:


> the difference between sympathy and compassion.


And 'Empathy'......but Oscar said 'Sympathy' and that's what I quoted. :wink:

(How about consideration for those employed in the cookware making industry, who, if no-one bought their products, might also be starving or stricken with (treatable) diseases?)


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

a friend of mine kept trying to save the world by going without pots & food & living on love & thin air alone

her husband wrote a poem to her:

your slim hips
rounded the corner
just in time to avoid
a clash
with reality


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Toronto.gal said:


> For those that might not fully understand such quote, you should have explained the difference between sympathy and compassion.


Why don't you explain? I have to admit I didn't understand the quote.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Nemo2 said:


> And 'Empathy'......but Oscar said 'Sympathy' and that's what I quoted. :wink:
> 
> (How about consideration for those employed in the cookware making industry, who, if no-one bought their products, might also be starving or stricken with (treatable) diseases?)


That's pretty flippant. Haw Haw.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

andrewf said:


> That's pretty flippant. Haw Haw.


Not flippant at all......without the manufacture/sale/distribution, etc, of products there is no economy, no work, no taxation, and certainly no money to donate to the "less fortunate".


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Four Pillars said:


> Why don't you explain? I have to admit I didn't understand the quote.


*FP:* not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but shouldn't you be asking the person that quoted it? :biggrin:

I thought I clarified the quote already! Empathy/sympathy/compassion have different meanings [results]. Who's likely to help you more effectively, someone who merely commiserates with your misery/predicament, or someone who shows you compassion instead, and is willing to do more than cry with you? 

*Andrew:* if you don't want humorous/smart-alecky comments, why not start a thread about such a topic rather than 'just throwing this out' there under the cookware search thread? And while at it, tell us how you make this world a better place? I'm interested.

*HP:* did you show sympathy or compassion for your friend? :02.47-tranquillity:

*Nemo:* if you viewed the link I posted [the Martha blog], the job is not easy at all.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Nemo2 said:


> Not flippant at all......without the manufacture/sale/distribution, etc, of products there is no economy, no work, no taxation, and certainly no money to donate to the "less fortunate".


Pretty sure those less fortunate would buy goods and services with the donations received. Maybe the fancy pot makers would make medicine and schoolbooks instead.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Toronto.gal said:


> *Nemo:* if you viewed the link I posted [the Martha blog], the job is not easy at all.


Unable to immediately locate the link in question......might I request a repost? (I'll make sure to read it....honest..)


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

http://www.themarthablog.com/2010/05/see-where-and-how-all-clad-cookware-is-made.html


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

jcgd said:


> http://www.themarthablog.com/2010/05/see-where-and-how-all-clad-cookware-is-made.html


Thank you.......I was (blissfully) unaware that Madame Stewart had a blog.......now I am better informed. :encouragement:


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