This is the first piece of All-Clad Copper Core cookware I have owned, and it is by far the best piece of cookware I have ever used. Be mindful that the different lines of All-Clad have significant differences. For example, the MC2 line is lighter, but at the expense of durability (note the limit on the temperature at which the MC2 pans are oven-save) and heat distribution. I didn't want to have to deal with the care of the Cop-R-Chef line, with its exposed copper outer layer. But I did want copper for its excellent heat distribution. To give you an idea of my perspective and how I view my cookware, I've been cooking a while, and have studied French and Northern Italian cuisines. I don't believe in having pumpkin-shaped soup tureens cluttering up my life, and I have Global knives that I keep razor sharp, but only a few that I use to cover everything. I sear/braise/roast primarily for main dishes, with the occasional stew. This pan exactly met what I hoped for; a good pan to serve as my mainstay for daily cooking, that would be durable and hassle-free while giving me good results and allowing me to improve my cooking that much more. It replaces a Scan-Pan nonstick that served me well for over 3 years before its nonstick properties started to fade, and I have to say that I like the All-Clad better for everything but cooking eggs. But you have to know what you're doing with one of these pans to get the best use from it. Some will complain about discoloration of the stainless steel; they are using too much heat. Others complain about sticking; they aren't cooking the way you need to, with a stainless steel pan. So a few things. One, these pans transfer heat very easily. This also means that even though the pan will distribute heat very well, it also won't dissipate that heat. So you don't need to heat it as much as with an aluminum pan...trust me. I found myself turning the heat down the first few times I worked with this, to get the cooking results I was used to, sometimes by as much as one-third. Two, you have to use oil. Not much, and not extra-virgin. The solids that give EVOO it's green color scorch, and the flavor benefits of EVOO go bye-bye when you heat it. Use yellow olive oil; it's very heat stable and healthy for you as well. Get the pan hot first. Then add the oil, and let that get hot...it should start smoking just a bit. Then add the food. Three, you have to recognize that the food *will* stick, at first, and that this is good. The maillard reaction (aka, 'browning') requires contact with heat, and the way food will latch onto this pan (at first) is wonderful for this. This also produces the fond that you want for making sauces. But remember...don't crank the heat, or that fond (and the crust on your food) will scorch. When the food has browned, it will automatically release from the pan, just like it had never stuck in the first place. In fact, this is a great way to know how far along the food is. If you're cooking duck, beef, pork, etc...this is a good thing. If you're cooking something that should not brown (an omelette, for example), then why are you using this pan? Use a non-stick for that. Now the really good news. It's stainless steel. You don't have to baby it, as long as you ease up on the heat. You can scrub it like crazy to get it clean. No, it won't look as nice as it did the day you unpacked it, unless you are willing to spend an awful lot of time working at it. But it's a pan...it's for cooking food, not for hanging around your neck like a piece of bling. Don't be ashamed if it shows that you use it :)
