Emeril Cookware Review And More – Buyer’s Guide

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Emeril Lagasse, world-famous chef. Did you also know that he designs cookware that works?

Emeril has been working with All-Clad to produce a stainless-steel cookware set that is designed to be durable and hopefully helps you become a better cook.

If you choose to purchase some Emeril cookware, you’ll also be supporting his organization to give back to various communities. He also works to improve educational access to low-income families.

From a chef to philanthropist, when you decide to by some of his cookware, you’re doing yourself and others a world of good.

If you’ve ever watched Emeril on his shows, you’ll notice that his pans almost never change. They’re a trusty stainless steel, and that’s what he has designed for others to use, too.

You can buy a single pan if that’s all you want. You can purchase an entire cooking set if that’s what you’re in the market for, and you’ll be pretty happy with your purchase.

Most of his pieces include a tempered glass lid that is as attractive as it is functional. You’ll also appreciate that Emeril cookware has a lifetime warranty that promises replacement of pieces that get damaged under normal, everyday use.

Emeril’s line will provide you with a solid investment that you can rest assured will be around for years. In addition to his stainless-steel line, he also has a nonstick set and a cast-iron pan, too.

Emeril has worked with All-Clad to produce his stainless-steel line, but they actually get produced in different locations.

Emeril cookware is manufactured in China, while All-Clad’s regular line is made here in the US. The difference in location does not change the warranty or expected level of customer service, but it’s useful information to have.

Emeril’s All-Clad collection is typically less expensive than your regular All-Clad cookware, but that doesn’t change how All-Clad stands by the product.

Another marked difference is the core used by Emeril cookware compared to All-Clad’s traditional cookware. Emeril’s set uses an aluminum core with thinner walls. All-Clad uses a copper core and thicker walls. As a result, Emeril’s collection is lighter than All-Clad’s set.

This Emeril cookware is also usable on induction stove tops. As a piece of advice, to check whether or not a pan is going to work on an induction surface, take a magnet with you when you go out shopping. If the magnet sticks to whatever pan you’re looking at, then you know that it will work on an induction stove top.

Built to Last for Years

Emeril cookware is a heavy-duty line that can take the heat, so to speak. Not only are they workhorses on the stove, but they’re also oven safe up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The lids are only certified up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so don’t put the lids in if you plan to have your oven at a higher temperature.

Made of tri-ply stainless steel with the aluminum core sandwiched in between, this cookware set is designed to give you even heating in a short amount of time.

Inside the set, you’ll find a fry pan, multiple sauce pans, a stock pot, a steamer insert, and plenty other things like the glass lids that go with them.

As a bonus to the cook, they are all considered dishwasher safe and are not coated with any coating at all just like traditional stainless steel. Do keep in mind that if you use the dishwasher to wash your stainless steel, the shine will likely suffer and it may not keep the mirror finish you see when you open the box.

At some point, you’ll probably burn something on your stainless steel, but if you use some Barkeeper’s Friend on it, it’ll clean up good as new.

Emeril also paid enough attention to the design to ensure that larger hands can also use the pots and pans with ease. If you’re someone that has problems picking up handles because they’re smaller than your hands, you won’t have that issue with Emeril’s cookware.

On the inside of the pans, you’ll see yet another perk – measuring marks. These marks are helpful to you because you’ll always know just how much is in your pot.

The nonstick cookware is also certified oven safe up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The nonstick coating on these pans helps with a quick cleanup, too.

If you were to purchase his nonstick set, you'd get frying pans, sauce pans, and a stock pot, all with matching lids. Because they are nonstick, you’ll have to care for them differently than the stainless-steel option.

These are hard anodized nonstick pans, but before cleaning them, you’ll want them to cool. Heat makes the pan flex which will eventually cause the coating to flake off over time if you clean them too soon.

You’ll want to wash your set with a gentle soap and warm water only after the pan has fully cooled.

Avoid cooking things like tomato sauce in a cast iron pan because it’s too acidic and can actually cause the seasoning to wear away.

Cast iron is great for most other foods, though, and Emeril’s pan is no exception. Even better, the cast iron pan that has been properly seasoned can withstand temperatures as high as 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

As long as it is cared for properly, your cast iron pan can outlive you and your future grandchildren.

Get to Know Emeril’s Warranty

All of the Emeril cookware is made by All-Clad which means it all also holds the All-Clad guarantee and lifetime warranty.

Emeril’s frying pan has a lifetime warranty, which is a good thing that many have taken advantage of. It isn’t unheard of to have one of the pans warp or crack, but thanks to All-Clad’s warranty, replacements were easily taken care of without hassle.

Now understand, the warranty does not extend to the glass lids as they are not considered cookware but are cookware accessories. In other words, if you drop a lid and it breaks, you’re going to be replacing it out of your own pocket.

That means you need to treat the glass with care and not expose it to extreme temperatures too quickly because it can shatter. If you’re not sure how to handle your glass lids or your pots or pans, check the instructions for any questions you might have.

Reviews from Real People

You can find several good and bad reviews on Amazon to give you an idea of what you can expect from your pans.

Andrew L. stated, “I generally don’t write reviews, but for this I have to. 10 years ago, prior to moving to Riviera Maya Mexico, we purchased this same set. After 10 years of heavy duty use, pro chef here, it was time for a new set. The old set was showing wear, copper was separating from the bases, two glass lids lost over the years due to me dropping them. So, time for anew (sic) set. I was delighted to find this set still existed, with some minor changes and upgrades. Reading some of the negative reviews made me search other sets, but I kept coming back to this one. Purchased, arrived last week, and super happy once again. The heat up time is 3X as fast as my old set, which makes sense, and the heat holds. They are lighter than the old set, but performance wise there is no difference. My only neg/drawback would be they got rid of the 1 quart (or maybe a little smaller) sauce pan. BUT, I still have my old one as it is holding up pretty well from the old set. As a CIA grad and chef/owner of many fine dining restaurants in the past, I give a huge thumbs up for this set. I can’t imagine a household cook/chef who would not be happy with this set at its price point.”

Another reviewer states, “Very disappointed! I bought the 12 piece set in January and it’s been terrible. They do not clean easily even if I use various methods. My biggest complaint is the bottom of the pots have rusted. (it’s not oxidation from the copper core, it’s rust.) I don’t know why it’s doing this. I have a glass top cooktop so it’s not scratching against anything. I’m emailing Amazon to ask about a warranty. We bought this set because maybe 7 or 8 years ago we bought one piece of his cookware from BB&B and it’s been great. I guess quality has gone done (sic) significantly since then or I just received an item that slipped through quality control.” On a side note, there is a good chance that the rust was a result of washing the pots and pans in a dishwasher, especially if you have hard water. It may or may not have been a result of manufacturer defect.

As you go through and read other reviews, be sure to think about how many negative reviews may have been a result of user error. At the same time, consider the background of the people that are leaving positive reviews.

To know whether or not any of Emeril’s line is going to work for you, you’ll want to find someone that shares a background similar to your own. If you’re not a professional chef, don’t compare the performance of the pots to what a professional chef has to say.

A Few Last Words on Emeril Cookware

Emeril has become a household name with good reason. From his shows to his restaurants, he has made a name for himself in the industry.

He’s a good cook that knows what he’s talking about. He owns many different restaurants across the country and has only ever promoted cookware manufactured by reputable companies like All-Clad.

Don’t forget that Emeril’s line is made in China. That may or may not make a difference to you, but if it does, consider All-Clad’s regular line as it is produced domestically within the US.

If you’re in the market for cookware, you can’t go wrong with any of Emeril’s pieces. Buy them one at a time or buy them in a whole set. You’ll be happy with whatever you choose.