All-Clad Stainless 7-Quart Stockpot with Pasta Insert

This 7-quart stockpot with a pasta/colander insert makes clear why All-Clad's Stainless is so popular. With the colander inserted, it's ideal for cooking and quickly draining pasta or vegetables. Without the colander, it's a classic tall and narrow pot for simmering stocks, soups, and chili. Because the aluminum core extends up the sides, foods cook uniformly, even though the pot is 7-1/2 inches deep (8 inches in diameter). And because the interior is nonreactive, tomatoes and other acidic foods won't taste metallic. Its lid and stay-cool loop handles are riveted for strength and won't be harmed by an oven's highest heat. A rolled edge facilitates dripless pouring. Although Stainless cookware is dishwasher-safe, hand washing is recommended. --Fred Brack

From the Manufacturer
All-Clad Stainless Construction
Each piece of All-Clad cookware features a unique metal bonding construction. All-Clad Stainless cookware sandwiches a thick core of three separate layers of aluminum between an easy-to-clean, highly polished 18/10 stainless-steel cooking surface and a magnetic stainless-steel exterior. The aluminum core retains heat and evenly distributes it along the bottom and up the sidewalls of the cookware. The stainless interior is stick-resistant and cleans easily. The magnetic stainless-steel exterior gives the cookware a gleaming finish. All-Clad Stainless also features the company's signature "stay-cool" long handles, lids fashioned from gleaming 18/10 stainless steel, and highly durable stainless-steel rivets. All-Clad Stainless cookware is one of five collections from All-Clad Metalcrafters. Designed to work on conventional gas and electric ranges, as well as induction cooktops, All-Clad Stainless cookware is the best-selling collection in a full line that includes All-Clad LTD, Cop-R-Chef, Master Chef 2, and Copper Core.

Features and Benefits
All-Clad pans with a stainless interior cooking surface are oven-safe up to 500 degrees. All-Clad pans with a non-stick cooking surface are oven-safe up to 400 degrees, but should not be used under the broiler. We recommend using a low to medium temperature when cooking with All-Clad. Higher heats are not necessary and may cause discoloration (see cleaning instructions below). Other features include:

• Beautifully polished, magnetic stainless exterior layer.
• Pure aluminum core that not only covers the bottom of the pan but also extends up the sides. This allows for great heat conductivity as well as an even heat distribution so you won't have "hot spots" when cooking.
• Stainless-steel interior layer/cooking surface.
• Long, polished stainless, stay-cool handles.
• Sturdy, non-corrosive stainless-steel rivets won't react with foods.
• Polished stainless-steel lids fit evenly with the pan's edges to seal in flavor of your foods.
• The All-Clad Stainless collection is compatible with an induction stovetop (with the exception of a few pieces) in addition to gas and electric stovetops.
• The Stainless collection is dishwasher-safe, excluding pieces with a nonstick cooking surface.

Warranty
From date of purchase, All-Clad guarantees to repair or replace any item found defective in material, construction or workmanship under normal use and following care instructions. This excludes damage from misuse or abuse. Minor imperfections and slight color variations are normal.

Cleaning Instructions
For daily cleaning, warm soapy water is sufficient. Clean your All-Clad thoroughly after each use. Food films left of the pan may cause discoloration and sticking. To get rid of stuck-on food or discoloration and stains from using too high of a heat, we recommend cleaning your All-Clad with a product called Bar Keeper's Friend. To use the Bar Keeper's Friend, simply use a soft cloth or sponge and water and make into a soupy paste. This can be used on the interior, as well as the exterior of your All-Clad (excluding the Cop-R-Chef). The Bar Keeper's Friend can also be used on the exterior of the All-Clad Stainless collection, LTD collection, and MC2 collection. For cleaning of the Cop-R-Chef exterior, simply use a brass/copper cleaner. If your water has a high iron content, you may notice a rusty discoloration. Use Bar Keeper's Friend to remove it.

All-Clad Stainless Selection
In recent years, a professional-size 14-inch fry pan was added to the Stainless fry pan assortment, as well as several popular specialty pans, including: the small-size petite brasier with a dome-shaped lid; petite roti roasting pan; and the beautiful, large-capacity Dutch oven and French oven oval roasting pan with roasting rack. Both of these one-pot comfort food specialty pans comes with All-Clad's popular high dome-shaped lid. Other specialty pans include a larger brasier pan with domed-shape lid; a complete family of round-shaped saucier saucepans for versatile stove-top cooking; a flare-sided Windsor pan in two sizes, designed for reduction and the creation of rich sauces; and a contemporary "Soup for Two" 3-1/2-quart soup pot; casseroles; an open stir fry; a versatile wok-style chef's pan; and a "Pasta Pentola" 7-quart stockpot with colander insert and lid. All saucepans, casseroles, saute pans, stock pots, and specialty items come with lids. Double boiler and steamer inserts, including the large steamer insert for 6-quart, 8-quart and 12-quart stockpots, are available as well. Stainless cookware sets are available in various sizes, from a starter 5-piece to a complete 10-piece set.

About All-Clad Metalcrafters
Based in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, All-Clad Metalcrafters markets premium quality cookware to department and specialty stores in the United States, along with premium All-Clad bonded bakeware, All-Clad All-Professional kitchen tools, and a growing assortment of kitchen accessories, including All-Clad's upscale tea kettle, measuring scoop set, stainless-steel mixing bowls, kitchen colanders, and 1-cup measuring cup. Featuring a unique metal bonding process, All-Clad cookware is used in many of the finest restaurants in America, and is sought by serious home cooks seeking all-professional cookware to enhance their cooking experience.

On the great side, the 7qt pot turns out to make great soups. It fits the small burner at the back of the stove. The soups rarely burn even without stirring. And the steamer works for that big batch of clams I have once a year. So while I won't give it away, I'm not sure I would buy it on a second time aroound. (The plain 7qt stock pot, now that I would get.)

I still get a lot of "Wow's" from people who see it in my kitchen but is that worth the extra $...?

So consider getting just the stock pot. (Unless you like lots of clams/mussels etc.)