Made In is one of the new rising cookware brands that claims a ton of benefits for its consumers. But how truly does it compare to one of the real trusted brands such as All-Clad in terms of constructions, performance, versatility, design, and price?
To have a better understanding of these two brands, I will cover in detail their similarities and differences, their pros and cons, their unique features, and finally which one is superior and suitable for you.
Introducing Made In
Launched in 2016, Made In is an American company that was founded by Jake Kalick and Chip Malt. It has several manufacturing partners within Europe where it crafts most of its cookware, mainly in France and Italy.
Made In focuses on producing different types of cookware such as nonstick, stainless steel, and carbon steel that can add an extra touch to your cookware collection while delivering promising performance to perfect your cooking skills.
Pros of Made In Cookware
- Great Induction compatibility. Most of the pots and pans this brand produces are Induction compatible including the nonstick category. They will perform great on any heat source except for the copper cookware.
- Amazing heat tolerance. I was quite astonished how Made In managed to craft non-toxic cookware that could out best All-Clad in terms of heat tolerance. For instance, the 5-ply stainless steel cookware can endure up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit, while the carbon steel pans can go up to 1200 degrees.
- Safe coating. This company chose not to disclose information about the nature of its nonstick coating which makes me a bit concerned about its quality. However, it is PFOA-free and safe to cook with.
Cons of Made In Cookware
- Extra maintenance work. Made In cookware requires extra care and maintenance work to do, especially reseasoning for the carbon steel pans which can easily be stripped if not properly taken care of. (In-depth detail in the cooking surface section below)
- Less nonstick layers. Popular brands normally coat their high-quality nonstick cookware with three nonstick layers or more to secure high durability with smooth quality. However, in Made In’s case, It coats its pans with only two layers using its unique technology “Made Slick”.
- Bad customer service. Made In’s customer service isn’t that terrible however it’s not that good either compared to famous brands. Especially, when you try to use the warranty to get a replacement for your cookware that has some sort of defect.
- Limited warranty time. This company offers a lifetime warranty for all its cookware except the nonstick ones, they come with just one year warranty. Undoubtedly, the nonstick coatings will degrade over time however, high-quality coatings are expected to last for up to 5 years without losing their qualities.
Introducing All-Clad
All-Clad is a U.S based company that was founded by John Ulam. This company excels in creating superb cookware that meets or even exceeds the standards of the Cookware Manufacturers Association (CMA).
All-Clad is known for its cladding or bonding construction that produces high-end stainless steel cookware that can secure an amazing performance while easily handling the most demanding tasks in a busy kitchen.
Pros of All-Clad Cookware
- Diverse cookware material. All-Clad is recognized for its formidable stainless steel pans however, it started applying a variety of materials such as copper and nonstick in its cookware constructions to produce various pots and pans that can fulfill the different needs of all cooks.
- Superior heat conductivity. By combining layers of metal with various cores, All-Clad managed to improve the conductivity and heat retention of its products to a very high level. Depending on the cookware model, the core can be pure copper as we have already covered in the All-Clad copper core review, or pure aluminum like in D3, or even a tri-ply core alternating stainless steel and aluminum as in D5.
- Lifetime performance. This brand bonds sheets of 18/10 brushed Ni-Chrome Stainless Steel and aluminum or copper as the core to produce highly durable cookware that can conduct heat efficiently for the best performance possible.
- Lifetime warranty. All-Clad offers a lifetime warranty for all its 3-ply and 5-ply cookware to prove how confident it is in its products. However, the warranty doesn’t cover wear and tear but only defects.
Cons of All-Clad Cookware
- Lack of nonstick options. Unlike stainless steel lines, there are very few nonstick and hard-anodized collections to choose from which makes your options a bit limited. On top of this, some of the nonstick pans can only be bought locally. Read HA1 vs B1 comparison for more information.
- Difficult to clean. It can be quite annoying sometimes to clean up the fully clad pans due to the pure stainless steel surface. Depending on what you often cook, you might end up using a cleaner with boiled water and a scraper to wash your pans, especially if there is much gunk around the cookware.
- Expensive. As I have mentioned in the Cuisinart vs All-Clad comparison, this brand’s products are about 15% more expensive than most cookware available in the market. But, if we consider the long-term cost of buying often new budget cookware, saving for All-Clad can be a wise decision.
Made In vs All-Clad: Differences and Similarities

Made In differs in almost every aspect compared to All-Clad starting from construction methods to the overall price. Here are the five striking factors that set these two brands apart.
Material and Constructions
All-Clad focuses primarily on 3-ply and 5-ply constructions where it bonds different types of metals together to produce outstanding pots and pans that can conduct heat efficiency and secure high durability to enjoy the best cooking performance for as long as possible.
Every cookware is built with a magnetic base therefore, you can expect great heat control and quick, even distribution on any heat source, whether on gas stoves or induction cooktops.
Similar to All-Clad, Made In uses a 5-ply construction for its stainless steel cookware where it combines a high-grade ferritic 430 which is basically a magnetic base that gives the cookware the ability to work perfectly on induction cooktops, with aluminum layers that serve as the core to improve the heat conductivity and durability, and finally a layer of 304, 18/10 stainless steel which is used in the surface since it offers a high corrosion and rust resistance.
Aside from stainless steel and nonstick, Made In is known for its hybrid construction that creates carbon steel pans with the ability to heat up and cool down quicker than cast iron or stainless steel.
RELATED: Best Cookware for Induction Cooktops
Cooking Surface
All-Clad produces most of its cookware with either a brushed polish or mirror-polished stainless steel surface (Read All-Clad D3 vs D5 to understand the differences between the two finishes).
Some collections have a three-layer of PFOA-free nonstick coating to provide smooth quality for the fully clad cookware. However, it is still made with pure stainless steel thus, food can stick to the surface over time.
Having said that, All-Clad designed new nonstick models which rely primarily on hard-anodized aluminum to create smooth interiors instead of stainless steel.
Made In on the other side crafts 304, 18/10 surfaces for its stainless steel cookware to ensure a durable yet safe interior that can easily resist rust and corrosion. Although, since the surface is stainless steel, cleaning can be a bit time-consuming.
As for the nonstick category, Made In coats the stainless steel surface with double layers of safe nonstick coating using its Made Slick technology. But, compared to popular nonstick brands, Made In falls short when it comes to durability and long time performance.
Normally, trusted brands would share some information about the pretreatment and the nature of their nonstick coating. Yet, Made In chose to not disclose anything on that matter which frankly makes me doubt even more their qualities. Nevertheless, the PTFE coating is PFOA-free, prop 65 compliant, and FDA certified.
For the carbon steel models, Made In does an excellent job in creating pans that can heat up quickly and distribute evenly. The surface requires seasoning and daily use to develop a natural nonstick layer over time (around 2 months). However, the seasoned layer can easily be stripped if not properly maintained.
Here are the seven things that you should avoid to preserve the natural nonstick layer of Made In’s carbon steel cookware:
- Do not cook acidic foods.
- Do not cook in high heat.
- Do not use a dishwasher.
- Do not use metal utensils.
- Do not leave them in water.
- Dry your pans immediately after every cleaning.
- Always reseason your pan after every use.
Design
All-Clad as I have mentioned in the Hexclad vs All-Clad comparison offers quite a simplistic cookware appearance that showcases a shallow design with inclined edges.
The shallow design makes every piece a little bit easier to carry since it helps reduce some of the weight obtained from the bonding or cladding process. While the inclined edges facilitate sliding and pouring your cooking off the pan.
Made In follows the same design as All-Clad except that it has lower sidewalls, and a smaller cooking surface that’s not evenly nor perfectly polished which can cause the oil sometimes to run to the end of sides.
RELATED: Best Cookware Sets for Electric Coil Stoves
Handles
All-Clad craft long stainless steel handles that are secured with high-quality steel rivets to slow down the heat for a comfortable, safe grip. Thanks to this design, the handle’s temperature will mostly remain around 75 degrees Fahrenheit even when the cookware itself reaches 500 degrees.
Made In also design long handles but with too much curve which forces you to raise your elbow to pick up the cookware. The length makes it quite uncomfortable for people with short hands while the flat shape makes the cookware feel heavier.
I’m not satisfied with either brand however All-Clad handles provide better comfort and safety.
Price
All-Clad offers high-end cookware that undeniably carries a heftier price tag than Made In. For a better understanding of the cost, here are some examples of All-Clad and Made In cookware prices:
- Made In The Starter 6-Piece Cookware Set: $389
- Made In The Sous Chef 11-Piece Cookware Set: $659
- Made In The Executive Chef 14-Piece Cookware Set: $899
- All-Clad Essentials 10-Piece Cookware Set: $400
- All-Clad HA1 Hard-Anodized Aluminum 13-Piece Cookware Set: $600
- All-Clad D3 Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set: $700 ($800 for the nonstick version)
- All-Clad D5 Brushed Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set: $800
- All-Clad Copper Core 10-Piece Cookware Set: $1450+
All-Clad vs Made In: Cookware Comparison
Cookware Brand | Cookware Set | Cooking Surface | Core Type | Induction Compatibility | Current Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Made In 5-ply Cookware Set | Stainless steel | Aluminum | Yes | ||
Made In 5-ply Frying Pan | Stainless steel | Aluminum | Yes | ||
All-Clad Ha1 Cookware Set | PTFE, PFOA-free | Hard anodized aluminum | Yes | ||
All-Clad D3 Cookware Set | Mirror polish only | Solid Aluminum | Yes | ||
All-Clad D5 Brushed Cookware Set | Brushed or polished | Bonded stainless steel and aluminum | Yes | ||
All-Clad Copper Core Cookware Set | Highly polished | Copper | Yes |
The Final Verdict
Made In provides good quality cookware that is meant for home cooks. However, there isn’t a situation where I would personally choose it over All-Clad except for nonstick. But even that, there are various brands that offer superb nonstick cookware such as Tramontina.
All-Clad cookware offers better performance, great versatility, and excellent durability to last for a lifetime. Thus, you will be getting great value for the money.