Mauviel vs All-Clad Cookware: Which is Better?

All-Clad has become a definite favorite among home cooks and professional chefs after mastering the creation of stainless steel cookware. It earned the trust of many with its outstanding products.

For decades, Mauviel vows to offer superior pots and pans that can ensure professional performance for every cook to perfect any desired recipe. But, how does it truly compare to All-Clad in terms of construction, design, performance, and price?

Quick Summary

Introducing Mauviel

Founded by Ernest Mauviel in 1830 and is currently managed by the 7th generation CEO Valerie Le Guern Gilbert. This Normandy company is known for its high-end copper cookware that’s crafted by hand through a series of production.

After mastering the creation of copper cookware, Mauviel started producing different types of pots and pans, utensils, accessories that could rival the most popular brands out there.

Pros of Mauviel Cookware

• Great compatibility. Every cookware is crafted to ensure great heat retention and performance on all types of cooktops including inductions. That being said, the Copper collection is the only one that’s not compatible with induction stovetops.
• Superb heat control. Mauviel cookware offers even heat distribution giving you great control over the temperature on any heat source to cook your food perfectly.
• Natural nonstick. For the carbon steel category, the pans can build over time a smooth natural nonstick layer from the seasoning and proper use. However, it will take some time (around 8 weeks of daily use) before you can notice a nice smooth surface.
• Lifetime warranty. This brand offers a lifetime warranty that covers defects for all its cookware. However, it is valid for home use only and not for commercial use.

Cons of Mauviel Cookware

• Require extra work. It takes time to build the patina (layers of fat) for the natural nonstick layer however it requires more maintenance work to preserve it.
• Not suitable to cook all types of food. Certain food such as tomatoes which are considered acidic food can easily strip the nonstick layer built through seasoning and force you to re-season your carbon steel pans all over and over again.
• Overpriced cookware. Some of Mauviel’s products exceeded $300 while delivering the same quality you could expect from pots and pans under $100.

Introducing All-Clad

As I have mentioned in the Made In vs All-Clad comparison, this brand is an American company that was founded by John Ulam. It excels in producing superb cookware that exceeds the standards of the Cookware Manufacturers Association (CMA).

All-Clad earned its high reputation thanks to the cladding or bonding construction where it 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

• Superior heat conductivity. By combining different types of cores with layers of metal, All-Clad managed to improve the conductivity and heat retention of its cookware to a higher level. Depending on the cookware model, the core can either be graphite or pure copper as we have already mentioned in the All-Clad copper core review, or a tri-ply core alternating stainless steel and aluminum (or even copper sometimes) as in D5, or simply pure aluminum like in D3.
• Excellent performance. This brand bonds sheets of 18/10 brushed Ni-Chrome Stainless Steel and copper or aluminum as the core to produce robust pots and pans that can conduct heat efficiently for the best performance possible.
• Diverse cookware material. Undeniably, All-Clad is recognized for its stainless steel pans however, it started using a variety of materials such as copper and nonstick in its cookware constructions to create various products that can fulfill the different needs of all cooks.
• Lifetime warranty. This company offers a lifetime warranty for all its Tri-ply and Penta-ply cookware. However, keep in mind that the warranty doesn’t cover wear and tear but only defects.

Cons of All-Clad Cookware

• Difficult to clean. It can be quite tiresome 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 boiled water with a cleaner and a scraper to wash your cookware, especially if there is much gunk around it.
• Expensive. As I have covered in the Hexclad 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 inexpensive cookware, saving for All-Clad can be the right decision.
• Limited nonstick options. Unlike stainless steel lines, there are very few hard-anodized and nonstick collections to pick from which makes your options a bit limited. Also, some of the nonstick pans can only be bought locally. Read All-Clad HA1 vs B1 for more information.

Mauviel vs All-Clad: Differences and Similarities

There are notable distinctions between Mauviel and All-Clad in almost every aspect, whether it’s material, constructions, performance, design, or price. Without further ado, here are the five main points you need to know before choosing either brand.

Material and Construction

Both brands follow a 5-ply construction where they bond 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.

The only difference between the two is that Mauviel focuses on having 3 layers of aluminum as the core, while All-Clad prefers to combine 2 layers of aluminum with a thick copper for faster and even heating.

Aside from the 5-ply, All-Clad features a 3-ply construction as well where it combines a layer of thick aluminum as the core with two layers of stainless steel. See All-Clad D3 vs D5 for more information.

Mauviel on the other side offers individual pieces and cookware sets that are made entirely from 90% copper with 10% of 18/10 stainless steel. Copper will secure unmatched heat conductivity and heat control better than stainless steel however since this material is reactive, this brand combines it with a stainless steel surface that can ensure high resistance to rust and corrosion.

Both brands craft their cookware (excluding copper ones) with a high-grade ferritic 430 as a magnetic base to give them the ability to work on all types of cooktops including induction.

Cooking Surface

Most of the cookware All-Clad create comes with either a brushed polish or mirror-polished stainless steel surface (see All-Clad D5 vs. D3 comparison to learn the differences between the two).

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 with smooth interiors which rely primarily on hard-anodized aluminum instead of stainless steel.

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Similar to All-Clad, Mauviel produces cookware with 18/10 stainless steel surfaces that can offer high resistance and durability. However, this brand has taken a further step to fit its collections and started to craft a variety of different types of surfaces such as carbon steel and nonstick.

The nonstick model uses 3 layers of “Eclipse” coating which is basically a reinforced system designed to boost the durability of the coating and to secure a long-lasting performance. Though, Mauviel is not disclosing any sort of information related to the nature of the nonstick coating or the pretreatment process. Nevertheless, the coating is safe to cook with since it’s PFOA and PTFE-free.

As for carbon steel, this company offers non-toxic pans with medium-quality that can heat up and distribute quickly and somehow evenly. The surface will allow you to cook with very little fat once the natural nonstick layer starts to get better. Having said that, it requires extra care and work to maintain the seasoning since it can easily be stripped during cooking or cleaning.

Here are the seven things that you must avoid to preserve the seasoning of Mauviel’s carbon steel cookware:

• Do not cook in high heat.
• Do not cook acidic foods.
• Do not use metal utensils.
• Do not use a dishwasher.
• Do not leave them in water.
• Dry your pans immediately after every cleaning.
• Always reseason your pan after every use.

Design

Both companies create shallower cookware with inclined edges. The shallow design reduces some of the cookware’s weight making every piece a bit easier to carry. While the inclined edges facilitate sliding and pouring your cooking off the pan.

The only difference between the two is that All-Clad showcases a simplistic appearance design, while Mauviel features a stylish modern design that could add an extra touch to your kitchen and table.

Handle

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.

Mauviel also designs long handles that are either stainless steel, bronze, or cast iron. The handles are almost flat with a rounded thumb groove to support the grip. They are attached with secured rivets to give a great balance.

Unfortunately, Both brands do not offer any great stay-cool feature for their handles. That being said, Mauviel’s handles are a bit oversized and tend to get hot quicker compared to All-Clad.

Price

Putting aside the copper collections, Mauviel carries a heftier price tag than All-Clad that’s supposed to be the one producing high-end cookware. For a better understanding of the cost, here are some examples of All-Clad and Mauviel cookware prices:

1. All-Clad Essentials 10-Piece Cookware Set: $400
2. All-Clad HA1 Hard-Anodized Aluminum 13-Piece Cookware Set: $600
3. All-Clad D3 Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set: $700 ($800 for the nonstick version)
4. All-Clad D5 Brushed Stainless Steel 10-Piece Cookware Set: $800
5. All-Clad Copper Core 10-Piece Cookware Set: $1450+
6. Mauviel M’Urban 12-Piece Cookware Set: $800
7. Mauviel M’Cook 5-piece Cookware Set: $1000
8. Mauviel M’Heritage 10-Piece Cookware Set: $1900

All-Clad vs Mauviel: Cookware Comparison

The Final Verdict

Unless you are a professional chef I wouldn’t recommend you getting copper cookware which is the only situation where I would truly suggest Mauviel over All-Clad. The copper cookware will give you a taste of unmatched cooking experience however they come at a very high cost.

All-Clad pots and pans are sturdy and will deliver better performance that could last for a lifetime with proper care. Therefore, you will be getting great value for the money