If you’re on the hunt for high-quality cookware that will last you for years to come, you likely know how many options are on the market. With so many brands to choose from, it can be tough to determine which brand is worth your investment—so we'll be comparing two popular cookware brands: Made In and All-Clad.
Made In is known for its direct-to-consumer mode, which grants home cooks exclusive access to chef-tested tools crafted by artisans in the country the tools originated from—think French Dutch Ovens and Carbon Steel, English Plateware, and Italian Glassware. On the other hand, All-Clad has been a favorite among chefs for decades and is responsible for popularizing the current cladding approach to stainless steel cookware.
We'll be taking a closer look at the history, features, and price ranges of both brands, as well as comparing their materials, performance, and design to help you get a better understanding of which brand might be the best fit for your cooking needs.
Made In Cookware
Made In was founded in 2017 with the launch of their Award-Winning Stainless Clad Cookware, though their story actually began with a restaurant supply company founded nearly a century prior. Despite being a start-up, this generational expertise allowed them insight into the tools and materials chefs were using, as well as the needs of home cooks—not only do they outfit restaurant kitchens, but they make their restaurant-tested and loved tools to home chefs, too.
Up until 2022, Made In’s products were only available on their website. They opened their first store in their HQ city of Austin, Texas in November 2022, with more planned in 2023.
Features and Benefits
Their background in restaurant supply has connected Made In with artisans around the world who excel in, and in some cases originated, their craft. This means they offer Knives from the birthplace of the chef knife (Thiers, France), Plateware made from locally harvested clay (Stoke-on-Trent, England), 5-ply Stainless Steel manufactured with the purest raw materials (Italy and Tennessee), and Enameled Cast Iron that’s been made in the same village since 1920 (Northeast France).
In addition to their products, Made In offers a wide variety of culinary education on their social media, blog, and YouTube channels, including interviews with chef customers, recipes from their in-house culinary team, and techniques to keep their customers updated on new trends in the food world.
Popular Made In Products and Reviews
Made In offers more than just pans—though they started with (and are still known for) their Stainless Clad and Carbon Steel collections, they have since expanded into all areas of cooking and serving. This includes Glassware, Dinnerware, Bakeware, Knives, and prep tools. Some best sellers include:
- Non Stick Frying Pan
- 5.5 Qt Dutch Oven
- Stainless Clad Frying Pan
- Carbon Steel Griddle
- Blue Carbon Steel Frying Pan
They have over 100,000 5-star reviews on their website, with many praising the sleek look, high-quality construction, and relatively simple maintenance of their products.
Price Range
For single items (not including multi-piece cookware sets), Made In prices range from $49 (for a Blue Carbon Steel Pizza Steel) to $490 (for a 5QT Copper Rondeau).
All-Clad
Manufactured in the birthplace of the American steel industry, All-Clad’s original claim to fame came after launching their original line of stainless steel tools in 1971. Their founder created the modern form of cladded cookware, which layers stainless steel with other heat-conducting materials in order to improve the heat retention and temperature control of stainless steel.
Their original line of stainless steel has since evolved into non stick, ceramic, and hard anodized offerings, along with accessories, kitchen electronics, and bakeware. They are a very popular, chef-loved brand due to their time-tested durability and commitment to US manufacturing.
Features and Benefits
All-Clad has become synonymous with high-quality, professional tools that are beloved by professional and home chefs. Inventing the cladding process for Stainless Steel allows experimentation and improvement upon the process, which is seen in their D3, D5, and D7 Stainless lines.
All of their cookware has been made in the U.S. since All-Clad was founded, in the same area of Western Pennsylvania. This gives them access to the high-quality steel manufactured in the region, and keeps manufacturing and processing under one roof.
Popular All-Clad Products and Reviews
All-Clad is primarily known for their stainless steel pans, pots, kitchen electronics, and accessories, but they now offer a full range of cookware. Some of their best sellers are listed below:
- 5.5 qt Dutch Oven
- Jelly Roll Pan
- Universal Pan with Lid
- Nonstick Pan
- Stainless Steel Skillet
Price Range
Excluding multi-piece cookware sets and electronics, All-Clad cookware prices range from $59.99 (for a 10-inch Hard Anodized Nonstick Pan) to $499.99 (for an 8QT Copper Core Stock Pot).
Made In vs. All-Clad: Which One Is Better?
When deciding whether Made In or All Clad is better, it ultimately boils down to preference. All Clad is a time-tested brand with plenty of name recognition that excels at making stainless steel cookware. Made In, on the other hand, is a more recently established brand that has expanded into all areas of cooking, from prep to pans to tabletop. Here are a few factors to consider when deciding between these two brands.
Price
All-Clad does lean more expensive than Made In—a 12” stainless steel skillet from All-Clad is $129, while the same size and material is $119 at Made In. The difference is minimal, but if you’re financially conscious then it’s a factor worth considering.
Returns and Warranties
Both brands offer limited lifetime warranties and returns on most of their products (returns must be processed within 45 days). This allows you as the consumer to have a good deal of flexibility when ordering, as you have over a month to decide if a product is right for you.
Both Made In and All-Clad are available on their respective websites. All-Clad is shoppable at many home retailers, like Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel, that often markup the price. Made In is only available to be purchased through their website or brick-and-mortar store.
Product Assortment
Made In has an edge over All-Clad in terms of product offerings and assortment. In addition to cookware in different materials (Carbon Steel, Non Stick, Cast Iron, Copper, and Stainless Clad), they offer Glassware, Plateware, colorful Enameled Cast Iron, Knives, and Bakeware, with more plans to expand further. While All-Clad has expanded beyond just stainless steel pans, their product variety is much smaller than Made In’s.
Final Verdict
While it boils down to personal preference, we ultimately believe if you're looking for a brand that offers a wide variety of premium quality tools at reasonable prices, then Made In is the way to go. You can’t go wrong with either, but Made In comes out on top in terms of quality, price, and product assortment. We also love that they work with chefs to beta test their products, ensuring that home cooks and chefs alike have access to the very best tools.
Shop Made In
Both Made In and All-Clad offer high-quality cookware that can take your cooking to the next level. But as a direct-to-consumer brand, Made In is able to sell artisan-crafted tools without a retail markup, meaning more home cooks have access to chef-approved tools manufactured all over the world, often for the first time.
While All-Clad may have a longer history, Made In offers a compelling alternative that should not be overlooked. By choosing Made In, you know you’re getting high-quality, restaurant-tested, built-to-last cookware.
