All-Clad Master Chef 2 5-Quart Casserole Pan?  Product Reviews

"This pot has been a welcome addition to my kitchen for serveral reasons. It's a great size for making soups. The tall sides and relatively narrow width assure minimal evaporation; the heavy All-Clad bottom means that there are no hot spots. Some of the recipes I use begin with "blooming" spices in a bit of oil and softening onions and/or garlic, too. There's no worry about scorching. For our empty nest, it's just the right size for preparing pasta, too. Smaller pots don't hold enough water to cook the pasta without it sticking or becoming gummy; larger pots -- well, who wants to boil eight to twelves quarts of water just to cook less than a half pound of spaghetti? This pot is the perfect "between" size. I'm not sure why All-Clad calls it a casserole pan. Casseroles are one thing I don't imagine cooking in this pot. But I'm glad I ignored the name and decided to give it a try for the tasks I've described. It's perfect. One other thing. Finally I've begun acquiring heavy, GOOD pots and pans. What a difference these make. It's wonderful to be able simply to cook without having to fight one's equipment. I never realized how much difference it would make, not only in the quality of the results, but also in my enjoyment of the process of cooking. Buying a cheaply made pan or pot is a false economy, one that will never again tempt me."

"I like the "Master Chef 2" line of All-Clad products. They have an attractive brushed aluminum exterior with stainless steel interior and lid. They have a solid aluminum core that not only fills the bottom but also extends up the sides, so you get even heating of your food. The lids fit well, you can use metal utensils on the cookware without damaging it, and the smooth interior cleans fairly easily. The cookware is durable and will last for years without incident. If you drop it, you're far more likely to hurt your foot or the floor than the pot! The handles are riveted on very strongly, and we've never had a handle show signs of giving way or pulling loose. We've had our All-Clad items for years and they're in fantastic shape. Technically you could put your MC2 cookware in the dishwasher, but it isn't recommended. Not only would the 5-quart casserole not really fit very well (it's a bit tall) but this can eventually ruin the nice finish, causing discoloration. This is one of the real down-sides to All-Clad cookware in an age when most new cookware is dishwasher safe. I also find that the 5-quart casserole (I actually think of it as a stockpot because it seems closer to that in shape) isn't the most useful size. It seems like most of the things we make need to be in a smaller or larger pot; there are few things that fit perfectly in a 5-quart pot. The one thing this pot does have going for it, however, is that aforementioned shape. The tall, comparatively narrow shape of it means that if you're cooking something that you want in a large pot due to spattering worries, but that you want in a narrow pot because you aren't cooking much of it and don't want to burn the bottom of it, this is one pot that'll do the job well."

"Thsi pot is the ideal size for boiling up to a pound of pasta, making soups, casseroles, or anything that needs to start on the stove and go into the oven. I use it at least once a week. It only measures 8" wide so it takes up very little shelf space. A great piece of equipment, in my opinion."