Demeyere Cookware
What’s the best cookware out there? Seems like a different answer from every person you ask. Many will say All-Clad. Some cooks clutch tightly to their beloved 60 year old cast iron pans, some love copper, and still others cant live without non-stick coatings.
I spent a long time considering what cookware I want to invest in. I personally don’t believe in buying cheap things over and over again. I want cookware that I can use for the rest of my life. I also want to be able to achieve restaurant-quality results.
First, I ruled out what I don’t want:
- Copper because, no matter how awesome it is (and it is awesome), the tin lining eventually melts or wears away and it’s very hard to keep it in good condition for many years.
- Non-stick stuff because it’s not durable enough. Eventually the coating does wear away. I don’t want chemical coatings flaking into the food and non-stick pans are often not thick/heavy enough for a good even and sustainable heat. (although one non-stick is great to have for eggs and delicate fish)
- Cast iron because it’s incredibly heavy, can rust and the handles get as hot as the pan itself.
- Carbon steel because it also gets really hot, is heavy, can rust and can be very difficult to clean.
Eventually I settled on stainless/ply cookware. It’s the most durable material and almost impossible to damage beyond repair. Stainless can be cleaned fairly easily, put in the dishwasher and won’t rust. It may not have the looks of copper but there are some stylish stainless sets out there.
So, for me, the answer to the question “what is the best cookware out there?” turned out to be Demeyere’s Atlantis line of stainless steel pots and pans. I started small with the saute pan (for browning, braising and, uh, sauteing) and a small conical saucepan. I have ordered the Proline frying pan and hope to have that soon. Some day I’d love to have a larger conical pan and a casserole from the line. For now I fill in the gaps with my 30 year old stainless pans inherited from my parents.
Browning Pork
Braising Shortribs
Demeyere is a somewhat little-known company making pots and pans in Belgium. They don’t have the flashy name or the deal with Food Network. They are quite expensive. They are heavy. So why did I choose Demeyere’s Atlantis line to be my cookware for, quite possibly, the rest of my life?
- The handles are large and comfortable.
- The edges of each pot are a “pouring edge.”
- The handles are welded (no rivets) and the pans are easy to clean.
- Each pot is made to suit its function.
- Serious weight, quality metals and construction quality.
- Incredible induction performance. (I use gas, but this is nice for future-proofing)
I also did, as always, thoroughly Google the matter and found that on most discussion forums and cooking communities, Demeyere is very highly regarded for cooking quality – even heat, responsiveness and durability.
Another thoughtful detail is that Demeyere constructs each pan according to its function. Where some manufacturers rely on a single trick (All-Clad comes to mind) for making every piece, Demeyere matches function to construction method. For instance, the frying pans and conical saucepans are clad because they are designed to reduce moisture and use the entire surface of the pan to cook the food. The saute pans, casseroles and straight sided saucepans are made with a copper disk bottom, because these are intended to have extremely even heat and preserve moisture. It is sort of hard to determine all of this from Demeyere’s own web site, so hopefully this explanation is of use to someone out there.
Above is an example of the saute pan construction. A nice, thick copper disk sits in the bottom of the pan. I wouldn’t suggest this cookware for the weak-armed among us, or those who are unwilling to lift significant weight during cooking and washing. In that area I will give the nod to All-Clad which is much lighter. Demeyere (at least this Atlantis line) is heavy stuff. Part of the reason it cooks so well!
That’s the illustration of the frying pan and conical saucepan layers. As you can see, this is more of a clad construction designed for cooking all over the surface.
If you’re interested, Sur La Table carries Demeyere Atlantis, but 125west.com and cookware.com are sometimes cheaper sources and have coupons from time to time. Ordering from 125west takes up to three weeks because the stuff comes right from Belgium.
February 17th, 2010 at 10:35 AM
I found your link on the chow boards.. just wanted to say, nicely written and beautiful photos.
February 18th, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Thanks very much for checking it out and for the nice comments.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:35 PM
Great post, Jon. The pictures are stellar, and the information you provide is right to the point.
My thoughts parallel all of yours, especially the belief in not buying cheap things. Every time I do I regret it. After doing a lot of research, and trying out a few different lines of cookware over the years, I decided to go with the Atlantis line, too. I got two of the 8.5 stockpots for quantity cooking, a 5.1 quart dutch oven, a 3.2 quart saucepot, a 2.3 quart conical saute pan, a 1.6 quart sauce pan, and a 4.2 quart saute pan. I just got them in today and they are beautiful, but I haven’t tried them out yet. I’m particularly impressed with the solid feel of these things–they are definitely not light–and I love the handles. The handles are meaty, something you can really grab onto.
As I use them, if I note anything other than stellar performance, I’ll post back here. I suspect I won’t be writing.
Thanks again for a great post.
March 1st, 2010 at 11:07 AM
[...] this from Belgium recently as I mentioned in my first post about Demeyere cookware. (A general summary of the cookware is located there.) Not as heavy as I [...]
March 7th, 2010 at 8:41 AM
Great information thank you for sharing. After researching and reading several post concerning Demeyere cookware I wanted to try them; however after reading yours I could wait no longer so I ordered a few Atlantis pieces (10) I am sure I am going to love them, so in advance, Thank you so much for your research, thorough information and awesome pictures. My pieces should arrive this week, if I can drag myself out of the kitchen I will write back and let you know what I think.
March 16th, 2010 at 1:57 PM
I found your site via the chow boards, and agree about Demeyere (I only own the proline/atlantis 11″ frying pan, but will probably buy more pieces soon — that pan, plus some cheap stockpots, a cast iron pan, and the 1.5qt falk culinair copper “try me”, is all I really use.).
The one tip I have for Demeyere is to buy some Bar Keeper’s Friend and Demeyere cleaner, since that makes cleaning and polishing a lot easier. I seem to get distracted sometimes while preheating a pan, or heating oil, or cooking, and I’ve burned quite a few things, but the surface cleans up nicely each time.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:08 PM
Thanks for the visit Ryan. I really am enjoying that frying pan and agree about Bar Keeper’s Friend… it really gets the sticky stuff off!
And yes, one of my recent finds was a cheap and HUGE 20qt stock pot on sale. I am a firm believer in gigantic cheap stockpots
March 16th, 2010 at 10:10 PM
Thanks for reading Florence. I’d love to hear your impressions of the stuff you got. I’m sure you will like it, and your arms will get a workout. I’m jealous! 10 pieces!
March 25th, 2010 at 7:07 AM
This wordpress theme you’re running, is it custom or did you download it form one of the free theme sites?
March 27th, 2010 at 5:58 PM
It’s custom, been tweaking it over time.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Hi Jon, do you find the handles of the Demeyere Atlantis to have sufficient grip even when rotating the pan to pour it?
The reason I ask is I have a Paderno sauce pan that has handles that look very much like the Atlantis ones (I have never touched the Atlantis cookware in person), and because my Paderno handles are slightly rounded, when I rotate a heavy sauce pan filled with liquid to pour it, my grip slips a little, especially if my hand is wet. I wonder if the Atlantis handles are flat enough to afford a good grip?
March 30th, 2010 at 2:37 PM
Well, the handles are very comfortable and solid, and they don’t get hot. I don’t feel that grip is a problem either.
However, the 12″ saute pan is so heavy that the helper handle is somewhat necessary to pour liquid, etc out. I think you’d need the helper handle regardless of grip on the heavier pans.
I haven’t noticed the problem so I am going to say it’s not a problem. Your mileage may vary.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:46 PM
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July 7th, 2010 at 6:33 AM
I love this cookware. It’s beautiful and durable. Handles stay cool. The frypans fry as good as a copper pan but lighter than copper. Good prices and discounts for large orders at http://www.yourcookware.com.
July 17th, 2010 at 8:41 AM
The Demeyere frypan is a great product..heat on 80% power then lower the heat to 20%..never a problem with sticking,i can turn out omelettes in my 11″..really!
July 17th, 2010 at 8:47 AM
Ohhh..for new owners of the Demeyere frypans..heat on 80% power..drop water sprinkles till they hop around,then lower to 20% power or a bit less….after a while you’ll know just by touching the side of the pan when it’s time to lower and cook and you’ll no longer need the water test.
August 14th, 2010 at 1:47 PM
Thanks forrrr this article ! Go on! sending stuff like that
August 29th, 2010 at 5:03 PM
I am looking at buying the saucier. Can you please tell me what you use it for and how you find it different to a normal saucepan of the same size.
Thank you
September 6th, 2010 at 1:59 PM
It’s great for rapid reductions, anything you want to evaporate and reduce moisture. It’s also wonderful for things that need to be stirred frequently or whisked in the pan, the shape makes it very easy to handle.