Five Two Essential Cookware is a cookware by the Company Food 52. I am assuming the nomenclature Five Two comes from the 52. What the number itself means still alludes me. They claim that the cookware is a result of the feedback that they have gotten from the community and home cooks. While the picture certainly are beautiful for this line of cookware, I have some reservation about its design.

Interesting enough, the company seems to be touting the positive review by New York times, Florence Fabricant. When I clicked it, there was only One Paragraph about the saucepan. This review will go a little more in depth about the design and discuss whether the design feature actually works.

Five Two Essential Cookware Quick Summary

Tri Ply and Cladding

What a tri ply means is that there is three layers of metal stamped into one. The typical configuration of this design means that there is a outer and inner lining of stainless steel with a aluminum core. The Aluminum core allows for a fast transfer of heat. It is one of the best conductive metal out there. However, the issue is that its reactive with acidic food. While the stainless steel, a poor conductor of heat, does not react with food nor does it stains. By combining these metals, you get the best of both world.

This design was pioneered by All Clad. I am guessing that since the patent has expired, all the other manufacturer have jump on this ship as well. And for good reason, fully cladded cookware allows for a even distribution of heat from the bottom of the pan to the top wall. The reason for this is that the thickness is uniform throughout. While on a disc bottom cookware, there is a temperature difference due to the thickness variance. Usually the bottom will be overly thick, while the walls will be very thin. This cause food to scorch on the side.

Five Two Essential Cookware Design

This section will discuss the various design aspect of Five Two Essential Cookware handle, shape and features. We will be primarily focusing on the saucepan and the frying pan.

Handle

Yea, the handle is no good. They seem to follow the masochist handles of All Clad. It has two sharp edges on the side that will dig into your hand. While this does help you maintain grip, if you cook for a long period of time, expect it to ache. I wonder why they didn’t go for a more rounded design. Numerous people have purposely avoided All Clad just because of the handle.
Near the base of the handle, there is a Y heat choke to prevent the transfer of heat. Couple the fact that its stainless steel, means that it will stay cool on the stove top. However, if you plan on cooking in the oven, it is recommended to always use a glove. You do not want to be overly comfortable with it and burn yourself.
What I do like about the handle is the rivetless design. More than likely it was spot welded at the handle base. Then it was brushed to hid the weld marks. Regardless, this does make cleaning easier than those with rivets. I wonder how long the handle will last though.

Five Two Essential Cookware Shape

The shape of their saucepan is an odd one. I would call that more of a saucier than a saucepan. The diameter of the top rims tapers down much like a saucier. However, the sidewall is incredibly high like that of a saucepan. The lips are not rolled but rather there are two lips on either side to be used as pouring lips. Quite frankly, I do not like the way the pouring lip was designed. It looks like it was done on purpose to save on manufacturing cost.

What I do like is the gradual gradient of the corners. It is smooth unlike those of other manufacturer. Those cookware have a very sharp edge causing food to get stuck there. Again, this is very much like how a saucier is designed. This type of design allows for easy whisking.

Lid

The lid is interesting to say the least. The glass lids allows you to look inside but it will fog up with steam. Essentially making it pontless. I would have preferred an all metal handle so I dont have to worry about it breaking.
On either side of the lid, there are drain holes that lets you pour/drain liquid. This also helps you keep food in. This is perfect for draining food like pasta. However, pouring is slow due to the narrow opening. You are also forced to strain on either side. But its still better than nothing.
A good tip to note about the cookware is the holes on the side. An essential purpose of a lid is to keep in moisture. Since there are holes on some side, you have to remember to turn it to the proper position to trap moisture. Otherwise, the holes will act as a vent and steam will escape. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your views.

Exterior and Interior Finish

The finish on both the interior and exterior is a brushed metal finish. These are great to make cleaning easier. Marks and gouges will look like it was inherent to its design. Usually for polished stainless steel, it will get marred and develop water stains. The end result is a unsightly cookware.

Five Two Essential Cookware Thoughts

Five Two Essential Saucepan is ok. I would classify it as more of a saucier than a saucepan. Quite frankly, the tall sidewall will making whisking a little difficult. If you want a really good example of a good saucier, I recommend that you take a look at the one by All Clad. Those are the prime example of what a saucier should be. However, the Five Two saucepan is also only 89 dollar at the time of this review. Quite a bit cheaper than All Clad.

I hope you found this Five Two Essential Cookware Review to be informative, If you would like to see more, please visit our Pots and Pans Review page.