All Clad vs Viking, which is better? In the past, Viking Range of Product was geared more towards the professional Kitchen. One of their best known product is the gas range that is provided commercially. Nowadays, they have expanded their range of products to compete with All Clad at a fraction of the price. In fact, Viking Current line of cookware almost mirrors that of all clad. Below, we will compare and contrast which models are similar and which is different.

Viking Professional Cookware

I feel like this is something that should be stated. It seems like Viking is trying to leverage their reputation as a commercial maker of cookware in their consumer grade product. On amazon, the slogan states “Professional Performance for Your Home”. To me, that just means that its a consumer grade product and not something that was made for a professional Kitchen. In a professional Kitchen, expect that cooks will go for the cheapest cookware possible. It simply does not make economic sense to buy expensive cookware. Also the gas range used is so powerful, that a high end pan will only make it marginally better.

All Clad Cookware

I am not sure if All Clad markets themselves to the professional kitchen, but given its popularity, I would not be surprised. The major difference that I see from All Clad, cookware aside, is that they have been marketing to the consumer market for a lot longer than viking. Hence, they are more well known than viking.
All Clad is actually the company who have invented the fully cladded cookware. This cladded cookware is now the defacto standard for cookware design. Other type of cookware design like the disc bottom cookware will often time develop heat spot on the sides. Those heat spot will eventually burn your food.

All Clad vs Viking Cookware Comparison

As stated before, Viking line of cookware almost mirrors the current line available from All Clad. In reality, you probably wont see a difference in performance between the two brand. If you are more concerned for fit, finish and quality, then go for All Clad. However, if you want the best performance for your dollar, Viking Professional Cookware is hard to beat. Below, you will find each other equivalent in terms of cookware.

All Clad D3 vs Viking Contemporary 3-Ply

Both of these cookware sets have a 3 ply constructions. Which means that the outer layer and interior is stainless steel. The inner core is made of aluminum to conduct heat. The prices are comparable but on average, Viking Cookware is around 200 dollar cheaper than All Clad’s Cookware. But which is better? In terms of performance, they should be about the same. But the shape is very different, we will take a closer look at their sets.

All Clad D3 (Recommended)

All Clad D3 is the lowest grade available in their high end line up. The fit and finish on these pans are excellent. They have passed many durability test that was done by America Test Kitchen. And this line of cookware is also one of the most recommended cookware by that same publication.

Their saute and frying pan all have rolled lip for easy pouring. Yet interesting enough, their saucepan does not. This was probably done to save cost and add additional value to their higher line of cookware. The d3, like most of All Clad cookware is plagued by their horrid handle. Many people have complained about this.

Viking Contemporary 3-Ply

This is Viking Introductory line of cookware. The general fit and finish is not as nice as the All Clad’s cookware. It does look more cheaply made but the cladding is about the same. What is interesting is that none of their cookware have any sort of rolled lip, including the frying and saute pan. Which is in contrast with All Clad.

Their pans are more splayed the straight up resembling more of a windsor pan. Normally, if you have a purpose designed windsor pan, then its great. But in this instance, it was more likely done to save money. The narrower bottom, means that less metal is used. In the long run, this can actually save companies millions. Money saving aside, this also means that you, as the consumer will have less cookware space to use. You will probably lose around 1 inch in diameter for the searing surface. This means that food will steam and crowd. If you want to prevent this, you need to cook in more batches. Which in general, is not desirable, especially if you need to get things done.

The handle, while slightly more comfortable than all clad, still falls short of other companies. What is interesting is that Viking have Helper handles on their pot. This helps in lifting and transporting a lot of liquid. In general, I would personally buy the All Clad set as the viking pans just feels cheap in comparison. The lost of cooking space is also a call for concern.

All Clad D5 vs Viking Professional 5-Ply

In this Series of Cookware, Viking has actually improved upon their cookware. Gone is the small diameter base, now its replaced with a more traditional size cookware. Both All Clad and viking uses a 5 year of alternating steel and aluminum in this cookware set. This lets the pan store more heat so that you get more even heat distribution and it sears food better. However, the main issue is the price that viking is asking for their set. As of this article, it is actually more expensive than All Clad. Usually imitation are cheaper than the real thing not the other way around. Depending on the price, I recommend that you get All Clad d5 series. Below is a more in depth look at both of these cookware set.

All Clad D5 (Recommended)

In this series, All Clad gets a brushed exterior, rolled lip, extra layers and a helper handle. All around, this series makes it better for searing food. The rolled lip lets you pour liquid easier and the helper handle aids in transport of the pot. Considering how painful their handles are, it makes sense to have these additional upgrade. While the lower d3 version are acceptable, I personally think that this series is definitely worth it for the additional 1-2 hundred dollar.

Viking Professional 5-Ply

This series of viking cookware is actually a lot like the d5. The exterior is brushed now, the pots are full sized instead of splayed and it now also have 5 layers. What is disappointing is that the pots lip are not rolled. Considering the huge jump in price, a small additional step in manufacturing should definitely be there. Look at the 7 piece cookware it is also more expensive than All Clad D5. Unless you can get this series 1-2 hundred dollar cheaper than the d5, I recommend avoiding it. The price is simply unjustified. It is made in america though.

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