Emeril Cookware Review Is It The ‘Pro-Chef’ Cookware Dream We All Desire?

What Is Emeril Cookware?

Before we can show you what Emeril Cookware is, we must first introduce you to Emeril Lagasse, the brand's owner, and namesake. For those who don't know, Emeril Lagasse is a celebrity chef known for Food Network shows such as Emeril Live. 

Emeril opened his first restaurant in New Orleans back in 1990 and has never looked back.

He now has a well-curated range of cookware in his name, all of which meet professional standards as well as being perfect for home cooking too.

Aside from the cookware, Emeril also has a variety of different ranges of products, such as bakeware, cleaning supplies, cutlery, and kitchen electrics.

Emeril pots and pans may be chosen by Emeril Lagasse but who makes them?

Who Makes Emeril Cookware?

We could not clarify precisely who makes Emeril Cookware. There are rumors that All-Clad makes some pieces, whereas other manufacturers make others.

What seems to be apparent, though, is that each piece within the Emeril cookware range takes advantage of the technological and innovative advances from each manufacturer. As you'd expect from a professional chef, they want the cream of the crop.

We can tell you what Emeril pans are made of though ...

What Is Emeril Cookware Made Of?

Emeril Cookware is made of a variety of materials depending on the range. The primary materials are:

Funnily enough, Emeril has chosen to name his ranges after the material he has chosen for it, which leads us nicely onto the next point!

What Ranges Of Cookware Does Emeril Have?

Emeril Lagasse has curated a well-considered range of cookware for both the professional and home cook, one that can appease specific tastes and that can expand to suit the creative cook who likes to use different materials to achieve different outcomes.

There are Emeril pots and pans to suit all tastes.

Here are the main features and benefits for each range:

Emeril Stainless Steel Range

Chefs tend to prefer stainless steel because it has many benefits, which we assume may be the reason why it features in Emeril's cookware range.

For example, Emeril's stainless steel range is:

Durable:

Stainless steel is very tough; it doesn't chip or rust, making it an excellent choice for home and professional chefs alike. It's usually dent and scratch-resistant too. It lasts a long time.

Easily Transferable:

Stainless steel is usually dishwasher safe, fridge safe, and even oven safe (depending on the handles), making it convenient to use. 

Doesn't Transfer Flavor: 

You won't find the stainless steel leaching into your food and changing the flavor since it's impossible for it to do this. Meaning that the flavors you create in stainless steel are pure and untainted.

Food Cooks Evenly: 

Stainless steel needs to combine with another form of metal for even heat distribution. Emeril Cookware has an aluminum base with a copper core to accomplish an even heat distribution. This cookware will cook evenly. 

The challenge with stainless steel though, is always that there's a knack to cooking with it so that the food doesn't stick, and you need to avoid the temptation to scrub the pan with damaging abrasives. 

If you're more of a 'cook with ease nonstick all the way' type of person, you'll find that Emeril cookware has you covered with their Nonstick hard-anodized range.

Emeril Cookware's Stainless Steel Ranges Includes The Following Pans

Emeril Lagasse Non-Stick Hard Anodized Range

Now, professional chefs don't usually tend to use nonstick cookware, that's because the benefits of the stainless steel when you know how to use them outweigh the benefits of nonstick by far.

But for the home chef, the requirements are different.

Most home cooks don't want the challenge of learning how to use stainless steel, and don't mind missing out on flavor, and are often not too concerned with the texture of the food. They usually need something good and convenient to cook everyday food with. Emeril acknowledges this with his Nonstick hard-anodized range.

It is made out of heavy gauge aluminum, which delivers fast and even heat distribution and contains a triple layer of nonstick coating for longevity.

This range from Emeril Cookware is also safe for all types of stoves, including gas and induction. They are oven and dishwasher safe too.

The Emeril Nonstick Hard-Anodized Range includes the following types of cookware:

Emeril Cookware Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Range

As intimidating as a cast iron pan may look – professional chefs love them. So it's no surprise to see that Emeril Cookware has a cast-iron range in their portfolio of products.

Cast-iron pans are heavy, intense and can be difficult to clean. There's a knack to using them, but they create culinary treats that you can't accomplish anywhere else, and you can even use them over an open fire.

Here are some of the benefits of using Emeril Cookware's cast iron pans.

Holds Heat For A Long Time:

Chefs love cast iron because it can hold the heat for a long time, making it great for searing and baking.

Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pans Are Nonstick:

Emeril's range of cast iron pans are all pre-seasoned, meaning that they will be more comfortable to cook with and clean than a non-seasoned pan. 

Creates Magic In The Pan: 

There are flavors and textures you can create in a cast iron pan that are not possible to accomplish any other way. 

High Heat Resistant: 

Perfect for the barbeque, oven, and campfire too. 

Emeril's choice to make his cast-iron range pre-seasoned demonstrates his knowledge and understanding of the differences between what a professional chef needs and what a home cook needs. 

The whole range demonstrates this understanding. 

Emeril Lagasse Cookware offers the perfect range to suit the home cook at any level of expertise and to suit the level of convenience you require.

In Emeril's Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Range you'll discover the following products:

Emeril cookware sets bring professional-level cooking to the home chef with the finesse that you'd expect from a top chef and a high-class restaurant – bravo!

These features are all great, but they’re no different to other ranges, so why would you consider Emeril cookware, here’s why:

What Are The Features And Benefits Of Emeril Cookware?

Emeril has applied his knowledge and expertise when selecting his range of cookware. They are all designed to be professional quality for the home cook. Emeril cookware is worth considering because it boasts:

Well-Curated Range

Emeril pots and pans are well-curated – everything within the range is necessary. There is nothing surplus to requirements. If a pan doesn't feature in this range, you probably don't want or need it! 

The Perfect Product For Your Taste and Needs

Because Emeril Lagasse keeps his cookware range light, you'll find it easy to decide what products you need without getting overwhelmed with too many options.

Choosing Is Simple

All you need to do is decide what products you want and what material you prefer out of the options provided by Emeril, and you'll find a well made, long-lasting cookware product that will probably be perfect for what you need.

Lifetime Guarantees

Many of Emeril's Cookware Sets come with a lifetime guarantee. Simply read the description to find out whether the product you want is guaranteed.

Coming up next is our recommended Emeril pots, based on experience and customer reviews. 

Recommended Emeril Cookware Products

Emeril Lagasse Cookware Reviews tell us that these are the most popular products, and we'd have to agree. They are well worth the price, long-lasting, and easy to use.

Best Emeril Cookware #1: 
Most Practical: Emeril Lagasse 12 Piece Hard-Anodized Nonstick Cookware Set

This Emeril cookware set contains 12 pieces, which is excellent value. It's part of the Emeril nonstick hard anodized range and features the triple-layer nonstick coating.

You'll find that this Emeril cookware set is:

Best Emeril Saucepan #2: 
Emeril Lagasse Stainless Steel Saucepan - 2 Quart

This is a great all-round Emeril pan that will last forever or your money back. If you want to try out Emeril's stainless steel range, we can't recommend this useful Emeril pan as a fantastic staple saucepan and test piece to decide if you want to invest in more Emeril Cookware.

It comes with:

Best Emeril Fry Pan #3: 
Emeril Hard Anodized Fry Pan - 2 Pack

If you'd prefer to try out a fry pan instead, here's a great value pack of two from the hard anodized cookware range. Buy these, and you'll never look back.

They come with:

To enjoy your products, you’ll need to know how to cook with stainless steel, we’ve got the details right here:

How To Cook With Emeril Stainless Steel Cookware

Cooking with stainless steel is easy, however, to make sure that your food doesn't stick, you need to learn how to season the pan. It's this 'seasoning' process that will ensure that cooking with stainless steel is as easy as using nonstick. 

Let's get down to it:

You now have a seasoned pan. You don't need to keep washing the pan with soap if you don't want to. If you do decide to clean the pan after seasoning, you'll need to season again before use.

Tip! Try to resist the urge to disturb the food as it cooks in your stainless steel or cast iron pans. The food often sticks and then releases as the chemical composition changes, and it's this aspect that makes the difference between good food and fantastic food!

Emeril Cookware Vs. Calphalon

Because we don't know precisely who manufactures Emeril cookware, there seems to be a possibility that different manufacturers make each range or Emeril pots. This means that it's difficult to determine how Emeril cookware fairs when compared to Calphalon.

We can see that Emeril cookware incorporates much of the technology that most leading manufacturers like Calphalon have, but we can't be sure exactly how high quality it is. 

Whereas with Calphalon, you can choose the technology and design you prefer to suit your budget, but it can be overwhelming to select the right option. 

If you know what to look out for, Calphalon might be a better option for you, especially if the Emeril range doesn't have the product you want. However, if you're a home cook, you could think of the Emeril cookware range as having a professional chef taking you shopping to pick out a quality pan for you. These pans just happen to be Emeril pots and pans, though. 

Now we’ve covered the Calphalon connection let's take a look at the All-Clad connection to Emeril Cookware.

Emeril By All-Clad Vs. All-Clad

There is a huge debate online about whether Emeril by All-Clad is the same as All-Clad. Even though there is a considerable difference in price – Emeril is much cheaper. There are also rumors that All-Clad makes some Emeril pots and pans.

It's difficult to fully confirm what the truth is since Emeril doesn't go into detail about the manufacturer or technology of their cookware.

A great rule of thumb may be: to get started, try the Emeril cookware set, and if you find you need or want any advanced or specific pieces to add to your collection, then consider All-Clad.

Emeril Lagasse Cookware Review - What Do The Customers Say?

Most people are satisfied with the products, though, it seems as though the main issues are that these pans require some due care and attention to keep them in tip-top condition, which is the same for all good quality pans. Once you get the hang of them, you should be able to enjoy them with no issues.

Conclusion

Emeril pots and pans are a great option if you're looking for great professional cookware without having to spend too much money. Which means they are great for beginners and seasoned pros alike.

Like many professional-quality pots and pans, they do require an adjustment to the way you care for or use the pans, but once you've figured that out, cooking with them should be easy.

They are a great start to building a professional kit for the home.