Made in the USA: Calphalon, All-Clad

One of the things I look for when I am choosing a frying pan is that it is free of plastic parts. My frying pans make frequent trips between the stove top and the oven, so the strong metal construction is essential.

I've been using Calphalon hard anodized aluminum pans for years. So far, I have nothing to complain about these pans. Calphalon makes anodized aluminum cookware with or without nonstick coating. The non-coated version does stick in the beginning, but the pan gradually get seasoned over time and requires less cooking oil later on. This is what I like about hard-anodized aluminum pans over stainless-steel pans. The latter requires a lot more oil to prevent sticking for the length of its life. Calphalon's stainless-steel sauce has been working great as long as the food being cooked is not something easily burnt.

Calphalon Hard Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Frying Pans

Calphalon Hard Anodized Aluminum Frying Pan (not nonstick)

Calphalon has other cookware product lines but I am not familiar with them. Check out their website.

All-Clad is probably more famous for a stainless-steel line and their products are also manufactured in the USA. I do not have any All-Clad products mainly because of the higher price tag and also because I prefer hard anodized pans. They do have nonstick pans but are double the price of Calphalon pans. The All-Clad owners say they love their pans, so users have to justify the price and benefit.

  All-Clad Pots and Pans

A comment on Calphalon. They make variety of products other than cookware, but many cooking utensils, bakeware, and low-end cookware I saw in stores were not made in the USA. As always, we need to check the label.