All-Clad D3® Stainless Steel 12 Quart Stockpot Covered- Made in the USA- The Original Bonded Professional Cookware- Oven Safe & Induction Compatible

I don't want to suggest that this is the "best" stockpot or even imply it's better than some less expensive offerings. In fact, I'm quite positive with a little time spent web sleuthing, I could be just as pleased spending just a quarter of the money. BUT... I must say that All-Clad is the first name I checked out. Since 1997, my wife and I have been cooking on All-Clad stainless steel line (which refers to the finish -- it features All-Clad's signature aluminum core construction), and all of that gear is holding up remarkably well, with daily use and regular scourings. This pot is no different, with the same aluminum core, low-polish stainless exterior (not exactly mirror bright, thank goodness), and easy-to-clean interior that handles Brillo pads and Barkeepers Helper without complaint. The sign of any good stockpot -- this one included -- is a good amount of base material to facilitate even heat spread. The cheap pots with thin bases that develop hot spots not only require constant stirring and undue patience, they're a pain to clean all the burnt-on muck off the bottom. This one features an extremely thick steel-aluminum sandwich base plate, that heats up quickly and simmers really well, without a bunch of micro-adjustments to the flame. The other sign of a good stockpot is a tall, narrow profile -- to control the rate of boil-off and ensure all of the ingredients are absorbing the natural flavors rising from the bottom. There's a trade-off with this pot: if you're dealing with smaller quantities, this pot is too wide and, in fact, annoyingly tall. For those instances, a narrower pot is in order. For larger quantities, pickings are slim, but this fits the bill. The pot measures about 12 inches across, and is a bit more than 10 inches tall. It easily handles whole chicken and turkey carcasses. There's no flex to the sides -- which are "normal" thickness, i.e. quite a bit thinner that the fat base -- so even when I'm lifting the full, heavy pot off the cook top, the riveted handles always feel sturdy, and I don't expect any failures *ever* just like with our long-serving braiser and soup pot. My biggest criticism of this type of handle is cleaning the discoloration that eventually develops around the rivets -- but that's just a petty grievance. For a reason I'm not aware of, this 16 quart pot is a rare beast, with no presence on All-Clad's website, nor many of the other All-Clad retailers. While the price tag on this pot is "reasonable" in the All-Clad price scheme (and there are certainly more expensive stockpots out there), I again want remind you that, before clicking "Buy Now," there are more competitively priced stockpots to choose from that are almost certainly of equal quality.

I bought several tri-ply pots in different sizes after trying one small set to start with. These are truly very good pots: sturdy, durable, good looking, and they work very well. I cook on a daily basis and mostly from scratch. I have used them for stews, soups and roasts and they have come through as I had expected. I have read some comments about stains or scratches; while I have not had any yet, I do expect them to show some wear and tear after a while, so that does not bother me as much as it might bother other people. The one thing I do not like that much is the frying pans. They tend to stick, so I still use the older steel ones I had. And the long handles in some of the pots--while helpful for their use-- they can be a nuisance for storage. If I had to give some advice it would be not to buy sets that might include things that you might not use that much. It ends up being a waste. I would look for sales and get something similar to the sizes that you already have and use often: you bought them because you needed them. Those sizes are tried and true. My two cents!

We love the All-Clad line, and this 16-Quart pot is a pleasure to use. An advantage of a well-made heavy pot such as this is that food is less likely to burn and stick to it... which in turn makes cleanup easier. It's just plain more pleasurable to cook with good cookware. If you're considering an upgrade to what you are now making soup in, don't overthink it. Get this. Works well on all surfaces, including convection. A pot such a this with an insert strainer is dandy for steaming crabs and other seafood, too.

This pot cost three times as much as the Calpalon that it replaced. Is it three times better? Maybe! Reasons to spend $300-400 on one pot: 1. It is obviously made of much better materials than cheaper pots. 2. The craftsmanship and build quality is MUCH better. 3. Aestethically (I know, most people don't care) this pot is beautiful- shiny chrome exterior and brushed stainless interior 4. Function: it cooks food well without hot spots in the pot. It heats up fast and evenly. 5. Solid build, but not that heavy. For being a tri-ply construction, this pot is surprisingly light. 6. Cleans easily- you can do a glaze on it and still clean it very easily with Barkeeper's Friend 7. Design - easy to pour the liquid out of the pot due to the shape- I don't know why other pots don't do this. 8. Fit/finish- the lid fits perfectly unlike other cheaper pots. 9. Value - if you take care of this pot, it will outlast cheaper pots, so the actual cost of ownership isn't that high For me, cooking with a beautiful pot like this makes it much more enjoyable. It's just a great feeling to have something so nice in the kitchen. It gives me joy knowing that in our disposable, cheap, "made-in-china" society, there is actually a group of people that care about making something functional, beautiful, and high quality. Not only that, there are other people that appreciate and are willing to pay for that degree of care. This gives me hope.

Yeah, it’s expensive. It’s also a great stock pot. We have slowly converted all of our cook wear to either AllClad or Lecreuset over the last 10 years. It’s expensive, but it DOES perform at a noticeably higher level than the cheaper options. It also basically lasts forever. Do you NEED this to cook great meals? Nope. 100% you don’t. Does it help? Yes! I really like the shape for this particular size/volume. It’s wider than many of the other pots with this volume - and that helps with searing stuff like large cuts of meat and the like. One note: Don’t put these in the dishwasher. I was caught up in an AllClad recall where the pots were officially dishwasher rated, but washing them that way caused the aluminum core to erode out and left sharp edges. Hand washing and using barkeepers friend to take off any gnarly burned on stuff works really well.

This is my new workhorse. I got it just as I moved into a new house while the rest of my pots and pans were en route, and I used it for everything from soup to frying bacon. It did great at everything. Nice even heat, sleek looks, and feels good to use. I found it easy to clean, and the size is perfect for a home cook doing some 6-8 serving big-batch cooking.

All Clad is a fantastic product, my review is not about the product, it’s about the lack of proper packaging. This is the second pot I ordered and returned from this seller. I returned the first order because of the same issue. Unfortunately, the seller who boxed and shipped this product failed to protect the pot and lid in a secure manor. Bottom of pot was tied into a plastic bag(see photo). The lid was turned upside down on top of the bottom with no packaging around the lid to protect it. As the box went through the shipping process, the lid rattled around tearing the plastic bag. As the lid to bounced around the entire rim of the lid was scratched (see photos). I will be buying the same product again. All Clad is an excellent product. Just not from this seller.

I love this pot. It is big, it is sturdy, it lives up to all the good things I had heard about it. When I was looking for a stock pot, I asked my brother for advice because he is a professional chef. This is the pot he recommended. It cost twice as much as I had originally budgeted, but I am glad that I spent the money because I will never have to replace it. The bottom is thick and even, it cooks beautifully. The first thing I cooked was a big batch of applesauce. Since then I have been making soups and stews. The pot is big enough that I don't have anything splashing out or boiling over. There is a lot of room to add ingredients and stir. I was amazed at how well it holds the heat after I turn off the burner, so I can actually save energy by turning off the burner before the food is done. I keep an eye on things to make sure the food stays at safe temperatures, I don't just turn it off and leave it all day (for those of you who are worried about food safety, as am I!).