Hexclad has made a real name for itself in the past couple of years. It is said to be one of the best nonstick cookware out on the market right now.
Even some top chefs like Gordon Ramsey have praised the effectiveness of these pans and pots.
There is no denying that Hexclad isn’t cheap, so these pots are an investment. Thus, you will want to know whether these pots can live up to their hype. In this article, we will be reviewing the popular Hexclad Cookware.
By the end of this review, you will know whether you should be purchasing Hexclad Cookware for your own kitchen.
Origins Of Hexclad
In 2006 Hexclad was founded by CEO Daniel Winer and Cole Mecray. They have been making nonstick products for professional and home chefs all over the world.
Their aim was to make pots and pans that were incredibly durable so that they would last a lifetime.
Therefore, this is why this cookware has a high price tag, as it is meant to last. The popularity of Hexclad is all down to its design. The founders wanted their cookware to be durable, with great heat control and cleaning abilities.
Hexclad Full Set
The entire collection of Hexclad cookware has 3 different sets, all of which come with lids. There are 6, 7, and 13 piece sets that you can own.
Every set will include a 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-pans. In the full Hexclad collection, there are various pans to collect. All of them are different sizes and have different purposes. In each set, there are various different sizes as well.
Apart from a couple of pans, we have already mentioned. There are some products that aren’t included in any of the sets.
These are the 8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch, and 14-inch pans with 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch lids. There is also a 12 inch and 14-inch wok that is available with accompanying lids. Finally, there is a 12-inch griddle pan.
In the 6 and 7 piece sets, you will receive the 12-inch wok, alongside the pans. The 7-piece set is known as the everyday pans that are essential for any novice or beginner in the kitchen.
If you are committed to cooking, and it is a hobby of yours, then the 13-piece set is a great option for you. The 13-piece set is known as the Chef’s package.
It will provide you with every pan your heart could ever dream of, giving you the options to create anything your heart desires, as you will have the pans to do it with.
Hexclad Unique Design
CEO Daniel Winer believes that what makes Hexclad stand out from its competitors is its hexagon design that you will see on all of its pans. Hexclad claims to have a hybrid design that they use across their cookware.
Their pans are made from tri-ply clad stainless steel alongside an aluminum interior. This makes these pans great conductors that can heat up really quickly and evenly.
Weight
Although, with all the design features of this cookware, we noticed that these pans are quite heavy. For example, the 12-inch frying pan from Hexclad weighs around four pounds, while similar frying pans only weigh 3 pounds.
It isn’t a huge difference, but you will notice it while cooking. Thus, the extra weight can make it difficult to carry some pieces of the cookware around your kitchen.
Hexagonal Lattice
Their design also includes a nonstick coating and a laser etched steel lattice that covers the nonstick coating.
The lattice is what gives Hexclad its noticeable appearance. This lattice is made up of hundreds of small hexagons, which also refers to Hexclad’s name.
These hexagons are really important to this cookware, as the lattice helps to protect the nonstick coating from any damage.
This damage might be caused during cooking or cleaning or whilst it is in storage. It is a way of protecting the nonstick coating as much as possible, so the cookware can last longer.
Originally, this hexagon design was invented by All-clad. However, once the patent expired, more manufacturers used this design.
Hexclad isn’t the only company that uses this kind of design. Thus, it proves that the design is very effective as a lot of companies use it within their own cookware.
Tempered Glass
All the lids that you find in this collection use tempered glass. This results in the likelihood of the lid breaking decreases.
Alongside that, there is a small value that you will find on the glass on every lid. This will help you with controlling the temperature while you cook.
Handles
The handles on Hexclad cookware are all stainless steel. They have been designed to be at a slight angle when you look at the handle.
This is to keep the handles cool even when they have been in a hot oven, or on the stovetop. Thus, you no longer need to fear burning your hands on hot handles.
Yet if you do put these pans or pots in the oven, the handles will get hot, so the claim is only half true. If you put the cookware on the stovetop then the handles shouldn’t get too hot.
Yet in the oven, there is nothing stopping them from getting hot, thus you will need to use oven gloves when handling the pot out of the oven.
Is Hexclad Safe To Use?
As these are nonstick pans, that means they use a nonstick coating and some coatings can contain toxic chemicals.
The entire Hexclad cookware range used PFOA-free nonstick coatings. That means there should be no toxic chemicals found in the nonstick coating.
However, some of the coatings we found do contain PTFE. In 95% of all nonstick cookware and products you will find PTFE present,
this is safe and nothing to worry about. You will actually see PTFE used in other products such as heart stents and dental implants.
It is because PTFE is used that Hexclad’s cookware has such a long lifespan, especially when you compare it to cookware that doesn’t contain PTFE.
Even though no PFOA chemicals are used, we can use what has been used in the replacement of those chemicals.
Thus, as we don’t tell you what exactly is in the coating, we can’t say if the coating is safe for the environment or humans. However, we do know that it is less toxic than a nonstick coating containing PFOA.
Overall, Hexclad cookware is very safe to use. You should ensure to use this cookware properly. We mean by not using the pans at very high temperatures, otherwise,
the PTFE can break down and release toxic fumes into the air. It is known that these fumes can cause polymer fever, which will give you flu-like symptoms.
Alongside that, these fumes are toxic to birds, so any pet birds should be kept out of the way. Or, we would recommend not owning any PTFE cookware, as you don’t want to risk it for your pet birds.
Versatility
As Hexclad is a nonstick cookware company, they use a PFOA-free nonstick coating. This means that there are no toxic chemicals in their nonstick coating, that could cause harm to anyone who accidentally ingests any.
However, you don’t want to be ingesting any of this coating at all. Yet by being nonstick, you allow users to use less oil while cooking on the pans, which then means their food will be healthier as it contains less oil.
The oil obviously is to stop the food from sticking to the pan, but with these pans, you don’t need to worry about that problem.
Alongside this, all Hexclad cookware is dishwasher safe and oven safe. Therefore, these are very versatile pans and pots that can be used on the stovetop and in the oven.
Hexclad pans can be in an oven up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, whilst the lids can withstand temperatures up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Overall, they are an all-around brand that has thought about everything. With the pans able to be used anywhere in the kitchen. Therefore, there are no restrictions when using this cookware.
Durability
As we have mentioned above, the lattice and hexagon design feature of this cookware helps improve the lifespan of these pots and pans.
With a lot of nonstick pans, there is a fear that the use of any metal utensils will scratch and damage the nonstick coating. However, the fear is lifted away with Hexclad due to the lattice that protects the nonstick coating.
Yet we found that while the hexagon does protect the nonstick coating. It also makes the pan a lot less nonstick. Thus, you need to use a little butter or oil, to avoid your food getting stuck.
The nonstick coating of this cookware will help your food to stick less compared to stainless steel pans. However, the hexagon lattice element also works against the non-sticking abilities of this cookware. So there is always a chance your food could always partially stick to the cookware.
Performance
It has been said that the lattice design of this cookware creates peaks and valleys inside the pans. These peaks and valleys help your food to cook more evenly.
It should promote great searing and sauté your food. However, from customer reviews, we have come to the conclusion that this claim is a little hit-and-miss.
The design works well but does not greatly improve the cooking performance, compared to other cookware.
Also, the more you use, your cookware may receive some slight discoloration. This discoloration shouldn’t really affect the performance of the cookware.
Overall, we found these pans are excellent at distributing heat. As a result, you will discover that you won’t need to cook your food at extremely high temperatures.
If you do cook at extremely unnecessary high heats, then your food is more likely to burn, which could then ruin your enjoyment of the pans. Thus, watch the temperature that you are cooking your food with these pans.
For the best performance, the aluminum core of this cookware likes to be used on low to medium heat or medium to slightly high temperatures.
Hexclad does such a great job at distributing the heat, that you don’t need to use lots of heat. If you continue to use high temperatures, over time this will actually impact the nonstick coating.
As a result, the pans will become much less durable, and your food will begin to stick. Yet, the whole point of these pans is that your food shouldn’t stick. Therefore, once it starts to stick, you know that someone is wrong.
Season Your Pans
For the best performance of your Hexclad cookware, it is recommended that you season the cookware before you use it.
You don’t have to season your pans every time you use them. Just once or twice will be enough, depending on how often you use them.
To season your cookware, you should put your pan onto low to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and spread this oil all over the inside of your pan.
Then leave the pan on the heat for a couple of minutes. After that, you are ready to use and cook with your Hexclad cookware.
After a couple of uses, your pan’s performance will improve. This is because your pan will begin to self-season itself from the fats off the foods that you are cooking with.
Cleaning
On their website, Hexclad claims that their pots and pan are really easy to clean. We found that the nonstick coating can hinder your cleaning abilities.
Even though this cookware has a nonstick coating, you will have to apply a small amount of oil or butter to ensure nothing sticks.
However, if your cookware isn’t as non-stick as it should be, the hexagon design actually gives the food more areas to hide and get stuck in.
This can then make cleaning this cookware a bit of a nightmare. As you will be attempting to remove more food from smaller areas of your pans.
As a result, cleaning depends on whether your cookware is living up to its non-stick name. If it isn’t, then cleaning these pans can be a bit of a chore.
Dishwasher Safe
A lot of nonstick cookware shouldn’t be put in the dishwasher as it can affect the durability and lifespan of the cookware. However, Hexclad sets itself apart from its competitors by making this cookware safe for dishwasher use.
By making them dishwasher safe, we found that this then made cleaning these pans much easier. Although, you should watch out for how often you put the pans in the dishwasher.
As in some situations, handwashing is much better. We know putting the pans in the dishwasher is quick and takes less effort. However, if your pans come into contact with too high-temperature water, steam, and soap use can impact the lifespan of the cookware.
Lifespan
As Hexclad comes with a high price tag, you want these pans to last. The founders of this product wanted these to be the only pans that you will ever need and should last a lifetime. We cannot deny that they are very good heat conductors.
Whilst, their nonstick coating and design help improve the durability of this product. The non-stick element of the pan helps your food stick less compared to stainless steel pans, but there is still a chance your food can stick.
We may think we have mentioned it a lot, but the hexagon lattice element has a huge impact on this cookware. This is the thing that will affect the lifespan of the cookware.
On the one hand, the lattice will improve the lifespan of this cookware, yet over time this lattice will begin to wear away.
This will then start to reduce the lifespan of the cookware. Even though the founders want these pots and pans to last a lifetime, that isn’t realistic. Pots and pans do wear out over time, and they will have to be replaced.
We have spoken about the temperamental nature of the lattice, it can make your food stick to the cookware. Over time, you don’t try to counteract by adding a bit of oil or butter, you could alter the lifespan of the cookware.
Alongside this, you shouldn’t be cooking at high temperatures with Hexclad cookware, as that also can influence the lifespan of these pans and pots.
As a result, there is a lot to think about when it comes to the lifespan of this cookware. You want it to last you a long time, as it has a high price tag. However, some elements to make it perform well can hinder the performance and lifespan of this cookware.
Final Thoughts
It’s not surprising that Hexclad cookware is highly recommended. On the outside, these pans are made from great quality materials, with a unique design that sets them apart from other competitors.
Hexclad does well at cooking your food at a much lower temperature and has a decent lifespan.
The lattice design of Hexclad is a mixture of two halves. On one hand, it does a great job at protecting the nonstick coating, which then makes the cookware last a lot longer.
Also, it makes the cookware very durable. However, on the other hand, this lattice hinders the non-sticking abilities of the cookware, so you end up needing to add some oil or butter to the pan.
Maybe not as much as you used to, but you still need to add something.
Hexclad is an investment, as it is quite pricey. You are paying for quality, if you still aren’t sure we would recommend buying one of the pans first and seeing for yourself how it works.
We believe these pans can be great as long as you are careful with them and treat them with respect.
