Compare Stainless Steel Pans
All-Clad D5 Stainless 12-inch Fry Pan scores higher on safety - here's why.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
All-Clad D5 uses 18/10 stainless throughout — openly disclosed and consistent with premium stainless cookware standards. Safe for the general population; buyers with confirmed nickel sensitivity should note that 18/10 contains nickel.
Great Jones doesn't publish their steel grade anywhere. The brand mentions 'trace amounts of nickel,' which is consistent with 18/8 or 18/10, but without a grade designation, buyers with nickel sensitivity have no way to verify their risk. This is the single biggest concern with this pan.
All-Clad's patented D5 bonding uses five layers all the way to the rim — the gold standard for even heat distribution. Alternating stainless and aluminum layers also reduce warping over time compared to standard tri-ply.
The Deep Cut uses a 3-ply build — workable for everyday cooking but below the 5-ply tier that safety-focused reviewers recommend. At $125 you can find 5-ply alternatives (Heritage Steel, for example).
All-Clad's bonding runs to the rim — no cold spots at the sidewalls, no hot spots on the base. This is what separates clad pans from cheaper disk-bottom designs and why they perform so consistently across heat sources.
The aluminum core is fully encased in stainless steel up the sides — so heat distribution is even across the full cooking surface, not just the bottom. A good construction choice at this price point.
600°F is the second-highest oven rating in this category — enough for high-heat broiling and restaurant-style finishing. The only pan that goes higher is Heritage Steel at 800°F.
500°F oven safety covers the full range of most home cooking. For stovetop-to-oven workflows — finishing a sear, roasting proteins — this is sufficient. The 3-qt sauté format is especially good for braising and oven-finishing sauces.
The D5 12-inch weighs 4.0 lbs — noticeable in daily use. Oven transfers and one-handed maneuvering require more effort than lighter alternatives. A real consideration if you cook frequently or have wrist concerns.
Great Jones lists a 4 lb total weight (pan + lid combined) but doesn't break out the pan-only weight. Without the pan-only figure we can't confirm ergonomics — the actual pan could be anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 lbs.
The D5 at $200 is the most expensive pan in this comparison. You're paying for the All-Clad brand and the dual alternating-layer construction — though Heritage Steel delivers comparable safety scores at $150 with a better oven rating.
$125 is accessible for stainless cookware, but Heritage Steel ($150) delivers 5-ply construction and full grade transparency for just $25 more — making Great Jones a harder recommendation until they disclose their steel grade.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You want an All-Clad and the dual-layer alternating construction that reduces warping over time
You need 600°F oven capability for restaurant-style high-heat finishing
Weight is less important to you than the brand or long-term durability reputation
You cook on induction and want All-Clad's proven induction performance
You've already used Great Jones cookware and had no sensitivity issues with their stainless
Design and aesthetics are a priority and you're drawn to the Great Jones aesthetic specifically
You primarily need a straight-sided sauté pan for braising and sauce reduction — the Deep Cut excels at this
The main thing to know
At 4.0 lbs, the D5 12-inch exceeds ATK's comfort ceiling — daily one-handed maneuvering and oven transfers are noticeably more laborious than lighter alternatives like Heritage Steel (2.9 lbs).
Great Jones doesn't publish their steel grade anywhere on the product. Until they do, buyers who need to track their dietary nickel intake — or anyone with metal sensitivities — cannot make a fully informed decision. Every other pan in this comparison publishes this information.
Skip this if you...
You cook frequently with one-handed transfers or have wrist/strength considerations
You want the best overall specs for the money — Heritage Steel beats it on oven temp and weight at $50 less
Nickel sensitivity is a concern — you cannot verify the grade without disclosure
You want 5-ply construction — Great Jones uses 3-ply at a price where 5-ply exists
You need a traditional fry pan — the Deep Cut is a sauté pan with straight sides
Material transparency matters to you — every other pan in this comparison publishes their steel grade
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Stainless Steel Pans options at every price pointEvery Stainless Steel Pans in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated All-Clad and Great Jones across 3 independent criteria: Safety (54%), Efficacy (44%), Usability (2%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with All-Clad All-Clad D5 Stainless 12-inch Fry Pan - it scored 8.7/10 overall in our scoring system. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Stainless Steel Pans across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects our weighted rubric, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
Not the right match? Explore these alternatives in the same category.
