Cookware Got Worse on Purpose
This article explores how manufacturing quality in cookware has declined due to corporate consolidation and cost-cutting measures. It highlights the specific case of All-Clad, which faced a class-action settlement after its 'dishwasher safe' pans developed sharp, dangerous edges.
Why it matters
It illustrates the broader trend of 'enshittification' in consumer goods, where private equity ownership and brand consolidation prioritize profit margins over product safety and longevity.
A couple of years ago, the small All-Clad pan I fry eggs in cut me as I was pulling it out of the dishwasher. A clean slice on my index finger off the rim. I patched it up. Didn’t think much else of it. I discovered what actually happened while researching this essay, sitting in a settlement archive three years too late to file a claim.
The article relies on factual reporting of a legal settlement and corporate ownership structures, though it maintains a critical tone toward corporate practices.
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