I have no idea if this is true or a salesman not knowing what he was talking about. - I was told the biggest difference is the Aluminum core does not go all the way up on the Emeril. Certainly is some pieces this would not matter.

thanks

That salesman would be correct. All you need to do is examine the pans next to each other. Emerilware's sides are thin, clearly not fully clad. Also, no ware does Emerilware claim to be fully clad. I am not sure that really makes a big or any difference though.

Emerilware SS pans are also quite a bit lighter weight which might be due to the sides. Most of the All Clad SS is magnetic and thus induction capable while the Emerilware is not.

IMO, Emerilware handles are more comfortable.

Now, if you look at the anodized aluminum non-stick, the Emerilware fry pan (the one I was interested in) looks nearly identical to the All Clad. They are similarly thick and have the same non-stick coating. I would have added a non-stick fry from Emerilware if my All Clad SS set did not already come with a 10in non-stick fry.