It appears to be cookware custom made for Viking by Demeyere.

The Demeyere cookware is superb. I see the following differences:

1. The Demeyere products have welded rather than riveted handles. So, no rivets to clean around on the Demeyere!

2. Different construction is used on some pans:

a. On pans with curved bottoms, the construction would appear to be virtually the same in the Viking and the Demeyere Atlantis, Apollo and Sirocco lines. That is, aluminum-core construction which extends from rim to rim.

b. On pans with flat bottoms, the Viking is again straight-gauge from rim to rim. Atlantis and Sirocco have heavy copper disks in bottom, which are encapsulated in stainless steel. The disks extend the full diameter of the pan, so there is no problem with "burn rings" at the edges of the pans. Apollo has an aluminum disk bottom, that doesn't quite cover the whole bottom.

Demeyere says that their research shows that this construction for flat-bottom cookware is superior to straight-gauge construction from the point of view of cooking performance. My experience is that it indeed works very well.

3. The Atlantis and Apollo lines have Demeyere's "Silvinox" finish, which is extremely tough, and they recommend that it be washed in the dishwasher. The Viking line (and probablly Sirocco also, but I'm not sure) doesn't have the Silvinox finish, and they recommend that you hand wash it.

4. All of them are induction-capable.

5. It appears that the Viking-labeled cookware is even more expensive than the Demeyere labels.

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I have Demeyere Atlantis cookware, and I find it to be absolutely superb. The Silvinox finish works very well--it stays much nicer-looking than my other SS cookware, and is considerably easier to clean. I researched cookware extensively before I started buying Atlantis, and in my opinion it is absolutely the best SS cookware available. When compared with the prices for the Viking versions, I think getting the actual Demeyere-labeled product is a no-brainer.

Solarpowered, thanks for your input. I knew it was made by Demeyere and that Demeyer usually gets pretty good reviews except for price. I've checked the pricing and its pretty even especially if you are ordering a lot of pieces. Individual pieces do vary a bit.

I suspect I'd be pretty happy with either brand, but I do have a couple of questions.

The Viking cookware is pretty heavy. Do you find this a problem with your Demeyere cookware?

Are the handles on the fry pans, sauce pans and saute' pans comfortable? Do they get hot on the cooktop or do they stay cool?

That's all for now. Thanks again for your response.

Cheers,

Larry

Larry,

I suspect the Viking and Demeyere cookware are pretty much on par as far as weight. My Atlantis is quite sturdily built. Generally speaking, appropriate weight is a good thing as far as cooking performance goes.

The Demeyere handles stay relatively cool. They're not cold, but they are normally cool enough to handle comfortably.

I find the shape of the Atlantis handles to be comfortable. I haven't used Apollo or Sirocco, so I can't comment on their comfort.

To me, the biggest functional difference I see between the Viking and the Atlantis/Apollo lines is the Silvinox surface on the Atlantis & Apollo pieces. I've found that it works out a lot better for me than the pots I have that are regular 18/10 stainless steel. The Silvinox stays a lot better looking, and is easier to clean.