These two companies have been very innovative in their approach to non-stick cookware. I absolutely love my Swiss Diamond non-stick roasting tray and use it for everything from vegetables and joints of meat, to large family style casserole dishes. My Woll Saphir Lite frying pan is equally impressive – so sturdy, yet easy to use and lightweight. Nothing seems to ever stick to the bottom!
Diamonds or Sapphires?
When it comes to non-stick surfaces, these really are the top of the line in cookware and I have been very interested in seeing how the saucepans compare with each other. The German made Woll pan has a 6mm thick cast thermal bottom which is reinforced with sapphires to create very strong resistance to abrasion.
Woll cookware feature cast bodies in a pre-processed aluminium alloy to be lightweight and disperse heat evenly. This hand cast technology guarantees no cracking or warping with age. The pans then undergo a sandblast treatment across the surface area 15 times to ensure maximum adhesion of the later layers. The sapphire crystals are then bonded to the pans by using a plasma jet at a whopping 20,000°C before the second protective layer and final non-stick layer are added.
The Swiss-made, Swiss Diamond Prestige Clad, on the other hand, is made with 5 layers of stainless steel and thousands of particles of diamonds embedded within the non-stick surface.
So, which is better; diamonds or sapphires? Made in Germany or Made in Switzerland? Well, it’s really quite hard to say, as these pans both perform extremely well. Let’s delve a little further:
Look and Feel
The Swiss Diamond Prestige Clad range is made from high-quality stainless steel, which has a beautiful sheen and just looks the part of a professional piece of kitchen cookware. Many chefs and cooks understand and trust cookware made from stainless steel.
The Woll pan has more of an understated look, made from cast aluminium. The inside melds seamlessly to the rim and outer exterior which is the same colour.
The Swiss Diamond non-stick base at first glance looks and feels like your typical smooth non-stick, however, in a bit of light, you can see the faint shimmer and sparkle from the diamond crystals that earn its name.
The Woll pan has a rough texture on the inside and is unlike any non-stick pan I’ve seen before. It feels very sturdy and you can tell straight away that it is strong and scratch resistant.
Swiss Diamond also claims that the diamond enforced surface is 25% more hard wearing than other comparable brands.
I weighed both pans to see if there was a difference. Interestingly, the Swiss Diamond comes in the heaviest at almost 1KG. The Woll Pan weighs a light 650g, despite looking and feeling more hard wearing.
That makes sense because this is the Woll Saphir Lite range which was designed to be lighter. The Swiss Diamond, however, is made with 5 layers of heavy duty stainless steel, designed for durability and heat dispersion.
Usage
Handle: Swiss Diamond has a beautiful polished stainless steel handle, where the Woll’s handle is black and totally heat resistant up to 260°C.
The Swiss Diamond’s stainless steel handle feels warm to the touch near the pan, but remains cool further down the handle where it is held. If the pan was going into the oven, a heat pad would be needed.
Heat: Both pans are very energy efficient and a lower heat can and should be used. For Swiss Diamond, this is down to the non-stick coating performing best at a lower heat. However, for the Woll pan, using a lower heat is best because the pan gets very hot particularly quickly.
There will be no damage caused to the pan if high heat is used on a stove, but there simply is no need to with the pan able to reach 300°C (570F) in just 3 minutes on the highest heat setting. Woll recommends using the pan at 30% lower heat than other cookware.
Utensils: While Swiss Diamond states that the diamond enforced non-stick coating is hard wearing and resistant to scratches, they still recommend the use of plastic, silicone or wooden utensils to maintain the coating at optimum quality. Woll, however, states that any utensils can be used, even metal. And that if scratches should appear, it won’t affect the performance of the non-stick properties.
Despite this, both Everten and Woll strongly suggest that silicone tools should be used to extend the life of the cookware.
Cooking: I find whatever I cook in either pan cooks evenly and fast, and then slides out with no problem at all. Both pans heat up quickly and distribute the heat well.
I particularly find being able to use the odd metal utensil with the Woll, (like a whisk for example) without worrying a great help in cooking with the pan.
Cleaning and Care
I have to say, both pans clean like a dream with just a little running water and the tiniest amount of detergent. I put this to the test by making turmeric paste in both pans – I wanted to see if the turmeric would stain the insides as it notoriously does. I found no problem in cleaning both pans.
Swiss Diamond says the pan is dishwasher safe, however, recommends cleaning by hand so as not to damage the non-stick. The manual also recommends cleaning well after each use, because tiny food particles left in the pan will carbonize on the next usage, which will cause food to stick.
Scrubbing should not be done with abrasive pads. We recommend either the Euro Scrubby or the eco-friendly coconut bristle brush from White Magic.
The Woll and Swiss Diamond clean like a breeze and passed the Tumeric clean test with flying colours, leaving no yellow stains after a simple clean.
Woll makes no mention that cleaning by hand is necessary: it just states that the pan is dishwasher safe.
My conclusion is that you don’t need the dishwasher for either pan – save the energy and space by simply cleaning lightly with a cloth and warm water and you will see for yourself how easily the pans clean.
The Verdict - Woll Saphir Lite or Swiss Diamond Prestige Clad XD?
To be honest, when you are shopping premium cookware like Woll or Swiss Diamond you are going to be very happy whichever you choose between the two.
These lines of cookware really are a step above most other nonstick brands available on the market and are manufactured to outlast them too.
The cooking performance of these pans are almost identical to each other and so the major deciding factor really rests on personal taste.
Everten's viewpoint: We recommend Woll Saphir Lite if you are after a lightweight non-stick pan as this line is the lighter of the two. It is important to note that there is a separate induction compatible line within Saphir Lite range, so if you have an induction stove or considering having one in future, we recommend purchasing the Saphir Lite Induction range.
Click here to browse our selection of Woll Cookware.
We recommend Swiss Diamond if you like the stylish polished stainless steel finish and prefer full stainless steel handles. These also look fantastic serving on the table when entertaining. This line is induction ready so if you have an induction or are considering to have an induction stove in the future, you can continue using them without any issue.
Click here to browse our selection of Swiss Diamond Cookware.
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