Grab a large hammer, a block of wood and a sturdy work bench.

And smack it.

Carefully.

In my foolish years when I bought stupidly expensive pans like Calphalon and Le Creuset, there was no real guarantee of a flat bottom. Interestingly (to me) they seem to rocker down, not rise up, when being off. Wok wannabees.

I got a large T-Fal frying pan at Marshall's a couple of years ago, and it's done the same thing. It's non-stick and only cost $10, so I'll just a replacement at Costco (the pack of 2 or 3 pans for $20).

Have never ever had that happen to me before. We don't use it a lot and my DH uses it mainly for breakfast on the weekend, so I didn't use it much.

Never again for T-Fal, cross that brand off my list.

Thanks Grubby, I just mat give that a try! ...after I give some real heat ;)

To quote All-Clad about the d5 line:

"The patented stainless core significantly improves stability to prevent warping and maximises the thermal conductivity of aluminum"

I take this statement to include the crowning that you're experiencing. Contact All-Clad to inquire about it. Unless the pan is a "Second", it has a full lifetime warranty. Seconds are stamped with an "S" on the handle, usually on the underside.

FWIW, I bought some All-Clad d5 from WS and did not experience any crowning. However, I have since replaced them with Demeyere Proline and am much happier because of the Silvonix finish and construction (supplemented recently with a Zwillings Henckels Spirit Thermolon which is amazing with eggs)

Hi gooster,

My 11" Proline pan didn't exhibit any crowning, either. I wasn't such a fan of the Silvinox finish. I think I'm an oddball that way, most owners like you love it to pieces. They're excellent pans, that's for sure. I eventually returned it to BB&B and after being without a large skillet for about 6 months, I scored a 12" Henckels TruClad pan (same construction as Spirit, different handle, no Thermolon) on clearance for $50. Score.

I agree with you about the Henckels Spirit, they're wonderful. I've got the 3-qt sauté and I've found that for anything not needing much fond (which is a LOT of fried/sautéed stuff), it's better than I ever knew nonstick could be.

I saw this week that Henckels has released another 5-ply line, Aurora. It's the same construction as their Sensation line (flat base, 5-ply), but lacks the Silvinox finish. A little lighter than the Proline, with less aluminum, but it should still out-perform most other clad cookware. I wish I could justify adding another frypan to my arsenal.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zwilling Aurora

I love the Silvonix finish for the ease of cleanup and the lack of any interior rivets. I also have the conical sauteuse Atlantis pan and it is a great all-purpose pan. I also picked up the flat bottomed saute and saucepans with the silver-wrapped copper cores -- OneKingsLane had some good deals this past year on Demeyere and I went a little crazy :). And the d5 I purchased was on a really good deal that W&S was running in one of their daily email specials.

That is why I paused before picking up another ZH Spirit -- I readily admit to a problem.

A problem I understand well. I've got 8 skillets sized from 9"-12". That's at least 4 too many, and doesn't include my deBuyer steel crepe pans.

Additionally, I've got 3 sauté pans, all about 3 quarts. I don't know what I was thinking.

I show tremendous restraint, comparatively speaking, when it comes to saucepans, with just just 3 different sizes, in the very cheaply priced but really well made Vollrath Optio line. Plus 2 sauciers, a Vollrath Tribute that turned out to be too shallow and a Bonjour by Meyer that is a joy.

I'm really determined not to buy more, because I've got some terrific stuff already, most of it extra thick clad, Any new pans would give me only a small improvement, if any.

Still, the Zwilling Aurora looks tailor-made for me. I don't care about rivets or welds, I'm good with either, but the combination of Demeyere's flat base (Sigma Clad 5-ply) with the satin finish is a big draw. I do not like polished steel at all. Not one little bit.

All good info, thanks, I have been using the pan now for a month and accepting the bit of crowning. It is a nice pan in that it has low sides, which I like.
But, I'll always love my 100 year old Griswold and Wagner cast iron :)