What Kind of Imperfections to Expect in the Alternate Line:
Items in the alternate line are made, finished and fired in the exact same way as the regular line. Because of the hand-made nature of the products and the purity of the raw material (no extenders, additives or contaminants used to control the finished product), some pieces come out with surface imperfections. MEC’s Quality Control team inspects each piece to make sure these items are functional regardless of the imperfections before they can qualify for shipping. Here are some examples; you can see here how these imperfections are not overtly visible but are noticeable upon closer inspection.
The Alternate Line items are not “weaker” or compromised in any way. The only thing that differentiates them are these natural, on the surface imperfections. Therefore, they come with the same warranty as the regular line.
The MEC Small Pan (1.25 qt):
The MEC Medium Pot (2.5 qt):
Cracks on the ware will closeup with use. As the pot is seasoned and used, it shrinks ever-so-slightly allowing cracks to fully closeup.
The MEC X-large Pot (6qt pot):
This is a close-up image and the actual spacing between the pot and lid is lesser. And yes, it will still retain steam better than other cookware becuase of reasons explained here detailing the features incorporated into the making that help make this possible: MEC Steam management properties explained.
Also, the lid misfit is not for all items. For the ones that do have a misfit, the lids sit nicely but may have a slight rock. With our lid design there are two barriers to keep steam and pressure inside, so in the Alternate line, if the first barrier is slightly compromised there is another one to ensure the same functionality.
Go back to Alternate Line Products page.
