Calphlaon cookware,any opinions?

[Geekbabe]

I've started replacing our cookware-free with amazon gc's from survey sites Just got a couple omlet pans today and the quality of the Calphlaon contempory looks really good.

I want sauce pans and a pot big enough for pasta etc-which of the Calphlaon lines is the best bank for the buck? I'm leaning toward the commerical line due to the lifetime warranty.

 

[EXman]

Durable. Cooks evenly. not too bad to clean nice stuff!

 

[kumanchu]

calphalon is some good stuff. the past few years, they have moved a lot of their production over to china, and that has been hit or miss.

generally, it is well made. personally, i think the copper tri-ply is their best line. though i think the adonized aluminum cooks well, i am always worried about the adonized layer pitting and letting aluminum into my food. i haven't had a problem with any of my pans yet, but i think i would feel safer cooking on a stainless steel surface.

if i were to be building a new set of cookware, i would keep an eye out for sales on:

le creuset (the very best you can buy in my humble opinion)
all-clad (overpriced, but performs very well and has a stainless surface)
calphalon tri-ply (cheaper than all-clad and still performs well)

if you are really into the anodized aluminum route, keep an eye on analon sets going on sale on amazon. they perform great, have the lifetime waranty, and can be had for dirt cheap. i like the analon titanium series.

hope that helps.

 

[nboy22]

Good stuff. Have a few of their knives.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

What about Emerilware? Made by All-Clad and cheaper than Calphalon or "Official" All-Clad because only the bottom cooking surface is tri-ply. The sides are single ply.

http://www.amazon.com/Emerilware-Stainless-10-Piece-Cookware-Set/dp/B0000696JB

 

[OsoVerde]

Calphalon is niiiiiiiiice. Very heavy, heats evenly, durable, and good finishes so the food doesn't adhere. Probably can't go wrong with anything made by them, I don't think I've ever seen anything that was remotely close to junk. Commercial line is most durable, and you get that nice warranty (not that you'll probably need it). My parents have had several pieces for a long time (15, 20+ years) and the stuff holds up well, even under lots of abuse. The hard annodized finish on the Commercial is great since it's very good about not sticking despite being bare metal and there isn't any plastic coating to baby. The Contemporary and some other lines have a baked-on plastic-y nonstick coating, but it's one of the most durable looking coatings I've seen (something different than the common Teflon junk).

I guess it comes down to whether you want the nonstick coating (Contemporary) or the hard annodized finish (Commercial).

Edit: Other people have mentioned less pricey pans with a thick multilayered bottom and thinner sides, those are good stuff, too. What matters in a pan is thickness of the bottom for even heat and the finish on the cooking surface. I've got some even cheaper pans myself (<40$ since I'm a student and lacking funds) and those work great for now, but they're not nearly as durable and I'll probably want to replace them within 10 years due to wear. If your pans really get used so much that lighter duty stuff wears out within an unacceptable amount of time and you don't want to need to keep buying new ones, the Calphalon or one of the other heavy duty expensive brands might actually be worth their while.

 

[d33pt]

Does stuff stick to the stainless steel surface alot more than the anodized alum?

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: OsoVerde
Calphalon is niiiiiiiiice. Very heavy, heats evenly, durable, and good finishes so the food doesn't adhere. Probably can't go wrong with anything made by them, I don't think I've ever seen anything that was remotely close to junk. Commercial line is most durable, and you get that nice warranty (not that you'll probably need it). My parents have had several pieces for a long time (15, 20+ years) and the stuff holds up well, even under lots of abuse. The hard annodized finish on the Commercial is great since it's very good about not sticking despite being bare metal and there isn't any plastic coating to baby. The Contemporary and some other lines have a baked-on plastic-y nonstick coating, but it's one of the most durable looking coatings I've seen (something different than the common Teflon junk).

I guess it comes down to whether you want the nonstick coating (Contemporary) or the hard annodized finish (Commercial).

I may end trying both,got the contempory omlet pans but will probably go the commerical route for my saucepans and stockpot,that warranty makes the line even more attractive.

 

[OsoVerde]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
...
I may end trying both,got the contempory omlet pans but will probably go the commerical route for my saucepans and stockpot,that warranty makes the line even more attractive.

Sounds good. With saucepans/stockpots you're mostly gonna be cooking liquids, so a nonstick coat is less useful than for something like frying pans.

 

[eits]

it's great stuff. i love mine.

 

[OsoVerde]

Originally posted by: d33pt
Does stuff stick to the stainless steel surface alot more than the anodized alum?

Dunno about Calphalon's stainless stuff specifically, I've never tried it, but in general stainless steel pans get sticking much more than anodized al. Stainless sucks for frying anything but at least you can nuke it with nasty cleaners if necessary and not shorten the life of the pan much.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

If you're going to get new cookware from Amazon, then get the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro line. Best value and performance.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: d33pt
Does stuff stick to the stainless steel surface alot more than the anodized alum?

No. Not if you follow proper cooking techniques. I can cook scrambled eggs in a stainless steel pan with no more clean up than a non-stick.

Also, it's not much of a worry, because you can accept some stains and marks and it won't affect the performance and when you want to shine them up, grab some Barkeeps Friend.

 

[OsoVerde]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

No. Not if you follow proper cooking techniques. I can cook scrambled eggs in a stainless steel pan with no more clean up than a non-stick.

How??? :shocked:

 

[dmw16]

it's a little overpriced. they advertise a lot so people assume they are great pans. granted they are good, but I don't really think you get much more from them versus something like All-Clad. For the money, I think All-Clad is the better choice.

 

[Howard]

You should look at the actual construction rather than the brand (stuff from All-Clad is always built well, though).

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=38&threadid=1931815&enterthread=y

 

[iamwiz82]

We got their Anonized One set as a wedding gift. Good stuff :thumbsup:

 

[mooglekit]

My wife and I have all Calphalon One Nonstick (Hard anondized coating). Expensive, but fantastic construction and they cook better than any of the cheaper pans I've owned previously.

 

[TangoJuliet]

My wife and I got the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set
from the money we got from our wedding and theyre great. Very sturdy, cooks evenly and easy to clean (dish washer safe too).

I had done a little research before I purchased them and they were rated very high. My toughest choice was to go with these or the Kirkland set from Costco which was rated #1 overall. I decided to go with these since we had a bunch of gift cards from macy's and we also got 15% cash back because we registered at macy's.

On consumer reports they said the Emerilware set melted on the stove during the stress tests so I would stay away from those. The All Clad are nice but I dont think they were worth 2x's the price of the Calphalon. The clear lids are also nice on the Calphs as well.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

I'd urge you to try an Anolon Professional pan....I bet you will like it over Calpahlon.

 

[kumanchu]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe

Originally posted by: OsoVerde
Calphalon is niiiiiiiiice. Very heavy, heats evenly, durable, and good finishes so the food doesn't adhere. Probably can't go wrong with anything made by them, I don't think I've ever seen anything that was remotely close to junk. Commercial line is most durable, and you get that nice warranty (not that you'll probably need it). My parents have had several pieces for a long time (15, 20+ years) and the stuff holds up well, even under lots of abuse. The hard annodized finish on the Commercial is great since it's very good about not sticking despite being bare metal and there isn't any plastic coating to baby. The Contemporary and some other lines have a baked-on plastic-y nonstick coating, but it's one of the most durable looking coatings I've seen (something different than the common Teflon junk).

I guess it comes down to whether you want the nonstick coating (Contemporary) or the hard annodized finish (Commercial).

I may end trying both,got the contempory omlet pans but will probably go the commerical route for my saucepans and stockpot,that warranty makes the line even more attractive.

you should keep in mind what you will be cooking. non-stick surfaces don't let food carmelize or patena's to develop in soups. essentially, you are losing a lot of flavor by going non-stick. typically, i would only recommend non-stick for cooking eggs, because they can become hard to clean up.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
I've started replacing our cookware-free with amazon gc's from survey sites Just got a couple omlet pans today and the quality of the Calphlaon contempory looks really good.

I want sauce pans and a pot big enough for pasta etc-which of the Calphlaon lines is the best bank for the buck? I'm leaning toward the commerical line due to the lifetime warranty.

Excellent Excellent Excellent! I just got my first Calphalon pan, a 10" omelet non-stick. LOVE IT! Best non-stick pan I've ever used. Going to be ordering more in the future as I build up my collection. I definitely recommend the Contemporary collection. Also, hand-wash them with hot soapy water immediately after use. I use a Dobie. Rock-solid cookware, love it!

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: OsoVerde

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

No. Not if you follow proper cooking techniques. I can cook scrambled eggs in a stainless steel pan with no more clean up than a non-stick.

How??? :shocked:

Never cook above medium heat. Preheat the pan. Add butter or oil and let it heat up before adding anything. Clean the pan right after cooking.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: OsoVerde

Originally posted by: d33pt
Does stuff stick to the stainless steel surface alot more than the anodized alum?

Dunno about Calphalon's stainless stuff specifically, I've never tried it, but in general stainless steel pans get sticking much more than anodized al. Stainless sucks for frying anything but at least you can nuke it with nasty cleaners if necessary and not shorten the life of the pan much.

stainless is great for frying. it's bad for frying with little oil, or using it as a dry griddle (for eggs).

 

[OsoVerde]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
stainless is great for frying. it's bad for frying with little oil, or using it as a dry griddle (for eggs).

Ahh. I mostly saute things with minimal oil, so everything glues itself to the bottom of the pan whenever I use stainless. If I'm gonna drown it in liquid later and let it deglaze for flavor then that's a good thing.