111 of 116 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Important thoughts on Calphalon Hard Anodized..., January 9, 2001
This review is from: Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Piece Cookware Set (Kitchen)
On cooking surfaces and Calphalon...
First, it is important to note that hard anodized cookware is NOT a coating...it is an intregal part of the cooking surface...hence it does not wear off. In terms of conductivity; which is the degree to which heat is transferred through the cooking surface, copper traditionally ranks the best. Copper is followed by aluminum, stainless steel and cast-iron. If looks are an important consideration in your cookware choice, then stainless steel with a layering of copper might be your best bet. Cast-Iron heats slowly but retains it's heat very well. It is excellent for casseroles and the like. Copper is great too, but it is very, very expensive and has the drawback of reacting with acidic-based sauces. Aluminum has this same problem. However, hard-anodized aluminum removes this roadblock to cookware nirvana. Which makes Calphalon such an important tool for your kitchen.
I have 14 separate pieces of Calphalon in my collection. So I guess I "walk the walk"....As much as I respect All-Clad and Le Creuset; Calphalon Professional and Calphalon Commercial are the best, most versatile sets of cookware, in my opinion. Much for the same reason most professional cooks use gas ranges as opposed to electric ranges, would be the main argument as to why Calphalon is such a superior product over less expensive variants. It is important to have direct heat control to turn out exceptionally finished product on a consistent basis. Obviously, the expense of a set of cookware reflects to a degree the ability maintain control over heat....On the other hand, it is still very value-priced, compared to some other well known and more expensive competitors. I think the main reason for this is simply that even cookware follows "asthetic trends" and this might be one small area where Calphalon lags behind. Nothing beats the beauty of highly polished stainless steel cookware hanging from your kitchen ceilings... except maybe copper! But if you are more interested in cooking performance as opposed to how the cookware looks, you would be hard pressed to find a better value.
...just bear in mind that Calphalon is "stick-resistant" as opposed to "non-stick". This is actually good. And necessary. This is because it is important for foods to brown properly. Not to "seal in the juices", so to speak. That is a misnomer. Juices are not "sealed in" as a result of browning. What browning serves to do, besides giving a great appearance to the food, is to carmelize the base. This, in turn, enriches the taste of the finished product. And it would stand to mean that any deglazing that's done for sauces afterwards would also impart an added richness of flavor. Both Calphlon Commercial and Professional Cookware do this particularly well.
Much as there are many sound reasons as to why an oven chicken roaster is shaped oval or why a good braising pan does not have gently sloping sides; it is also important to note that with whatever you decide to roll into your kitchen with, it should most importantly reflect what you are trying to accomplish once you walk in there.
Thanks and hope this review was helpful....
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Calphalon Pans are Addictive!, December 21, 2000
This review is from: Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Piece Cookware Set (Kitchen)
My first Calphalon item, a 1-quart sauté pan w/cover, was a housewarming gift from a French friend. Next, I bought a starter set with assorted pieces. Since then, I have never used any other brand of cookware because the Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized pots and pans are so wonderful for cooking. I have added many pieces over the years, including the newer Calphalon Commercial nonstick brand (which I prefer for omelet/fry pans).
This Calphalon Hard-Anodized set is a perfect starter set and is a good value. I use my 2-1/2-quart saucepan more than any other pan. (Later, you may wish to add the Calphalon double boiler insert and/or universal steamer insert for use in this pan.) The 10-inch omelet/fry pan is a good size for two-to-three servings of eggs. The 8-quart stockpot is great for cooking pasta (and you will want to buy the Calphalon 8-quart pasta insert), boiling corn, simmering stock, or making soup. The 4-quart chef's pan with lid (which I do not use that often) would make a good casserole pan. This set is a good way to begin your own Calphalon collection or to give as a gift.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Harder to destroy than THE ONE RING, March 21, 2004
This review is from: Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Piece Cookware Set (Kitchen)
Having used Calphalon pots and pans in our kitchen 20 years or so, and my wife and I both being avid cooks, and having raised four children in the process, I feel I can give some pretty good advice here.
Some reviewers contend that you can't wash these pots in the dishwasher, you can't use brillo, or that the anodized coating will wear off, or that the handles get hot.
Yep, all true, But, errr, so what?
I have purchased Calphalon for my family many times, and most recently for my recently wedded son in law and his bride.
What I figure about Calphalon is this:
You got two choices with it:
A. You can use brillo, toss it in the dishwasher and don't worry about it, OR
B. Take very good care of it, meaning don't put it in the dishwasher and don't use brillo.
Now in comparison, All Clad Stainless steel can be put in the dishwasher, but you're now using a stainless steel pot around an aluminum core, and I think Calphalon on a gas burner is the cat's meow as far as I'm concerned cooking. Copper pots are pretty, super expensive, but they are a REAL pain to keep pretty. (My wife snorts reading this...you DON'T know, she says. I guess she does clean our copper pots and I don't.)
What I like about Calphalon is that you CAN toss them in the dishwasher over and over. (By the way it's the harsh dishwasher detergent that causes the problem of metal discoloration.) And I do use brillo. YES, eventually some of the anodized coating wears off (on the inside) and this way of cleaning them results in metal discolorations over a period of months or years.
So what, I ask? They're just POTS, for gosh sakes. We don't need to mystify them. I still use the original pots I bought 20 years ago, and like the ONE RING, I don't think you can destroy these pots. I've dropped them on concrete floors, left them on burners and in the oven.
And yes the handles get a bit hot. Use a hot pad. With metal handles you can toss the whole thing in the oven at any time.
And I like the metal lids over the glass. They don't break. I can take off a lid to look inside the pot if I need to.
I'm not trying to be smart alecky, it just seems to me that if you want eternal pots and don't EXPECT them to look brand new ten years down the road, you can clean these pots anyway you want to and they'll remain completely functional for YOUR lifetime, at least.
If you're THAT picky about looks, you can get copper and work yourself to death using copper polisher, and alternatively brillo will still scratch All Clad in stainless steel (even though you CAN toss those in the dishwasher without discoloring the finish). So since no pots are PERFECT, then the PERFECT, but expensive solution will be to buy pretty copper pots to hang up and display above your stove (but don't actually use THEM), and buy the Calphalon to use, take shortcuts, be lazy, abuse the heck out of them and store them in the cabinet...<G>
But I just buy the Calphalon (and a couple of copper pots and cast iron items for other things), and the copper pots aren't looking so swift either cause we (errr...she) got tired or cleaning them meticulously years ago.
Pax,
Chris
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