Customer Reviews

Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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....

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.

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

I bought this set about 3 weeks back and so far going is great!
I cook extensively, and cook a wide range of dishes like Italian, Chinese, Indian and Mexican. I have tried all kinds of dishes so far - some really special dishes that require good heat or else they will turn out awful -- just to test the pans -- and they did great!

However, warranty terms concern me..especially since even with a lifetime warranty, I might have to spend lots of money in shipping it, and trying to get an answer from Calphalon whether they would pay the shipping costs has so far proved a futile exercise. (The last I called, I hung up after waiting to get a person to answer my call for about 45 minutes.)

Thus the 4 stars that I gave it. Apart from that, following pointers should prove useful in making a decision:
1. It really heats quickly, evenly, rarely burns the food.
2. Handles perform pretty well and stay comfortable.
3. The shape of individual pots is just perfect to cook variety of recipes: wok-like pan is good for stir-frying and the vertical stockpot is great for making dishes that need layering of ingredients and slow-cooking.
4. Even though not non-stick it is very easy to clean.
5. Each one of these pots performs awesomely as a mini oven on stovetop - thus making it perfect for dishes like stuffed bellpeppers, where you must cook/roast them on slow flame. I tried this recipe and bellpeppers really came out great - my earlier stainless steel/non-stick pots burned the bottoms and left the tops raw due to poor heat conductivity. I believe this uses less energy than heating a whole oven to make the same thing.

Also, due to this reason, even though I love glass lids, I think that providing lids made of same material is a good idea.

6. A non-stick pot usually retains moisture while cooking with its lid on -- which affects some recipes that must lose water in order to taste crispy. In this pan that problem is avoided - which is great for recipes such as grilled/marinated sizzlers.
Downsides:
1. Warranty concern, as mentioned above.
2. Needs a hand wash.
3. While making sauces or clarifying butter, it is hard to see the color - which is crucial to know when to stop heating. However, I am considering buying a small copper pot with stainless steel interior, on open stock, to take care of this problem.
4. For making omletts or crepes you need to put extra oil so that they come off easily. (I think this is not the fault of the pans, but that we are spoilt by non-stick ones. However, nonstick griddle cannot come close to the crispiness of crepes made using these.)
5. For gravy dishes, use of things like tomatoes or milk/cream for the base of gravies might react to the coating?? I keep having a nagging feeling in my mind while making those. Once again I would buy some copper cookware for solving this problem.
6. Too pricy, but imagine using them for whole life :-)

Overall, if you can get warranty concerns answered satsfactorily, just go for this set!!

Don't get the teflon ones as these pans do nearly as well and you don't have to worry about scratching. In fact you can clean these pans with Comet, if you want. Positives are the durability and the even heating, and performance. Use them once and you'll think the pans you had been using are junk! The negatives are: These pans are expensive to pick up one at a time. However, Calphalon does have specials, and if you're patient, you will be rewarded. Second, you cannot put these pans in the dishwasher! If you're adverse to hand washing pots and pans, you probably want to go elsewhere.

As many have mentioned, these pans are great for cooking but don't forget the warranty. I have had these pans for about 5 years. Two of the pans lost some or most of the anodized layer exposing the aluminum. I called Calphalon and they said they are guaranteed for life, just send them back. I did and they immediately sent me two new pans. I am very impressed.

Calphalon is high quality, high performance cookware with two issues that you should take into consideration before buying:
1) The metal handles can get hot, even the "cool-V" versions on the Commercial line, so you need to use hot mitts.
2) You can not clean Calphalon in the dishwasher.

Where Calphalon shines is in the speed and evenness of heating. You have truly superior heat control, and you don't have to wait five minutes for a pan to warm up -- 2 minutes will do just fine...

I prefer the Commercial line, which has more user friendly and elegant handles, but both lines are identical in cooking performance. Also, you will want to pick up a nonstick saute pan as well. Calphalon is NOT nonstick, although it does clean fairly easily, with occasionally slight stains. Use some Dormond or Bon Ami cleaner and you should be fine.

I had forgotten how much difference good cookware makes when I was rudely reminded having to use cheap non-stick pans at a vacation rental house. I burnt food and got uneven results doing things I would never have even thought about using Calphalon. Hints: 1) Use melamine utensils and you absolutely will not scratch the pans. 2) When Calphalon says you don't need high heat, they mean it. Keeping the heat down to medium on most stoves keeps almost anything from sticking. 3) Clean thoroughly - any oily 'varnish' will just build up and make your life difficult. 4) And finally, never, ever use the dishwasher. I rescued a Calphalon saucepan from a local thrift store that had been through the dishwasher. After very thorough going over with their special cleanser, I was able to salvage a usable if still discolored pan.

I've had my set for 5 years, but if I could do things over, I'd buy All-Clad. The anodized surface will wear off, and the dark surface makes it hard to gauge color changes -- important when caramelizing sugar -- and hard to tell when clean.

I have been a Calphalon fan for years and continue to recommend to any serious home cook. They heat evenly, wash cleanly, and have that serious look that says "I know what I am doing in the kitchen!" Seriously, the right tool will elevate your food to a new level, and Calphalon is among the best value you can get. If you have never had good cookware you will find it more durable, more versatile, and more consistent that cheap stuff (and, your water will boil faster!).