Customer Reviews

Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch Stir-Fry Pan

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before getting all mad at me, just give me a chance...

My most significant problem with the wok-shape of this thing is that it doesn't really do stir-fry all that well. It's actually good for some other things, but I'll get to that in a minute.

The whole point of the bowl shape of a wok is that it is placed down over (almost into, really) the top of the flaming maw of an ultra-hot wok burner (at let's say 25-30 thousand BTUs), and the rounded shape then maximises the amount of blazing-hot surface area over which you can sear your foods that you are stir-frying. Hence the infamous "wok hay" that you get with true wok cooking. But without a true wok burner (or something analagous) into which you would place the rounded pan, what you end up getting is a hot bottom and somewhat hot sides, but nothing spectacular. The pan also gets crowded so quickly that you really end up steaming/boiling a lot of stuff--ingredients tend to bunch in toward the middle rather than finding their own spot on that all-important pan surface area. If, as someone who has cooked professionally, I can give you one bit of advice: If you want to stir-fry as authentically as possible while still using a normal American flat-top stove (whether gas or electric), get a big old frying pan (12" or 14") and use it with the heat up as high as you can get it. The added surface area and flatter layout let you make room for everything to get it's own bit o' full-tilt-boogie searing heat, without being covered over by even more ingredients that essentially cause it to steam.

Now, having said all that, I do think this pan is GREAT for reductions. The bowl shape of this thing makes it like an uber-saucier. Back to surface area, but a different kind: The most imporant aspect in quickness of reduction is the top surface area (i.e., when you have a pot full of a liquid, the surface of the liquid is where all of your evaporation takes place). So the wok-shape of this thing really helps speed up that process. Gastrique, bordelaise, demi-glace, veloute, etc. You can really get those things down to a good reduced consistency in better time in this than by putting them in a normal sauce pan.

I also use it (full of water) in my oven when baking breads or other yeast-raised products, to get more of that "steam baking" that makes commercially-produced baked goods have such good texture. Again the bowl shape just accelerates the evaporation. In this application, the all-metal construction really helps.

Unlike the 9" stir fry pan that is thin gauge metal with no Calphalon name stamped on it, the 10" is heavy gauge, just like the other commercial line products. It would have benefited from a second loop handle, but the design is still nice. This is a good size for modest portions and smaller jobs. Unlike some bigger traditional steel woks, this has a flat area on the bottom (not completely bowl shaped). This 10" one is worth the $20. However, beware the 9" version that is half as thick gauge metal and not as described (no second handle, no country of origin or manufacturer stamp, definately not 'commercial" line).

I just got this pan today and immediately put it to use. I find it very good for stir frying without having the ingredients flying all over the kitchen as with other pans and that's because this one is about 4 inches high on the sides. This pan is not as thick as other items on the commercial line but still feels nicely heavy in my hand. The nonstick finish seems to be pretty good also. All in all, it's a great buy so get yours before they're gone.

Like others, it is strange to write a review about a pan, but this is probably the best pan I have ever bought - I'm really that impressed with it. It's a heavy pan, so the heat distributes evenly. The handle is well constructed so even stir frying on nearly high, I have never even noticed that handle getting warm. The surface is outstanding - literally nothing sticks to it at all. It is just a really high quality piece of cookware.

This pan is very easy to clean. Nothing sticks ever. If you are cooking a large stir-fry than I would suggest that you get something a bit bigger. This is a very good product for the price.

...I ordered this 'wok' here (amazon.com). I have to say that when I first saw it, my **first** thoughts were: (1)oh, it's made in China (I didn't know that), and, (2) hum...the handle seem so "thin" (not 'flimsy' thin, but, 'skinny' thin). However, I have used it everyday since I got it and I love it! Also, I have never seen this product in 'real-life' so I was just really hoping for the best. The size is 10" diameter (measuring the inside-to-inside wall/edge of wok) and about 3 1/4" high--it's not too big, but enough for everyday stir-fry needs. The non-stick surface is wonderful--clean up is a breeze!! And, the weight of the pan itself is also nice--as expected of Calphalon commercial items. The cons would be the thin handle (although it's probably not any thinner than the rest of the calphalon commercial line) and no lid. But overall, I like this wok very much, I'm very satisfied with my purchase...for the price I paid...this wok is well worth it Ü The product is **exactly** as pictured above, so I gave it 5 stars.

**Oh, if it's any concern to you, amazon.com shipped this wok to me, in what seems like, it's 'original' box (unlabeled--except for a upc code and "Made in China" sticker).

The Nonstick 10-Inch Stir-Fry performs exactly as described in the Amazon.com review, if not better. I really like the weight of Calphalon's Commercial Nonstick series. As with all Calphalons that I own this one cooks very evenly and unlike some Woks or other stir-frys the Calphalon 10in sits very nicely on the stovetop. My wife and I use this stir-fry more often than most of our other Calphalons. Regarding the quality of this pan, I have absolutely no complaints. It's held up extremely well with almost daily use. If it's still going for around $20 on Amazon, I'd highly recommend buying it. To be honest, knowing what I know now, I'd even pay more!

This pan is on its way to being my first choice for cooking. Here's why:
- It's very thick and conductive, food is hard to burn when using a radiant or coil stove. Not all of us have gas stoves, yet!
- The thickness keeps the heating even and steady, while electric stoves cycle on and off
- The non-stick quality is amazing. It feels like the whole pan is one solid piece of nonstick metal. I don't have to fear using a wire whisk on the surface.
- I have the wok of the same line, commercial nonstick, and it has some limitations because of its size. This pan can be used for toss-fry (OK, you need just a little bit of muscle but not as much as tossing a wok's contents)
- Swing forward, everything flies up, snap and catch it all. You don't need that angled pan some other maker has been advertising, the wall curvature is perfectly designed for toss and catch. This keeps your ingredients more intact than stir-frying.
- You shouldn't put it in the dishwasher, but cleaning up is very easy. Everything slides off easily and you're done.
- Until now my preferred pans were the decent quality, but cheap, $2.99 Steka pans from IKEA (I have 8-9) and they still do a good job for small servings, and I don't care about putting them in a dishwasher. But this pan's big enough for dinner while you need two or three of the Stekas.
- Sometimes Amazon has a great price on this pan. I highly recommend picking up one or two.

One of my most rugged, reliable, even heating, easy to clean pans! Heavy indeed but not any more than you would expect out of a good quality pan. Virtually indestructable, one of the best pans I ever owned. I bought 4 more of other sizes!

I was so happy with this pan. It is great for light, healthy cooking and delicate non-greasy stir fries. I had a month ago made a mistake of buying the hard anodized pan where every bits of food would get stuck on it like steel to magnets, but this pan is absolutely wonderful! My only wish is that it would come with a lid. I have to use a lid from my old pans.