Customer Reviews

Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 13-Inch Round Grill Pan

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

 

 

I am very excited to be the first person to write a review for this grill pan, and hope I will convince you to purchase it. First of all, let me say that the quality of Calphalon's stainless cookware has greatly improved as they have recently made the switch from not-so-good impact-bonded stainless bottom (Simply Stainless) to a spun tri-ply construction that's on par with All-Clad.
I just got this grill pan after trying a cheapo reversible 2-burner grill, whose "non-stick" (not quite) coating started coming off very early on, and Mario Batali/Copco new enameled cast iron Panini Grill, whose top part never got very hot, and which was a pain to clean.
The Calphalon Contemporary Stainless, costing the same as the Panini Press, is a much better value. The spun tri-ply gives you very even heat and beautiful grill marks, and, as all stainless, it is extremely easy to clean -just soak for a bit and then wipe the goo off with your sponge. Also, it is very wide, which allows you to grill such large items as flank steaks, and limits splattering.

I got this for my husband for Christmas so he could keep grilling all winter long. He made us steaks last week. Not as good as cooking over fire, but good. The pan made nice grill marks and didn't add any greasiness to the meat. It also came clean in the dishwasher! I can't really ask more than that.

The pan says it's compatible with glass cooktops. It is not since it has ridges on the outside bottom of the pan. Pans for glass cooktops should be smooth on the bottom. It looks like a nice pan for regular gas or electric burners. Don't order if you have the glass cooktop.

EXCELLET GRILL PAN. I'VE HAD THE CALPHALON STAINLESS STEEL GRILL PAN FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. GRILLING STEAKS, CHICKEN, VEGETABLES AND GARLIC BREAD HAS BEEN SO EASY. THE PAN HEATS VERY EVENLY AND COOLS QUICKLY. I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT AND CAN'T HAVE AN OUTDOOR GRILL. I WOULD PUT THIS GRILL PAN AGAINST ANY OUTDOOR GRILL. I USED OLIVE OIL FOR ALL COOKING WHICH MADE NOTHING STICK AND WAS VERY EASY TO CLEAN. THIS IS A PAN THAT YOU WILL PASS ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. DON'T SETTLE FOR SUBSTITUTES.

I specifically picked this pan after running many years without a grill pan as I do not like non stick and I can't get used to the concept of not using soap on cast iron.

I have few all clads and some restaurant supply pans mixed in - I now how to use barkeepers friend and I use that a lot yet this is the most difficult pan to clean.

The oil burns in and leaves black marks, it does happen on my other pans too when I pan sear let say a steak at super high heat but soaking and scrubbing with barkeeper takes much longer with this one and I still end up with few black marks.

Also I noted that it discolors underneath - this is something that soaking with barkeepers friend does remove - this doesn't happen with my other pans so I suspect this is something with steel that has been used. I use medium heat as I do with my other pans.

In regards to the 1 star critic about the glass top - I am guessing the person is talking induction. My Viking induction cooktop wasn't able to detect the pan which is probably because the bottom is uneven.

I will try other oils over time, so far I used grape-seed and olive oil (mistake, wasn't thinking about the smoke) with the grape-seed beeing the bigger pain.

I like the pan but it is kind of hard to clean. I usually soak it for an hour before scrubbing it clean with scrubbing sponge. Maybe if I used Brillo to scrub it cleaning it may be easier. Also the pan is bigger than i thought and it doesn't really fit to nicely in my kitchen sink so cleaning it is a real chore. Other than that I like the pan. It cooks nicely, grill marks, etc. I would give it 5 stars if it weren't for the cleaning issues for me.

The grill pan from Calphalon has met all expectations of being able to have the tasty streaks and reduced fat that comes from grilling meats. We have done steaks, chicken breasts, and pork chops with success. We have cooked both on top of the stove and in the oven. The results were uniformly good.

If I had it to do over again - after experience - I would get a smaller pan. The 13 inch pan holds a lot of food and overcovers the large heating eye on our stove. However, the pan stores well in the stove drawer so it is convenient to use.

This is an excellent product. I grilled steaks and vegetables and they tasted good and cleaning up is easy (that's the best part).

I own many pieces of Calphalon. This stainless steel pan is awful. I meticulously read the instructions before using this grill pan. I used it one time - nothing elaborate (simple turkey burgers) - following the cooking and cleaning instructions. It should have looked like new after one use ... but I tried and tried but couldn't get it completely clean. DON'T BUY IT.

I bought this on Amazon (FireFly Buys). Firefly refused to take it back because they consider it 'used'. (How would you know it was a bad product...if you didn't use it?) I certainly have a very negative review for the seller.

This grill pan is wonderful! First of all, it's huge! That's great for me with a huge family but the size might surprise you. It's not excessively heavy - nothing like cast iron - and has a long, well balanced handle. The entire pan is stainless steel - no non-stick finish - and it cleans up beautifully. I was fortunate enough to find mine at an estate sale and got it for a song because it looked like it had been used A LOT and never been cleaned. I brought it home, and with some Bar Keepers Friend and with a little scrubbing, it looks brand new! This is really good for me because I am a horrible cook and burn EVERYTHING! I NEED pots and pans that clean up easily. But even I made a perfectly decent burger on this grill pan. I love the grill marks it makes on the food. I have also grilled chicken breasts and strip steaks. Truthfully, I overcooked them, but not badly (no need for the fire extinguisher those times) and they were EVENLY over cooked. There didn't appear to be any hot spots. I am working on my kitchen skills, which is why I have been purchasing better quality cookware and I can definitely see a difference. I think a good cook would love this pan.