Customer Reviews

Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 13-Piece Cookware Set

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been cooking quite a bit with this set and do recommend them to the casual cook and/or the professional.

The major thing I've noticed is the amazing heat distribution of these pans. I cooked at friends house a couple weeks ago on a crappy electric range and the tuna steak we were cooking turned out perfect like I was cooking at home on my gas range.

Also a notable achievement is the easy clean up of these pans. The smooth design seemed cosmetic at first but I've been grateful for the rounded interior edges, they've saved me hours of clean up.

Great investment! Lifetime warranty is no joke either. Worth the price.

Calphalon Contemporary is as good as All Clad or any other cookware line on the market, and better than most.

Great heat distribution and extremely high efficiency. You actually have to learn to cook with less power than what you're used to.
Can be used with any cooktop, electric coil, flat electric, gas and induction. (These are downright amazing with induction!)
Doesn't scratch or lose its surface like any non-stick will do
Can use metal or nylon utensils
Non-stick results if used according to directions.
Easy to clean if you use Barkeeper's Friend.
Will be the last cookware you'll have to buy.

I also got the wok, and am thinking about getting another. With two of these woks, I could cook anything and rule the world.
Unfortunately, Amazon is currently out of the woks, so I have to wait for them to restock.

Unfortunately right now Amazon is not the price leader. They often have a $30-$50 discount from the retail $499, but as I write the review the price is back up to list.
Other sources also offer additional free pieces, gift cards, etc. You'll have to weigh that against Amazon's no sales tax.
If you shop hard, you can usually find a 20% coupon elsewhere, plus extra items. I hope Amazon sharpens their pencils soon.

Also, a lot of the Amazon listings under Calphalon Contemporary are for external vendors, so if you see above-list prices, keep on scrolling down to find the Amazon entry.
By the way, even if you don't get these from Amazon, avoid Macy's, who lists this set at $549 plus tax.

Notes after ten months of use (December 28, 2011):

If you can't tell, I really like this stuff, so I got the 8 quart dutch oven for Christmas 2011. I cooked a beef roast and roasted vegetables for Christmas dinner with excellent results.
So in addition to all the cook tops that it works with, add "oven".

You can cook eggs without sticking. Make sure you use PAM or butter and remember that these pans need lower heat than you're used to with aluminum or whatever you've been using.

To remove stains and anything you've managed to "bake on", use stainless steel scrub buds (not steel wool, which scratches!) and Barkeeper's Friend. Most heat discoloration can also be removed with distilled vinegar and a scrub sponge.

Amazon's price is still at list, but they have listings from Amazon store front vendors fulfilled by Amazon at significant discounts, so you can get a good price, no tax, and Super Saver and Prime shipping are applicable.

We just bought and opened this cookware. It had received several positive ratings so we were pretty excited about it. Unfortunately, the lids have some manufacturing quality control problems. The lids are glass with a stainless steel border that goes all of the way around the edge of the lid. On three of the lids, the seams (where the edges of the border connect to each other)are messed up -- not aligned, not quite finished or smooth, and in one case, the seam edge is rough -- to where it could possible catch on a sponge or finger. Amazon is great -- offered to replace or discount the set, and that's why we love Amazon. But, they couldn't just replace the couple of bad lids. Pack it all up and haul 28 pounds of cookware to UPS or settle with a discount? We're still trying to decide but are really disappointed in Calphalon's quality here.

We love our stainless steel 13-pc Calphalon pots and pans. Our only fault...you also need to have non-stick fry pans as I found our eggs would stick to the stainless steel. If you wash by hand as we do (by choice), you must use the Bar Keeper's Helper and dry the pots immediately which takes a little time. Other than that, we're happy we made the choice to purchase this set.

Very pleased with this cookware. Many pieces that are the perfect size for me. The price is also a real bargain. I highly recommend this cookware to anyone interested in lots of beautiful cookware - and a healthy alternative to teflon. I also bought the wok and love it!

I am very impressed with the quality of this product. I have been using it for over a month and totally enjoy it. I am definitely going to buy more pieces

We all have had kitchen mishaps/nightmares that we chuckle about, and rarely do we let anyone outside the home know about them, but here goes.

I received this set of pots one year ago, and I have put them through a testing regime that even Calphalon would cringe at - and would rightly void any warranty on. Before I start this story you should know I have a Wolf stove - restaurant grade, so it puts our more heat than the normal home stove and has an extreme ventilation system (thank goodness).

First disaster - One dinner I placed some sauce in a pot to thicken and then we had a crisis happened at the back of our property that made us rush out of the house to address - forgetting the pots on the stove. Six hours later we returned home - the sauce was gone and charcoal remained at the bottom of the pan. I thought the pot was shot. A little Bar Keepers and elbow grease and (to my amazement) the pot was as good as new.

Second disaster - both my hubby and I were exhausted from work and put some food on to boil (I use a Foodsaver so it's the ol' `boil in a bag' meal bag in those instances), but we both fell asleep waiting for dinner. At 3AM when I woke up (Hubby still snoring) the water was long gone in the pan and the bag had turned to charcoal - way beyond the melted bag stage - try `fused to the pan' stage. OK, the pot is a goner - nope, with elbow grease and Bar Keepers as good as new.

Third disaster - dinner's back on the stove and one of our horses went down at the back of the property. Back out the door we went forgetting the pots. When we returned to the house we were so exhausted we went to bed forgetting about dinner. In the morning (approx 8AM) we went out to the kitchen for breakfast finding our stove still on and the pots had all turned to a tan color. OK, now the bottoms have to melted out of them and they have to be shot. Nope, a little more Bar Keepers and they all were just like new.

You all have to be thinking at this point - why hasn't this person burned down the house yet...I'm asking the same question...I'm lobbying for an in-home cook now, but Hubby isn't hearing of it (chuckle). In over 30 years of cooking I've never had disasters like this, but I'm amazed these pots have handled it.

All the above stories my family is chuckling around the table about these days - but it's the reason I'm writing this review. Over the years I've cooked with Teflon, cast iron, copper, etc - and this cookware is the best I've ever used. Teflon flakes, cast iron needs caution handling (plus it's heavy), copper needs `babying' to keep it looking good - this product is bullet-proof. Through all my abuse it hasn't warped, tarnished, and so on. This product is truly AMAZING and well worth the money. The thing that still amazes me is through all my disasters this year I was still able to pick up the pans without a pot holder - the handles were cool to the touch. All I did was place the pot off to the side (away from the heat) until it cooled down, then added water and heated it again, and finally scrub it with Bar Keepers - and they all went back to their new shiny pot-state - AMAZING! So, I'm hoping for no more disasters like these in 2012 (more than I've ever had in my entire life). If you are looking for the `Sherman Tank' of cookware that you don't have to baby - this is it! I'm now a die-hard Calphalon fan. I hope you all get a good chuckle out of my `disasters' - I (and my family) swear they are all true (to my embracement - which is now out there for everyone to see).

PS - Before we purchased this set we read all the reviews and I wasn't sure if this was what we should buy. I was nervous that they may need special care, some unique needs for cooking in, etc. Heck, from the reviews you should be able to tell they are a beautiful cookware set that can be hung up for everyone to see - but from my experience you can determine they can handle everyday use (no babying) and end up being a 'hand-me-down' for generations to come. If they survived me this last year they'll probably be around for generations to come - kinda like the cast iron cookware from years gone by.

I researched cookware for quite some time before purchasing as I was always someone who bought cheaper pans and couldn't imagine spending this much money on a set. I actually paid more than what it costs now, and I can assure you that it was worth every penny. These pans are not only durable, they have changed the way I cook- for the better! Food cooks better and tastes better....

When I read about these pans, people complained that food sticks to the bottom of them; this is both true and false. Food can stick to the bottom of them, which you can then make into a sauce if you want- it's a way to cook with stainless. However, if you use butter (you don't use sprays on these pans) or olive oil and cook at the right temperature, than food doesn't stick. These pans heat up fast and evenly and they aren't meant to be used on high heat unless you're boiling water. For most things, they cook best on medium or low heat. The thing I love best about these pans is that you can stick them right in the oven- so no more extra pans when you're cooking a chicken breast- you can cook it on top of the stove and then put it right into the oven to finish baking!

A note on eggs: It did take me a few tries, but I am able to easily cook all sorts of eggs on these now without them sticking- it was a matter of using butter and finding a temperature that works.

A note on cleaning: They clean very easily if you don't allow the food to stick. If you allow food to stick, then just soak for a few minutes and wash. Make sure you always let your pans cool completely before washing to avoid warping (as with ANY pan). I think these wash just as easily as any non-stick I've ever owned. The one time I really burned something on there (forgot about it), I did need to soak it for a while, but unlike other pans that might have been ruined, once I got it cleaned it looked new. I will say that they do discolor a bit- you can clean this off with barkeepers friend, although it may scratch the pans depending on which version you use and what you use to clean it with. For me, the discoloration on the bottom shows I use them- and just like a cutting board when it gets cuts in it, I think the discoloration is the mark of a chef- a person who actually cooks in their pans; again, if this bothers you, polish them once in a while.

I have an flat-top electric range with a convection oven. I have also seen these pans used on gas and they work great there as well. I always cooked on gas before I had children, and then we switched to electric for safety- I have to say that these pans don't make it just like cooking with gas, but they heat up so fast and cook so evenly that I don't miss my gas stove as much since I purchased these!

Very nice and sturdy set. You can tell it's not a Walmart bought item (Not that Walmart is bad). Works very well with our new flat top stove; the main reason we needed a new cookware set.

I received it a day before our anniversary and loved it..It was more than what I expected...I would recommend to anyone looking for any stainless set...I had done a lot of research and found that Macys had the same thing for almost 40% more and + tax..So please dont hesitate to buy such an awesome deal...